from north of the big river

One year since the last time I'm back on the James River. And riding the Jamestown Ferry for the first time in four years. This time on the ferry Pocahontas pulling out of Jamestown and heading south for Scotland Wharf.

back to the James

During a trip to Virginia to visit family and attend the Richmond Folk Festival, I did some field recording.

Having been by, but never to, Ragged Island WMA, I thought it'd be worth a try to record both the James River Bridge (longtime fixture in family history) and the river itself.


I started near the bridge. Which was fine for that objective. But later took the observation trail to further down river. Both places I used the highly kludged together Big Fluff windscreen made with fake fur on plastic cross stitch grid whatever.

James River at end of observation boardwalk trail, Ragged Island WMA, Carrollton VA, noon 8 October 2010


Roughly a 1/4 mile away, the bridge traffic is still a big part of the sound. Noontime sirens sound across the river in Newport News.


Birdsong at Tredegar Iron Works 9 October 2010


The next day at the Richmond Folk Festival, I barely had time to get out my lo-tek MP3 player to do a quick and dirty recording of this birdsong coming from a small tree near Tredegar Iron Works.

Train passing overhead on trestle near Tredegar Iron Works/James River, Richmond VA, 10 October 2010


That following day I took a break by the riverside and a train came over the trestle.

The last day there I went down to Chippokes Plantation State Park, where I hadn't been in over 3 years. Once there, I found a spot on the James I wanted to record.



Forgetting some essential adapter gizmo for mounting my recorder, the tripod was dead weight (on a very mosquito infested trail) and I had to improvise.



James River near end of James River trail, Chippokes Plantation State Park 13 October 2010


I recorded a couple of other spots on the beach, then switched to some DIY piezo mics for my first outdoor attempt at using them as hydrophones. Below is the sound of them dragging in shallow surf on sand and broken shells.

DIY piezo mics as hydrophones in the James River, Chippokes Plantation State Park 13 October 2010


Time allotted was running out. I went by the Visitor's Center to see if there was any last fast opportunity.



Near a picnic shelter I just fitted the recorder with the Lil' Fluff windscreen my wife had kindly fashioned from the aforementioned fake fur.



And pointed it down to the banks of the James roughly 100 feet below.



James River surf below Shelter 1 near Visitor's Center, Chippokes Plantation State Park 13 October 2010 A



James River surf below Shelter 1 near Visitor's Center, Chippokes Plantation State Park 13 October 2010 B

visitors

welcome volunteer flowers

the 3 faces of Chuck

This Saturday may be the first official day of Spring, but the backyard neighbor just showed up this morning. And kindly insists:


It's my spring . . .


and welcome to it.

Ida & the station

Tropical Storm Ida
Originally uploaded by VaDOT

Yet another VDOT pic of TS Ida flooding.

My mom always said of this bridge that it should've extended past this low area toward higher ground.

As she's not a VDOT engineer and the businesses here likely wanted to keep the road frontage (and would still face occasional flooding), that was not to be . . .

Ida & the ferry

Tropical Storm Ida, originally uploaded by VaDOT.

More from the aforementioned VDOT TS Ida set. This one at Scotland Wharf.

Ida on Flickr

Tropical Storm Ida
Originally uploaded by VaDOT

VDOT also has a set of pics from the flooding in November from Tropical Storm Ida.

Long Gone Away

This homebrew music video uses some stills from the Night Wanderer post and one of the razed Walnut Mall lot. And an unblogged photo of the Coliseum Mall demolition.

Plus Super-8 footage circa 1998 of the so-called ghost house in my old neck of the woods and other area bits & pieces.

Like Pons Store or the James River seen from Hog Island.

hen evades tom turkey

day of the Chuck

Well, the backyard woodchuck is hanging in there as of this 1st day of November.

As these blurry photos can attest.

two turkeys roosting

picking up hay bales

courtesy Open Source Movies

Though several states north of and decades before my time & place, feel a bit of deja vu watching this film.

Esp. where the bales are hoisted into truck and barn by human hands.

Modern Trends in Swine Production-1961

courtesy Prelinger Archives

The pastures and bigger lots seen later in the film are closer to what I remember. Some of the sights and all of the sounds match recollection.

Esp. the muted grunts and slamming feeder lids in this section and this one.

And the US Steel logo that appears is very familiar.

Film link and thumbnails at the Internet Archive . . .

cars going by January last year

Old recording of an old place. Kinda faint, so crank it to hear it.


The aforementioned passing cars, dogs faraway, wind and the creaking door.

what the moon said a year ago

or sometime thereabouts . . .

backyard deer

Yesterday at twilight.

3 1/2 sunsets in June 1998

there was a boy

Well, a boy and a deer . . .


In this detail from the top pic, you can better see the collar and cowbell (deerbell?) on the deer:


Thus, a tame deer and the relatively calm proximity.

a year ago & faraway

One morning last fall.

On the planet Solaris maybe.