A Few Photos from Yesterday

The water's back down to normal again, so I thought I'd post some photos from yesterday -- of flood damage, of wildlife (which was out in force yesterday, sunnin'), and of, well, you know, random remainderings.

I'm assuming that the damaged light poles and globes are a result of the floods, but I could be wrong. I'm wondering if the light globes break because the strong current causes the poles to shake unusually much?


New globes have been installed near the Powerhouse! I hope this means that all the broken light poles and globes are being replaced. Notice the new style:

Two ducks and a turtle share a rock:

Some jetsam (as opposed to flotsam):

I'm fascinated with the blue herons on the River, but my camera isn't good enough for me to be able to get a good shot of one:


Some wash-out on that steep bank below the Synovus offices:


Apparently the fishing wells sometimes trap floating limbs and logs during high water:

From Higher Ground -- Again

This morning, in a conversation I had with an 87 year old woman who shall here remain nameless, I happened to comment that the Riverwalk is underwater again. The woman asked, "It is? Again?"

I replied, "Yes, it's almost as high as it was two weeks ago."

"The woman" then asked, "Reckon why in the world they put that thing so close to the River?"

Well, uh, let's just say that I was too dumbfounded to respond.

SO, since indeed the Riverwalk is underwater again, I think I'll sit indoors and take a little "history trip," prompted by my former student Andrew's request that I post some photos of "how the River used to look -- before the Riverwalk."

[I would, however, like to digress for one moment and say that while I shall let my former student Andrew remain last-nameless, I will divulge the fact that he once wrote a fine paper on the topic of the Lochapoka Syrup Soppin', thereby instantly catapulting himself to the rank of teacher's pet.]

These photos are from the Library of Congress website, American Memory section. One of my very favorite sites on the whole World Wide Web, http://www.loc.gov offers TONS of vintage images and documents. Just type in "Columbus, Georgia" or "Muscogee" or some other meaningful keyword and you'll be in vintage photo heaven.

Here are a few:

This is the 14th Street Pedestrian Bridge, back when it wasn't pedestrian. The first few of these photographs were taken in 1988. I remember way before that, though, before the mills were "Fieldcrest" and before the windows were bricked up.



And from the Phenix City side:


From the Phenix City side, looking into Columbus, back in 1988:




If you were standing directly behind the TSYS building, between the TSYS building and the River, where that brick plaza is now (I'll get a photo when the water subsides.), this is how it would have looked back in 1988. That's the Russell County Courthouse in the distance:


The next photo is an older one, taken in the 1930s. It's Muscogee Mill, the building that was torn down to build that TSYS parking garage I so despise:

And here's what replaced it:

We lost all this, too:

So, Andrew, I realize that this post has become more "mill history" than images of "the River before the Riverwalk," but I'm not sure that before the Riverwalk we even paid enough attention to the River to take a photo of it!

For Ryan -- The Phenix City Riverwalk

Today’s post is offered in celebration of our brand new granddaughter, Ryan Avery Fussell, born last night. Ryan’s Phenix City roots run deep: Her grandfather Fred was born and raised there, as was her grandmother Linda, her greatgrandmother “Granny Annie,” and, in memory, her greatgrandparents Jessie Nix and Kathleen and DeWitt Fusssell. There were others before that, too, but I’ll stop there for now. I look forward to stickin’ your toes into the Chattahoochee, Ryan, and to taking you on long walks and bike rides on the Riverwalk. Here we go!

I love the Phenix City Riverwalk. If you haven’t been, take my advice and venture over there to the wild side – ha. Seriously, the Phenix City Riverwalk is intentionally left more “natural” than is the downtown section of the Columbus Riverwalk, making for a great view from the Georgia side, and a pleasant, shady experience if you’re on the Alabama side. Access to the River is much easier on the Alabama side, too. You can climb out onto the rocks, wade into the River … but be careful if you do that. Folks are always getting’ into trouble over there.

Here’s a suggested walk, a loop of about two miles: Park your car in the Country’s Barbeque Parking Lot on Broadway in downtown Columbus. Walk across the 14th Street Bridge (the pedestrian bridge) into Alabama. On the Alabama end of the bridge, take a left onto the Phenix City Riverwalk and walk south until the P.C. Riverwalk ends – at the Dillingham Street Bridge. Take the Dillingham Bridge back over into Georgia and walk north on the Columbus Riverwalk to Eagle and Phenix Dam and Powerhouse. If you want to go back to your exact starting point you’ll have to leave the Riverwalk here (because it ends for a spell at Eagle and Phenix), in which case you need to walk up the steps underneath the watertank, proceed the one block up to Broadway where you’ll walk north to your starting point at Country’s Barbeque and 14th Street Bridge.

Then you might want to walk across the street to the Lucky Starr where you can buy all sorts of good luck charms and love potions, should you be in the market.

Uh-oh, I’m venturing too far from the Riverwalk now. I’ll hush and show you some photos:


If you're following my suggested loop, this is the approach to the pedestrian (14th Street) bridge, at Country's on Broad.



This is the TSYS parking garage, a travesty in my opinion. They tore down one of the largest existing mill complexes in the whole United States, a series of beautiful historic buildings, to build this ugly wannabe thing -- and they used riverbank space to do it!



This is the entrance to the pedestrian bridge, from the Georgia side. I keep fantasizing that I'm in Paris, about to cross the Pont Neuf over the Seine, and a row of book stalls is waiting on the other side. In fact, that's the Russell County Courthouse in the distance. And there are stories there, too -- just different ones from those found between the covers of those books in Paris.




The view upriver off the pedestrian bridge.


... and downriver.



From the Phenix City side, looking over into Georgia.



This spot is really more beautiful than my photo indicates.



... headed south on the Phenix City Riverwalk.










I'm about to agree with Mike Howard, that Phenix City IS prettier than Columbus!




Re-entering Georgia -- photo taken from the Dillingham Bridge.

Another one off the Dillingham Bridge. I'll be happy to see the water clear back up.



The Phenix City Amphitheatre.

Some Random Remainderings

Very late at night, when nobody's lookin' ...

Mr. John's been playin' some cards!!!


Can you see the swallows' nests tucked underneath the decorative arch? Daughter Coulter found them.



The question becomes, did the perpetrator climb UP or DOWN? I'm guessin' down. Here's even more detail:



Daughter Coulter found this one (below), too, and commented, "That is SO Columbus!"



I need some bike shoes; wish he'd left two.




For Luke.