Shaking Sunday Bridges ~ 12-11-11

More Photos from our Hikes

Part I  

Goshen Swinging Bridge

All I can say is this bridge is old and way too high to suit me! This is the first time I have been with the family while shooting it, though I have posted shots of it from a different perspective in the past.

This is what it look likes as you start across.

It does not bother the kids at all, and Eloise loves it!

 These wires are rusty and old!

You all know how I love to photograph simple and mundane gadgets, nuts, and bolts that do big jobs. I was determined to get these shots even though everyone else was walking ahead of me shaking it more and more with each step. Buddy had to lead a hike up on another mountain, so he did not get to go on this adventure.

I think this shot tells it all....yes, I was white knuckling it. Somehow I managed to pull off this shot, but my legs were trembling at the time. Gripping a swinging bridge with one hand while clicking the shutter of a Canon Rebel XSi with the other one leaves much to be desired.

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 Part II

The Hike up above our House

(This is going to make you all laugh!)

To get to the gate-fence I posted for "Friday Fences," you have to cross Kerrs Creek. Since we have had so much rain lately the water is up, I didn’t have the option of walking from rock to rock to get across. They were well under water.  Here we go....

 The “V” for Victory Magical Pipe Bridge 

 Genie Crawling across on Hands and Knees 

Buddy took this lovely shot, God bless him. You see Eloise and the guys waiting for me on the other side and not coming to Mom/Baga. It was our bachelor friend who came to the rescue, but it backfired. He grabbed my right arm, and I screamed in pain...the old arthritis did not like that movement at all. It took me quite a good bit of time, but I did finally get across, and I DID IT BY MYSELF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

When are my male children aged 39 and 46 going to get the message their mother is now 72 and CANNOT do all the things she always did in the past with a smile? This was pure torture and my legs were black and blue the next day.

This post is linked with Sunday Bridges, Macro Monday, and I Heart Macro.

Blue Sky Hiking

My son who lives in Washington came home for 2 days this past weekend. We all had a wonderful time and spent most of our time in the woods. Both of my sons were here as well as my granddaughter, and I had the time of my life. The weather was perfect as you can see from these three shots. Beginning with my post for "Signs, Signs," yesterday, many of my posts in the days to come are going to be centered around this mini family reunion and our hikes.

This post is linked with Skywatch Friday.

Signs from Our Family Hike ~ 12-5-11

You know us...we will always go hiking where there is a swinging bridge.

We used to go swimming here for years and years, and then this sign appeared. Trust me...we never camped here!

The yellow swaths of color represent property line. We stayed on the trail and did not go over where the posted signs were or the yellow markings on the trees. 

We carried out all we carried in.

The date on this license plate was 1980.

This post is linked with Signs, Signs.

Swinging on a Swinging Bridge on Sunday

Before you view my post this week, I want to share with you a picture made of Buddy and me 33 years ago. There was a discussion on the Today show this morning about the number of second marriages which fail...this number seems to be growing larger and larger. With my story I want to dispel the concept. I was first married for 18 years and now 33 years. I do not think we fall into that statistical study :-) To make the story a bit more unbelievable, I am now 72 and he is 59! He was and continues to be a wonderful and caring step-father to my 3 children now aged 48, 46, and 39. For this marriage and for my children, my grandchildren, and their extended families I give thanks this Thanksgiving.

As I look back on this old photo now, I think we look like brother and sister. Bud is basically bald and I am white haired with a bit of gray here and there.

Quite a while back I posted a few pictures of this swinging bridge at Rockbridge Baths, Virginia, but the photos were taken from the main road through the little township. Last weekend Buddy and I were driving about the county and ended up on a road that happened to run in front of the other side of the bridge. I almost flipped I was so excited. These photos were taken from that side. The ones of me Buddy took, and I took all the rest. These are all SOOC.

These steps are in lots better shape than on the other side. I guess that is not many people ever climb them being that the dirt road is not well known..

The bridge boards over here are better, too. I you remember, the ones on the other side are real scary.

The beautiful white fence goes around 

a wonderful old homeplace.

This red building is the a small storage building next to the Rockbridge Baths Post Office.

You can see the water level is way down...not much movement. It is really pretty this way.

Here is Buddy with the Canon Rebel around his neck but shooting with his iPhone. He will wear those hiking shorts all winter long with Smart Wool leggings under them. He will not wear what I call “normal” clothes. He is an outdoorsman through and through. The hat is a necessity, though, because he is pretty close to being totally bald!

Yep...this is moi about to start out on the wobbly thing. Take note that I have on “normal” clothes for a cold and windy day. No shorts for me...baseball cap, yes. I am always in a baseball cap, but today I also had on a down jacket. It was cold! Note the look of concern and trepidation on my face. I would rather be on terra firma than out on that bridge.

I did it...but the smile and the happy hand wave are basically fakes. The thing scares me it is so old and shaky.

This post is linked with Louis LaVache’s Sunday Bridges.

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Sunday Bridges Mosaic ~ 6-5-11

Swinging Bridge at Rockbridge Baths, VA

The Rotten Boards Have Been Replaced

When I posted this swinging bridge during the winter, it had quite a few seriously rotted boards over which I had to step. So many of you showed concern in your comments about the deterioration and your desire for it to be fixed, I wanted to give you the good news. These shots were taken last week on a very foggy morning driving the back roads to work. I thought the bridge and fog would make for a nice picture so I decided to stop. The upper picture on the right shows a huge spider web and the bottom one was taken as I was walking off. You will see just how foggy it was when you look at the big field across the street. You cannot see it, but it is there.

"Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work,

 from illuminating the fog that surrounds us."
~Henri Matisse

This post is linked with: 

Sunday Bridges 

If you want to drink some excellent coffee or tea, go online and order from Louis La Vache’s “Holy Cow Coffee Company”. We are return customers many times over and highly recommend them both.

 Scenic Sunday

 and


Mosaic Monday.

Sunday Bridges ~ 5-15-11

The following is a series of photos taken in March of this year while we were driving the nearby counties searching for interesting sites to photograph. The Buchanan Swinging Bridge has the original pilings built in 1851. It is 366 feet long and 57.5 feet tall and the only bridge of its type across the James River. It was originally a covered bridge called the Buchanan Turnpike Company Toll Bridge. On June 13, 1864, Confederate General McCausand burned it to prevent the Union troops from crossing the James River on their march south to Lynchburg. They had already burned Virginia Military Institute and occupied Lexington, Va, the town outside of which we live. Following a series of replacement bridges, the present one was constructed in 1939 on the original pilings. 

This gives you a good picture of the pilings.

The car bridge is on the left.

Who in his or her right mind would even think about taking a motorized vehicle on this bridge. The car bridge entry is on the right.

Here is Buddy starting across. It is very sturdy and does not bounce and sway. It is the only swinging bridge I have ever walked across that did not frighten me. It is a wonderful bit of history still in use on a daily basis.

"I never wanted to set the world on fire. 

So I never had to burn any bridges behind me.”
~Dinah Shore

This post is linked to Sunday Bridges, 

Weekend Reflections, and Shadow Shot Sunday.

Sunday Bridges ~ 5-1-11

 Swinging Bridge over the Tye River
Nelson Country, VA
"We build too many walls and not enough bridges."
Isaac Newton

This post is linked to Louis la Vache’s

San Francisco Bay Daily Photo

Sunday Bridges ~ 1-16-11

Back this summer I posted a series of shots of one of my favorite old swinging bridges here in Rockbridge County, VA. At that time we had had lots of rain, the river was rushing, and the trees were full of leaves. This week I decided to do back and see what it looked like with ice on the river and this is what I found. It is so sad to see this special structure falling into such serious disrepair, because before too long it will be gone. Those of us who love it are going to have to enjoy its beauty while we can. Be sure to click HERE to see the other post so you can compare the pictures. They are really different.

Since summer, the bridge has deteriorated even more . Now it has lost a BIG board which made me a bit nervous walking out there. At least the water wasn’t loudly rushing as it was before.

This shot is in stark contrast to the summer one. Everything looks so drab and cold. You will note just how calm the water is. It does not seem to be moving at all.

The ice had begun to melt before I got there on Wednesday morning, but there was still enough for you to see to get the feeling of what it looked like. It was so pretty.

This is pretty much a duplicate of the summer shot taken at the point where the bridge begins, but the image is entirely different. You can tell it is definitely winter.

Today my package of goodies from Mr. Holy Cow Louis Va Vache arrived, and it was even better that I expected. Not only did I get MORE coffee, I also got some of his tea and another AirScape container for my coffee...this time the BIG one. These are the greatest containers I have ever had, and I do not need to tell you how good is coffee is. Give it a try - Holy Cow Coffee - and you will be a very happy coffee drinker!

Be sure to check out Louis La Vache’s San Francisco Daily Photo to see more interesting bridges from around the world and to find links to Holy Cow Coffee.