Pic Today 7/31/20

SWEET AS CANDY

Love these bite-size cherry tomatoes.

So productive, do delicious.

(And the squirrels leave them alone.)

Pic Today 7/30/20

DAY LILLIES

Such a great year for

hybrid day lillies.

Must be all the rain.

Pic Today 7/29/20

YOU GETTING ENOUGH?

Pic Today 7/28/20

THE JOY OF 

A RIPE STRAWBERRY

To find a ripe strawberry

is a joy to taste.

Is why we shop local,

at our farmers markets.

The only thing better than

a ripe strawberry . . .

A BOWL FULL

COVERED WITH CREAM.

Pic Today 7/27/20

TOO MANY SYMBOLS

Not sure what they all mean,

but I like his face,

and the energy he projects.

I love shooting interesting people.

Rastafarian?

Pic Today 7/26/20

MY FRIEND DOM

Some students become friends,

like Dominic.

Such a big heart and spirit.

And not afraid to hug a tree.

Miss you, Dom.

Pic Today 7/25/20

GRILLED PEACHES?

Especially when you can find

ripe freestone peaches.

Pop 'em the grill.

Let 'em get hot and juicy.

Cut them into bite-size pieces.

Spoon them onto vanilla ice cream.

The sweet taste of summer.

Yum.

Pic Today 7/24/20i

BERRY PICKIN' TIME

Wild blackberries.

Ripe and so sweet.

Yum!

Pic Today 7/23/20

SUMMER BLOOMS

Two of my favorites . . .

Purple coneflowers with

black-eyed Susans.

Pic Today 7/22/20

THE BEAUTY OF A FLAME

Capturing the form and motion

of a flame has been a passion

of mine.

Always in motion,

and a beauty all its own.

Gas flames against a black background

is best, and always a surprise.

Pic Today 7/21/20

IRRESISTIBLE

How the sunflower is drawn

to the sun.

Pic Today 7/20/20

MY CAR'S DASH BOARD
MUST BE BROKEN

Yesterday's temperature reading
said 105-degrees.

(I'll have my dealer check it out.)

Pic Today 7/19/20

CARTOON FOR THE DAY

Nuff said.

(Cartoon courtesy of New Yorker magazine.)

Pic Today 7/18/20

TOMATOES AS ART

Heirloom tomatoes come in

many shapes and sizes.

Sometimes ugly ones 

are so delicious.

Two of my favorites are

Purple Cherokee and

Covilli heirloom

(shown above.)

You won't find these in

grocery chain stores, but 

always worth searching

at farmers markets.

Enjoy.

Pic Today 7/17/20

THE GRAPES OF SUMMER

Missouri is blessed with two varieties

of black grapes . . .

Concorde black grapes (with seeds)

and

Freedonia grapes (without seeds).

Concordes are unmistakably sweet

and delicious, for jams, jellies and juice.

While Freedonias are seed-free

and delicious to eat right from the vine.

They're ripening now, and will be ready

to pick later this summer.

Pic Today 7/16/20

MISSOURI FLOAT TRIP

(Upper Meramec River,

Crawford County, Missouri)

Pic Today 7/15/20

TASTING SWEET HONEYSUCKLE

Hot summer days.

It's time to suck the sweet

nectar from ripe honeysuckle.

Yum.

Pic Today 7/14/20

PADDLE BOARDING

IN MISSOURI

It's the latest way

to travel our waterways.

There's no seats,

just very low clearance

and a great way to glide

through our

rivers, streams and lakes.

Affordable, accessible and fun.

(Inflatable versions too.)

Pic Today 7/13/20

GREAT MUSIC

AT

WILDWOOD SPRINGS LODGE

Discover great acoustic music

at this vintage Ozark inn

near Steeleville, Missouri.

Check out the famous bands

appearing this fall.

Definitely worth booking some 

tickets at:

wildwoodspringslodge.com

Pic Today 7/12/20

ICE SLEDDING

ON ART HILL

In winter, Art Hill is known

for the best sledding in St. Louis..

But in hot summer months,

(like NOW -- it's 100˚ today)

there's a new way to sled

the same famous hill

in Forest Park.

Ice sledding!

Bring your own block of ice

and a cushion to sit on,

and off you go!

Keep your balance,

and race your friends

to the bottom.

Pic Today 7/11/20

A BROKEN CLOCK

is right twice a day!

(Courtesy New Yorker magazine)

Pic Today 7/10/20

COOLEST SPOT

ON THE RIVER

On the hottest summer days

(like today)

My favorite place to cool down

is not near the river,

it's in the river.

Spring fed waters

of our free flowing streams

(like the upper Meramec)

are always refreshingly cool.

Pic Today 7/9/20

LIKE CANDY ON THE VINE

I love growing cherry tomatoes.

So dependable.

So easy to pluck fresh

right off the vine.

So sweet.

Bite size treats

that say summertime

all the way to autumn.

And the squirrels leave them alone.

Yum.

Pic Today 7/8/20

CANADA'S SPARROWS

ARE SINGING A NEW SONG

The northern sparrow has suddenly

changed its familiar song,

and ornithologists are noticing

this dramatic change throughout

north American boreal forests.

Noted behavioral ecologist,

Scott Ramsay, has discovered

the dramatic change.

"They're all singing something weird,"

he said.

Their familiar triplet ending,

"Old Sam, Peabody-Peabody-Peabody"

has now changed into a shorter

doublet-ending song.

Only the birds know why.

We hope it's not a result of our

climate change pressures.

Pic Today 7/7/20

PINK LOTUS

IN BLOOM

What a beautiful place to visit.

The pink lotus ponds 

  at Tower Grove Park,

St. Louis.

Breathtaking!

Pic Today 7/6/20

LET'S SEE

WHAT TO MAKE

WHAT TO MAKE

Of course.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

A match made in heaven.

Pic Today 7/5/20

THE FARMERS MARKET

IS BACK IN BUSINESS

Saturday morning shopping

in Tower Grove Park.

It's more spread out now,

vendors have more space,

new rules,

but the same fresh produce

is again available to all.

This is the way to shop.

Pic Today 7/4/20

NO FIREWORKS THIS YEAR

In years past,

downtown Kirkwood

used to shoot fireworks

over City Hall.

Certainly not this year.

It's a different world this year.

Sooo different.

Time to celebrate safely,

and beat this pandemic.

Enjoy this holiday weekend.

Celebrate safe and sound.

Pic Today 7/3/20

GONE FISHIN'

Hope you all have a fabulous

holiday weekend.

Pic Today 7/2/20

NO, THEY'RE NOT BLUEBERRIES

Any guesses?

Need a hint?

Pic Today 7/1/20

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN

IN THE RAIN

And all to myself.

Now that it's opened again,

to members,

first come first served!

I figured no one would show up

first thing, especially when

it was raining.

How right I was!

(Nice call, Ricardo.)