Quit Your Wine-ing and Play Ball!

Saint Louis has had an unusual amount of rain this spring which has wreaked havoc on the base ball schedule.  By this point in the season we should have 10 games complete but we still sit with a record of 2-2.  This past weekend, the weather was spectacular and perfect for base ball...but we had other things on the schedule.

The annual wine tasting event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the GSLBBHS (Greater Saint Louis Base Ball Historical Society), bringing in a lot of the league's operating expenses through this one event and making it possible to buy equipment and uniforms, lease fields, and have some stipend money for visiting teams or for our own overnight trips to cities outside of the Saint Louis metro area.  We also rely on the donations from businesses and other volunteers to provide items to be auctioned.  Our local Lafayette Square wine bar (33 Wine Bar) generously offers the use of their space during the event.

Inside 33 Wine Bar, with "Cyclone" and "King" pouring
while "Pitchfork" entertains guests.

The back patio of 33 Wine Bar

In addition to the Wine Tasting and Mother's Day this weekend, Sweet Tea and myself were also hosting visitors: "Sweet Tea Sis" and "Rockclimber Reed," in town from Arkansas.

Rockclimber, Sweet Tea Sis, me and Sweet Tea enjoying
wine and snacks.

It was "Rockclimber's" first visit to Saint Louis and we wanted to make it count.  He's the kinda guy that's up for anything and he came up bearing gifts: four fantastic seats to the Cardinals - Colorado Rockies game.

View from the Red Bird Club at Busch Stadium

After the game, the four of us walked the four short blocks over to the Gateway Arch to make sure that "Sweet Tea Sis" and "Rockclimber" got to view the city from the best possible vantage point...630 feet up at the top of the Arch.

If you look closely you can see the
windows in the observation deck
at the top.

While walking through the park, we caught a few minutes of our old pal "Mayhem" and his club nine, the St. Louis Unions.  The Unions were playing a quad-header under the arch against visiting clubs from Illinois and Indiana: the Rock Springs (IL) Ground Squirrels, the Springfield (IL) Long Nine, and the West Lafayette (IN) Couriers.

Vintage base ball under the Arch.

We also caught a glimpse of other signs of spring besides base ball and green grass:

Goose eggs in the park at the Arch.

Not unlike goose eggs are the tiny little capsules that transport people from below the base of the Arch, up the interior of the North or South leg of the arch, and deposit them on the observation platform high above the city.

These capsules transport you to the top...or you could
walk up the 1,076 steps.

The inside of the capsules don't look quite this cool and "space-agey" in real life...they are actually quite cramped inside once you climb in with four of your closest friends.

I bump my head every single time.

But the trip to the top is well worth it, when you are treated with this spectacular view at the top.

It was quite a packed weekend of events and outings, even without a base ball match. Until next time...

Dixie