The railroad bridge at Gauley Bridge, West Virginia is one of my favorite photo subjects. I stop there occasionally and raise my camera to get a feel for lines and angles. The petina of the rusted steel and texture of the vine covered masonery works well with the water and foliage. Just a few feet away the Gauley River joins with the New River to form the Kanawha River. The water here is clean. It’s a great place to fish, kayak or just sit back and watch the river. On this particular morning I stole back about 10 minutes from the daily grind to enjoy some coffee and watch the fog lift. Anytime we have the opportunity to take control over the clock and enjoy our own lives it’s a good day.
Tag: Railroad
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
The mountains of Appalachia provide a lot surprises. Common sense told me that there are tunnels here and there but I had never spotted one until the day I took this picture. As I look at the image the obvious thought is about the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a phrase that we use when encouraging a friend who’s having a tough time. But, we never really think about what the tunnel represents. The tunnel at Kimberly West Virginia was put in this spot to ease the efforts of traveling through the steep landscape. The tunnel made the path straight and eliminated a grueling climb.
The times in life when it seems like we’re in the proverbial tunnel just trying to make it to the light at the end it helps to remember that it’s a shortcut. Just stay on the tracks and keep moving forward.
Welcoming
Gauley Bridge West Virginia is a town of just over six hundred people. At one time it was a local center of commerce tied to the railroad. The trains still come to the small village but they don’t stop. As you Enter the city limits this mural welcomes you. It beckons you back to a simpler time along the three rivers area.
Painting by Nancy Coleman Lane of Jodie West Virginia
Electricity Is Delivered By Train
Electricity is delivered by Train. In my Appalachian home coal culture runs deep. Almost every family has at least one family member who is a miner. The rest of us only have jobs because the miners buy our goods and services. The hours are long and even though great advances have been made the work is brutal. I don’t know if you have ever been in a darkness like the bottom of coal mine miles underneath a mountain. It’s absolutely pitch black. Or so I’m told. (I’m one who never went into a mine). As a child I grew up with men who had black spots just beneath the skin as a result of a piece of coal that fell from the roof of a mine. They all had hands that were hard and calloused. I’ve listened to stories about what it means when you feel a sudden breeze from one end of a tunnel and the the rebound hits you from the other end. It means there was a cave in somewhere in the Labyrinth underground. It’s the most terrifying experience a miner can have. People scramble to find where the roof has fallen. Miners always pack extra food because they never really know if they will be trapped or for how long. Self rescue is sometimes the only option. This is the reality behind the lights we see by, the energy that powers the microwave, the refrigerator that preserves that food and even the Hospitals that save our lives. All of it is powered by the men and women who enter the deepest part of the world and pull the light out of the darkness.
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