July 31: St. Petersburg

Good late afternoon!  I was going to swim in my hosts’ swimming pool, but a squall has been brewing and building to major proportions.  I was able to swim about three laps when the bruised clouds, high winds, flashes of lightning and the menacing sound of thunder put an end to that.  My hosts thought not much of it, but when winds started rising, all three of us decided to be rational and get in from the rain.  The clouds have been building and roiling all day, so a pattern has just about established itself.  Things are easing off now, but the sky still looks menacing.  

This morning was a rather leisurely one, since all of us had gone to bed quite early.  Lunch was at DQ, with hamburgers, fries, and the inevitable ice cream cone.  Later, Nancy and I decided to go downtown to the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg in order to see two exhibits: “A Feast for the Eyes,” featuring Dutch, Flemish, Italian and German still-life paintings of the 17th century.  We also saw an exhibit called “Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami,” and the permanent collection as well as sculpture garden.  See Facebook for a collection of my favorite objets d’art.

The comprehensive collection of more than 20,000 objects includes major works by the French artists Monet, Morisot, Barye, Rodin, Corot and Bourdelle, and the Americans  Inness, Hassam, Bellows, O’Keeffe, and Andrew Wyeth. Also on view are ancient Greek and Roman, Egyptian, Asian, African, pre-Columbian, and Native American art and objects. Decorative arts are integrated throughout the original building and featured in three galleries, as well. The Helen Harper Brown Gallery is dedicated to glass art, including Tiffany and Chihuly, exhibited in jewel-like cases and spotlit beautifully.  Lovely museum!  

We drove around downtown awhile, admiring all the old and new mural art that caught our attention.  This evening we are going to be watching  the Democratic candidates’ debates.  The storm has abated for the most part, and we are re-grouping and discussing leftovers for dinner while we watch the debates.  Hello to one and all, and have a fine evening.  Don’t forget to watch the debates—they contribute towards our making more informed decisions in our voting future.  As ever, SV.