Bridges Across The Columbia River
Here in Revelstoke, British Columbia it's a beautiful monochrome Monday, but I have to tell you, I'm feeling very blue today.
We are on the way home after spending a few days in Canmore, Alberta with our son and his wife. It was a fabulous vacation and I'm so sad it had to end. I don't often share photos of friends or family because I'm actually a very private person, but here are my son David and his wife Jennifer. I miss them so much already.
It's very difficult living on the other end of the country from family, and after every visit, I am just heartbroken. I can't write anything more today without getting that off my chest...
I should probably just talk about the bridges over the Columbia River now...
I've been to Revelstoke many times before, but I was always just passing through, and never had time to explore. I didn't even know the river here is the Columbia... the same river that winds down through Washington and Oregon before finally reaching the Pacific Ocean at one of my favourite little towns - Astoria, Oregon. ( Goonies never say die! )
Revelstoke is a convenient place to stop for the night as it is at one end of Glacier National Park, BC. and the infamous Roger's Pass, one of the highest points on the Trans Canada highway. If you're travelling east, the next town is Golden at the other end of the park, roughly 140 km distant with no services in between.
There are three main bridges in Revelstoke, and I've walked across two of them. The highway follows the two-lane suspension bridge across the river. It's a busy bridge with plenty of truck traffic... above you can see a logging truck heading west.
Cathy and I walked across the pedestrian walkway. It isn't all that long a bridge, but when the semi trucks rolled across beside us, the entire platform started to sway both vertically and side to side. I'd say a couple of inches in each direction... It scared the wits out of us! I couldn't wait to get to the other side, and I wasn't sure I could walk back across. I started thinking about calling a cab, I'm not kidding... Fortunately, we found another way.
Next we've got the 1,100 ft long train trestle, seen here with a westbound freight train crossing.
I think mountains and trains look good in black and white. Throw in a bridge, and what more could you ask?
How about an eastbound freight train in a monochrome gif?
Ok, so we didn't walk across that one either. There's one more bridge.
I have to throw in a colour shot here... and an embarrassing story
This next shot was taken on the first night of our trip. We had just unpacked at the hotel and we went out for a walk. I saw the lights of the cars crossing the bridge and I wanted to make a long exposure shot.
I took shot after shot but I wasn't happy. I'd get headlights, one after another. Then a pause. Then a bunch of red tail lights. I wanted both together.
After a while, my patient wife asked what I was doing. Twenty minutes had passed. When I told her what I was waiting for she gently explained: It's a single lane bridge with traffic lights at each end, controlling the direction of traffic. Sigh. I was very tired...
Back to the story... we had to get back across the Columbia.
We walked around on the beach on the west side of the river. @old-guy-photos who hosts #monochromemonday would love it here. It would be a great place to explore with a metal detector. There is a lot of metal junk from the railway. Spikes, bits of wire and metal parts I could not identify.
We walked to the far end of the single lane bridge. We still didn't know if there was a pedestrian walkway. Fortunately, there was! This bridge shakes a bit when cars go by, but it wasn't scary like the suspension bridge.
In the next shot you can see the train trestle and the suspension bridge beyond. Somewhere far into those mountains is the source of the Columbia.
One more colour shot at the suspension bridge...
Great shots!!! Each and everyone of them are great. I understand the broken heart, I too am very private and there’s a lot I have not blogged about. I can relate to this post. Maybe someday I’ll write about it. ❤️👍🏻
Thank you, I'm glad you understand.
It is so hard when your family is far away.
I'm having a difficult time of it honestly
I moved to the States from Germany when I was 22 - so, far away from my family. Now, all my kids are within 5 minutes and I can't even imagine how my poor mother must have felt.
It was a hard year for her. After being a housewife and mom to 5 kids - in the same year, my dad passed away, my little brother (the last child at home) left for college and I moved to the States. My sister had already lived in Italy for a while and my other 2 brothers lived several hours away.
Then, I couldn't really quite see how hard that must have been - now, I understand much better.
I hope you can visit often!! Or move?
And FYI - if a comment or post has less than $ 0.03 on it - it will get rounded down to zero. A wasted vote....
I didn't know that until recently and tested it out. Has to be at least 0.03 to count...
I've never heard of that before! I see tons of people upvoting comments by 0.01 or 0.02 - where does the money go if it's just rounded down... very odd
Back to the reward pool - not to you or the person you voted for. I read it in a post by @thedarkhorse. Then I tried it and a friend of mine tried it as well. I did one for 0.02 close to 0.01 and one close to 0.03 and neither paid out...
Now, I am on a mission to tell people. I wasted a lot of my votes....
I sure appreciate the info, I had no idea! I have low SP and have not voted on many comments. I reserve what little voting power I have for voting on posts.
Best policy for sure. when I first came on the platform, I was told to vote on comments as a way to be seen with little voting power. And I did that. I have wasted so many votes and potential curation rewards - I don't even want to think about it!!!
Oh well, now we know...
I had no idea! That is good to know. Have you done a post about that, @mariannewest ?
https://steemit.com/steemit/@thedarkhorse/your-2-cent-vote-is-worthless-the-real-deal-on-dust-votes
The vote is just rounded to 0 and not counted. The same as voting on a post that is over 7 days old. By doing this all the votes that counted benefit as total votes are decreased for the day by the dust off and those who are getting a payout benefit by fractions of a penny.
Great info, I read your post and others you linked to. Thanks very much!
I wanted to make a joke but maybe another time. I hope you feel better soon.
oh no, that's ok... joke away, I'd love it :)
I just wanted to ask you if you found the unicorn you were looking for :)
The unicorn continues to evade me!
I guess he doesn't like stakers :)
Thanks very much @pixresteemer!
Welcome back Keith. I can well understand the melancholy of having to say Good Bye to you son and daughter in law after spending some very enjoyable days travelling with them. It does emphasize the close bond you share which is to be treasured. These images are superb. I think I'd be rather nervous walking across a suspension bridge with trucks thundering past. Quite the adrenaline rush! I look forward to your next post with anticipation.
Thank you Trudee, it's hard to shake the blues.
I know......and I feel for you Keith. Family are just so important and precious and it is always hard to say Good Bye. Your son looks a lot like you doesn’t he? 😊
I think he does a little. He has Cathy's hair. I am super proud of our son!
It is obvious you share a deep bond Keith. That is indeed special. Is your son keen on photography too?
Yes, he had a DSLR with him and two lenses... he was taking some very nice shots
Cool......so when are we going to see him in Steemit?
Some amazing shots, Keith:) Your photos are so masterful but ....
"It's a single lane bridge with traffic lights at each end, controlling the direction of traffic. Sigh. I was very tired..."
Haha. Always good to check with the wife:):):)
Sorry you are missing your boy. Hopefully, the next visit won't be too far off:)
Thank you, we hope to go east to see the family later on this year.
love that train gif! these are great 👌👍
Thanks so much! I am just this minute working on more gifs... trains & eagles. We are finally home and I've got some time to work on this stuff :)
Awesome post, my friend. Is there a way to move closer?
Thank you! The family are all back east in Toronto. It's too big & crazy for me and Cathy at this point. That's why all the retirees in Canada move to Victoria, where we live... you get to slow down and enjoy the one tiny part of Canada which has decent weather! :)