Thursday, March 13, 2014

Day 71 ~ Don’t Burn It, Cross It!

 Day 71 ~ Don’t Burn It, Cross It!

Mar 12, 2014

My first: I walked across the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River in the wintry cold.

My daughter and my son-in-law walked across the Eads Bridge last Friday night when they were celebrating Ross’ birthday. The beautiful evening and their relaxation mode called to them as they made the trek over the bridge. The next day they had to tell me all about it and suggested that I should do the same thing as one of my “firsts” for the year. I immediately agreed that this was perfect to do.

As I was headed home around 6:00 this evening, I thought “tonight is the night that I cross that bridge”. I went home and got my camera and off I went to the Casino Queen. On the way, I was thinking “Is this crazy or what!” I had so much work to do at home and it was cold and windy. Along the way, I was actually looking for other options to pursue as my "first". A flock of large birds (not sure what they were) flew overhead to encourage me onward to my original goal. I even thought that it might be too dark by the time I found how to get to the bridge's pedestrian walk way.  I made no attempt to phone anyone about where I was going. Will they think I'm crazy? Who cares! This was my little getaway and it was nobody’s business.

I parked my car at the Casino Queen and headed up the stairs to the Metro Link that supposedly led to the ramp that led to the Eads Bridge pedestrian walk way.  I took the wrong set of stairs all the way up so I had to head back down and climb the opposite stairs. Pant, pant. I discovered a ramp so I figured that must be the way. Yeah! I’m there! I got my camera out and starting clicking away. The evening was perfect for photos because of the cloud cover and the sun beginning its journey to the other side of the earth.

I had a hard time taking it all in and believing that I was really doing this…alone. A girl could be murdered, ya know! I did see two guys during my cross over, but they were good guys. I was a picture takin’ fool. The photographer in me was unquestionably along for the walk. The evening was going from dusk to dark as I inched closer to the Missouri side and ultimately to St. Louis' city limits. There was almost too much to take it with the big city in front of me, the new Stan Musial Bridge to the right, the mighty Mississippi to the left and watching out behind me to insure this “first” was not my “last”.

When I finally made it back to where I started, I felt that this was a great thing to do anytime and the pinnacle of my “firsts”…so far.  I would recommend doing this to anyone! Do you want an adventure, a little romance, ponderin’ time alone, exercise with a view, a superb photo shoot, or braggin’ rights just to say you did it.

“I did it!”







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