Enjoying the moment

For the moment, let's forget about the name of this boat and where it's going and all that. I saw this boat going up the Ohio River today past Huntington, W.Va., upbound. By the time I had finished some banking business, it was chugging along pretty good. This thing was going up the river faster than some boats come down the river. As an old acquaintance in the McDermott, Ohio, area might say, there's no moss growing on this boat's propellers.

I was able to get this shot from the West Virginia side in the Lesage or Cox Landing area shortly before noon.

This isn't one of my best towboat/river shots, but there are some elements that I like. There are the leaves that indicate the seasonal change that is imminent. I like how the waves cut through the glassy surface. I like the reflection of the boat in the water, jumbled though it may be by the barges' wake. I like the foreground and the background. And I like the light, even if it was shot an hour or two before solar noon. And taking this picture felt good too, including the minute or so I balanced myself on a guardrail post along a busy state highway where speed limit signs are interpreted as minimums, not maximums.

Last year the hills here around Mile 280 to Mile 315 were rich with gold leaves. This year, who knows? We have a few weeks of green before hills start turning, but when they start, the color can come and go quickly. I'll try to be ready. I've got a few spots picked out for some photo expeditions along what I call the Ohio River Road.