Locks on a river, the Mississippi

When growing up in St. Louis, I sometimes saw the Mississippi River, and the Illinnois, and the Missouri. Looking for something which the theme for Sepia Saturday reminded me of.

How about The Upper Mississippi locks and dams? 

By army corps of engineers - http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/About/Offices/EmergencyManagement/Flood/LocksDams.aspx, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47278018

The above map is very limited, not even including where the Missouri River comes into the Mississippi, near St. Louis.

Lock and dam Upper Mississippi

Melvin Price Locks and Dam is a dam and two locks at river mile 200.78 on the Upper Mississippi River, about 17 miles (27 km) north of Saint Louis, Missouri. The collocated National Great Rivers Museum, at 1 Lock and Dam Way, East Alton, Illinois, explains the structure and its engineering.

Construction began in 1979, the main lock opened in 1990, and the full structure was completed in 1994. It replaced the earlier Lock and Dam No. 26, demolished in 1990, and is the first replacement structure on the Upper Mississippi River nine-foot navigation project.  SOURCE: Wikipedia.

Note, Dam No. 26 does not show on the map pictured above.  

I was taken by my father to see some locks on the Mississippi (I think) near Alton IL. My sister and myself went to college in Elsah IL, which is just north of Alton IL on the Mississippi.  I think it was more likely somewhere near there. That would have been any time from 1950-1963 when I moved away.  So it wouldn't have been the replacement Dam No. 26...maybe the original one.

Here's the original Dam No 26.

Lock and Dam No. 26 was a lock and dam located near Alton, Illinois on the Upper Mississippi River around river mile 202.5.  (The Old Clark Bridge with a swing span rail bridge in between.)

Opened in 1938, its largest lock was 600 feet long. It was demolished in 1990 and replaced by the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, which is also known as Lock and Dam number 26. SOURCE: Wikipedia

Our college was Principia College. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full four-year institution and in 1935 the college was officially moved to its present-day location in Elsah. In 1993, about 300 acres (120 ha) of the campus was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.   Source: Wikipedia Here.

Principia's campus sits on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River

I will go into more details about my college (or any early life) elsewhere!

The Great River Road, Illinois Route 100 14 mi (23 km) upstream of Alton. This shows how the bluffs look from the river level.

Here's the Sepia Saturday theme for this week. The water, boats and locks just struck me that I haven't seen anything like them since I was a girl.

The people in the Challenger disaster

More about the seven who trained, left their loved ones to go into space, and instead of having a great achievement, died in the Challenger accident.

Photo from CNN publication 

Space Shuttle Challenger crew members: Mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher-in-Space 

participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist Greg Jarvis and mission specialist 

Judy Resnick. Pilot Mike Smith, commander Dick Scobee and mission specialist Ron McNair.

There is a Space Shuttle Challenger memorial at Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia

I have too many other things pulling on my time and attention to give proper credit to these 7 heroes and heroines. But I may just get some space sometime to find out more about them.

Yesterday's anniversary of death of 7 people

Remembering the crew of the Challenger disaster.

Ad for the ABC TV-movie in 1990 - I'm going to find it and finally watch it!

All the write ups say we're remembering them. But they all focus on the disaster of the rockets, and nonw* that I've seen today say a thing about the 7 humans who died that day. Nor how they died.

All the focus of the investigations was on determining what failed in the rocket.

I remember in 1986 standing in the U of Florida computer lab watching the rocket (and capsule with the astronauts) flare out of control on a TV screen on one of those rolling carts. We all just stood there, most of us with our hands to our mouths in shock, as the event was replayed over and over.

I know Christa McAuliffe became the topic of many broadcasts in the next few days (weeks probably.)  A school teacher died in a space mission.

But who were the others? And why is it so hard today to find information on their lives? I only found Wikipedia listing the places they were buried, when searching for the Challenger information.

But there are links for each of their names. So I'm going to go read about these people. Like my ancestors, they may be gone, but they are the brave people who dared to do something great and gave their lives trying.

Judith Resnik
Dick Scobee 
Capt. Michael J. Smith
Mission Specialist Lt Col Ellison Onizuka
Ronald McNair
Christa McAuliffe
Gregory Jarvis 

I'll hopefully post my impressions about each of these astronauts here in the next few days.

* Yes, I did find one site on FaceBook which mentioned the people and their job on the space shuttle.

Clouds happening

The rain has passed (over 12 hours of it seemed quite long enough, left 2 inches here!) Clouds on left are the trailing edge of the past storms, as new weather approaches from the southwest over the ridgeline.

And there are some cute little remaining fluffs in the lowest part of the valley along the Swannanoa River...while a bank of maybe one more rain cloud waits coming over the mountains to the south.

But the sun is shining so nicely on the west view of these clouds, they aren't going to stand much chance to rain again.

I feel so much better when the sun comes back (but I'm grateful for the rain too!

Rainy day looking at shops in Black Mountain NC

A hemp pharm...we're ready with that green cross sign for when (if ever) marijuana is legalized in North Carolina. In the meantime, you can get some CBD products for what ails you. You just have to guess what to use for what since nobody's tested them.

 I should go browse in this gallery sometime soon.

Door to My Father's Pizza

This little courtyard is also the passage from a parking lot to Cherry Street, where many more shops are located.

Winter shadows

Morning sun in January looks like a late day sun in the summertime, but there's only Rhododendrons and conifers to give green at this time.

 Long shadows across the fallen leaves.

Flat Creek hadn't any ice to speak of...I'll go back later and look for some.

Children will always play

Being born at the beginning of WW II, my life was somehow influenced by the drive to collect metal to be used in the war. So children's toys were not made of metal as much as before the war. I had a wood wagon full of wood blocks, and 2 small chairs, one a rocker. And a little wood cradle for baby dolls. I had been 4 months old for my first Christmas, and I'm guessing this is my second Christmas in Dallas TX.

I loved the nesting blocks (cardboard with pictures from fairy tales on 5 sides of each one.) I probably made some towers with both these colorful blocks and the wood ones which were to teach me the alphabet and numbers. It sure was fun to knock them over and see them scatter, and make a big sound.

My baby sister was born in February 1946, so this is before she turned one. I would have been around  4. We called the contraption she was in a "go-cart." No strollers then!

 

These girls are all cousins, and it was my little sister's frowning first birthday in a little swing. Standing behind her is the oldest cousin, Claudette, then myself in the middle, and Sandra in sweater on right. Claudette and Sandra were sisters who lived in Houston. We moved there about that time.

I was happy to get a doll (as usual) for Christmas when I was probably 8. (I think she marked the wrong date on this one.) Little sis also had a new doll. I'm thrilled to see what knick knacks my mother had on that non-working mantel.

Here are more Christmas dolls, and we girls have poodle skirts, with matching collars. I was 10 or more likely 11 (again her dates might be within a year or two.)

The big snow of 53 (St Louis MO) may have been 12 inches, or maybe that was another one. We got a sled, and learned what being cold felt like. Most children don't know when to come in out of the cold. But put mittens on a radiator, and that smell will remind us all of how our feet and fingers burned as they warmed up.

Fast forward 40 years, my son, Russ and his wife and their first 2 (of 3) children enjoyed a Florida beach. where her parent had a condo. I've played on beaches with them when one or another was buried in the sand for fun.

My father enjoyed a Lionel train set under our tree many Christmases. This one is at the Swannanoa Valley History Museum in Black Mountain. I enjoy seeing it in action, and it's available for many visitors to operate also.

Cherry Street (in Black Mountain NC) now has 2 empty stores, the toy store and the book store no longer are in business. I hope new businesses move in soon.

This is what I found this week of the old photos with children's playtime captured.

Oh, here's a new one.  

I wasn't there, but my grandchildren took part in a run, and their mom shared this cool photo of jumping for joy!

This is my submission to Sepia Saturday this week! Come on over and see what other playful activities might come up!

 

Waiting for the next sign

First, I don't know if these are signs, the way people who believe in signs talk about.



To me they seem just like heightened sensory awareness. Not hallucinations. But certainly something is effecting my sensory data.

First I noticed sights becoming extremely well defined with detail and brighter colors.  I could take a deep breath and it was like the spotlight had been turned on - no matter what I was looking at. OK, I said to myself, this is just my brain receiving a bit more oxygen. (I talk about my brain and it's oxygen levels a lot.)

Then I went out for pizza the other day, and people walking by me had scents. They were not right next to me, but maybe 5 feet away. And I could smell that one of them was a smoker. Actually that happened with 3-4 of the people there.  The waitress wore deodorant which I could smell as she rushed around. Then there was someone who had stepped in dog poo, or maybe they themselves weren't all that clean. That was the bathroom person, I decided. I never turned to look (the door was at my back) but I could tell when they left.  (And of course I discretely checked my own shoes.)  I don't know that the food tasted better, or even how it smelled. A pizza and salad seemed normal fare. I have had delicious food sometimes that I exclaimed was the best tasting something I'd ever had. But that hasn't happened lately.

I've also noticed when my brain functions at less than normal. I play solitaire. I don't ever try to win the game...just see how long it takes me to get to the point where a win is inevitable. Then I start another game.  But I often have to do a "do over" when I miss putting a card in the correct place. The game I play on my phone has a "re-do" button.  If I notice I've missed and had to re-do several times in a game, I figure my mind and eyes aren't up to par.



If I miss a lot, I don't let myself drive. I'm serious. If I can't see the Jack on Queen combination, how can I expect to see the car coming across my lane of traffic.  I have had that happen to me while driving, and blamed myself for not having good vision. But I think I just didn't have good attention. I don't want to be the old lady driver who causes an accident, and someone else might get hurt. This is my excuse for playing solitaire about 3 hours a day for the last 4 years or more.

Haven't noticed any hearing changes yet.  When I start hearing voices I'll get hold of my doctor fast.

Or maybe I'll have to chisel some new laws into clay tablets. If I see a burning bush, I'm most likely to toss a pan of water on it. (Check out Moses in the Bible if you didn't get my references.)

I've shared these episodes with my physical therapist as well as my doc. They couldn't say a thing that had any physical cause. One said I'm getting close to a spiritual connection to the universe.  Obviously not his area of expertise...or maybe it is, and I"m not giving him credit.  I've become pretty skeptical.



Oh, there are also hot flashes! At 77? I look to the second cup of coffee for that experience. And I'm cutting back.  But I still think breathing and mental acuity have a connection...and maybe that's part of my feeling light-headed at times.

And then yesterday as I drove through Wendy's, I had an awful painful experience.  I reached with my right hand to pull my coat up on my left shoulder, when under my left arm and all across my back and ribs shot one of those breath taking pains. Oh no, I thought, a heart attack at the drive through. Do I call 911 now? Well, I was holding my arms and thinking this as the pain gradually receded, so I thought maybe I overdid it with my PT exercises earlier in the day. So I gingerly reached my left arm across to my right shoulder...and bam! The same awful pain radiating across my back and ribs. Yep, it was the exercise. So I paid for my baked potato, with a sweaty brow and breathing hard, as I drove up to the window...and went home to make a cup of tea to go with it.

Another occasion which reminds me how grateful I am just to be alive and able to do any of the things I do.

Girl power

Women have given birth, nursed (by feeding and tending when sick) all the children, and raised them with love and firm guidance throughout history. (Herstory some would like to say.) And yes, I know many men have also done everything except give birth.

But don't forget the girls. The wonderful speeches given by the young girls in Black Mountain NC last Saturday were thoughtful and well delivered. These are the leaders who will raise the next generations of women. Thanks so much to their mothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, grandmothers, and all the men who support their growth.

Take a moment to enjoy one of these videos just to see what they had to say.  I am.  I was late coming to the march (as I mentioned in my blog before) and missed seeing most of these young women in person. I'm so glad they were videoed by Katie Hanning.

Willow, Past, Present, Future of Marching

Clare Definition of Feminism

Martha ERA

Eska 2020 Elections

Sabrina Violence Against Women

Intermission Jumping (with Sarah Vekasi and 6 year old Simone)

(It was just 35 degrees that Saturday morning)

Isabella Gender Diversity LGBGT+

Poppy Immigration

Olivia Power of Youth

Capucine Equal Pay

Elsa Take Action

A big thank you to Sarah Vekasi and other friends who helped organize the Black Mountain Women's March of 2020.

I know going to links is not what you usually want to do...but these girls are AMAZING!

Sarah gave a bit of background when she shared Katie Hanning's videos on FaceBook:

"Here are all the speeches our organizers gave at the 2020 Black Mountain Women’s March. Each kid researched and wrote their own speech. Rough drafts were due in mid December and we practiced them multiple times before the actual march. Their poise, power, creativity, and intellect is all their own. So impressive! Watch, listen, be inspired, and share. "

A dog! And a cell conversation!

I had to ask the woman talking on her cell phone to let me pass onto the foot bridge across Flat Creek.  She acted like I was the one in the way! Then she called to her dog, who had wet paws just below the bridge.

Fortunately dog was friendly but not into jumping up on me...and went with his "mum" to the other side of the creek to walk and talk together.

 I enjoyed looking at the simple things of nature around me.

And my shadow greeted the wet dogprints on the big rock.

Which one?

Driving home I pulled into a parking lot to capture this vivid sunset on Jan 13, 2020.

But there were signs all over the place...and wires! Where did they come from? They weren't across the highway, but I couldn't very well stop on it!

And it was over before I could find a better place to capture it!

So I offer you a moment in time...with the thought that "if only" I'd been in a better place, and had a bit longer.

But it is what it is. A big front with days of rain and clouds came next.

Day off

It's a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.

I'm taking a day off from this blog. See you tomorrow!

Morning musings...

Up I am at dawn again. And grateful for this day...and as I swung my feet to the floor, I noticed that there is a speck of sunlight hitting the highest peak across the valley.

I smiled and said to meself, "The dark times are past."  Meaning of course, that there are now 10 hours of daylight each day, which is much improved from the solstice on Dec. 21.

Fixed coffee, gathered the trash baskets for a meeting in the kitchen by the door, toasted half a bagel, put away a few dishes, turned on the oven to low heat, (left the door cloed) then the stove exhaust fan which will blow the heat back down (I think) to where I live rather than letting it sit on the ceiling while my knees are cold.  I do the same thing with the wall heater in living/dining room...with constant fan to move the hot air to my comfort zone.  It was 33 outside at 8:00 when I first looked on my WunderGround app.

Witch Hollow Farm, Boxwood MA, home of Job Tyler (ancestor)

DAR unveiling of Spencer Clack memorial Sevierville, TN (Ancestor)   

I have put on sweater and slippers...and plan to have a bit more covering when I take the trash out in a few minutes. Our apartments have trash picked up once a week, and recycles picked up every other week. But because bears are attracted to the trash with food items, we have to take that kind of trash out the morning of pick up. They usually come around 9:30-10:30...and 2 men on the truck pick up the trash bins and dump them in the back of the garbage truck. We have a corral of about 7 trash bins and maybe 4 places where the recycling stuff is piled. It's really a mess. But at least no bears.

I sip my first cuppa coffee (with a fresh brewed pot) and munch my bagel while reading emails and updating my blog publication for today (this was Friday).  I have to put it by hand to another blog to link it for Sepia Saturday.  I wonder if all those people who do "link ups" on various themes each day actually have to do the URL by hand after it comes up. I don't know any other way, to get the individual URL for that day's publication rather than the general one for the whole blog. Somewhat cumbersome, and I keep seeing fewer blogs every day. But I do enjoy a few folks who frequently comment on mine. So I'll keep bogging for now.

I just threw in a couple of pictures because nobody reads a blog without them, do they? I'm doing my nebulizer treatment as I type this...twice a day inhaling my 2 types of drugs...to help clear my lungs. Joy joy joy. Cough cough cough (it helps me cough, really, that's what they say.)

See you in the funnies.

Women's March 2020 Black Mountain NC

Jan 18 was the gathering and march for women's issues...expanding all the things that run through from ERA to LGBTQ, reproductive rights, climate change...all that are on the table these days.

 Where is everyone? They are down the street to the right in Town Square (invisible) in this panorama taken from the steps of the Center for the Arts.

 I got there and sat in the cold for a while, with a Dripolater coffee of course.

So I eventually walked down to the crowd on the square.

 My friend Diane enjoyed listening to speeches, and said the sound system was much better this year!

I walked through the crowd while young girls gave excellent speeches but it was pretty cold, so I didn't wait for the march to start.

My friend Suzanne (center bottom of shot) was one of the faces I recognized...and just look at all the "pussy hats."

Some costumes to promote the LGBTQ community (or maybe some more theatrical group, I was happy to catch their photo!)

 One of the last speakers...then there was drumming and a brass band... but still the focus was on the "stage area" rather than going to the street...time for me to leave.

 The "counter-march" of pro-life demonstrators was outside the square. Because they appeared, the organized marchers (with permits) had to hire extra support teams to ensure keeping the peace.

 Some of the peace keepers, and a photographer.

 My panoramic shot of the crowd...

One of several girl scout cookie sales were set up on the march route.

 Still no march...

 By now the air was total wetness...a cloud just sat down on the town.

 Still no march coming...though small groups came by to have coffee or lunch.

I actually went to the clay studio around 12, got ready to throw some mugs, then put my coat and hat back on and went back to State Street, and the march still hadn't started and it was after 12:30 already, and though rain was not falling, we were enveloped in a cloud, thus all surfaces were wet.

I can't wait to see better pictures of the actual march. Sorry I missed seeing it.