Friday, April 23, 2010

Ol' Man River

Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and Herman Melville wrote about it, songs have been written about it, history books are filled with stories about it. According to Wikipedia, "it's the fourth longest river in the world, and the tenth most powerful river in the world."

Yes, it's the Mighty Mississippi River, and it has always fascinated me. I love living in Vicksburg, Mississippi, perched high on the bluffs of the river, where not only its beauty, but the sheer power of its churning waters and currents are truly mesmerizing.

There are two bridges that cross the river at Vicksburg -- one is the Interstate 20 bridge and the other one is the old Highway 80 bridge which is now used only as a railroad bridge.

The bridges are probably one of the most photographed scenes in Vicksburg, by tourists and locals alike, and today, I'd like to share a collection of photos I've captured of the bridges and the river.

I love the huge flag that waves from the top of the bridge welcoming visitors traveling from the West to Mississippi. It's a beautiful sight and never fails to evoke a sense of pride when I see its stars and stripes billowing in the wind.

This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken of the bridges. I couldn't believe my luck when I was actually in the right place at the right time to capture a train crossing the bridge at sunset.

This is a view of the bend in the Mississippi, where the Yazoo River Canal joins it ...

Tugboats are a familiar sight on the river, and are fascinating to watch ...

Here's that same picture in sepia ...

One of the things on my "Places I Would Love To See" List is visiting the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca, Minnesota. I've read that the river is less than three feet deep there and you can walk across it on a stone pathway. I would love to do that, and then follow the river on its 2,320-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, that's probably not going to ever happen, but perhaps I'll at least have a chance to walk across that stone path someday.

In the meantime, I'll just continue to enjoy the views of the Mighty Mississippi, from here in Vicksburg, as it "just keeps on rollin' along."




















5 comments:

RachelD said...

Indeed it does. And I think of it all the time---how it DOES roll along, how the wind ripples the water, how the reflection of the lights on the far shore look at night, and most of all, how you can stand and stare at the water flowing past, and suddenly, YOU'RE moving---you and the ground you're standing on, and you have to steady yourself on your two feet.

That illusion never gets old.

I think part of my blood must be muddy water.

Tonja said...

The older I get the more I surprise myself. Like, just now, when I saw the pic of the train coming across the bridge...why did I tear up? I am not an emotional person...I very seldom cry. But, I guess that picture touched something in me and I do not even know what it was...except beautiful.

All of these pics are wonderful...as usual. I always loved it when we would cross the Mississippe River when we would travel.

Never knew that about the headwaters.

Thank you for sharing your artistry.

Marjorie (Molly) Smith said...

I agree with Racheld, I think I have muddy Mississippi flowing through my vanes. I love the River and ever aspect of it. Your shots are just wonderful... I like the one of the train crossing at sunset.
Molly

Sue said...

Hello Janie,
I so enjoyed your photos of the Mighty Mississippi, especially the one with the train coming. Talk about great luck!!
I have seen this beautiful river and was not disappointed. Your photography amazes me, so beautiful.Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for coming by and for taking the time to leave me such a sweet comment, and for welcoming Susan.
Sue

Deb said...

I love bridges..your photos are beautiful...