A MIXTURE OF DOWNTOWN SCENES!!!!!!!
The first photo was shot wed. as the workers began to transform the field from a baseball diamond to a music concert venue. Notice on the left a temporary stairway to the field. There will be 7,000 concert goers sitting in seats on the field.
Tour participants cannot touch the grass.[go figure}

In the second photo notice the big crane in left center field.The Dave Matthews band will be performing on sat. night.


Photos three and four are from a recent metro link ride to Terri's house in IL.Even thought it was raining I always like the city view from the east side.

FRIENDSHIPS!!!!

Life takes many twists and turns as you make your journey. Nancy and I with our two daughters move to Independence Mo. in the fall of 1966. Within weeks we became good friends with several other couples including Clark and Paula pictured on the left taken Monday 6/2/08.

When we lived in Independence every time we left town we would give a key to Clark. On our return as we went through the house we would notice every plug unplugged.Clark,was in the electrical engineering profession.

In 1969 fate gave us another twist as we returned to St Louis with two little girls and a baby boy. For the next fifteen years we kept in touch with Independence friends usually at the lake for a weekend of water skiing but as all our families got older it was harder to keep in touch.

Our guess at the beginning of 08 was that we had not seen or talked to Clark and Paula in plus twenty years. On a recent visit to Springfield MO I decided to call and see if they remembered us.

Ironically the twists and turns of life were at work as Clark and Paula were in St Louis as I was talking to their machine in Springfield. From that little message we left we have since been able to visit and on Monday we had lunch together and they had an opportunity to meet our son and his family.

My words of wisdom would be in this age of instant communications do not let years go by without keeping in touch with good friends.

A BALL A BAT and A GLOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday evening found us at a t-ball game with James as the star.
This is my sixth grandchild to play t-ball and he certainly has potential.

Mud is possibly more fun than the game.



Today he batted right handed

Playing first base with help from coaches Paul and grandpa

Coach Paul

#24A EADS BRIDGE ADDITION!!!!

At the end of our walk across the Eads bridge on April 20TH Jimmy and I had our photo taken with Tangerine the Lion Fish. The Tangerine is traveling the world thanks to all those who are involved in the adventure of geocaching.

The Tangerine has its own web site. In fact thanks to Jimmy you can see this photo and read about our adventure at

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?guid=efc98e35-7b3f-45a8-ac37-992512201cb9

[sorry Jimmy I am so late getting this posted}

NUMBER #33 IS CLASSICAL BOOK TWO!!!!

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

My friend Kathryn suggested this book and it was a great read.

Kathryn, it was not too racy but surprisingly at page 301,and 302 I got the idea to use Gen. 4-7 as the text for a sermon. For whatever reason I did not expect this kind of theology from John Steinbeck.

"Thou Mayest"' is a very important concept and like Lee from the novel it changed my thinking.Yesterday I had an opportunity to speak at the Dunn Rd. Church of Christ and my topic was "Thou Mayest"

I am looking for suggestion for my third classical read.

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!


To all of our veterans and those in active military service I simply say thank you for the sacrifices you made and continue to make to keep our country free.


I was motivated by my friend Kathryn's recent wonderful tribute to her father on her blog. Then today at church her husband John talks about his father as a marine {bringing the whole church to tears] that I had to honor my dad with this blog


I was only four when my dad was drafted into the U.S.Army and sent to the south pacific.[no I do not remember his leaving} However I do remember one phone call from the Philippines because the Red Cross called about a week before and said he might be able to call the next Sunday and he did. His official discharge was Jan. 31,1946 but I vividly remember New Years eve of 1945. I was at my grandmother Tritschler's house and about 9:00 PM he arrived from Jefferson Barracks.{reasonably certain the family knew he was coming home that night} My dad served in the Philippines and in Luzon. My mother always told the story that he arrived on Iwo Jima with General MacArthur {day after the surrender}as he was one of many assigned to protect the general.{not sure if that is a true story}


In the first photo my dad is on the left and his brother Wilbur is on the right. Somehow they were both in the Philippine's and somewhere they got together.


Second photo my dad has the x.

My dad

Ernie Pyle was a famous journalist that was killed in action Mar. 1945 in the Philippines.

Below I assume is a piece of WW11 trivia.

Military currency for the Japan area.

I was never privileged to serve our country due to poor vision in the left eye.{ until 1981 I could hardly see the big E} in my left eye.

On this special holiday I again say

"THANK YOU"

NUMBER THIRTY TWO LEARNING A NEW SKILL/TECHNIQUE!!!!!
I began experimenting taking our picture together with the scenery in the background. I had never ever tried this technique. You are looking at the results.

On top of the Hot Springs Tower.


The flowing springs in the background

Garvin Gardens with Lake Hamilton in background.

Lake Desoto less than 1/2 mile from our condo.

Photo on left is taken normally but Nancy wanted to show her new jacket along with Lake Balboa.


End of the trip was a cafe in Cherokee Pass, Mo, with Nancy and the KING!!

GARVIN GARDENS PART TWO

ANTHONY CHAPEL

Truly a beautiful chapel in a serene setting in the woods.Designed by a firm founded by Frank Lloyd Wright the world renowned architect.























If you look closely I am making my traditional three points

Garden of the wind

NUMBER THIRTY ONE IS TOURING GARVIN WOODLAWN GARDENS HOT SPRINGS AR.

First of all it is totally different expierence from our Shaw's garden. I guess it is the rugged woods and lake setting that gives you a different expierence. It might be the most serene place I have ever visited.To enjoy you better like walking.

Lake Hamilton






A sun bather along the path [king snake]

NUMBER THIRTY IS GOING TO THE TOP OF HOT SPRINGS MOUNTAIN TOWER

On May 12TH Nancy and I rode an elevator to the top of the tower. In 1967 we rode an outside elevator on a wooden tower to about 3/4 of the way and then walked up wooden steps to the very top. With two little girls 1967 was a lot scarier and physically harder than today's ride.

















In both our pictures you can see the famed Arlington hotel in the background.

If you look real close you can see the smoke coming up from the spring water.

The city of Hot Springs can be seen in the background.

NUMBER 29 HAPPENED IN HOT SPRINGS AR.!!!!!!!!!DRINKING FROM THE SPRING

Last saturday the 10TH Nancy and I had an interesting day in Hot Springs.We were in Hot Springs in 1967 with two little girls. We spent one night on our way to Oklahoma to show the girls an oil well on the State Capitol grounds.Nancy gave me permisson to have a hot bath and a massage while her and the girls slept in.Then the motel we stayed at took us for a tram ride. The driver over turned the tram and one of the girls received some cuts on her arm.We can't remember which one but maybe Sherri as she seemed to get hurt more than Terri.Today we would proably sue the motel but forty one years ago we cleaned her arm and headed for Oklahoma.The famous Arlongton hotel is in the background and we had a great lunch in their dining room.







The famous Arlington hotel has the spring water piped into their lobby.

















The water comes out at 140 degrees but they cool it to 110 degrees.

This photo shows the spring coming to surface on the mountain.


Nancy is drinking the spring water from a paper cup sitting in front of the famous Fordyce bath house.

I AM AT FORTY PERCENT WITH


#28 THE CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY!!!!!!




On our way to Hot Springs AR. we stopped off at the Clinton Library in Little Rock AR. I must admit this is my least favorite presidential library. Starting with the exterior architecture and the inside was primarily reading and looking at the various exhibits.After the living history of the new Lincoln library this one seemed standard museum fare.




The presidential limousine





Sitting in the Secretary of State chair in the cabinet meeting room.

The President and his saxophone

The presidential office