Sunday morning in Soulard

Still for sale

These mansards have been on the real estate market for quite some time.  I featured the Brentwood Boulevard and Big Bend buildings in 2009 and again in 2009.

Softball mansard

 Back in 2009 I reminisced about this little street off Old Warson Road in the Rock Hill/Brentwood/Ladue triangle (I made that up).  It is adjacent to Stroup Field where I played softball as a girl.  With the entry of our parish and many others into the South Central CYC district I now find my daughter playing there too.

This mansard is the mirror twin of the house I featured in 2009.  The girls below are Audrey and friends.  These girls are good at many sports, but I tease that they are really good at sports they can play at age 30 while drinking beer:  volleyball, bocce ball and softball.

I can get there from here

 Monday found me making the three hour trip to Sedalia.  Saw those REM worthy giant hay roll bale things.  Also drove around downtown Sedalia looking for a perfect mansard.  It was challenging.  There were plenty of buildings from the late 1800's but very few featuring my favorite roof.  But there was one- Charlotte's Antiques.  More like a mansard roof affixed to a warehouse.

Did you know I also love transoms?  Here's a great old-technology-meets-new-technology picture of a Pettis County Courthouse transom- in use!  But the flatscreen tv was turned off.

The Pettis County courthouse is one of the most nicely restored courthouses in the state.  Beautiful.  But you know what?  The original courthouse that burned down was a giant mansard.  Click here for more information.

Mansard storage hut

In the middle of a swath of grass is this utility mansard.  Thanks Richard for convincing your wife to take this picture on your way to Small and Solo Firm conference in Branson, Missouri.

I'm always driving around our fine state of Missouri for work.  Name the city- I've probably been there (or pretty close) or had a roommate from there (I had roomies from Carthage, Joplin, Windsor) . Whenever I'm on road trips in Missouri I always think of this song and video by REM.  Missouri has plenty of its own hay bales and peanuts and watermelon and weird motels: