Dead of Winter on The Riverwalk -- and Two Big Surprises

Okay, I'm just gonna go ahead and admit it right here and now: When it comes to cold weather, yours truly is one full-fledged, all-out, tee-total WIMP. Yep. I simply cannot do cold weather. When the outside temp dips below, say, about 60 degrees, you're gonna find ol' Cathy Fussell curled up in her chair readin' or writin' or crochetin' or quiltin' or watchin' cop shows on tv -- or in the kitchen cookin'. I just simply cannot do cold weather. THEREFORE, since the temperature has been down in the *&^% TEENS!!! for the better part of three weeks, there have been no walks on the riverbank, thus no posts.

However, day before yesterday the temp crept up close to 60, I did venture out for a short spell, and I was amazed at the changes in the vista in just the past couple of weeks. Here are some photos to show you:

The first difference I noticed was that the water level had dropped considerably. It's far below the feet of Fred's man:

I hadn't seen this rock in so long I'd almost forgotten it was there ...


The whole landscape was certainly "deader" looking than two weeks earlier. There were far fewer leaves on the trees ...

Just to put leaves (or lack thereof) into context, I'm going to go to the archives and show you a progression of this, the so-named "gimp tree." Here are some photos from the past few months:




And here's gimp tree number two -- day before yesterday --


And a few weeks ago:


Okay, now -- Back to the present.


The shadows were particularly interesting this day. I was walkin' at about a little after five in the afternoon. Here's ol' Christopher Columbus holding up that bird. Is that me on Chris's left? Ooh. Bad form.


Since my self seems so eager to get into the picture, I guess I'll just go ahead and give you a photo of my whole self -- almost. (Ooh, Queenma, what long legs you have!)
Here's Mr. John Amos ...

This spot up underneath the Dillingham Street Bridge really does feel cozy. I see why homeless folks seem to wanna live there.

Speaking of the Dillingham Street Bridge, there was ice still clinging to it! I told y'all it was too cold to be out walkin'!



Okay, now I'm about to show you the two big surprises. Here's the first one. The photo below is from several weeks ago. It's of that piece of machinery I call "the stomach," in the lower section of the Powerhouse. I've taken upteen photos of it, 'cause I'm so fascinated with and afraid of it. Here it is on a normal day:

And here it was day before yesterday! What in the world?! It looks as if it's about to explode! Water was gushing from every possible crack, creating these weirdly shaped fountains and spouts that I didn't very well capture in this photograph. Anyway, the notion of that thing's exploding so freaked me out that I moved right along ...
... but not before I got a chance to look on up ahead to discover ...


PROGRESS!!! Can you believe it? Despite all the floods and the freezing weather and the economy and everything else, progress is being made on extending the Riverwalk through Eagle and Phenix! I am impressed! I am just dyin' to be one of the first folks to set foot on this new part when it opens. Me and Tricycle Man. Rollin' and strollin' right along. Y'all come join us, okay?