Pic Today 8/27/12

FLAMING LIPS PERFORMS

AT "LOU FEST" CLOSING ACT

Day Two of the Lou Fest music festival

featured Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips

to finish out an 8-band show day.

Wayne didn't disappoint an excited crowd

who put up with thunderstorms late in the day

with a spectacular 1-1/2 hour night show.

No band uses more technical and special effects

than the Flaming Lips, including . . .

confetti cannons, smoke and lasers,

huge bouncing balloons above the crowd,

giant mirror balls and videos . . .

and Wayne rolling across the crowd

in his famous "hamster ball."

Their techno/electro music was a perfect

match for the fireworks and surprises.

Attending a Flaming Lips concert

is an experience you won't soon forget.

Great fun!

Pic Today 8/26/12

LOU FEST, DAY ONE

2-day Indie Music Festival

in Forest Park, St. Louis.

8 bands.

Record crowds.

Rain dampens crowd,

not moods.

Day One favorites . . .

Cotton Mather,

King Tuff,

Son Volt,

Phantogram,

Dinosaur Jr,

and Girl Talk.

Lou Fest Day Two, Tomorrow.

Pic Today 8/25/12

"GET THE LEAD OUT"

The discovery of lead ore by the French

in the 18th century led to the world's

largest lead mine 100 years later

in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

The Bonne Terre Mine no longer produces

lead ore, but there was a time when 80%

of the world's lead came from this

huge underground mine.

This vast 17-mile wide mine was actively

worked by thousands of workers,

using dynamite, shovel and pick.

This extremely heavy ore was loaded into

small rail cars and pulled by donkeys

to a steam-powered pulley to the top.

(A full ore car weighed 30,000-pounds.)

Today, the empty mine is site of the world's

largest fresh water scuba diving,

with 100-foot deep, crystal-clear spring fed waters.

The Bonne Terre Mine attracts divers world wide

to its billion gallon lake site.

This underground site has also attracted

a growing mushroom cultivation business.

In the 1960s, Jacques Cousteau came to dive

the Bonne Terre underground lake for half a day.

(He ended up staying for 5 days, and mapping the site.)

Pic Today 8/24/12

? ? ? ? ? ?

Mystery train freight

came through Kirkwood, Missouri today.

Twelve giant "plastic wrapped" somethings

were sitting on top of flatbed railroad cars.

It took two railroad cars to hold each item.

The train was moving fast, but I was able

to get these two pictures.

Anybody have any ideas?

What are these things?

(I asked at the local train station office.

They had no idea.)

Don't you love a good mystery?

Pic Today 8/23/12

SWEET FAREWELL

TO SUMMER FRUIT FAVORITES

Time to say farewell to summer's

favorite fruits . . .

Illinois free-stone peaches

and

Michigan blueberries

No better way to salute these

Midwest treasures

than a slice of home baked pie

and sliced peaches piled on for good measure.

(5 minutes after shooting this picture,

I sat down and "ate the props.")

It was a spiritual experience!