A cloudy, overcast, and gray day today and that suited my mood very well. I've been feeling a little irritable and not quite settled this week. I noticed it yesterday when my weekly lunchtime friend, who can be rather rigid and set in her ways, irritated me a lot more than usual.
Today's lunchtime, I decided to take a walk down by the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Something I do from time to time. Usually, I stroll around the Arch park, but not this day.
I got off the Metro train at the Laclede's Landing on Eads Bridge as I normally do, but, seeking something a little differeent, decided to walk north away from the Arch. The river was very low, giving me a lot more room to wander.
I passed by the Admiral Casino riverboat. It looked almost deserted, but a few folks were coming or going. Very few really; the riverfront seemed almost eerily empty of people.
Continuing on I started to get well away from the tourist area and into an industrial region. Post-industrial I should say, for the building were in poor repair and looked semi-derelict.
I pressed on, for something rather bizzare caught my eye. It was a statue of an angel on a column, looking as if it belonged in a stately home rather than here in this wasteland.
Very strange.
There was a small, clearly 'green', small business newly built close to this statue, complete with a wind turbine. Signs of renewal here among the debris.
I spent longer here than I intended. I found a strange beauty in this decaying landscape. It definitely lifted my mood.
No Longer The Only One 
It would be interesting to find out the story of the angel.The wind turbine and the angel–both, signs of hope in a desolate landscape.Nice photos, Richard. 🙂
I know those days well 🙂 …I wrote a poem about "Days like these" remember? 😀http://my.opera.com/demiphonic/blog/2007/03/26/days-like-these
I just love places like that. We have them around here too – for a while. A new area is being built in my town on the old harbour front.Burned bricks and chimneys replaced with glass and steel.That's a place I like to go to a lot. Enjoyed participating in your escursion, too.
Great photos+great narrative+great blog :up:
Many years ago there were places in my town like this. They were the lats remants of the closure of rail branch-lines. The level crossing, the rusting silent rail yard, the empty rail tracks leading off to defunct and abandoned country rail stations. since then such tracks have become public 'green eco-walks', through the winding country side, just as once upon a time they were vibrant and busy country railroads for steam trains, a la John Betjeman's resonant poetic descriptions. 🙂
I don't know why the decay of industrial structures is so much less troublesome to me than the decay of dwelling structures. St. Louis has both, of course, but the industrial areas notheast and south of the Arch are so much more grand in their decay than are areas around, say, Crown Candy where decay means people have abandonded their lives. Luckily, St. Louis is seeing some rehab of some of the magnificent brick homes in those areas.Thank you for the lovely pictures.
I love the second picture. Nice!
😆 dang 😆
Thanks for all your comments & compliments, folks. It was good to find a few new businesses popping up among the decay. I have to say, though, given the current grim economy, that I was fearful they might not manage to hold on and might go the way of their older neighbors. Let's hope they have brighter prospects than this tree!
wow! 😆
Very cool photo narrative. When I see old buildings like this, it makes me wish I had millions of dollars to buy one and restore it to live in and make a studio and gallery. Not this big, of course, but on a smaller scale. I love it when they show on HGTV where people have bought an old bank (with the vault), a library (complete with books), a small school, or a candy factory and have made it their homes. It's really amazing what you can do with lots of money.
hey love what you've doen with the place Rich 😀 (CSS)
Thank you, Randall – it's all due to you kick-starting the changes! Thanks again. :)Thanks, PW – yes, I would love to have a lot of money to do just as you say! 😆 These days, the opposite seems to be true. 😦