4thGenJim

Our quarterly trip to the NC! It's formally known as the  Janet Huckabee River Valley Nature Center We noticed some changes, and found some things a lot more interesting On a hot summer day, exploring nature with cool air conditioning can't be beat! except, you need to be on the look-out for chocolate tarantulas! We're wondering how long it will take DJ to stand as tall as the bluebird's wing sssSss we missed 'feeding time' for the timber rattlesnake A super-huge oak tree...Indoors! (with all kinds of critters hiding around & inside) We found some comfort in the shade -for about 10 minutes then we had to come back inside  to cool-down with a big black bear! and a big 'ol deer! We'll return in October!

A long, tough season ended with a great celebration and honor. The team got to take the field with the Naturals for the National Anthem!

at Arvest Ballpark!

Best Dance Party! Best Hair Style (upper right) Best Photobomb Best Awkward Pose

Blue hooves? Really? The Cards play the Cubs next, let's hope they get re-did. Welcome to the jungle? Really? Clean it up, STL. Undercover concourse cop? Really? Unattended deep-fried Oreos in section 449, take action, Bro. A longhorn on display underneath the Gateway Arch? Really? Turn the 'hook 'em sign' upside down, and let's go grub on some tasty cheeseburgers. Photobombed by a fish? Really? Get your own blog, fishy.

DJ & friend give it two thumbs up! Dj's favorite part was when Skidmark was leaving a slime trail behind him, and Turbo was not too impressed.

DJ was an official Cardinal fan for the day! St. Louis Cardinals vs Miami Marlins It was also Mike Shannon bobble head night (for the first 25,000 adults) Yes, there were lines at every gate more than 2 hours before the game was scheduled to start. #7 showed-off a few moves, hoping to make another appearance on a jumbotron. Earlier in the week, the game was given a 60% chance to be rained-out. We enjoyed clear, sunny skies that cooled-off nicely. A sell-out crowd really adds to the excitement of a baseball game! Surprisingly, both Arvest Ballpark & Dickey-Stephens have better kid's play areas than Busch Stadium. (no bounce-arounds, no wiffle-ball fields, no playgrounds) (Busch Stadium somehow justifies this shortcoming by  charging all kids at the adult ticket price level...) But, the park is clean, new, and fields a championship-level team every year. ...and features awesome post-game fireworks!

St. Louis goes all-out for Fourth of July Festivities The nice warm sunshine was a welcomed bonus. Really, we never felt as though we were going to melt-in-place at any time. They were having a 'cool-snap,' and several locals joked 'sure, this is typical summer weather for us.' Davis will remember this Fourth as the day he had one less tooth. Nice touch. A very patriotic display that draws your attention away from the  construction zone. They are building a wide pedestrian plaza over a main thoroughfare that will link the Jefferson Memorial Expansion Complex with the Gateway Arch. 4th of July Air Show (as seen from our hotel room) Thank You St Louie! For a Fantastic 4th experience!

Makin' waves and catchin' rays up on the roof! It's a fun way to spend an hour in St Louis. Riding on a riverboat a short way up, and then back down  the mighty Mississippi River. We got to check-out the fancy new bridge that is scheduled to open in a matter of months. Davis is going-through a lego-building phase, or to be more  descriptive, a craze. He's designed a few bridges, so this was a nice experience for the next Eero Saarinen-influenced architect. The riverboat captain entertained us with funny stories, and lots of neat history about the area. The highlight of the trip was the Gateway Arch. The view from the river is a good way to appreciate the sheer scale of the monument. We learned some cool Mark Twain trivia too! (twain = a dangerous snag in the river) After the ride on the river, we spent some time at the beach: well...sorta like the beach no shells or tropical breezes, but maybe just as fun?