The Ohio River -- on it, in it, over it, beside it. No politics.
This evening Adam and I were doing an after-hours search of the used car lots here in America's Best Community when we noticed the M/V Charleston was heading up the river behind a Crounse boat. By the time we got to a shooting spot, the Charleston was in the process of overtaking the other boat.
I hope I look as good at 71 as the Charleston does.
Shifting gears from steamboats and such ...
Yesterday morning at Huntington WV there was a bit of fog in the valley. Not much, but enough to bring out the contours of the hills on the Ohio side.
I counted at least five ridges over there (one is difficult to see unless you zoom in at the highest resolution, so it's hard to see here). I can't tell you how many miles away the farthest visible ridge was as the crow flies, but it has to be measured in miles.
It was interesting how the damp air brought out the parallel lines in the contours of the southern Ohio hills.
Anyone need a picture of the Yvonne Conway of Crounse Corp. exiting the Greenup Locks and Dam upbound at night?
Of course you do.
The Belle of Louisville is in my area for the first time, I am told, in 59 years. It's on its way to the Amherst Madison drydock at Gallipolis, Ohio, for Coast Guard inspection and whatever repair work is needed.
Tonight I caught it at the Greenup Locks and Dam. Normally the boat stops before dark, but tonight they had to make up time lost to fog this morning at Maysville, Ky. It was dark by the time the boat left the lock, but quite this dark. They got out of the lock and made for the Ohio shore where they could tie up for the night.
This is what happens when you use a lens that might not be totally suitable for night shots. But you make do with what you can afford. In my case, I can't afford $2,000 for a zoom lens with a big aperture.
Depending on the weather overnight, the boat could be in Gallipolis tomorrow (Friday) evening. It's about a 75-mile trip at 7 mph with one lock to make, but it's doable.
I have to work at my regular job (newspapering) and my irregular job (babysitting during breaks), but I hope to be able to see the boat in daylight as it passes through my area.
P.S. This is a real steamboat propelled by a real sternwheel. It's not a fakewheeler. As a true steamboat, it glides by you almost silently.
Passing Huntington, W.Va., with Chesapeake, Ohio, in the background.
This time of year is good for fog ... if you like fog. It can be a pain to drive in, but sometimes down by the river it's a nice shooting environment if you have a camera.
This morning I went down to the river in Huntington and over on the Ohio side of Lock and Dam 27 — one of my favorite places along the entire Ohio River — to see what was there in the fog. Some good stuff, as it turned out.
The park itself looked pretty nice.
There were some guys fishing ...
This second guy left something on in his truck, so he asked me to give him a jump. As he left, he showed me a selfie with a walleye he had caught. He said he was there this morning to catch some bait fish. He didn't expect to get something that big.
And at the end I noticed the old lockwall made a happy face if you looked at it from the proper angle.
There hasn't bee a boat lock through here in almost 60 years. I'm glad the old place is enjoying its retirement.
It was a good morning in a favorite place.
