29. Bellerive Park to the River Facing South

And that distance out there where the earth meets the sky.

23a. Sylvan Springs Photos

17. Ash Pit

When I was little my grandfather used to call me Snicklefritz and jokingly threaten that he was going to throw me in the ash pit.

All city houses had alley ash pits. I can see where mine was and where the one across the alley probably was. But they are no more--and the houses with garages don't even have the foundation left.

But in some places they have ash pits still in amazingly good condition, some of them molded from concrete like this one. And they were ash pits--a place to put ashes from the fire place, the coal furnace, and also, of course, for trash.

Nowadays our fireplaces aren't used (or are converted to gas); the furnaces are on the natural gas line; trash goes in the dumpsters. I am fond of dumpsters overall, having lived in places with roll out carts or bags by the front curb. I like having things hide in the alleys.

But I like that our houses are old enough to have the vestiges of this kind.

5a. Sidewalk photos

Snowfall, March 2008

Block Party August 2007

Hot days Summer 2006

Block "Grandpa" comes to say hi.

Power outage day two, July 2006 (that's Mike in blue, by the way)

3a. Sycamore Photos

View looking east on Utah (sycamore just left of center)

Somewhere in Tower Grove South--this one is like one we lost on Halliday, with the twist and lean.

The sycamore--one of two or three left standing on my block--is behind the sweetgum (which just looks like "tree" here, I know, winter and all)...

Two girls play on a sycamore stump, from a tree taken down after a storm convinced the city forestry department that it was dangerous and ill.

2a. Stoop Photos