Thank you all so much – your supportive comments have been wonderful to read! *sniff* I love you guys. You know that, right? Hugs for everyone!Deb posted about our Saturday dyeing adventures, too.
Bridgeless
Yesterday evening I went over to Depth of Field to pick up some yarn for MrsPao, who’s running a bit short for a project. Of course, I ended up buying a bit of yarn for myself…
“Psssst – May, can you believe that Mom bought more yarn?! Sheesh.” -Chaos
“I know, big kitty! She’s outta control.” -Mayhem
I walked from Depth of Field out onto the 10th Avenue Bridge because I really just needed to see the remnants of the 35W Mississippi River Bridge for myself. Things have been cleaned up a lot and virtually all of the bridge decking has been removed, but it was still eerie to see the empty space. (Plus I’m sure I saw Mayor R.T. Rybak out there.)
I’ll take the highway, across the river
And down through the valley, around the bend
And here’s to my disgrace, if disgrace is what you call it
And I’ll take the highway out of this place
– Ben Weaver, “Here’s To My Disgrace“
Wow, they’re making quick work of the cleanup.
I’ve never known anyone who was able to go into a yarn shop looking to buy for someone else, and didn’t pick up something for themselves. Ever.
It must be very surreal for you to see a big empty spot instead of a big bridge.
I like the blue yarn…sock yarn doesn’t count in the all of it, ya know? 😉
You must have been there before the HUGE storm! And yes we know you lurv us!!
I hope that’s blue! Or are you tricking me again?
Hi Chris! My mother-in-law sent me some old workbasket magazines that belongs to her mother-in-law. I remember seeing stuff like that on here. Do you want them? I can take pics of them if you want to see them first. 🙂
Chris- See what happens when you go shopping for Mrs. Pao?
Did they ever find out what happened with that bridge. Bad infrastructure? We have a highway that keeps being repaired, but it was never built to take the volume of cars that it does, and every time I drive underneath it, I’m waiting for it to collapse.
Oh my. No kidding. That’s eerie. I can’t imagine how that makes you feel, but from my distance, it’s just so sad.
(However, I love your Trekking XXL! And I vote that sock yarn doesn’t count, too!)
(((hugs)))
(Ignoring the yarn purchases) – it is still mind boggling for that bridge to just be gone, isnt’ it?
We hates it when we runs short of yarn, my preciousssss….
*hug*
Gosh, it has changed quite a bit from when Jeanne drove us right by it.
Thank you wonderful heroine wool buyer (nice choices).
I haven’t been to see the absent bridge in person yet. Must be very sad and strange.
Strangely, I went to a yarn shop last night intending to only buy yarn for a friend (and sit and drink and knit for a while with other friends as is my Wednesday habit) and a Fleece Artist baby kit jumped into my hands. Jumped I tell ya.
They really are cleaning up the bridge fast, any chance they replace it with a car catapult?
I suspect that seeing the bridge like that has brought closure to many people…perhaps even yourself. The picture are amazing — historical snapshots.
thanks for sharing the photos. So often, a big disaster like that gets major news coverage at first, then nothing. I often want to know how things are going later on, so I appreciate the update.
I did the same thing when I was last in town — just a few days after the collapse. It’s so strange and surreal to see that this thing you take for granted every day is just … gone.
On a happier note, I like the stripey Trekking! 🙂
Still haven’t been down to the site – although I have zoomed across the Central Avenue bridge a few times & tried to catch a glimpse. (not that there a lot of quick zooming on that Central Ave. Bridge)
They sure are cleaning up fast.
Such pain and sorrow fill those pictures of the collapsed bridge. Living in St. Louis, this hideous accident brought some real fears to the front. As for the surgery, you go girl. It’s time to get it done and get on with it. You will be in my thoughts and prayers next week.
It’s always rather strange when a large structure is gone, even when it is not from a disaster. I’m glad they are getting things cleaned up!
Pretty Trekking! And, Chaos, the next time you think Chris has too much yarn, ask yourself, “Can a cat have too much tuna or catnip?” Yarn’s like that for your mom, except I strongly doubt she drools on her yarn.
1. We lurves you right back (and Evangeline has a secret crush on Chaos…shshshshs); 2. Thanks for the bridge pictures. I mean to look for myself next month when we come to see CAP – it’s less than a mile from my sister’s place, breaks my heart; 3. buy yarn? You’re buying yarn? :snerk: Of course, it’s the fumes, we yarnaholics have no resistance; 4. again, I promise you, you won’t miss the bits.
I know I’m late, but just wanted to say I’ll be thinking about ya Weds. Good Luck and take it easy!
About the bridge pictures, makes it hit home.
Tell the kitties you have to hoard yarn, too. Geesh, you’d think they’d know that by now…
Good luck with the surgery. It sounds icky but necessary and I hope it goes as smoothly as possible. Take care!
Oooh, Trekking! Best sock yarn ever. And thanks for the linkage!
YOUR bridges are (were?) much more “artistic” than ours. Most of ours are just big, clonky, earthquake-proof (we hope and pray) assemblages of concrete. Although the one in Oakland wasn’t exploding-burning-gasoline-truck proof.
Except in Big Sur. Big Sur has some wonderful bridges. I think they were WPA projects or something. Back when people cared about craftsmanship.
Isn’t that what we knitters are doing? Keeping good craftmanship alive?
It’s so strange to see pieces of steel that look like limp linguini. It must be strange to see nothing where there used to be a bridge.
It’s the wool fumes. They’re all cooped up in the store and your resistance goes down. 🙂
i think margene said it best, what a surreal experience to see that great big empty space.
i love me some trekking. is that blue yarn trekking too?
Good luck with the surgery, I’ll be thinking about you.Those pics are amazing
Your photos almost don’t look real. I’ve been wondering what was happening there.
If you wouldn’t mind, could you email me your or Jeanne’s address? I’d love to send you something for your recovery. You are smart to hoard yarn, books, and of course cat supplies now. We are going to miss your posts so much, but I’m looking forward to hearing about your first bike ride when you’re well again!
Eeerie indeed!
I’m late to the party! Best wishes to you, hon. I’m sure everything will be just fine. I’ll be sending you good vibes.
Thanks for the bridge repair pics. It’s always such mixed feelings looking at cleanup/reconstruction following tragedies like that. More good vibes sent your way…
Oooh, that red/gray Trekking is lovely! I would have bought it too! I think plenty of stocking up on yarn before next week is called for.
I haven’t been to the ex-bridge site yet. Thanks for the pictures. Smokey told me yesterday that he thought the river would be open for barge, etc., traffic now (or soon) b/c the wreckage was [pretty much] all removed.
Keeping you in my thoughts. As someone else said, and as I was told by a couple different people when I was in your situation, You will never miss your uterus. True dat.
I drove over the 10th Ave. bridge the other day, more or less by accident. Turns out you can’t see squat if you’re headed north, of course. But if you drive along the west river road from Franklin or so, you can see where they’re storing all of the pieces. It’s pretty chilling to see all that twisted metal.
I’ll be thinking of you this week. those are some powerful pictures where the bridge was. I was just thinking about this weekend, and about how quickly things like that leave our focus, or the news focus. I think they are things that should never be forgotten.
Okay that is an adorable, albeit tad bit scary, picture of baby Chaos. (in your next post).
hope all goes well this week.