Several years ago I read about something called “frost flowers” and I’ve wanted to see one in person ever since. But the timing (a brief window in late fall) and conditions have to be just right (first hard freezes have arrived, but ground is still warm) for these ribbons of ice crystals to form, so…
Category: if you lived here
Here we go
The trees atop Art Hill seem to have gotten the memo and are really starting to show their colorful stuff – and the rest of the park is trying to follow their lead. So the next week or two should be really fun.
Saturday Scenes
A beautiful day in the park. The swirling patterns of algae floating on this pond reminded me of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
Fun Fall finds with Finn
This week’s walks are brought to you by the letter “F” — fun fall finds with Finn. Above: A house along our route knocks it out of the park every year, but this year’s skeleton scene actually made me gasp out loud. Below: Finn cannot understand why I cannot walk and pick up leaves at…
Ah, yes…
“Being grateful doesn’t mean you have to love every part of your life. It’s okay to feel hurt when something doesn’t turn out the way you thought it to be, especially for things you have given so much of your heart. What gratefulness means is that no matter what happens or what you go through,…
Five Words
Five words to keep in your vocabulary (even when you’re facing the unknown): 1.) Rest The act of ceasing to work in order to be refreshed and recover your strength (even when you don’t think you’re worthy of it). 2.) Play To engage in an activity just for the fun of it (even when there’s…
I spy…
You know, I always thought I was a fairly observant person — until I got a puppy. Everything is brand new to this guy. And I do mean everything. A crow’s cackle, a firetruck’s siren, a squirrel’s chatter…everything requires a pause and thorough investigation. And he doesn’t miss a thing. He forces me to slow…
That’s a first
In all the years we’ve lived here and all the times I’ve visited Forest Park, I have never seen the Grand Basin frozen over — and I’ve certainly never walked on the surface. But guess what I got to do recently? You got it. And what a blast it was. So was the snow angel….
As it unfolds
“Gratitude: the daily art of celebrating the life unfolding before your eyes.” – Morgan Harper Nichols And you just never know what you’re gonna see. Today was a really lovely, quirky and often humorous walk around a local lake. From beginning to end, there were so many funky and unexpected finds. Not shown below: a…
Think and be thankful
Today I listened to an audio recording of mass during a long walk through the park.It was a Sunday sermon like no other. The message, the light, the reflections, the clouds…it was all pretty glorious.
Truly
“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” – Ansel Adams What started as a bit of exercise in the park turned into more than two hours of wandering, exploring and savoring the colors, shapes and textures of the season. What a beautiful day on so many levels….
Wasn’t expecting that
I took a stroll through the Botanical Garden today and saw a number of blooms that surprised me. And here I thought that all of the fall colors had faded!
Color my world
“Anyone can love a rose, but it takes a lot to love a leaf. It’s ordinary to love the beautiful, but it’s beautiful to love the ordinary.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it takes much to love these colors — and there’s nothing ordinary about any of them. But wow, aren’t…
Perfect
Another stop on my day off: the Missouri Botanical Garden. A perfect place on a perfect day. But honestly, if I only saw the Autumn Crocus, I would’ve been totally happy.
Sweet on St. Louis
If you visit or live in St. Louis, there are a few non-negotiable foods to try: toasted ravioli, Imo’s pizza (you just have to try it, you don’t have to like it), Ted Drewes frozen custard and gooey butter cake. I knew that gooey butter cake originated in St. Louis, but I didn’t realize that…
More than enough
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – anonymous The universal challenge to cultivate happiness is to list three things from each day for which we are grateful. Heck, I don’t even need a full day to generate that list; I just need a run in the park.
Jewel Box
You’d never guess by looking around at the beauty in our world that anything is remotely amiss right now. Sunsets still glow. Flowers still bloom. And Forest Park is still perfect. One of my favorite places in the park is the Jewel Box — and one of my favorite times to visit is when her…
Distance and Presence
“Presence is more than just being there.” – Malcolm Forbes The past several months have been challenging for everyone in a myriad of ways — work, kids, isolation, basic safety, etc. While I’ve adjusted well to the remote work environment and have had the unexpected blessing of my children’s company at different times over the…
Meet Me in St. Louis
This weekend, I briefly explored downtown with my younger son, taking in some of the temporary graffiti art — and some permanent art accents on some old buildings. I love this town.
Weekend According to the iPhone
Just a few scenes from the weekend: the Botanical Garden yesterday, Forest Park on Friday (and today), and Rockwoods Reservation today.
Moments
“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” – Brené Brown The anxiety, isolation, sadness and uncertainty of our current circumstances make happiness seem like kind of a tough pursuit. Contentment or even staying afloat from day to day…
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