The Mighty Mississippi

The Mississippi River is getting a lot of attention in the news these days, but it's not good news. The "trickle down" effect is not only related to the economy, but can also be found at work in Nature, as river cities from Illinois to New Orleans prepare for what has been predicted as one of the worst floods in decades.

Its name means "Father of Waters," but in the next couple of weeks, a lot of people will probably realize why the river is also called the Mighty Mississippi.

The predictions for the river's crest here in Vicksburg, are holding steady, despite more than two inches of rain in the area recently. Yesterday, the river level was at 40.3 feet, and is expected to crest at 53.2 feet, the highest since 1937.

In 2008, the river topped out at 50.9 feet, and here are two pictures I captured of the river then ...

If current crest predictions hold, all riverside roadways in Vicksburg, will go under water according to a report issued Tuesday by the Board of Mississippi Levee Commissioners. The Warren County supervisors have declared a disaster ahead of the looming flood waters, and preparations are being made to house flood evacuees at the Vicksburg Convention Center, if the need arises.

Here is the way things looked yesterday when I made several stops along the river in Vicksburg.

The Water Front

The river is currently at the 40.3 mark, and is predicted to hit the 1937 level of 53.2, so you can see how much higher it will be on the gauge in this picture:

Scenes of the river from the Water Front:

The river banks on the Louisiana side ...

After leaving the water front, I headed toward the double bridges crossing the river, and drove up to the top of the parking garage of Ameristar Casino "to see what I could see."

We have been plagued by lingering March winds along with April showers, and the ragged edge of the flag atop the railroad bridge is showing signs of its constant battering by the wind ...

The Mighty Mississippi, indeed!

Look at the treacherous currents!

The Railroad Bridge

View from the Mississippi Welcome Center ...

The benchmark 1927 flood reached 56.2 feet on today’s gauges, and it would have been 62 feet had the levees held.

I'm glad I wasn't around to take pictures of it back then.

In the next few days,I'll try to capture a photo record of the river's water levels, and will keep you posted. Perhaps, we will get lucky and the Mighty Mississippi will become Ol' Man River by the time it gets to Vicksburg. We can always hope, I guess!

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."

Friday Lagniappe: The Bridges of Vicksburg

One of the most photographed scenes in Vicksburg is the twin bridges that span the Mississippi River. For this Friday after Thanksgiving, I thought I would share a few photos from my collection.

A Natchez Getaway -- Chapter Two (The Road Less Taken)

Thank you for joining me for Chapter Two of my journal of our recent trip to Natchez, Mississippi. If you haven't read Chapter One and would like to, you can click here.

After breakfast Saturday morning, my husband and I joined his brother and his wife and drove around some residential areas in Natchez. Now, if you read my blog regularly, you know that I love exploring "off the beaten path," looking for places and things that aren't found in tour guide brochures.

I think this house qualifies. When we got close enough that I could see what it was, I got so excited and think I said something like, "Oh, my gosh! I've got to get some pictures of THAT!" ... to which my unflappable husband drolly replied, "You want to wait 'til I stop before you jump out?"

This is what I got so excited about (be sure and click on the pictures to enlarge them and get the "full effect") ...

Isn't that the neatest thing you've ever seen! You have to admire the imagination involved in creating it, not to mention the work that went into it. Here are some closeups of the different "vignettes" featured in this "masterpiece" ...

Aren't these little fellows adorable!

As if this wasn't enough, we went around the block and saw the back of the house which was also "decorated" ...

I didn't think I'd find anything else to compare to the "uniqueness" of that unbelievable house, but a couple of blocks away we saw this beautiful old Victorian house ...

So, you say, it's a pretty house, but what's so unique about it? Well, take a closer look at the top windows ...

That figure you see looked like a ventriloquist's dummy that had a strong resemblance to Charles Bronson. Is that creepy, or what?

The house itself was very pretty, and I especially liked the stained glass in the front doors ...

As we left the "unique" neighborhood, we discovered these beautiful homes perched high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River ...

Can you imagine looking out your front door at this gorgeous view of "Old Man River?" ...

This is another house overlooking the river and I liked its colorful gold and red paint ...

This is a picture I took of the "bluff houses" from further upriver using a telephoto lens ...

And speaking of the river, here are a couple of pictures I took earlier in the day ...

I am fascinated by huge old oak trees, with their twisted and moss-covered limbs, and often wonder how old they are and if they were just saplings during antebellum days.

We passed by one of the antebellum homes and I stopped and took these photos of the roots of one of the massive oaks beside the street ...

And while I'm on the subject of old trees, I'm going to end this chapter with some of my pictures of old oak trees and Joyce Kilmer's beautiful poem about "Trees" ...

I hope you will join me for Chapter Three of my Natchez story which will include a visit with "The Turning Angel" and other famous "residents" of the Natchez City Cemetery.

Sincerely,