Where did the sunshine come from? It must have been fleeting. When I was cruising for pix last weekend I noticed a fire department crew hanging out by the Mississippi. That boat looked too small to be a pumper for marine fires (which do happen - STL is a large inland port for barge traffic. Note the line of them in the background.). It was clearly the city fire department. Anyway, my guess is that this was an emergency rescue team on a training exercise.
Any sunshine is welcome, these days. I like how the fire crew looks, size-wise, in relation to the width of the river and the height of the bridge. Another great one, Bob.
ReplyDeleteWe too have lots of marine activity here in Portland, what with the Willamette River dividing the city into west and east, as well as the Columbia separating Oregon from Washington. Portland goes right up to the Columbia.
About the mass transit system in Portland, I for one thing it's the best thing since sliced bread. I am blessed in that I get a 24/7/365 mass transit pass from where I work--we're mandated by the legislature to decrease the size of our carbon footprint. I use it every single time I get the chance. I sold my car in November, 2010. When I need a car, I use a Zipcar which is a car-share vehicle of my choice, parked nearby and ready to reserve by the hour. I don't have to carry my own auto insurance, I don't have to buy any gas for it myself, I pay less than $100 a year so that if there were an accident, I wouldn't have to pay any deductible. Every reservation gets 180 miles, not that I could go that far in an hour--ha, ha. As far as I'm concerned, I'm blessed to live in Portland, Oregon, not only because my sons are here, but because I have access to mass transit and superb sidewalks.
We tend to forget how much and often they must train.
ReplyDeleteContrary to what you might think, we have only had 3 days of snow this winter. We rarely have more. So yes, the whole world may scoff at us but most of us don't see the point in buying expensive winter tyres for 3 days a year! I certainly don't. As for keeping main roads clear, it is quite obvious that most cities don't have the means to, for the same reason, except of course in the Alps and Pyrénées. As for public transport, yes it is rather strange that everything should stop...
Well, we use winter tires every day up here. I'm glad they drill. Practice makes perfect or at least close to it.
ReplyDeleteGreat subject for the shot. I like the contrast between the human scale and the river.
ReplyDeleteOr it is the answer to "How many firemen does it take to launch a boat?"
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