Laumeier Sculpture Park

It was hard to miss this sculpture, as it was sitting right in the middle of the sculpture park. I have to admit, I've never seen an eyeball sculpture this big before, so it was pretty cool to see it up close and personal. I like how the artist included so many details, including the veins and variety of colors within the iris. I think it would look even better if there were eyeballs of every color sitting right next to each other.

This was one of the biggest sculptures in the entire park, so I was definitely drawn to it. It reminded me of a bunch of building blocks, like Jenga pieces or legos, that all came crashing down. I also like how blue the sky is in this picture because it matches well with the red sculpture to give a red, white, and blue theme.

This picture was especially interesting to me because it offered a sense of irony. The tree in front is either fake or spray painted silver, but there are real, live trees standing not too far behind the tree sculpture. I like how the tree almost blends into the background and scenery.

Towards the back of the park, there was a large sculpture that kind of reminded me of a gazebo or pavilion. It was made of large, orange leaves. I loved the view from directly under the pavilion, which is pictured to the right. The different shapes and designs give the sculpture a really unique feel and look. This sculpture was one of my favorite parts in the entire park, and I hope to come back and visit it soon.

This sculpture was sort of hidden, which made it all the more interesting. It almost looks like remainders from a war, like cannonballs, due to the rust and scratches. You can see that the weather has definitely taken a toll on this sculpture. My second impression was that it looked a huge, never-ending caterpillar.

Gateway Arch and Graffiti Wall

I've lived close to St. Louis my entire life, so this was not my first trip to the Gateway Arch. It never seems to get old though. I feel very fortunate to live in an area with so much history, culture, and beauty, like the Arch. The light blue sky with soft, scattered clouds made for a perfect picture. My favorite part about this picture is how you can see buildings peeking up behind the Arch. It makes it seem as if the Arch is overseeing and protecting the city of St. Louis.

Looking up at the Arch and taking this picture made me feel so small. It really put into perspective the fact that there is always something bigger and better out there, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just something to think about. It almost looked like the Arch was swaying back and forth in the wind from this angle also, which was pretty scary but awesome at the same time.

After spending some time by the Arch, we headed over to the graffiti walls. This message was not on the actual graffiti wall, but it definitely caught my attention. It proclaims one of my favorite Bible verses: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

We the People. One of the most important messages that we all can and should learn. The artist who completed this painting did a great job of portraying the most important message of this whole piece. It's not about pointing fingers. It's not about always trying to do it yourself. It's not about separating and excluding people. It's about coming together and being unified. This message is so important in today's society, especially with the recent events that have happened in the St. Louis area. I admire this artist for speaking up and promoting what we really need in our society: unity. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." (Helen Keller)

This was such an interesting message to me. The artist has the word "low" crossed out, leaving only the phrase, "No class." Are they trying to say that our society should not be separated by class? Or are they simply stating that St. Louis isn't home to anyone of lower class? I'm still trying to interpret this, and I kind of like how they left it up to the viewer's own assumption and interpretation.

Walking back to our cars, we passed by a fence lined with barbed wire. I'm not sure why this picture was so appealing to me, but it definitely stood out. I feel like a lot of us grow up thinking that nothing bad can happen, and we live in a world that is completely safe. But that's not always the case, and we can't be so naive. To me, the barbed wire pictured here is a symbol of protection. Because even in a city as beautiful as St. Louis, we still have to watch our backs.

Missouri Botanical Garden

For my independent excursion, I decided to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden and explore a place that I had never been to before. Needless to say, I absolutely loved it and will definitely be going back soon. This picture is from one of the indoor gardens where the flowers were in full bloom. I chose this picture for my blog because of how much detail there is in each flower. I loved seeing all of the colorful flowers after a long, cold winter.

This photo was taken inside of the same garden as the first photo. I really love the different colors that come together in this picture and the way the sunlight is shining on the flowers.

The outdoor portions of the garden were beautiful as well, and I can't wait to see what they will look like further into spring and summer. I included this photo in my post because it's not everyday that I can walk past a waterfall, especially as close as I was. It was nice to see so many different parts of nature up close and personal.

Walking through the garden was very relaxing and calming, especially on a day with 60 degree weather. I think this photo goes along with the relaxed feeling because everything is calm, and nothing is stirring in the water. As a college student, it was nice to get away from schoolwork for a while and enjoy the weather and free time.

Towards the end of my visit, I passed a few ducks that were swimming in one of the ponds. Luckily enough, one of them swam over to me for a few seconds, but then left quickly. It was almost like he was posing for me. Or maybe he left when he realized I wasn't going to feed him. Whatever the case was, I enjoyed seeing everyone, including animals, outside and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Castlewood State Park

This week's excursion to Castlewood State Park was the first time that I had ever visited the park, and I could not have asked for a better experience. It was a beautiful day and the perfect opportunity to take some pictures. I spotted this fallen tree as we were walking along the trail and decided that it was a perfect example of nature and all of its possibilities. The tree could have fallen from a storm, from the wind, or maybe even from old age.

Close to the end of the trail, we passed a tree that looked a little different than the rest of them. It was completely hollowed out, and you could see all the way through the top. I love the way the sunlight is shining down through the whole tree and how much detail is visible. If I wanted to, I probably could have stepped inside of the tree. This picture is especially interesting to me because I had never seen a tree like this before.

Out of all of my pictures from this excursion, this has to be my favorite. Hiking through the trail and seeing all of the breathtaking sights opened my eyes to how beautiful the world really is. One quote in particular came to mind as I was standing on top of this ledge, overlooking the river. "Take a good look at God's wonders--they will take your breath away."

This photo is interesting to me because it almost reminds me of a desert scene. The large rock and smaller stones scattered throughout the orange dirt contribute to this desert-like feel. This shot is unique because it leaves a little to the imagination. You can tell that there is a drop at the end of the ledge, but you can't see what is at the bottom.

I really enjoy this shot because it has a little bit of everything in it. Instead of focusing on just the river or trees or plants, it brings it all together in one photograph. The tree in this picture looks like it is reaching the end of its life, but it adds a lot of character to the photo. I also like how the plant brings some green color into this shot. Winter is just starting to wrap up, so a lot of plants have not started to bloom or transition into their spring-like states yet. I was surprised and excited to see a little bit of green starting to show up throughout the forest, so I had to snap a picture.

World Bird Sanctuary and Lone Elk Park

Out of all my photos from this excursion, this is by far my favorite. I love how the eagle is spreading its wings, almost like it is getting ready to fly. The eagle is much more than a bird; it is a symbol of the United States and its freedom. It is still crazy to me that this species was once endangered. I don't understand how or why anyone could kill a beautiful creature like this. Because of wildlife protection organizations, like the World Bird Sanctuary, along with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the population of eagles has increased immensely, so much so that they are no longer considered endangered or threatened!

Seeing these birds up close is not a common occasion, so I decided to include another picture of the bald eagle. This one is a different bird than the bird in the first photo and was located at a different spot in the bird sanctuary. My favorite part about this picture is the way he is looking off into the distance. It makes me wonder if he saw something, like another animal or bird, that caught his attention. Or maybe he was just posing for the camera!

The workers at the bird sanctuary were very helpful and even offered to pick the birds up so we could see them up close. I can't remember the exact species of this bird, but I think it is a type of hawk. I really love all of the different designs on its feathers along with the deep orange color contrasted with the lighter orange/cream color on the stomach. This picture also shows how large the talons of birds can be. Hawks can use their talons to perch and/or catch food.

This little guy was very interesting to watch. You could tell that he loved all of the attention that he was getting from our class, especially since we were so close to him. This bird is a species of owl known as the Great Horned Owl. My favorite part about this bird and photo are the feathers sticking out of the top of his head that resemble the horns. You can see some of the bright yellow feathers on these "horns" that really stand out.





After spending some time at the World Bird Sanctuary, we concluded our excursion with a drive around Lone Elk Park. By this time, it was snowing pretty heavily, and it was hard to see through the trees. We ended up seeing only one pack of bison, but I really love this moment that I was able to capture. The huge species of bison almost look small in this photo compared to the large amount of trees and leaves covering the ground. The bison look so peaceful and content in their environment, even on such a cold day.

St. Louis Zoo

The zoo has always been one of my favorite places to go during the summer with friends and family, but this was my first visit to the zoo during the winter season. I was a little disappointed because not all of the animals were out, and the indoor portion of the penguin exhibit was closed for renovations, but these guys made me smile the moment we stepped up to the exhibit. At first, all of the penguins were either hiding or sleeping, but one by one, penguins started to emerge from their hiding places and started gathering around to show off to the the crowd that was waiting to see them. I think some of them were even posing for us! I love how you can see one of the penguins emerging from his hide out spot to take a peek at what's going on.

Several of the sea lions and seals were out and about, swimming past all of the visitors that were observing through the underwater tunnel. One of the zoo's staff members mentioned that this sea lion was a female and she loved attention from all of the visitors. You could tell how happy she was to see everyone watching her while she swam with ease through the water and flipped around to show off her tricks. I love this shot of her because it captures not only her beauty, but also how free she looks. She's swimming to the top of the water in this photo, and nothing is holding her back. The different shades of blue from the water and sky really make her stand out.

The orangutan house was one of my favorite parts about the trip to the zoo. These animals are constantly doing something to keep people entertained, and their similarities to humans never fail to amaze me. I like the amount of detail that this picture holds. You can see the hairs on his chin, the different colors of hair, and the wrinkles on his forehead, much like a human would have. In this photo, the orangutan is rubbing his eye, almost like there was something stuck in there that he was trying to get. Once again, this act resembles so much of something that a human would do.

Not many of the animals were outside that day, but fortunately, we were able to see the gazelle out and about enjoying the snow and sunshine. I love how calm and peaceful this picture is. Even though it was cold and snowy outside, the gazelle were still enjoying their time outdoors and appreciating the blue sky and sunlight that was shining above them.

We finished our trip to the zoo with a visit to the reptile house. I am not a big fan of snakes, so I was thinking I would come out with a picture of a turtle, lizard, frog, or anything else besides a snake. But here I am, with a picture of a snake. This guy was so interesting to me because of the way he blended into his environment. You can tell how dangerous he could be to another animal because of how well he camouflages himself. If you look closely, you can see another snake of the same species behind the one in the front, also blending in with its environment. Talk about sneaky.