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Dancing Man

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , on October 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Downed tree at the Falls, 10/09

Another day of adventure at the Falls of the Ohio and made all the more memorable since I had company this time.  My good friend Jefferson, his son Holden, and my son Michael made the short trip across the Second Street Bridge to have fun and collect sticks.  Wood is something the Falls has in abundance and Jeff has a purpose in mind for his sticks.  He wants to support a net over his goldfish pond to keep out leaves and all the cleaning that results when they get in the water.  Jeff always seems to have a purpose or job to do.  The boys decided to collect wood and construct some kind of fort.  That has been their prefered activity at the Falls for as long as they have been coming out here.  I, on the other hand, prefer to play and I made a figure to accompany us.  I call him the Dancing Man and here are a few images from our day together.

Dancing Man, 10/09

Dancing Man, back view, 10/09

Here are front and back views of this figure.  He’s made from Styrofoam, sticks, plastic, and aluminum all found in the park.  Finding branches and roots that have the right gesture to them is what helps give this work some sense of motion.  I like it when I find a piece of foam that isn’t so static in form.  The body of Dancing Man has some torque to it that further enhances the implied motion and helps make it a more interesting sculpture in the round.  The limbs also help animate the figure and lead your eye to the head which has the most detail invested in it.  This guy looks surprised like he wasn’t expecting to get his feet wet!

Dancing Man with Tire, 10/09

Looking through the day’s images, this one is my favorite of the Dancing Man series.  There was enough moisture in the sand that it reflected the back light in this interesting way.  At the moment, it seems that there are more washed up tires along the shoreline than is usual.  One can always find a tire or two, but after the last bout of high water, it’s like sea turtles that have come along way across the river just to find this certain stretch of beach to haul themselves out on to land again.

Michael, Dancing Man, and Holden, 10/09

Dancing Man ventured too close to Michael and Holden’s fort and was captured.  This image does a good job of giving you some idea of the scale of my Styrofoam figure.  Michael’s in the 8th grade now and Holden is a year behind him.  I’m glad they are good friends and I know it pleases Jeff as well.  I first met him when we were undergraduate art students at Murray State University.  Our families have remained close.  Jeff is a wonderful artist in his own right and has become a middle school art teacher in a neighboring county.  I am going to use Dancing Man for an exhibit I’m participating in this weekend.  I’m also looking forward to my Bluegrass Bioneers talk the same day.  Two separate events both involving my art.  It must be serendipity because it sure wasn’t planned out that way!  Final image is of the guys by their improvised fort.  I’ll catch up with everyone later in what will prove to be a noteworthy week for me.

Michael, Holden, Jeff, and Dancing Man, 10/09

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Alien Ballet

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , on October 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Willow habitat at the Falls, 10/09

The slightest hint of yellow is tinting the willow leaves at the Falls of the Ohio.  Picking my way through the driftwood, my legs brush against the occasional clump of ripening Cocklebur.  This time the bur’s tiny hooks stay fast on the parent plant, but in a few weeks my shoes’  laces will collect all they touch. 

Black-and-white Warbler, 10/09

As far as birds go, I’m in luck today.  Small groups of mixed warbler species are passing by the Falls on their way south.  I saw Magnolia Warblers, American Redstarts, and Black-and-white Warblers moving through the willows.  I watched the Black-and-white Warbler pictured above harvesting drab-colored moths from the fissures in the tree bark.  It seemed that everything happened at once.  The warblers would appear along with Eastern Wood-Peewees, Blue Jays, and a Northern Flicker made the scene.  There would be a brief flurry of activity and then the birds would be gone.  Is there security in the numbers or does the sound and motion confuse the small insects they flush out?  If allowed, I could spend all my time just trying to figure that out.  Here’s a picture of the flicker with his yellow tail.Northern Flicker, 10/09 

 

I’ve walked these same driftwood piles for months, but I still find river-polished Styrofoam and odd bits of plastic that I can use for my sculptures.  I have removed a lot of artificial junk from this place and made art out of most of this stuff.  As far as sculptural processes go, I use both additive and subtracted methods.  The additive parts are apparent in the sticks and such I attach to the polystyrene chunks.  The subtractive part is less obvious and is represented in my mind by the unwanted materials that I remove from the natural beauty of the park.  I rarely do any other carving to the foam chunks themselves.  This needs to be something anyone can do and not be some brilliant example of technical hand skill if I want others to try.

Alien Ballet, 10/09

Here’s what I came up with on this early autumn day along the Ohio River.  I call it the Alien Ballet and I amused myself by making it and the digital images that resulted from the experience!  Recently, I read that the estimated number of potential planets that could harbor life just increased greatly because our ability to see into the universe’s deep places keeps getting better.  This is also based on life as we know it and needing just the right conditions (water, distance from the right type of star, etc…) in other words, other Earth-like planets.  It is interesting to speculate that in the vastness of creation, those conditions that result in life may not be as rare as we currently think.

Alien Ballet, 10/09

My aliens have traveled from that other dimension that is my imagination.  They are revelling in their individuality and dancing together with the light and shadow on the edge of three different states of matter.

Alien Ballet, 10/09

There is value in being in the present moment, right here and now.  Despite the chance of there being other similar worlds in the cosmos, I can’t imagine they would be as conducive to life as we live it than right here on Earth.  We need to celebrate this place while we can.

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Trick or Treater

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged , , , , , , , on October 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

under the willows, 10/09

Under the willows the trap has been set.  With mask on and gun drawn the Trick or Treater isn’t waiting for the end of the month.  Halloween is now.  Soon a victim will appear and it will be “your candy or your life”!  Sugar can do that to a fella…even one made from Styrofoam.

Question Mark butterfly, 10/09

Waiting requires patience and so the Trick or Treater stays hidden.  Insects are plentiful today.  Fresh Question Mark butterflies flit through the zone demarcated by shade and sunshine. Can you see the small question mark sign on the hind wing that gives this butterfly its name?  Small tiger beetles chase each other across the sand and a hundred small grasshoppers are making lace from the wild grapevines.  Sooner or later, someone is sure to come by and then the trap will be sprung.

mask of the Trick or Treater, 10/09

Today is warmer than it has been for a few weeks.  The bear mask starts to get hot and with that a change in tactics is required.  Rising from his hiding place, the Trick or Treater begins to stalk the margins along the willow habitat.  Do you hear voices or is it just imagination playing tricks?  Carefully, he follows a line of driftwood towards the sound in the woods.

Trick or Treater, 10/09

Trick or Treater, 10/09

The ambush is set and everything is ready.  The trusty squirt gun is armed and the Frankenstein-head candy bucket is eager to find fulfillment.  The prey has been spotted next to a pile of Styrofoam and sticks that look vaguely familiar.  Inching closer, the Trick or Treater is aided by the noise his potential victims are making and the crunch of sticks and leaves is unheeded until total surprise is achieved!

the Trick or Treater's surprise, 10/09

The idea for this figure came from a destroyed teddy bear I found at the Falls last March.  Either some child or dog came across it first and knocked the stuffing out of it.  The bear was still damp having been carried by the river to the spot where it was discovered. The empty bear’s head would make a perfect mask and I waited until now to put it together.  There is a face I made with acorn eyes and pink plastic mouth under the  disguise.  Every now and then, I find Halloween related items and I decided to put a few together to create this figure.  I’ll probably use it for a decoration this year where it will greet fellow tricksters in their quest for candy.

destroyed pink teddy bear, 3/09

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“You are Loved”

Posted in Absurd, Art, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2009| 2 Comments »

"You are Loved", 10/09

It’s been four weeks since I was last able to visit the Falls.  Between a badly twisted ankle ( turned the same ankle twice in one day) and work and family obligations, I have had to remain close to home.  In just such emergencies, I have an ample supply of Falls materials at home.  I prefer working in the larger context, but home will do in a pinch.

I made this small table-top piece last night for a work colleague who recently lost her mother.  My friend had expressed a wish to own one of my works and since her mother was an artist, thought this might be a nice way to offer my condolence.  This work incorporates found wood, Styrofoam, coal, plastic, and the shells from Asiatic clams. 

Over the years, I have made many smaller pieces ( my family calls them “Foamies”) and I have sold and given them away as presents.  I get asked to donate to many not for profit art auctions and I usually give these smaller works all made from materials gathered in my walks at the Falls of the Ohio.

Now that I have scratched my itch to blog and published another image, I can move on!  The ankle is getting better, the cool fall weather with its great light quality is here.  I have a few opportunities (including work in an exhibition) coming up soon and I’m feeling upbeat!  I promise another post soon.

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Autumn Shorebirds at the Falls

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, birding, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 23, 2009| 2 Comments »

Styro-sandpiper, 9/09

September is the month that the smaller shorebirds begin their migrations through our area towards warmer southern climates.  We see a variety of different species at the Falls of the Ohio.  Here is one impromptu tribute to them made from polystyrene foam.  This one is a Styro-Sandpiper dragging its wing in mock injury.  Among the materials I used to fashion him include:  Styrofoam, blue- insulating foam, river wood, plastic (around the collar and the bill is the tip from a cheap little cigar).  Oh, the eyes are tiny bits of coal.  You are not allowed to collect fossils in the park and I sometimes wonder if this applies to the coal as well?  Anyway, here are some images of genuine shorebirds photographed in the park.

Least Sandpiper, 9/07

Small bands of Least Sandpipers explore the margins along shallow pools of water covering the fossil beds during this time of year.  Their bills probe the algae for the small invertebrates that live in the green mats.  These are our most common sandpipers followed in number by Spotted Sandpipers.  This time of year the Spotted Sandpipers actually have barred flanks and bright white bellies. We will have to wait for spring to see them with their characteristic spots and dots.

Semipalmated Plover, juvenile, 9/09

Tiny Semipalmated Plovers have traveled from the Arctic tundra and some make a stopover at the Falls.  The autumn birds seem to be mostly juveniles.  Piping Plovers, an endangered species, have been recorded in the park, but I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing one here.  By far, our most common plover is the Killdeer.  It’s hard to walk across the fossil beds this time of year without setting off their alarm calls.

American Golden Plover, juvenile, 9/07

For two years in a row I have come across American Golden-Plover juveniles.  Although they are a bit larger than the smaller “peeps”,  I decided to throw them in too because I like them and they show up this time of year!  I’m amazed that this bird started life on the Arctic tundra and is now traveling to South America. 

Short-billed Dowitcher, 9/08

Last year I came across this bird dozing on a well placed log and wondered what it was?  Its bill was tucked under the feathers on its back.  As I got closer, you can imagine my surprise when the bill was exposed!  I believe this is a juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher.  Here is another image of this bird.

Short-billed Dowitcher, juvenile?, 9/08

I watched this bird for a while and never heard it utter a sound.  Referencing my bird guides, the literature says that the best way to differentiate it from the Long-billed Dowitcher is by its call. The length of its bill is of little help.  Both bird species have been recorded in the park.  The Short-billed is listed as rare and more than likely encountered in the summer.  This bird was photographed last year on the first of September.  The Long-billed is seen occasionally in the fall.  After checking out several bird guides, there was something in its coloration and markings that said Short-billed Dowitcher for me.  Perhaps some one out there with more experience can hazard a guess?  Either way, it was a tremendous treat to come across it!  I’ll end this post with another view of my Styro-Sandpiper posed in the sand and coal.

Styro-sandpiper, 9/09

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The Amateur Archeaologists

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Strolling Couple, 9/09

With summer drawing to a close and the weather being so moderate, our Styro-couple has decided to visit the fossil beds.  The water is low and there are always unusual and interesting things that have been left behind by the previous inhabitants of this land.  On occasion you can find some museum worthy artifacts.  Let’s take a look at what today has to offer.

Rusting Wheel, 9/09

Find # 1 didn’t take very long to come across.  With the river receding very tough and hard-weathering objects start to poke their “heads” above the water line.  This circular metal artifact must have taken great cunning to fashion.  It is now believed that these circular objects ( and they are made of different materials too) were associated with a religious cult and may reference the sun and moon or the changing of the seasons.  This area obviously held great significance for them.

Strolling Couple, 9/09

There is always life to be found near the water.  The Styro-couple moves closer to the beach.  Small flocks of shorebirds scatter before them.  Holes carved into the limestone by the rushing currents are good catch-alls for objects that have been washed out of the mud.  If we get lucky, maybe we will find something of interest?  The fun is in discovering the unexpected!

Muddy bottle, 9/09

It was about the fourth hole we poked our noses into when we came across this mud-washed object.  It’s made from a hard, brittle material and the beach is covered with hundreds of similar fragments.  When you hold some of these fragments up, light will pass through them in various colors.  It’s rare to find one of these objects intact!  So, you can imagine our excitement.  In the literature, it is believed these objects may be musical instruments because a scientist observed that when you direct a flow of air over the hole at just the correct angle…an audible tone is created.  By adding water inside the instrument, different tones can be produced.  The many fragments on the beach suggests these instruments may have been ritually destroyed after use.

Styro-couple, 9/09

Moving from the water’s edge towards a stand of trees near the eastern end of the site, we hope to find artifacts that have been long buried in the soil.  The periodic floods that can cover this area stir up the dirt and bring more fragile materials to the surface.  Earlier in this year, we experienced just such a flood.  It’s been a good day…are we greedy to expect more?

plastic jug and doll, 9/09

Rain-washed and sitting upon the rocks and driftwood are these two artifacts sitting side by side!  It’s every archaeologists dream to find an effigy figure like the one on the right.  Both objects are made from an unknown material whose exact chemistry is a mystery.  It has been observed that this is also a fragile material that breaks apart if exposed to the sun for very long periods of time.  The effigy, it is believed, is made in the likeness of the previous inhabitants.  Some are found complete with heads and limbs and others are not.  What exactly happened to this race is a matter of speculation.  The current theory is that some great climate changing event altered the world to a degree that doomed their civilization.  It will take many, many years of further research by our scientists before a consensus develops.  In the meantime, we will continue to collect their artifacts and be thankful that we were ready to inherit this beautiful world.

Styro-couple being made, 9/09

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The Sandman

Posted in Absurd, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 15, 2009| 1 Comment »

The Sandman and Adam, 9/09

The day my son Adam made his dragon, this is what I came up with.  I call him the Sandman and I based him upon the nocturnal visitor familiar in children’s stories.  As Adam and I walked along the river, I found the blue plastic sand shovel and the idea for this piece fell into place.

Cicada, 9/09

While my son and I worked under the willow trees we were serenaded by the cicadas.  The rising and falling buzzing courtship song of the males is a familiar sound of summer.  This year I’ve noticed them more at the Falls than ever before.  Now I understand why the cicada killer wasps are also more common.  I wonder if the wasps detect their prey by sight or do they zero in on the cicada’s sound?

The Sandman, 9/09

This figure is made from the found materials that have become my vocabulary for my Falls works.   Polystyrene foam form the head and body.  Each piece of foam has traveled down the Ohio River from who knows where?  I only use materials that I find in the park and over the years I have been able to keep to this personal rule because so much stuff shows up here through periodic flooding.  The Styrofoam is shaped by natural processes and I add other natural and artificial materials as I see fit and come across them in the debris of the park.

The Sandman, 9/09

The Sandman comes to the Falls of the Ohio because of the quality of the sand.  He wanders along the river’s shore and carefully selects the right sand which he stores in a small bottle.  A little bit of sand goes a long way.  The bottle is worn close to the body with the help of a little waste fishing line which is unfortunately plentiful at the moment.  The Sandman may appear a bit ghostly, but he’s harmless.  His appearance has more to do with the unseen and unknown quality of the night.  So, when you rub the sleep from your eyes in the morning…you will know where the sand comes from.  It’s a gift from the Ohio River formed over deep time.  Sweet dreams.

The Sandman, 9/09

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Adam’s Dragon

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, unusual collection, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 8, 2009| 3 Comments »

Adam's self-portrait, 9/09

You can tell by looking at this photo that Adam is the life of the party!  I hand my son the camera and the first picture he takes is of himself!  The two of us went to the Falls the other day.  We hiked around and then made some art together.  Here are a few words and images recording our adventure.

Adam crossing over, 9/09

The river is in its summer pool meaning that it’s low this time of year.  The water in this photo is barely ankle to knee deep (and that’s if you step into a hole).  I usually wade over to get to the fossil beds on the Kentucky side.  Adam decided that he prefered the challenge of walking across this old telephone pole someone else had laid across the water and it was a good test of balance.  That’s what I like about walking over driftwood.  You need to pay attention to where you are going.  As we were exploring, Adam came across a piece of wood that reminded him of a dragon’s head and he decided to see if he could make the rest of it from other found materials.  I wonder where he got that idea?

Adam's Dragon head, 9/09

As you can see, Adam has a pretty good eye.  This old beat up piece of wood does resemble a dragon’s head or snapping turtle skull (that was my vote).  The eye socket is in about the right place and it does have a complete mouth with maxilla and mandible.  The other side looks just as good too!  Adam carried his driftwood from the river’s edge to the site that has served as my outdoor studio for months now.  Recently, I did a little “house” cleaning by rearranging  all my found materials.  While I worked on my piece, Adam was busy working on his.  Little Styrofoam people watched from a safe distance and from behind a tree.

Adam working on his dragon, 9/09

Finding material for the body and limbs was on hand, but there was the challenge of what to use for the wings.  Adam did a little scouting around and found this blue, foam-like mat that he cut in half with my knife.  The wings are pegged to the body to hold them in place.  I did help him when he asked for it…which was when we hammered the legs into the body with another piece of wood.  As we worked, I asked him how third grade was going and other topics of conversation, but there were also periods of silence as we focused on our projects.  I heard that’s how you can tell when men are comfortable with one another….when time goes by and neither utters a word to each other.  They don’t need to.

Adam's Dragon, facing right, 9/09

At last the dragon is finished and the beast seems to be roaring its approval.   Adam seemed happy with his efforts.  I’m pleased that for now, he still thinks its fun to come out with Dad to explore, make things, and use our imaginations.  I can’t conceive of  how a person can develop a love for nature unless you have some experience in it?  The outdoors can help nourish the body and spirit in ways that are hard to replicate in school.  We had some fun playing with the dragon which is a dangerous thing to do because they are proud and fickle beasts and one can never completely relax around them.  If you do… than this can happen!

Adam bitten by the dragon, 9/09

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Fossil Bed Excursion, Part III

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , on September 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Fish Sand Drawing, 8/09

With the power plant behind us, I retrace my steps in the sand along Goose Island.  At the moment, there is shade.  Once we venture back onto the fossil beds we may get momentary cover from a passing cloud.   I stopped along the sand bank and made one more Styrofoam figure from materials found along the way.  He’s a simple guy with one very apparent attribute.  He has a bright yellow belly button.

Figure with Big Nose, 8/09

He’s made from found Styrofoam, sticks, various plastics, bark, and nuts.  I decide to take him with me and work him into other images.  I briefly watched a cormorant swimming near my position.  One moment his head was up in the air and then the next he was in underwater pursuit of some fish.  Continuing my walk, I’m heading towards the fossil beds and the remains of a 19thcentury dike.  I like some of the views of the skyline of Louisville from here.  With the water being so low, the exposed rocks create an other worldly sight.  Walking on the rocks it’s easy to imagine you are walking on an alien and ancient surface because it is!

Louisville skyline from dike at the Falls of the Ohio, 8/09

Figure on the Dike, 8/09

Here are two views from the Goose Island Dike.  You can see how this barrier divides the fossil beds from the Prairie Grass Habitat on the right.  This is where I left this figure…with his legs wedged in the crack of a broken rock.  I left him for someone else to find and enjoy.

Louisville skyline as seen from the Falls of the Ohio, 8/09

Moving down from the dike and onto to the fossil beds, I’m going to follow the river’s edge.  A small and noisey flock of Killdeer plovers scatters in front of me.  From here you can see how the water has sculpted this limestone into a pock marked wave.  It’s not the easiest surface to walk on and it’s very slippery when wet.  I have always liked this view and feel it’s worth the trek.  It’s like looking at a cross section of the history of life.  It’s ancient rocks represent a moment long ago when life was tropical and the water tasted salty.  Now, we are at a different latitude and the environment has shifted over deep time.  Fresh water now governs this landscape and we cling to it down to its very edge.  The tourist in me is saying my camera’s memory card is full for today and so this marks the end of this particular trip over the fossil beds.  I hope to return soon.  Perhaps the early fall when the sycamore and willow tree leaves start to turn yellow and ducks are in the air.

View of Louisville from the Falls of the Ohio, 8/09

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Fossil Bed Excursion, Part II

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , on September 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Father and Child, 8/09

Having arrived at the “Falls” of the Falls of the Ohio State Park, I took materials I found along the way and made these two figures.  There is less debris to pick from on this side of the fossil beds.  Sometimes you just don’t find that right twig or element that you think will set the work off.  I remember being in this spot two years before and received a good look at a snowy egret.  The bird had beautiful plumes with yellow feet on black legs. 

Father and Son at the Falls, 8/09

Father and Child at the Falls, 8/09

Although the scale of this cascade is modest the sound of running water provides a soothing background.  Because the figures I’ve made are small it helps give the impression that the falls are bigger than they are.  I’m not sure what I’ve got going here with these figures?  I don’t have any elaborate narrative that I am trying to illustrate.  I think it might have something to do with being tourists and being awed by the local sights?  I have seen the vintage photographs of people posing at the Falls before the dam when it was a greater natural wonder.

Bird sand drawing, 8/09

You can walk to Goose Island when the fossil beds are exposed.  It’s just a short walk from the Falls and leads to our end point…the Lower Tainter Gates.  Walking through the sand I made a few contour drawings with a long thin stick.  Noisy flocks of Killdeer mixed with Semi-palmated plovers flank the river’s edge.  The island is sand held together by the roots of willow and cottonwood trees. 

Sight near lower tainter gates, 8/09

A sight along the beach on Goose Island is this small stand of dead trees that has captured a barrel.  The island is regularly inundated  by water and features are covered and uncovered by the flow of the sand.  An even louder roar of water is present as background noise.  In view is the western limit of where we can go on this side of the park.  A few fishermen are trying their luck in the tail-waters of the power plant.  This is a good place to fish and a pair of present ospreys can vouch for this.

Lower Tainter Gates, 8/09

I have been out here for hours and haven’t exchanged a word with anyone.  I’ve arrived at the place where the Ohio River’s waters help generate electricity.  You can see fish trying to swim against the force of the tail waters.  The town of Shippingport, KY used to occupy the location where the power plant now stands.  The corps of engineers bulldozed and scraped the remnants of the town away.  In it’s day Shippingport had its own identity and pride separate from the City of Louisville and now it’s history.  The Lower Tainter Gates are an impressive sight, but I always felt something was missing.  It occurred to me that what’s needed are a few colossal sculptures that could emulate something like the power seen in the Ramses sculptures in old Egypt.  To me, these gates have a temple-like presence to them.  After paying my homage to this spot, I turned and headed back.  Walking over the fossil beds during the heat of the day can fry your bacon.   I’m going to take a slightly different route home to take advantage of some nice panoramic views of Louisville’s skyline.  I did find something interesting on the walk home.  Lying in the sand was this film cartridge for an Instamatic camera.  If the light hasn’t ruined it, I may get some found images from  having it developed.  I better do that soon before they discontinue the use of chemistry in photography.  In my next post, I’ll finish up this hike on the fossil beds.

instamatic film cartridge, 8/09

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