The Mississippi River Bridges at Vicksburg...in sepia.

Sunset on Thursday, March 18

I was lucky enough to be near the bridge on Thursday afternoon and stayed long enough to snap this photo. Wow!

Sunset at the bridges

A recent sunset taken from the back porch of the Mississippi Welcome Center. It speaks for itself, doesn't it? Isn't God good?

Sunset at the bridges

I was so blessed to be able to see the sun set on June 29 at the Mississippi River Overlook next to the Welcome Center. The sun is setting right behind the bridges at this time of the year and offering spectacular photographic opportunities. And even if you don't take photos, the view itself is worth seeing. The cloud formations always make for a great sunset, but I have never seen a bad sunset! God makes them all a wonderful experience! Life getting you down? Feeling overwhelmed? Go watch a sunset. And know that the creator of that glorious sight is watching out for you each day...every day.....today....

Moon over Vicksburg

An astronomical anomaly had the moon in the western sky the other day, making for some beautiful photos at dusk. These were taken at City Front, the Old Court House Museum and the Mississippi River bridges. What colors! It doesn't get any better than this!

Sunset at the bridges

To carry on with the theme from yesterday, this is the sunset of June 1. It shows the first photo I took and follows the progression of the sunset. A film crew from Dollarhide Film Inc. from the Jackson area was at the overlook filming this sunset for use in videos for the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. They hit the jackpot on this day. I enjoyed watching the folks do the video recording. It was neat to see them set up for each shot and observe the angles from which they shot. I can't wait to see the finished products. They were in town for a couple of days at the end of May filming from a helicopter. That had to have been a neat experience. I'd like to try it myself. Anybody got a helicopter?

The bridges at sunset

OK, I admit it. I'm a River Bridges/Sunset-lovin' junkie. There! I said it. Out loud. And I am not afraid to confess! I can't help myself. It's one of the most beautiful sights I can imagine and hate to miss a single one. These two were taken on two nights last week. I have been experimenting with the couple of trees that can be used in the photos, placing them in the foreground.  And can you tell me which pictures were taken on one day and the others on another? Just look at the flag! It's billowing in two different directions!

Sunset at the bridges

My wife, Karen, and I were lucky enough to be out and about in Vicksburg Friday afternoon and we took time to watch this spectacular sunset go down behind the bridges over the Mississippi River. What beauty! Again, this is another example of God's Glory. The one thing that you cannot see in these photos are the purple martins who filled the air swooping in and out and all about. Have you been to the overlook lately and viewed the majestic Mississippi River? Don't take it for granted. It will bless your heart to take it all in at least every once in a while!

How I overcame my fear of heights

For most of my life, I have been afraid of heights. It goes way back to when I was little. My dad was a forester with the Mississippi Forestry Commission and he took us up firetowers a lot. My brother and I spent most of that time up there pretending like we were going to push the other over the edge. Neither of us ever succeeded, but the thought of falling from a high structure always gave me the heebie-jeebies.

A couple of years ago, I went to Herman Smith, superintendent of the Hwy. 80 bridge over the Mississippi River and told him that  I wanted to go below the bridge and shoot some photos. He told me, "You don't want to go down to take pictures, you want to go up." He then offered me the chance to climb to the flag platform of the old bridge to take some photos. I laughed in his face.

But later that night, I thought some more about it and realized that I would probably never have the opportunity to climb up there again, so I called him the next day and took him up on his offer.

So, up I went. You have to climb a ladder on the outside of the bridge. Look for it the next time you drive across the I-20 bridge. The bridge is 90 feet above the water and the flag platform is 110 feet above the roadbed. It's a long way up, believe me. Herman shimmied up the thing like he was just taking a walk in his backyard. I, on the other, came as close to sweating blood as I have ever come in my life. But I finally made it and the photos show some of the views.

But the hard part was yet to come. I was content to take pictures from the flag platform, but Herman said the best photos could be had by walking across the little catwalk you see him traversing in the second photo. It's tiny. And the only way across is to hook up lifeline onto that small cable and scoot across. I did it, but I thought I was going to die in the process. My heart has never — and probably never will — beat as hard as it did on that walk across that little piece of metal. Herman just skip-to-my-Lou'd right across the thing. 

But he was right. The view was spectacular. And Herman let me take photos until my heart was content. That's when I realized that the only way I was going to get off the top of that bridge was to make that same heart-thumping walk one more time. Brother, I was just about sick to my stomach with the thought of doing that again. 

But you know the rest of the story because I survived the trek back across and then down that ladder hanging over the water. When my feet hit the pavement, I was invincible! I could do anything! And that feeling has stayed with me today. I no longer hesitate to go somewhere high. 

My respect and admiration for Herman and his crew also knows no bounds. They climb all over that bridge. It's  a job only a few people can do. I am glad it is them, however, and not me.

Tomorrow: Trains going across the bridge — shot from above

Sunset at the bridges

Friday's sunset was glorious! So glad I was able to see it unfold.

Trains

Here are a couple of train photos I have taken lately. I always enjoy watching the train come across the river. The train wrecker is an unusual sight along the railroad tracks in the downtown railyard. I'd like to see that big boy in action. Too bad it seems to be in retirement.

Sunset on 12/30/08

When I walked out of work on Tuesday and saw the cloud formations overhead, I knew the Lord was going to be providing an awesome sunset for the world to see. He didn't disappoint. These photos were taken from the walkway located behind the new parking garage at Ameristar. I chose that spot because it brought the sun closest to the flag and I was able to use the bridge to obscure the electrical tower south of the bridges. The sky changed quickly as the sun settled and I was lucky to have a towboat and barges come by during the wait. I do my best not to get that tower in any of my photos I take of the bridge. But with the sun setting so far down the river, it's a challenge this time of year.