Showboating in Saint Paul

I've written a great deal about other places in Minnesota in my recent posts, and now here's one about Saint Paul. Showboat is both figurative and literal.

Showboating as an idiom can mean showing off or bragging. So I'll do that first. I've been walking these past few days in Saint Paul. On Tuesday I walked to a coffee shop in downtown Saint Paul for a meeting.

On the way I wanted to return some books to the library so after walking four blocks down the street, then on a path through a park associated with the Science Museum, and then taking an elevator in the parking ramp up 6 floors, and crossing the street I found myself in a beautiful courtyard for the the Central Public Library.

Then I headed across Rice Park towards the coffee shop. Landmark Center was looking great on this lovely autumn day.

Coming back home I admired the flowers in the Science Museum Plaza.

On the plaza too I also looked at the river view.

In what might be called the 3:00 position in this picture one can see buildings. That is the housing area in which I live.

Closer to home I admired the fountain in the Upper Landing Park.

On Wednesday I really did go to the Showboat. This is anchored on a barge across the river from where I live. All summer the University of Minnesota Theater Program produces a melodrama, such as would have been on a showboats during the 19th century.

I had to drive down river and go up the hill and then go across a bridge to Harriett Island Regional Park. 

I had ordered the ticket for the play online and expected to go to the Will Call room to pick it up. Got there and the window was closed. So I decided to walk down to the boat and ask for help. Found a young woman there who said, "I bet you are looking for your ticket."  I was puzzled about how she could recognize me. She explained I was the last person to arrive for a Will Call Ticket.

Above is the stage. I'm still always surprised when I go to things now in the day and find the participants are primarily senior citizens. Forget to define myself that way!!!

This play is called Leavin' Iowa. It concerns a man in his 30s who returned to his home in Winterset, IA for a family reunion. While there he is charged with the task of taking his father's ashes to his childhood home. When the  young man arrives there he finds the farmhouse is now a grocery store and he decides the can't leave the ashes there. To decide where would be the best and most appropriate place he begins to relive the family vacations they all took together. I enjoyed the play and was somewhat irritated when I overheard another woman say, "Oh, that was so cute."I thought the comment rather shallow.

In the evening I went to a great program at my church about the Syrian crisis. One of the speakers was a young woman who is from Syria. While there the thunder begin to crash and we could the rain on the roof. The weather is indeed changing to something new. Again can't complain, we need the rain.