Sunday, June 7, 2009

Rose Day In The Garden

Sunday was Rose Day in the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden (and the rest of the city too by Mayoral Proclamation). The Rose Garden in Loose Park is well known as a place for weddings and to admire the 150 varieties of roses. It was also a day to celebrate the reopening of the Garden after extensive renovation. The Rose Garden was established in 1931.
A wonderful treat for we spectators were several performances by the Kansas City Youth Ballet including a world premier dance entitled "Rose of Kansas City Walz" originally composed in 1901. The pictures of that dance are the very last of this series. The choreography was by Alecia Good who is also the director of the Youth Ballet. It was a wonderful experience.

Entrance to the garden on the east.




The Rose Garden is a public/private cooperation between the Kansas City Rose Society and Kansas City Parks and Recreation. The majority of the recent renovations were privately funded.














The Kansas City Youth Ballet.












The Rose of Kansas City Waltz originally composed in 1901 in honor of the building of the first Kansas City Convention Hall.




Saturday, June 6, 2009

Deacon Ordination

Four men were ordained as Deacons today at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. I was shooting video so I could only take a very few photos. It was a two hour service.


Friday, June 5, 2009

After 110 Years, New Again

In 1899 George Kessler and John VanBrunt designed and had constructed the Ninth Street Fountain. It was at the entrance to the grand expanse of beautiful park construction down the center of Paseo Boulevard. The fountain quit working in the 1940s and despite several attempts to bring it back to life only this week was the redesigned fountain ready for service.

Now known as the "Women's Leadership Fountain" the north side of the fountain fronts on Ninth Street. This is the view looking south.



Illuminated by period lighting the fountain is even more elegant at night.


Looking northwest.


Looking north. The entrance to the Paseo Bridge (now closed for construction) is only three blocks from here.




Cricket and Buster

Cricket goes airborne.... a cape would be nice.
Buster is below.

My friend Brad Finch has two very smart pups Buster and Cricket. Buster is more of a hunter and Cricket, as you can see, has loftier goals.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Foggy Bluffs


Taken Tuesday during the rain. Shows Prospect Point next to the old city reservoir. Overlooks the East Bottoms.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Macro Bugs Me

.... until I actually go outside and do some. Insects are generally cooperative as long as you don't invade their closest security zone. Helpful too if they are busy eating/gathering.


Common house fly.... not even cute up close.
Good thing bees don't have allergies.


This one is for Donna (Just Me) I won't see hummingbirds until July... when the neighbors butterfly bushes are in full bloom. But I do see hummingbird moths pretty much all summer long. They are fast and flit just like their avian cousins.