Face the face

Detail from an old water trough along Forbidden Drive between mile posts 4 and 4 and 1/2.

One of the delights of driving on the Wissahickon was the stops at watering troughs. Young bodies develop growing pains if too long subjected to the decorous sitting-still proper to a Germantown wagon. We always climbed down while father allowed Don or Nellie to have a drink at any of the watering places along the drive.
-- The Wissahickon Hills, Cornelius Weygandt, 1930.

Inside: out

January 27. I crawled into the cave off of Gorgas lane for this one. Really, I'm getting too old for this stuff.

Looking good for one hundred

Sunday afternoon, January 27.

The Walnut Lane Bridge turns one hundred this year. When it was constructed at the turn of the last century, it transformed the neighborhoods of Roxborough and Germantown, making it possible to travel from one to the other in minutes rather than in a day. It was a world class undertaking in engineering, being the largest poured concrete structure in the world, as well as boasting one of the largest central arches. Germantown's Cliveden of the National Trust will host an exhibit later this year commemorating the anniversary of the bridge's completion.

H'm, this would look good as a beer label.

Winter berries

Taken on Kitchens Lane Bridge, Saturday, January 26.

Remembering old friends

Kitchens Lane Bridge, a little after noon on January 26. There used to be an ancient tulip poplar that leaned out over the water next to the bench from where this photograph was taken. The tree was huge, and on bright summer days, it delivered a lot of shade. But if you know anything about tulip poplars, you know that they are famous for being ramrod straight, and not leaning out over creeks. It came down into the water seven or eight years ago. I swear, you can still feel the space where it used to be.

Good morning

I took this photo at RittenhouseTown around 7:40 this morning, as the sun was just coming over the horizon.

I like the layers of history -- the buildings in the foreground date to the early 1700's, the castle-like looming structure in the foggy background is Auden Park, built in the 1920s, and in between (look closely), the blur of a car on Lincoln drive.