The Metal Museum

I had a hard time getting motivated this morning. I slept in till after 8:30. Then I just hung around Anthony's house. After a bit, I decided not to kick myself for not getting up and going out right away. I decided not to try to do the zoo with Remy, because of the extra hassle of having to have someone accompany us through certain areas because of his dogness. The day was hot, although not quite as muggy as yesterday. I put on my bathing suit and alternated dips in the pool with sunning myself and reading the last of the three Mickey Spillane novels in the book I bought in LA. I cooked myself breakfast at Anthony's, also, rather than trying to find someplace acceptable in a city I really don't know.

That's the one thing I regret about my visit to Memphis, that I didn't have someone here to help me get to know the city. I was following Google Maps blindly, not knowing what parts of the city it was taking me to, not knowing whether there might be pet store or a shoe store nearby because I didn't know where I was, and not knowing how to find the essence of Memphis. (More on this later.)

Remy and I finally made it out to The Metal Museum, which overlooks the Mississippi. All of the photos I took today are from there.

The current exhibit is by artist Stephen Yusko. I hope you can read his statement above.

One of Yusko's pieces. I like the concept of home being perched precariously or hanging nearly upside down.

Another piece in Yusko's exhibit.

The pieces in this area were for sale, but out of my budget!

This daffodil looked like something I saw at ArtPrize. I've already forgotten the artist's name, though, so that's not a big help.

This piece is actually embedded in the ground. The plaque for it is below ...

... and Remy.

I really enjoyed the outdoor pieces.

A beautiful bench made of recycled materials ... and Remy.

A view of the Mississippi over a wrought iron fence. There were many pieces like this throughout the grounds.

Bridge over the Mississippi -- not part of the exhibit.

The indoor studio where some artists were at work. The Metal Museum has an artist-in-residence each year, as well as others who go there to work.

More of the equipment in the studio.

And more.

A piece on the counter in the studio. Wish I could have gotten a better angle that didn't have so much in the background.

Once again, I hope you can read the message from E.A. Chase about his drawings of gates and chandeliers. I didn't try to photograph the drawings themselves, but they were fantastic. He explained about the usual construction of something as large and intricate as a gate for a huge driveway into an estate, and how he changed the structure in order to put something lighter and more artistic in the center. 

Some pieces in the permanent collection.

The only place I wasn't permitted to take pictures was in the museum store. There, though, was much jewelry and smaller items, including some really cool earrings and necklaces that looked like spiral screen. The least expensive of those items was about $250. I did purchase a really cool pair of earrings, though. I think Daedal should look into selling his bottle openers here.

After we left the museum, rather than follow Google back to a set point, I drove south along the river. Unfortunately, the drive quickly moved away from the river, and I was in a not-very-pretty industrial area. I decided it was time for lunch/supper, so I Googled my way back to Whole Foods and got a mix of veggies and chicken wings for supper. Then, I wanted a healthy smoothie for dessert, but I didn't call first, and when I got to the shop it was permanently closed. So I decided a single scoop of ice cream would be okay, and I searched "scoop ice cream" because I didn't want soft serve.

I found my way to Scoops Ice Cream Parlor at 106 E G.E. Patterson, just east of S. Main and Patterson. There, Tyron Parker gave me quality service, and Terrance Callicutt talked to me about how they come up with ideas for flavors and give them to the local ice cream maker who supplies them. I had Tennessee Whiskey, which was similar to a Brandy Alexander. Quite delicious. Terrance asked me how I was enjoying my stay in Memphis, and I told him that I wished I had had a local to show me around. He told me, if I ever came back, I should seek him out, and he'd show me around. I may well take him up on it!

I got a little mending done when I got back to the house, and I have most of my stuff packed, although there's no hurry to get out of here in the morning. I hope I wake up in time to say good-bye to Anthony in the morning. Oh, and I finally met Matt, his roommate, this evening while I was sewing and watching TV in the living room. Nice men. Pretty hands off as far as the Airbnb, though.

Oh! Street names in Memphis: Democrat Boulevard and Republican Boulevard actually intersect at one point. My thought, "This may be the only place in the US that they come together!" BB King Boulevard. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, which intersects at one point with Danny Thomas Boulevard. There's also McLemore, which reminds me of Macklemore when I say it. Here's a link that talks about origins of Memphis street names. http://memphis.about.com/od/transportation/a/namegame.htm  

The Black Lives Matter Memphis group has continued to protest since I was stuck on the bridge the other night. Today, they blocked the road outside of Graceland, trying to get to places where there are more people to pay attention. All protests have been peaceful.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Murfreesboro. The Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge is along the way. Maybe we'll stop and take a look. Rick, with whom I'll be staying in Murfreesboro, suggested that I stop at Walmart and get groceries to have during my stay. I may shop before I leave Memphis, if Walmart is my only choice. Doing some computer checking before bed.