Towboats photographed in 2009

Here is the list of towboats I photographed last  year, by month. Some of the pictures were pretty good, and some are pretty ... well, at least we got the image.

January: Stan Humphreys; Lelia C. Shearer; Dixie Leader; Michael J. Grainger.

February: City of South Point; Pocahontas; John J.D.; Mountain Girl; Yvonne Conway; Craig E. Philip.

March: James F. Neal; SuperAmerica; Barbara; James E. Anderson; Tri-State; Pamela Dewey; Charleston; Buckeye State.

April: D&R Boney; Harllee Branch Jr.; Marlin (?) Price; Nell; Ohio; Indiana; Pennsylvania; West Virginia; Milton; Dr. Edwin H. Welch; Capt. Ed Harris; Tensas; Orleanian; Jincy; Peter Fanchi; George King; Ronald E. Wagenblast; Dreama Klaiber; Jean Akin; Sandy Drake.

May: Capt. Bill Stewart; Michael J. Grainger; Enid Diberrt; Speedway; Tri-State; Buckeye State; Mary  Harter; Tom Cook; D&R Boney; Valvoline; City of South Point.

June: Champion Coal; Harllee Branch Jr.; Wally Roller; William E. Porter; M.K. McNally; Tensas; W.H. Dickhoner; Nell; Mountain State; Barbara; Milton; Speedway; MAP Runner; Senator Stennis; Tristan-B; Mark-M; Captain Merdie; Garyville; James R. Morehead; Sam M. Fleming; Nancy Sturgis; Ginger Moller; Bill Stile; Marian Hagestad; Craig E. Philip.

July: Garyville; AEP Mariner; Andy Mullins; Miss Anne; Nell; Ohio; Indiana; Pennsylvania; C.J. Queenan; Senator Stennis; Jeffrey A. Raike; Jean Akin; Tennessee; Janet Johnson; Ocie Clark; Yvonne Conway; Tri-State; James E. Anderson; Chuck Zebula; Tennessee Merchant; Sylvia H; Miss Doris; Nancy Sturgis; Osage; Mountain State. Others: Belle of  Cincinnati.

August: Pennsylvania; Linda Reed; Jean Akin; Jincy; MAP Runner; Mary Ellen Jones; Louisville; Kyova; Christopher M; Sylvia H; Wally Roller; Richard Seale (Richard Cenac); Texas City; R. Clayton McWhorter; AEP Mariner; Chuck Zebula; Catlettsburg; Captain Merdie; Franklin-B; Dru Lurette; Oliver C. Shearer; James R. Morehead; Senator Stennis; Mountain State; Tri-State; Craig E. Philip.

September: The Admiral; Harry R. Jacobson; Clarence G. Frame; James F. Neal; Miss Doris; Mountain State; J.S. Lewis; Tennessee Hunter; Osage; Earl Franklin; Valvoline; Enid Dibert; Donna York; D&R Boney; Pamela Dewey; Kyova; Hamilton; Lenard; Bill Holman; Jeffrey A. Raike; Bill Stile; Jackson H. Randolph; R. Clayton McWhorter; Jimmy Brown; Noble C. Parsonage; Linda Reed; Nancy Sturgis; Aubrey B. Harwell Jr.; Mary Artie Brannon; William E. Porter; Lee Ann Ingram; SuperAmerica. Sternwheelers: Laura J; Hobby III; Pearl Anne; Lauren Elizabeth; Princess Margy; Donna Rae; Katie H; Henny Cook (?); Rufus B II; Pickett Hastings.

October: Speedway; Tennesse Merchant; Stephen T; Winchester; Janet Johnson; Catlettsburg; Mark S.; Darrell L.; James E. Anderson; Donna York; Marge McFarlin; AEP Leader; Capt. Gerald Boggs; Wally Roller; AEP Mariner; Linda Reed. Others: Nina; Pinta.

November: Buckeye State; Chuck Zebula; Bill Stile; Mary Harter; James E. Anderson; Leonard L. Whittington; Charleston; Detroit; Robinson; Winchester; Linda Reed; Pennslvania; Speedway. Sternwheeler: W.P. Snyder Jr.

December: AEP Leader; Ned Merrick; Nan; D&R Boney; Oliver C. Shearer; M.K. McNally; Jean Akin; Phillip Sporn II; Norman L. Snodgrass; Jimmy Brown; James R. Morehead; James E. Pinson; Noble C. Parsonage; Marge McFarlin.

Locomotives of 2009

I'm about to post a list of towboats and other river vessels that I photographed in 2009. Before that, allow me to put up a list of locomotives I shot last year. These locomotives were either crossing the Ohio River on a bridge or were running on a line along the river.

From what I hear, there are people as passionate about spotting every locomotive out there just as there are people who want to see every towboat. To them I say, here's my list, such as it is.

February: CSX 657, 538.

April: CSX 2294, 8974, 8078, 8802, 1552, 2231, 2457, 5436, 5257, 6246, 4802.

May: NS 9359, 8463.

June: NS 9442, 9193. CSX 7616.

July: CSX 8517.

Aug: 2656.

September: 2606, 9772.

Counting pictures

With the house quiet, I decided to compile a month-by-month list of towboats and locomotives that I photographed last year. So far I've gotten through June. My rough count is 50 different boats and 18 locomotives.

The hard part will be the last six months, as I kicked into high gear when I lost my job in May. Plus my photo editing software won't show me July, meaning I have to use back doors to see those pics.

I'll probably post the lists in case anyone is interested in seeing which boats I saw last year.

If I get ambitious, I'll get a guide to birds of West Virginia so  I can compile a list of birds that I got photos of. I know I have turkey vultures, Canada geese, swan geese, a Muscovy duck and pigeons, and maybe a black vulture that Adam and I found dead on the side of the road. The question is exactly how many species of ducks we photographed. The number could be as low as three and as high as 10. We don't know ducks. Yet.

I can tell you that we photographed three Ohio River dams -- Greenup, Gallipolis and Racine -- and we took pictures of every bridge from Pomeroy to Portsmouth -- 12 in all, although we did not get a decent photo of the Sciotoville railroad bridge. We were able to get a photo, but not a good one.