Self-Cleaning Mailbox

A self-cleaning mailbox. It could be, right?
Or it could be at the home of a plumber who had some extra parts laying around.
Either way, I was quite amused when I spotted it in Millstadt, Illinois. :)

Wall Mural

I just spotted this beauty the other day in Belleville, Illinois.

Isn't it awesome?

The wall mural, I mean, not the trash can or the car.

There should be an annual National Awesome Wall Mural Day dedicated to celebrating awesome wall murals.

World's Largest Catsup Bottle Revisited

I was out and about yesterday, so I decided to go check on the WLCB. It looks great for being 66 years old, doesn't it?

Sadly, the WLCB and property where it is located is for sale. I'm sure I'm not the only one who hopes that the eventual new owner will keep it as well preserved as it is now.

Winter Has Officially Arrived

Happy 2nd day of winter!

After winter, comes spring, which means only 104 days until St. Louis Cardinals 2015 season begins!  Woo hoo!

Smiley Face Pickup Truck

I spotted this smiley truck, unbelievably, right by my house just a couple weeks ago. :)

Normally, I'm not a big fan of yellow-colored vehicles, but in this case, it works!

HAPPY FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

Chester Bridge, Chester Illinois

This is the Chester Bridge. It spans the Mississippi River to connect Missouri and Illinois.

I drove across it today, from the MO side over to the IL side.  I had to pull over to snap some photos. It just looked so darned pretty. :)


In other news, Game 3 of MLB World Series tomorrow night. GO ROYALS!

Chicago Postcards

Here are a few Chicago cards found on a recent trip.

Back says:
The Sears Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, is one of the most recognized buildings of the Chicago skyline.

Back says:
Chicago, Illinois, called The Windy City is located on Lake Michigan, featuring a variety of entertainment and leisure. It is also a center for business and the arts.

Back says:
Skyline of the beautiful city of Chicago, Illinois, with the John Hancock building.


Have a good weekend, everyone.
AND...
GO CARDS!

Will B. Rolling Statue

Here's a very recent, very fun find. It's in Port Byron, Illinois, and is named "Will B. Rolling".  "Will" and his Penny-farthing (old-fashioned bicycle) top out at 30 feet (9.14m).

Port Byron is a small town in northern Illinois alongside the mighty Mississippi River.

Fun fact: Port Byron competes with Le Claire, Iowa, each year in a "tug fest". A 2700' (823m) rope is stretched across the Mississippi River for a series of tug-of-war competitions.  Tug Fest is the only event in the U.S. that allows the Mississippi River to be shut down.

It dawned on me that I had this postcard in my collection. Soooo, you get a BONUS fun fact: "Will B. Rolling" is a replica of "Big Ben Bikin'" which is billed as the world's largest bicycle, and is located in Sparta, Wisconsin.

Union Station, Chicago, Illinois

This card features the iconic Great Hall of Union Station in Chicago.

When you're looking at the view on a postcard, do you ever wonder what the surrounding area looks like?  Like on this card, for instance? Well, wonder no more! Take a look below.

I took these photos of the Great Hall while changing trains at the Station during a cross country train trip.

The enormity of the structure is quite impressive. After 10 years of construction, Union Station, including the Great Hall, was completed in 1925.

There are 18 soaring Corinthian columns, terracotta walls and a pink Tennessee marble floor.

The Great Hall is a year-round venue for events such as galas, balls, receptions, casino nights, engagement photos and commercial filming.

Union Station is the fourth busiest Amtrak station, and serves 3.5 million passengers annually.

LV PINK

 Thank goodness for vanity plates. Otherwise, we would not know that the owner of this car loves pink!

You know what's really amusing about this? There's a "LVPINK 1" out there somewhere!

Abraham Lincoln On A Horse Sculpture

Who loves a good statue?!
Anyone?
::::crickets chirping:::
Ok, well *I* do!

 I just happened to come across this fine looking statue in Petersburg, Illinois right by New Salem State Park.

It's a depiction of a young Abraham Lincoln reading a book... AND.... he just happened to be riding a horse at the same time!

It's like two statues for the price of one! :D

Illinois Donkeys

It was really nice to spot these two donkeys relaxing outside at a rural Illinois farm on a recent warm, spring day.

I am sooooo dang happy that winter is done and gone and over and finished and past and ended and concluded!!

Goat Tower, Findlay, Illinois

I had read about this goat tower, near Findlay, Illinois, on the internet. And I happened to be in that area this week, so I made a little detour to go see it. And I'm glad that I did!

It's on private, fenced-in property, so it's not possible to get a close-up view.

A goat tower is, basically, a fancy goat house. There are only a handful of them in the world. Goats are sure-footed and love to climb, so this is a perfect structure for them.

This one is 31 ft tall, made of 5,000 bricks and has 276 exterior spiral steps.

There are openings at various heights for the goats to enter.

During my visit, there were goats grazing nearby, but none were actually on, or in, the tower, that I could see.

Here is a picture of goats climbing their goat tower in South Africa. ( Goats in the tower by gconard. cc by-nc 2.0)

Cross Postcard

This cross can't be missed when driving through Effingham, Illinois. It's HUGE!

Fun facts:
*198 ft.(61m) height
*113 ft. arm span
*848 yards of concrete in footing
*33+ tons of reinforced steel footing in foundation
*180+ tons of steel in structure
*official dedication in September 2001
*19 million estimated travelers pass by annually

This is a view of the cross from I-70, as seen through a dirty windshield. :)

17 Deer!

Oh yeah! 17! Not one, not two, but SEVENTEEN DEER!

 I spotted these beauties yesterday in Alton, Illinois. It was the highlight of my day!

Piasa Bird, Alton IL USA

 This is a postcard featuring one of the previous reproductions of the Piasa Bird in Alton, Illinois.
It looks to be a painting, in the shape of the bird, mounted on the bluffs.

I guess, at the time, it was easier to paint in a shop, then transport to the wall for fastening.

Now, this is the latest reproduction which is painted directly on the limestone bluffs alongside the Mississippi River in Alton. A much cooler version, in my opinion!

It's located here, at Piasa Park, where there's plenty of parking, but not much grassy area for picnicking. Spreading a blanket on asphalt in the summer here is not recommended!

Another place at the park not recommended for picknicking.

This is sorta like a modern-day FAQ. Nice idea, but hard as heck to read.

This concludes our tour. Thanks for stopping by!

Post Office Painting

This is a painting in my local post office. It's mounted way up high, as in neck-hurts-to-look-up-that-high high.

I don't know the story behind it, or the artist. It's just there...way up high.

Oh well, it's better than staring at a blank wall while waiting in line, even if it hurts to look up that high. :)

Outgoing Chicago "Bean" Postcard US-1833605

US-1833605
I really don't remember the reason behind choosing this particular card for Sascha in Germany.  There must have been some Freudian thing going on in my head, because I really, really want to go see that bean thing (aka Cloud Gate)!

I Love Bridges

This narrow bridge crosses the Mississippi River, connecting Missouri and Illinois....

...specifically, Chester, Illinois. Home of Popeye!

Outgoing Chicago IL Postcard US-1466155

US-1466155
It took me 8 months to realize that this card sent to Russia was never registered. Well, that sucks.