Delta, Missouri

Belgian mares and their napping mule babies

Surprise Lily Week

Lycoris squamigera

naked lady

surprise lily

spider lily

magic lily

mystery lily

resurrection lily

hardy amaryllis

pink flamingo flower

Little Grand Canyon

Joli and I spent an easy half day walking and scrambling in the Little Grand Canyon National Natural Landmark in southern Illinois.

Look at these steps carved into the stone, otherwise steep and slippery, by a CCC crew in the 1930s. They show up just when you need them.

Cape Girardeau

High water on the Mississippi on May 28 compared to the low flow today.

Grand Bluffs Conservation Area

Hiking to Grand Bluffs Conservation Area overlook above the Missouri River and the Katy Trail, the path passes through oak forest, savannah, glade and prairie to a deck with this fine view.

We continue satisfying our desire to see and experience this region of so much natural beauty.

Forest Park

A large group of slider and snapper turtles is available for viewing in the waters beneath the footbridge in Pagoda Circle; just bring them a snack.

Forest Park

Nathan Frank Bandstand lifts off

St. Louis: around town

This well cared for flower and vegetable garden is five minutes from City Hall. It is a work of art. I've been watching it all spring and summer but haven't spotted the gardener. Note the banana plants and the height of the corn.

Tower Grove Park

These bronze casts of plants in the Amazon basin and animals on the side of an Andean volcano are details on side panels on the base of the statue of Alexander von Humboldt, German botanist and explorer of South America, near the center of Tower Grove Park.  

Shaw's Garden

Shaw's Garden

digital funny business

Shaw's Garden

Dale Chihuly's floating glass onions in the central pool at the Missouri Botanical Garden  

catch  the light in wonderful ways. His work shines in outdoor settings. Check out the following sites, among others:

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix 

http://www.dbg.org/index.php/chihuly/gallery

NY Botanical Garden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcyid-9VvM8

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami

http://www.chihuly.com/installations/fairchild/index.html

Holy Cow Dept.

Armed militia on turquoise Harley Softail on Pine St.

Between Hannibal and Louisiana

Looking south from a hilltop along the road to Louisiana. 

Iowa City

Today I drove north to see my sister and nephew in Iowa City.  

My sister's garden, a labor of many years, is absolutely lovely. She raises the bar in Adirondack love for she has transplanted an Adirondack forest to Iowa seedling by seedling.