Swan Song

Today, I went to a colleague's house at Leavenworth for Sunday lunch.  The first time I went there, the blizzards turned everything snow white.  Today, the spring sun brought out the romance of the country side - a country side with uninterrupted view of nearby farmland, and a wide blue sky that swept away the winter blues of the past few months.  Only the waterlogged fields reminded me of the snow storms of the winter just gone. 

Missing from this photo is a John Dere truck or two

To round up a perfect day, I saw, from the hotel window, a bright moon on the horizon at early evening.  It was a moment of visual delight. 

Under a vast sky

The warm spring sun

Envelopes me in your embrace

It's time to come home

Jazz at Kansas City

There is a strong tradition of jazz at Kansas City.  Among the talents that achieved world fame was Count Basie. Here are two esteemed establishments within the jazz scene at downtown Missouri.

A band playing at the Blue Room

The magnetic Lonnie McFadden doing his tap dance routine

at Jardine's.  Lonnie has a wide vocal range and plays a mean trumpet.

Mission Farms

These sculptures can be found at Mission Farms, an eating mall located at Leawood.  They look like free spirits, without a care in the world. 

5 more working days and I will be home.

My little memento

The lady bird balloon made by an entertainer at The Spaghetti Factory.

He wore a button "I work for tips".

St Louis series - Mosaics

The City Museum's floor is paved with creative mosaics of the most vivid colours.  They are simply delightful.

A column adorned by glittering fishes.

St Louis series - The brewery

St Louis is the home of Anheuser Busch, brewer of Budweiser and other derivations around the world.  The red brick industrial complex is impressive, and so are the interiors of the plant.  My own favourite are the pair of  chandeliers in the mashing room - a relic from the World Fair.

St Louis series - City Museum

This is the higgledy-piggledy, funky, weird and wonderful world of the City Museum.  The noise of children, teenagers and adults was deafening.  Everybody had fun, and more.

  

St Louis series - The Wild West

The Museum of Westward Expansion at the Arch is a white man's narration of their excursion into the Indian territory, with the story of Lewis and Clark as the central theme.  Some of the most fascinating displays are the stuffed animals, including a bear and a bison.  The skills of the taximdermist are exquisite.

There are also exhibits of day-to-day objects used by the Indians and the soldiers.  This is the first time that I saw a paddle boat made from hide.

The statement that touched me most was made by Roosevelt.

St Louis series - The Arch

No visit to St Louis will be complete without a visit to the city's most famous landmark - the Arch that stands at 630 ft high.

A tram takes visitors to the top of the arch at a cost of $12, and these trips are sold out very quickly at the weekend.  The view of St Louis from the top is impressive, and on a windy day, you can feel the slight sway of the arch.  The photos here look grey and grainy, which are a good reflection of the weather on the day.

The mighty Mississippi River

St Louis Series - The Courthouse

This once thriving port along the Mississippi River - dubbed Gateway to the West - has numerous sights to offer - a change from the the lacklustre sightseeing scene at Kansas.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the daffodils have made their first appearance, reminding me of Spring time in the UK.

The Courthouse is an interesting architectural landmark.  Here, an African American couple Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom from their slave master in 1847. It was not until 1857 that the Scotts won their freedom, but it was not from the Supreme Court - they were sold back to the original owner for $1, who then gave the couple their freedom.

Aerial view of the Courthouse, St Louis

Reflection of the Courthouse on a nearby building

The beautfil dome in the interior of the Courthouse

Back to winter

There was a fresh fall of snow at Kansas on Saturday 20 March and it is still lying on the ground today.  The lesson is: one sunny day does not make a Spring.

More signs of spring

A bright and sunny day on the campus, captured on my cell phone.  It was 17 degrees Celsius, but there was a nip in the air that still required an overcoat.  Snow is forecast for tomorrow. 

Real Chinese food

It is a challenge to find a restaurant that serves genuine Chinese food in the mid West.  On offer are things like egg drop soup, General Tso chicken, dishes that have been Americanised for the local palate.  So when a Chinese waistress mentioned a local eaterie that serves genuine Chinese food, I immediately tried it out.  Ever since then I have made the place almost my back kitchen.  It's called Jen Jen (although the Chinese name is called Hong Kong Food Street), and it's off Metcalf.

It is an unpretentious place, with minimal decor, and on a cold day, there is a two bar electric heater added for effect.  Pride of place goes to a fish tank that contains the occasional live lobster, and live crabs that the chef prepares in the traditional ways.  At the end of each meal, the proprietor, who is also the chef, offers Chinese dessert such as red bean soup or peanut soup, both of which remind me of my childhood days.

A window to my heart

On a wet and chilly spring afternoon - the day when the clock went forward - I bade farewell to the Nelson Atikins Museum of Art.  The vast expanse of lawn fronting the museum was devoid of people, save for a replica of Rodin's Thinker and the museum's symbol The Shuttlecock.

Inside, the Bloch building was as light and airy as the first time I set foot in it.  Only a sprinkling of people were around, which made viewing the collection almost a private affair.  What pure joy on a Sunday afternoon. 

My two favourite pieces this time come from the Bloch building, rather than from the old masters housed in the Nelson Atkins building.  The first is oil on canvas, and the second is a photorealism painting.  Both were exquisite.

Inside Sprint Centre

The Spring Centre at Downtown Missouri is an impressive building from the outside.  Inside, the airy corridors are dotted with fast food counters, and the occasional piece of sculpture.  No alcohol is allowed into the arena, which is a sensible policy.  There are of course ways to smuggle the odd drink out of the members' lounge - you just have to be ingenious. These big events are heavy on merchandise, although hardly any punter was buying.

The Big 12

The Big 12 Basketball Tournament has started in earnest in Downtown Missouri.  The Plaza was buzzing, almost at fever pitch, with basketball fans and revellers.  Every one was partying and having a great time. 

McFadden's Sports Salon,

where there was no passing space for a fly

Basketball game in progress inside Sprint Centre

Merchandise time inside Sprint Centre

There is something for every fan

Athletics during half time

The team is routing for Texas A&M

Score board

Blue sky

This painting lifted my spirit no end when I faced a slew of bureaucratic procedures and procedures that are endemic in public life.  No amount of marketing hype can hide the tiresome and often unnecessary nature of these processes and procedures. 

Small delights

As the threat of snow recedes and the first warmth of spring kisses the skin, Overland Park from the hotel was basking in the early spring sun.  The I-435 freeway looked empty, but then it was a Sunday afternoon. 

The sky as the sun rose on March 8.  The swirling clouds momentarily stirred the heart of a tired and weary soul.  It is time to be home.