Over the weekend I went to the frigid Falls and was amused by all the balls I found that recently washed up during a period of high Ohio River water. So, I photographed what I came across to add to my Balls of the Ohio Collection. This is a subset that includes balls with snow on or around the white stuff. As I write this, Louisville and the surrounding area is expecting more wintery weather tonight with accumulations of snow and ice. It is, however, going to be nothing like the amounts that have already hit parts of the east coast! When I walk my familiar stretches of the riverbank, I hope that some day, I might eventually find something of value, but instead it’s stuff like this or worse! For your pleasure, here are more balls that were washed, thrown, or kicked into the river to land at the Falls of the Ohio.
The first ball shown is a regulation size basketball in yellow and purple. I think those are Los Angeles Laker colors? I followed that with this rather small, but patriotic, flag-inspired ball I photographed with my hand over my heart! I recall seeing tons of flag-inspired everything in the aftermath of September 11. For three years after that event, I photographed many things I came across in Louisville bearing either an American flag design or inspired by the stars and bars. I reasoned that my city was not that much different from what was happening in the rest of the country and was thus representative of the country at large. It was an interesting experiment on how the meaning of something you think you know is changed by its context.
This golf-inspired, rubber, yellow ball is about the size of a baseball. Over the years, I have found several spheres of this exact type.
This Spider-Man ball was the most colorful ball that I have found in a while. Judging from its condition, it must not have been in the river very long. The image above is one side of this ball…here’s its opposite side. Makes me want to break out in song…”Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a spider can…”
This was a bit of an oddity, I found a couple balls with numbers on them. I think this was inspired by the lottery or bingo? Number 6 anyone?
We’re Number #1… we’re #1, here’s a soft cloth ball for baby. At first I thought this was a hacky-sack, but realized upon approach, it’s too big.
Lastly, I came across this regulation sized football in the process of washing up on shore. Although it doesn’t have snow on it, I did find it at the same time I came across these other balls. It was only after I got home and downloaded my pictures, did I see that there is hand writing on this pigskin. When I go back to the river, I’m going to try to find this ball again. It might have an interesting message written on it that will offer a clue to where it originally came from. Until next time…
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 
Typical Spider man ball – gets himself out of slippy situations as usua 🙂 I wonder what that ball would have looked like given longer in the river though…
Interesting about the message – hope you do find it again (and the writings not gone). Have you ever found a message in a bottle? Or a balloon with a message on?
In all the years I have been out here…I have never found a note in a bottle or balloon. I thought I would have by now. I have friends who do river clean-ups along the Mississippi River and they report finding notes in bottles all the time. Lately, I have had a hankering to make drawings and I thought they might make fun things to find in bottles. As for the playground balls…the older ones I have come across eventually develop a permanent, dark, oily stain on them. Thanks for your comment!