The Mississippi River is a navigable stream on which commodities such as corn and soybeans from the Midwest are transported to New Orleans. In New Orleans Midwest grain is loaded on dry bulk ships for export around the world to places such as China, Mexico, Taiwan, and Japan.

I did a Memorial Weekend trip Sunday to ancestral cemeteries in Eastern Iowa, and stopped in Bellevue, Iowa as I saw a bevy of white Pelicans just below Lock and Dam No. 12. They were in the river on the other side of chain link fencing. I didn't have a good view. I spotted this tug boat and barge steaming north toward the lock and dam. Two other tugs and barges were steaming south toward the lock, as well. Lots of river traffic.

To give you an idea of size, this tugboat has a configuration of only 7-barges. Quite often they are pushing 15-barges. This small 7-barge outfit will carry as much grain as 406 semi-truckloads, or 110 jumbo hoppers on a train.

It's not a great photo. I wanted to share it because probably many people here do not get to view this type of thing. I suspect this boat is deadheading empty barges north, as the barges look high in the water. I just noticed the poles extending downward that appear to be scanning below the surface for impediments to progress. I was so far away I didn't see the 3-men on the front of the barge, who are probably about to engage in tying ropes once inside the lock about one-half mile ahead of them near where I am standing.

---------- Post added 05-31-21 at 01:02 AM ----------

[PJ1]

I like it for the story it tells. I remember Huckleberry Finn and Jim floating down the Mississippi on a big log raft and the images that conjured up.

[mroeder75]

I like it for the story it tells. I remember Huckleberry Finn and Jim floating down the Mississippi on a big log raft and the images that conjured up.

We learn something when we share. I didn't know young people in Australia read "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

[Tonytee]

What an excellent capture of some very interesting real time activity on "That Old Man River." I gotta say I really like my Pentax-FA 80~320mm lens. I have the black model and the auto-focus and everything it was designed to do, still does what it was designed to do. Nice color rendition, bright and sharp enough where there is no trouble reading the numbers up front. Well done.

thnx,

Tony

[PJ1]

I didn't know young people in Australia read "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were both in our (one teacher) school library when I was at primary school (60 years ago!). They were probably in most school libraries back then. As a bush kid I could identify with the characters. A couple of years ago I came across a book with both stories in a community "swap" library. I read them both again and the book now sits on my shelf. I note they are both banned in some parts of the U.S. They are not banned here but would be frowned upon by the politically correct movement. Certainly they would no longer be found in school libraries more's the pity. Just one more reason to have them on my shelf.

[mroeder75]

What an excellent capture of some very interesting real time activity on "That Old Man River." I gotta say I really like my Pentax-FA 80~320mm lens. I have the black model and the auto-focus and everything it was designed to do, still does what it was designed to do. Nice color rendition, bright and sharp enough where there is no trouble reading the numbers up front. Well done.

thnx,

Tony

Tony, I like your comment.

I am not quite sold on this lens, yet. I have had it about one-year or so, and have not used it much. It could be my photography skills are lacking, or I haven't practiced on it enough. I am considering upgrading. This was taken at 180mm, as I know this lens is considered soft at longer zooms, and then I also cropped it.

---------- Post added 06-02-21 at 12:45 AM ----------

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were both in our (one teacher) school library when I was at primary school (60 years ago!). They were probably in most school libraries back then. As a bush kid I could identify with the characters. A couple of years ago I came across a book with both stories in a community "swap" library. I read them both again and the book now sits on my shelf. I note they are both banned in some parts of the U.S. They are not banned here but would be frowned upon by the politically correct movement. Certainly they would no longer be found in school libraries more's the pity. Just one more reason to have them on my shelf.

I perped your profile b4 you posted this because I was trying to figure out why anyone in Australia would have an interest in Mississippi River culture, and American literature. I read it in grade school, too. Heretofore I believed nearly every Australian lived within 30-miles of the shore, and certainly thought that would be true about the elite owners of Pentax camera systems. Mosquito Creek - Population 17? Funny. I understand now, you call yourself people from the bush. We are just country folk here.

When I was a teenager in Dubuque we spent a lot of time on the river water skiing (even around barges - the water boiled behind them, it took a bit of strength, endurance and skill). We picnicked and drank beer on the islands. We learned how to avoid striking wing dams hidden below the surface. It takes a lot of skill to be a towboat captain on the Mississippi. Even more skill before GPS. There are lots of areas like this to navigate:

You Tube

You Tube

Occasionally something goes wrong that could wreak havoc, and barges become disengaged - not often but it can threaten bridges when it does happen.