Silhouette

Union Station Clocktower


Arch


Building in St. Louis

Luxury Waterfront Living???

PhotoFriday--Health

This weeks PhotoFriday challenge is Health.


Image:Lombardo's Trattoria's Door, St. Louis, Mo.

Blogging on the Road

I am in training this week in St. Louis but I brought my camera to take some photos.

I will try to avoid the tourist photos but I can't help but take one of the Arch.

Park for a Day Demonstration Project

Walking down town today I came across a park that was not there the day before. On the corner of 5th and Adams, just diagonally across from the old State Capital was a small park. It had real trees, grass and even park benches. How did all that get there overnight? It was a demonstration setup just for Dave Kiliman, Executive Director for Springfield Sangamon County Regional Planning commission. Evidently Dave had saw another town (maybe Seattle) that has done this type of thing, where they set up a temporary park for people to enjoy in an urban setting. He always wanted to try it here in Springfield. Mr. Kiliman is retiring after 35 years of service for Sangamon County, so his staff decided to surprise him with this demonstration today. He said he had plans to go to the Farmer's Market. His wife told him that she would go along with him. When they arrived downtown, he saw one of his employees, which told him to follow her. He was totally surprised when he saw his wish come true.

Many turned out for the event including Channel 20 news.

Here are the photos of the event.


Park for a Day Banner


Dave Kiliman on an interview with Channel 20 News


People enjoying the park


View of the Park looking down Adams street


Randy Armstrong, employee, adjusting the banner

Randy Armstrong resting on the park bench.

Congratulations to Mr. Kiliman on his retirement. And who knows, maybe we can see this as a regular feature of Downtown Springfield, if not, it was a good way to bring in the Summer.

Souvenir Penny???

I was walking downtown and saw this:
This is one of those penny smashers that puts pictures on pennies as it smashes them flat. This one puts a nice picture of Abe Lincoln on it. My question is a simple one, doesn't the penny already have a picture of Abe Lincoln already pressed into it?

Sangamon County Fair

I went to the fair on Friday. It was ok. I paid $3 for a soda that tasted terrible. It did not have enough syrup so it was like club soda with a small amount of flavor. We did not ride any rides since we went for the concert. My wife and sister-in-law wanted to get close up so we walked up to the front. When we got there we found out that they push the start time of the concert back so we had to wait even longer.

TNT and the Dynamite Cowboys were very entertaining. They did a rendition of Devil Went Down To Georgia which was fantastic.

Then we waited for Trace Adkins to start. He did a pretty good show except for all his Elvis hip moves, (could have done without seeing a hillbilly redneck gyrating to country music) and all the women in the crowd swooning over him, including my wife and sister-in-law. It was very sickening.

We left the fairgrounds only to have a run in with an irate lady. The cause of her irritation was of course, yours truly. Here is how it went down:

I am on the motorcycle, my wife and sister-in-law is in the van. We start heading out of the parking area only to find we made a wrong turn. A kind local New Berlin raised up a flag rope barricade so we could head out the correct way. Well no one appreciated our shortcut and was not going to let us in. But as with everything, there should be common courtesy no matter what. We all needed to get out so in my opinion, by taking turns, no one is stuck waiting for very long. (You may disagree.) So when I saw that no one was going to budge, I pulled my motorcycle in front of this ladies car. So if she continued to go forward she would have crushed my leg into the motorcycle. (Get the picture.) So thankfully she opted to just yell at me instead of running into my leg. Eventually the line started to move again. My wife pulled in front of me and I followed. So maybe I was out of line in doing what I did, but I needed to get home just as much as the next guy. I doubt that they lady learned any common courtesy out of the experience either.

Here are some shots of the fair.


Grand Stand


People and the Stage


Litter after the show


Lots of Alcohol Consumption

So that is the SFC in a nutshell. I had and ok time but I also like my braces adjusted so that ain't saying much...

Photo Friday--Automotive

This weeks PhotoFriday challenge is 'Automotive'.

This is a picture of a car at Ispringhausen Imports in Springfield. I took it because it was colorful and also had the reflection of a blue Mustang in the paint.
I call it Mustang Reflection. It is unedited and untouched, exactly as it was recorded to my camera. Sometimes those are the best ones.

Artist On the Plaza June 20th 2006

The Springfield Arts Council sponsors Artist On The Plaza. Every Tuesday and Thursday a different artist is featured. Today, they featured a classical guitar player named Russel Brazzel. Here is a couple of photographs of him playing today.









Artist on the Plaza is from Noon to 1:00 PM. They have entertainment planned for Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of June.

Drawing from the Heart(burn)

I woke up at 4:00 AM with heartburn so I went to the computer. I saw a my yahoo messanger up with the doodle utility. My friend had instant messaged me and then proceeded to draw a hello picture for me to find.

Here is what I drew in return:

Just the Facts

Facts About Pregnancy And Infant Loss

Pregnancy and infant losses occur more often than you might think. Consider the following:
· Each year, Close to 1 million families are faced with the tragedy of pregnancy and infant loss.
· One of every 100 births ends with a stillborn baby and almost 1 of every 100 births results in a baby that dies during the first 28 days of life (not including SIDS which occurs 2 per 100).
· Approximately 15-25% of all documented conceptions end in miscarriage.
· It is estimated that up to 50% of all conceptions end in miscarriage.
· Chances are, we all know someone who has been down this road and have not known what to do or say for grieving parents.
· Pregnancy and infant losses are two of the most misunderstood occurrences in life. Those outside the family often view it as an unfortunate, but minor, non-event. Not everyone understands the emotional investment parents put into their unborn children, in some cases even before that child is conceived. The hopes, dreams, plans, love and anticipation are real, even if the child has yet to be seen.
· Families who suffer this tragedy need sensitive caregivers, understanding friends and supportive family members.
Therefore, awareness and education are important. A supportive environment can make all the difference in how parents incorporate this loss, this precious child, into their lives in a healthy manner.
Keep in mind - Every life is special and every life should be remembered… even the smallest life.

Source Unknown

Links to posts about our Loss and poems I wrote to help me heal.
Photos Et Cetera: Our Story
Photos Et Cetera: Karli
Photos Et Cetera: Field of Dreams
Photos Et Cetera: Never forget
Photos Et Cetera: Don't Worry Baby
Photos Et Cetera: What could have been

Song by Kenny Chesney
Photos Et Cetera: Who You'd Be Today

Slow Moving Dumpster?

Is it me or does the word "Dumpster" look like it is misspelled?

Father and Son Picnic

Motorcycles Are Everywhere

Image: bumper Sticker for Motorcycle Awareness


Image: Several motorcycles parked off of 9th Street in Springfield


Image: Motorcycle Rider in full gear on a sport bike.

So as you can see motorcycles are everywhere. Look Twice, the life you save may be mine...

Self Portrait

Skyscraper (Patch) Tavern Revisited

If you remember my post Photos Et Cetera: "The Patch" Tavern destroyed by fire, it was about the fire that destroyed an historic tavern. I did not realize the historical significance of this tavern until I got an email from a man named Joe Blackwell. He left this comment:

Sorry to see the old Skyscraper is no more. My Grandfather, a coal miner, (Peabody #9) and my father, used to bring me there when I was a kid. I remember the Bocci Ball court along side the building. This would have been around 1946 through about 1953. I last visited in 1981, took a picture of the place. I used to spend 2 or 3 weeks each summer living in Taylorville on Vandeveer Street. Thanks for the memory. The 1981 picture is on my blogspot site, Check it out. Joe Blackwell

Here is the photo Joe sent me of the tavern as it looked in 1981:


Here is an image I took after the fire:



I have not been back since I took the photos. I wonder if they plan to rebuild?
Thanks for sharing your memories, Joe.

Red Carpet

Red Carpet

Photo Friday--Poverty

This weeks Photo Friday theme is Poverty.

A very depressing theme that it is, I thought long and hard at what I wanted to post. Since it has been believed for a long time that poverty and alcohol abuse are linked, I chose this photo that I have not posted until now. I took it a few months back but never had a reason to post it. It sums up poverty without photographing those who suffer from it.


Image:Empty Alcohol bottle left in the street.