Pic Today 2/28/11

MARDI GRAS IN ST. LOUIS

HAS GONE TO THE DOGS

The Mardi Gras St. Louis celebration

started off this past weekend with its annual

Pet Parade & Weiner Dog Derby

in the historic Soulard neighborhood.

The weather warmed up, streets were closed

and tens of thousands of pet lovers

brought their dogs down for the parade,

dog costume contest and "weiner dog" races.

There were big dogs and little dogs,

dogs in bikinis, painted dogs, dancing dogs,

Easter Bunny dogs . . . and even a shetland pony

dressed up like a dog!

(It was a "dog gone" good time.)

Pic Today 2/27/11

THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE

AMERICAN CAR

OF ALL TIME

Most car enthusiasts spot this classic U.S. car

and recognize it immediately.

It's the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible.

The tail fins, those single front scoop headlights,

those straight clean lines,

and that wide "V" Chevy logo.

The '57 Chevy Bel Air convertible

was a "traffic stopper" in turquoise blue.

The suggested selling price in 1957 was $2,700,

and that included PowerGlide automatic transmission,

Power Steering and a mighty V-8 engine.

That same car today, in original condition (as shown here),

would cost in excess of $100,000.

What a beauty!

Pic Today 2/26/11

WINDOWS ON THE RAILS

Imagine . . .

you're the engineer,

driving these mighty locomotives

down the tracks . . .

hundreds of tons of steel and steam,

fifty cars of freight behind you . . .

no steering wheel, just a throttle

and a boiler to keep boiling,

with a massive engine and pistons

in front of you . . .

and your view ahead

is barely a window on the side.

It's my favorite part

of these mighty locomotives . . .

the engineer gets to slide his window open,

leaning out to view the rails ahead.

Most windows came with an outside "arm rest"

to ease his view as he leaned to guide

his iron horse forward.

Such exquisite, primitive design!

(We miss you mighty locomotives.

You left your tracks behind.)

Pic Today 2/25/11

BIG WHEELS

KEEP ON TURNING

Every part of these grand steam locomotives

is built for power and majesty . . .

great design and function

with no detail small or frail.

Giant wheels and pistons that once pulled heavy freight

today deliver only stationary beauty,

from boiler and pumps

to valves and pipes that slowly rust shut.

Black beauty is an iron horse!

(Final group of train photos, tomorrow.)

Pic Today 2/24/11

TRAIN SPOTTING

The fronts of these massive locomotives

peered down the tracks

day or night

as these mighty giants crossed the continent

in the 1800s and early 1900s.

What a sight. What a sound.

What an era.

Standing next to them is awe inspiring.

Shooting photos, so much fun.

(More pics tomorrow.)

Pic Today 2/23/11

PEACEFUL, HISTORIC

SOULARD NEIGHBORHOOD

SOON TO BE WILD & CRAZY

Yes, Mardi Gras is coming . . .

which means the Soulard section of St. Louis

will soon become a scene of celebration,

partying on the streets, beads and masks,

and the annual Mardi Gras parade.

Purple, green and gold decorations

are already in place, as this annual fête

gets ready to fill the streets (and bars) with

hundreds of thousands of revelers.

The Soulard area is a national historic neighborhood

lined with houses built in the mid-1800s.

The Mardi Gras celebration here is the second largest

in the nation -- rivaled only by New Orleans,

the birthplace of Mardi Gras!

(This means Lent will soon be with us.

Get ready to repent!)

Pic Today 2/22/11

"BLACK GOLD"

FOR YOUR GARDEN

The very best thing for a garden

is rich, beautiful, deep dark, fragrant, nutritious compost.

And it's not too soon to work your

very own compost pile

for the upcoming growing season.

All you need is an outside space

where you can add yard trimmings & food scraps

with access to air circulation, protected from rain.

The recipe is easy.

There are some simple rules:

Add anything that once grew or came from the earth.

No meats or bones or milk products.

(This ensures sweet smells and no critters.)

Yard waste, leaves, straw, kitchen scraps.

Fruits, vegetables, flowers.

Stale bread, pasta, eggs, egg shells.

Tea and coffee grounds.

Nothing too big.

Chop into smaller pieces.

Mix it up every few days.

Don't let it dry out.

Then let nature take her course.

In 2-3 months you get the best soil amendment

and natural fertilizer you can find.

Till it in your spring garden.

Your flowers and vegetables will thank you.

Now you know what the best gardeners know:

Compost is "black gold."