washington street bridge

for those of you have never walked around downtown chicago you might not be aware of the way the river winds through. there are bridges that cross the river at every street - madison, washington, randolf - when you're crossing one, you can look at the river's path and see bridge after bridge after bridge. I cross the washington street bridge every day to get to work.

what's different about washington is that the 'sidewalk' is not concrete like the other bridges, but made up of planks of wood. probably not 2x4s but I haven't gotten down on hand and knee to view them from the side. probably much thicker than 2 inches. when the buses roll by all of the boards seem to move individually and yet you can feel the bridge bounce and buck as a whole. odd sensation. along the board walk are little trap doors that I have not tried to open, though I am tempted. but i'm a little afraid to have the bridge drop away and to be standing there on those boards, old boards, been there since the bridge was built boards, and to have that all drop away and be left leaning too close to a gapping hole. I'd most likely fall in as my mind made up hitchcockian vertigo sensations.

I wonder actually if I can open them. they must be locked or dumb people would open them all the time and fall in. now I'm going to have to find a way to check this out. last night as I left work and walked over the bridge, I saw two ducks on a group of pillars. there are these islands of pillars along the way in the river path. these two ducks had laid their egges nestled among the pillars. it was so strange to see these ducks making their home and starting their family on those pillars. three eggs. big eggs. momma duck was pulling wood threads from the pillar and finishing the nest. i'm going to take my camera and try to photograph them today. it's sucky rainy so not sure it is feasible but don't want to miss the chance to photograph the mixture of wild and cultivated together. i mean, how many of us can say we grew up in the shadow of the lyric opera?