Black Friday - No Shopping

 I don't know if Black Friday is as big a deal as it used to be, with the rise of internet shopping and the expansion from a day to a week, etc.  But I do know that I've tried to avoid shopping on the day after Thanksgiving since my cousins dragged my brother and I to their local mall in 1970 and overwhelmed me.

Anyway, last Thursday, I went hiking with my daughters, their spouses and the 2 grandkids.  We went to Valley View Glades, in Hillsboro, MO.  A bit over an hour from us, but a really nice spot.

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Diana Scour

 

During our recent travels, we made a quick stop at the Overton Bottoms North Unit of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, near Boonville, MO.  A chance to stretch the legs and look for a quick photo or two before continuing west.  

According to the map, this is the Diana Scour, taken from the Trail Bridge connection the Levee Trail and the Little Muddy Trail.  

I don't really know what a "Scour" is in this context, but I'm presuming this lake is backfed from the river during high water, rather than being spring fed.  Anybody know?

Engine House Ruin

Took a day trip to Elephant Rocks State Park, not quite 2 hrs from home. Cool place, if a bit crowded... One of the side trails led to this 1890's era Engine House, built to house the train locomotives that hauled granite from the quarry nearby to St. Louis and points beyond.

As much as I love my Fujifilm X-T3, sometimes the iPhone gets the better shot... This is one of those times.  The inherent wide angle worked well here.

From a Quilt Shops and Photo Ops outing.

Where thrills become as cheap as gas (and gas as cheap as thrills)

Near Treloar, MO along the Missouri River bottomlands. This is Rt. 94, 60-65 miles west of St. Louis. The Missouri River is about 1.5 miles off tto the right, the hills in the distance are on the other side of the river.

From a "Quilt Shops and Photo Ops" excursion with my wife, first time in a while that we've managed that, with the pandemic lock down and all.  This version was mostly driving, only one quilt shop (in O'Fallon, MO).  Still, nice to get out, spend some windshield time...

The title is from the old Blue Oyster Cult song "Before The Kiss, A Redcap".  Which doesn't really fit the mood of this photo.  But I thought the lyrics fit nicely with the "road trip" aspect of the day.

Old Barn, A bit battered...

So, a find on a back road, A few miles north of Hamilton MO. Which is a ways NE of Kansas City, MO.  Taken back in October, during our Quilt-Shops-And -Photo-Ops excursion across Missouri.

We were wandering out of Hamilton looking for a little shop in the middle of nowhere (which we did find).  When we saw this barn, we pulled to the side of the road to let me wander for the best angle.  What's here was the best I could manage.


UPDATE:
My wife snaped an iPhone shot of me scouting the composition:

Locust Creek Covered Bridge

A couple of weeks ago the wife and I took a weekend jaunt.  From St. Louis over to KC, and then wandering back (via Hannibal, MO).  A "Quilt shops and Photo Ops" excursion. 

On the Eastbound drive, Driving across Missouri on Rt 36, we saw a brown sign" for Locust Creek Covered Bridge. A short drive off the highway, and a short walk later, we found this cool old covered bridge.  The bridge was built in 1868, and is apparently the longest of Missouri's four remaining covered bridges. These days, not only has the road moved, but also the creek, so it provides a walkway across a dry depression. Still cool.  History here.

I took this photo with my iPhone, mostly to get gps coordinates.  But I decided to play with this version using the processing tools on my phone, and was happy with the result.  Mostly the free ap Snapseed.  There's actually quite a bit of tweaking, trying to get an "old time" feel.

Here's the original "SOOC" version, for comparison, complete with finger edging into the top-left corner:

I entered this into the ETSOOI contest at 365project, and it made finalist.  Yay!

Fishing The Mississippi

I don't get down to Cliff Cave Park very often these days, but I try to stop by when I'm in the area.  This was a recent lunch time.  I enjoyed watching this gentleman fishing.  The boat in the back is (I believe) dredging the channel.

Eeeny Meeny Miniy Mo....

Out for a lunchtime walk, at Cliff Cave State Park.  Cold and windy, but I braved it long enough for a couple of images.  With the best camera I had with me, the iPhone (8).  

I can't decide which I like better...  and opinion has flipped a couple of times.  Want to vote in the comments?

 

1) Bitter Beauty                                                                       2) Cold Cold Cold

Larger versions here and here.

THANKS!

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area (again)

I've been pretty busy lately, not doing much photography.  Much sad, I am.

But I managed an outing to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area on Sunday.  Here's a few images.

That's the Missouri River, just a mile or 2 from the confluence with the Mississippi.

She Caught The Katy... pt 2

Last week I posted a few images from my quick visit to Katy Trail.  And I said:  "maybe more to follow?"...  Well, today is your luck day, as maybe turns to certainly!

  I sure do enjoy "not flat".  And this qualifies!

larger version

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I couldn't quite get the angle I wanted here, but cose enough, I suppose.  Effects added in Topaz for a "painterly" feel.

 larger version

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A testament to persistence...   This tree has had to work had to find a way.

larger version

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She Caught The Katy, And Left Me A Mule To Ride.....

I was driving across Missouri yesterday.  From Kansas City (area) to St. Louis (area), across I-70.  About 1/2 way, you cross the Missouri River, And about 2 miles off the highway is the town of Rocheport, MO.  A quaint little town, with easy access to the Katy Trail, and a stretch where it runs along the river.  It's a great spot for a rest stop; a little bit of a walk and some photo ops.. 

I don't make that trek too often, but when I do, I try and stop.  And yesterday I found a little time.  And managed a few photos.  Here's the first couple, processed (maybe more to follow?):

 

Looking up-river, towards KC.  Larger version here.  

About 140 mile drive upriver from this spot (Columbia Bottom Conservation Area).   

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Rock and Vines.  A shear wall on the north, a river on the right....  cool spot. 

Larger version here

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This little shop is in the town of Rocheport. If I had a bit more time, or was traveling with my wife, I'd've checked it out.  Aside:  looking at google, it appears this spot is now called Stockton Mercantile, though they didn't change the awning... 

Larger Version here.

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

Columbia Bottom  is one of my more favored nature spots in the St. Louis area.  Just about 20 minutes from my home and not much further (in a different direction) from the Arch, but could be 1,000 miles or 100 years away.  I'm sure I've posted quite a few images from here over the years...  Like THIS ONE.

This is the Missouri River, maybe 1.5 miles upstream of the confluence with the Mississippi.  Photo is from last Saturday, when I made a late afternoon excursion.   this was taken with my iPhone, which seems to do a really good job with wide angle images.  I was trying to channel my inner Ansel Adams, and posted a B&W version to my Facebook.  I know, I'm nowhere near Ansel Adams' skills, but humor me.

Here's another from almost the same spot.  Not thrilled with this one, kind of weak composition:

Old St. Louis County Courthouse

So, my son had a college interview in downtown St. Louis today.  We dropped him off on the 33rd floor of some tall building, and wandered around for a little.  We ended up at the Old Courthouse, which was pretty close.  We've lived in St. Louis area for 28 years, and I'd never been inside.   

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Pretty cool place, and I managed a few photos that make me happy.  The best (IMHO) is of the rotundra, from the 2nd floor.  Check out full version at 365project.

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Below is a panorama shot taken with my iPhone of the restored courtrooms.  Again, check out full size version at 365:

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And, of course, I had to squeeze in the obligatory b-and-w "artsy" shot:

Anyway, it was a very cool visit, but short.  We need to check it out for real sometime soon.

Missouri History Museum, St. Louis

After 25+ years living in the St. Louis we finally made a visit yesterday to the Missouri History Museum.  We wanted to catch the "Walk In 1875" exhibit, which closed today.    Lots of fun, cool place.  We'll have to check it out again sometime soon.  There's several exhibits coming this spring / summer that look interesting.

Naturally, I had to take a couple of photos.  Just my humble compact digital, but I think they turned out pretty well...

larger version at my 365project

larger version at my 365project

Old Barn, Louisiana, MO

Regular readers should not be surprised to see an old barn on my site...
Larger version here.

North St. Louis #42,094

My son's on spring break this week, I took a couple days off to share the time off.  Nothing too dramatic, but always good to spend time...

Yesterday (Tuesday) we went to Crown Candy Kitchen in North St. Louis.  Great, food, Great atmosphere, Great time.  Highly recommended.  As we were leaving, I noticed this abandoned building, just a block or so east.  Naturally, this is what I had to take a photo of....  I do like old buildings.

Click below for larger version:

Room With A View

Ok, it's not exactly a room.  But what a view!  Another from last weekend's trip to Camp Sunnen.  Pretty cool meeting place.  Not only a great view, but looking north-west, so it's gotta be pretty special at sunset.  Of course we were there mid-morning...

Cache, Cache (There Ain't No Bears In There)

Another from last weekend's visit to the Boy Scout Camp in Potosi, MO.  This is Mud Cave.  This was about 0.75 miles (straight line, not by the trail!) from the overlook posted Sunday.  A view looking out is at Happenstance.

Title courtesy of The Who's Cache Cache...

Second Guessing

This is a re-crop of the image I posted this morning.  Almost from the moment I posted it, I was thinking a narrower scope would be "better".  Again, full size version here.  Lake Sunnen, from the Boy Scout Camp.

Am I right?  or Wrong?

Oh, and the title references the R.E.M. song...

Lake Sunnen Panorama

We spent yesterday at Boy Scout Camp Sunnen, in Potosi, MO.  My son's down there for the weekend, but we just went down for the day. Long day (and HOT day), but fun.  We did a hike around the grounds before it too too crazy hot.  This is from "The Point".  Those canoes are scouts from another troop.

This is several images, "stitched" together in PSE.  Full size version of this is at Panoramio.