Katherine and I are in St. Louis today. She is giving a presentation at the University of Missouri – St. Louis on engaged scholarship, and I’ve been taking in a few sites.

The St. Louis Museum of Art, located in beautiful, manicured, and huge Forest Park was a pleasant surprise. It contains a surprising number of quality Impressionist pieces, plus several rooms of in situ period furniture collections and early Buddhist tapestries.

We’re currently at Busch Stadium, taking in an afternoon game before heading back to Memphis this evening.

A big thank you to UMSL for asking Katherine to come to their campus to speak to their faculty!

While at the CNI conference in Baltimore today, I escaped the hotel for part of lunch and took a walk down to the harbor and up to the top of Federal Hill. It was a beautiful spring day, everything was in bloom, and the gentle breeze blowing over the hill hinted of salt water.

Speaking of Federal Hill, I stumbled into (and out of) a great pub in that neighborhood. If you are looking for a tasty pizza, outstanding local brew, and interesting conversation, I highly recommend Pub Dog Pizza and Drafthouse.

Hayley Katherine Pennington is turning one! I’m in Little Rock to celebrate with the family.

She enjoyed tearing into her cake and opening her presents with her brothers, all on a perfect spring day.

To the end, Mazzy never lost her fighting spirit and never-give-up personality that always set her apart from other animals we’ve known. I’ve never know a smarter dog or one so much fun to be around. At one point, she knew more than 30 different words and could distinguish between many different toys by name and shape.

Everyone says that their pet is special, but there was always something a little extra special about Mazzy. She could anticipate what you were going to do. She was not just tolerant of small children but, rather, adored them, putting up with them pulling her white hair while tossing them a ball to throw back to her.

With the exception of thunderstorms, she was fearless. Never a dog to bark or attack others, she automatically assumed everyone in the world was her friend (and wanted to pet her), unless proven otherwise.

If you met her once, she would remember you years later. If you were sad, she would sit down beside you and try to cheer you up. If you came home from a long, difficult day at work, she would help you forget it with her favorite game: chasing and catching the frisbee and bringing it back to you. Even after we left her with relatives for a year while we lived in Australia, she forgave us and just wanted to pick up playing where we had left off.

Born as working stock on an actual farm in Mississippi, she was the oddball of her litter, a little white furball, kept in a chicken wire cage. White border collies carry recessive genes that are likely to shorten their lives and cause physical problems, but until the later part of her life, Mazzy just laughed that off. Ever since we took her off the farm and brought her home, she never stopped learning and loving life and wanting to feel alive, right to the end. She never gave up.

She was more than just a pet, more than just a friend and a companion. She was as near to human as I have seen in an animal (or expect to see again). Mazzy was something special, and we will miss her terribly, always.

Thanks to Larry and Elaine for the apple pie to go!

After a Half-Smoke at Ben’s Chili Bowl and a walk across town through Dupont Circle, I’m enjoying a few pints at the Bier Baron. (Thanks to Frank for the tip!)

It is cordoned off, alone, after the earthquake earlier this year.

The statue is as strange as I’ve heard, and while he does look determined, not mad, the likeness stands in contrast to the many wise quotes by the man, carved into the wall behind him.

On my way to check out the new MLK Memorial, I had to swing by and give Abe his due.

For some reason, though, the Reflecting Pool is largely drained, which gives the area an under construction feel, even in the dark.

The tree on the Mall, with the Washington Monument in the background.

I just liked the contrast of the branches on the snowing sky.

This time last year, I was hoping Mazzy would survive until the first warm day.

Now, she’s come full circle on the seasons, defiant and headstrong as ever.

Memphis got an early dusting of snow, and my sunflowers are still alive on the porch. I’m hoping they make it into January.

Written on the wall outside the new dorm construction taking place at Rhodes.

A few days after we thought we would have to put her down, Mazzy is bouncing back.

The front of my KLR 650.

One of the bikes ridden by the guys that joined us on Saturday afternoon.

In the spring, there is usually a lot more water coming over the falls.

Wisch and Dave at the waterfall.

Wisch and Dave coffee-up before hitting the trails on their motorcycles.