WELL, YOU COULD WALK AROUND IT

 

The granddaughter and I drove north to Alton, Illinois, yesterday. It is situated on the Mississippi, below the confluence with the Illinois River and above that with the Missouri River. The area is part of a bird migratory flyway. At this time of year bald eagles pass through and lots of people come looking for them. We didn’t see a single one yesterday, but came upon this strange gate. There was still ice near the river banks so a plunge was unadvisable. It is puzzling but I think a floating dock can be attached.                  

ONE LOUSY EAGLE

It's the beginning of eagle season in our area. Bald eagles who live along the upper Mississippi lose their access to fish when the river freezes over. Many come to an area a little north of the city where the river rarely freezes and barge traffic around the last two locks and dams keeps things churned up. (The change in elevation from here to the Gulf of Mexico is so gradual that there are no further locks  and dams.)

Yesterday was sunny and not too cold so Mrs. C and I went out for a look. We know the usual spots but there wasn't much to see. It's possible that it hasn't been cold enough for long enough yet. We found this one lonely bird just hanging out in a tree along the shore.                

STEEL WORK

There are some other good pictures from the aquarium but after a week I think I'll give it a rest. Last weekend's other activity was an attempt at eagle watching. During January and February bald eagles hang out around the junctions of the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois rivers just north of STL. The waters in their territory in the far northern US and southern Canada are frozen, so they can't fish. They come our way where there is usually a mix of ice and open water. No ice this year, though. We went to some of the usual spots and saw one lousy eagle swooping away.

One of the places we went is the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/chain_of_rocks_bridge_illinois_missouri.html, across the Mississippi. The link explains the reason for the name. It was the original crossing for Route 66 (https://youtu.be/frwybMReZ3o). The bridge has been closed to vehicles for years but is maintained by the National Park Service for pedestrians. The engineering of the old steel work is worth a look.     

It's The Itchy and Scratchy Show

Does anyone remember the Itchy and Scratchy segment on The Simpsons? They were the extremely violent cat and mouse (mostly the mouse) cartoon characters whose bloody antics made Bart and Lisa howl with laughter. Lots of us laughed along, ashamed of ourselves.

One demonstration at the eagle festival featured carving wooden sculpture with chainsaws. The sculptors called themselves Itchy Brothers Chainsaw Art. The odd name MUST be a reference to Itchy and Scratchy. This wooden eagle has amazing detail. But, unlike the cartoon characters, these guys were very conscious of safety. They were enclosed in a wire dome to keep chips from flying out. That's why the picture is a bit fuzzy.      

The Only &@*&# Eagle We Could Find

There is a flyway along the Mississippi River for bald eagles, running from Minnesota to Louisiana.  From late December to early March, they hang out a bit upstream from STL, around Alton, Illinois, (birthplace of Miles Davis) and then further up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. We went a long way up and down the river and didn't see any except this semi-domesticated one in the Alton Visitor's Center. The bird was named Liberty, apt enough for current American culture.

Sorry for no post yesterday, I've been dragging. I've hardly been able to talk for more than a week, Since Tuesday I've had a deep, mid-chest cough hacking up mucus. I thought I had bronchitis and it would go away. Carolyn Crowe, RN, my personal guardian angel, reminded me that at my age it could be pneumonia and I should get checked. "But it's your body," she concluded. I have to take such statements seriously. If I didn't and something bad happened, she  would have to clean up the mess.

So I went to what in this country we call an urgent care office. Son of a gun, I do have pneumonia. They prescribed an antibiotic, an expectorant and an asthma-style inhaler. As the prez says, we'll see.