Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A week ago today there was freezing rain. It was completely unexpected. The weather folk missed it. The ground had been warm for a few days, but it was a classic watch for ice on bridges and ramps scenario. Actually, it was road crews out patching potholes who noticed the roads were getting slick in places. By then it was a wee bit late. Rush hour was a mess. There was an accident on one of the major arteries that involved twenty-six cars.
Tucker Blvd goes under I-64. It has been my custom to take Tucker Blvd on my daily commute.
I checked the weather before I left. Not much to worry about. I checked the street in front of the condo. It was fine, wet but good traction. It was a very typical commute until I got to Tucker Blvd. The bridge was closed. Later I would find out there had been a twelve car pile-up. Fortunately there were no major injuries.
This is another view of the Tucker Blvd bridge over the rail yard. In the background is the 14th Street bridge.
I was able to turn around and make my way over to 14th Street. There were police cars there as well, but the bridge was open. I suspect there had been a recent fender bender. By this time the salt was working and I was able to cross over into downtown without mishap.

I'd been thinking for sometime that the Tucker Blvd bridge was a hazard waiting to happen. I'd even thought about finding a route that would allow me to avoid all that quick to glaze road surface. But, I never seemed to get around to it. I was lucky that I didn't pay for my procrastination. Luck is good to have, but it isn't a very good plan. Having a strategy is a much better plan.

During my lunch hour I looked at maps and came up with a possible alternate route. After work I rode home that way. I actually like it so well that I'm making it my usual morning commute. Now, instead of Tucker Blvd. I'm going to go down by Busch Stadium.
I admit I liked the Busch Stadium that this one replaced better. This one is nicer, but he seems like so many other stadiums out there. It is difficult to find its personality. Perhaps that will come as the years go by and memories build.

And, I get to say, "Hi" to Stan the Man each morning.

And now a change of subject. I've now owned Billie for one year and just over 7400 miles. It has been great fun. To celebrate I took a long ride on Sunday. Part of the ride was going downtown to get the pictures I wanted to include above. Then I went putzing around some neighborhoods. I call this pink flamingo hunting, but I suppose one could say I'm working on my slow speed riding skills.
My mother, may her memory being a blessing, did stuff like this. It always makes me smile when I see a goose in costume.

Apparently one needs to be careful of ones cow. This one is chained to the handrail.

And, this was the strangest lawn ornament I saw all day.
And, another change of subject. Spring is definitely drawing near. Last evening I ordered new wheels and bearings for my inline skates. I want to be ready for Daylight Savings Time. It will be here soon and that will mean skates after work, yay!

11 comments:

  1. Those traffic bridges are stunning. Four layers? I don't think I would want to be anywhere near them. Nice lawn ornament in that last one, but I like the idea of the cow being chained. Cute.

    Nice to see that you are seeing evidence of Spring! Yay!

    -Lori

    ReplyDelete
  2. 24 car pile up.......you guys never do things in halves do you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. All those cars - wow! Things can go bad so quickly in traffic! Glad you made it safely.

    I dug my inlines out the other day and skated around the house. If you start posting your skating pics I suppose I'm going to have to give in and take my skates for a spin outside. I may have to wear the moto gear. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have to admit that "Stan the Man" was a big big hero of mine whenI was a little kid. How cool to see a statue of him everyday on a commute. Really enjoyed the pictures and your thougts today.

    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lori,
    I really like that particular photo. I'm not sure why, but I do. I certainly haven't missed Tucker Blvd since I changed my route.

    The cow made me laugh. I'm wondering what the story is behind it being chained up.

    And, not to worry about be moving on from reading your blog. I dearly love it.
    ~Keith

    ReplyDelete
  6. Roger,
    It was a nasty morning. There were lots of accidents. I just glad that as far as I know there were no serious injuries in all the accidents. I guess that shows how slippery it was and that people were actually taking care. People here aren't as accustomed to driving in snow or on ice.

    Thanks for stopping by.
    ~k

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ms bluekat,
    I gear up pretty good before I skate. I do the helmet, knee guards, and wrist protectors. When you do give them a try, please at the least wear a helmet and wrist guards. The last thing you want is to break a wrist and not be able to ride.

    I love inline skating.
    ~k

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jim,
    I grew up in Michigan and was/am a Tiger fan. But, my hometown is St. Louis, Michigan. Being a baseball fan it was impossible not to be curious about the team in the "other St. Louis" :-)

    Now living in "the other St. Louis" not only do I appreciate Musial's accomplishments as a baseball player, but I admire the man and his legacy as a human being even more. He is a treasure.

    Thanks for making a comment. I always appreciate your voice.
    ~k

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice bit of yard art, that last one. Glad to hear you weren't in the middle of those 26 cars. Seems like the same thing happened with in the last couple of years on 40, near the old famous bar warehouse.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Art, good to hear from you!

    Yeah, all that elevated stuff can be treacherous. One of the things I gave up when I got the little bike was the big highways and I don't miss them. I love riding through the neighborhoods and it seems much more sane and safe.

    I'm not surprised that you liked the one particular yard art piece. How's the X-country?

    Take care,
    Keith

    ReplyDelete
  11. Glad you made it safe! The BMW is a nice lawn ornament. Looks like an R1150R to me.

    I like having multiple routes. It keeps things interesting and avoids getting complacent about intersections.

    ReplyDelete