Cape Girardeau History and Photos

December 22, 2011March 5, 2016

Sinkholes, a Train and a Dairy

I always have to take a spin down South Sprigg Street to check out the cement plant and ride out to the Diversion Channel on what used to be U.S. 61 before I-55 was built. The trip has been complicated a bit by a huge sinkhole that’s closed the road off at Cape LaCroix Creek since the spring flood. (Click on any photo to make it larger.)

Where did that farm come from?

When I got to the bridge, I pulled into a road to turn around. There I saw something I’d never noticed before: an old farm house with a sign that read “Farmer Owned Prairie Farms Sprigg Street Dairy.”

Fresh No-Trespassing signs

I’m pretty casual with No Trespassing signs if I think I can meet someone friendly. These signs were fresh and the light was about gone, so I figured I’d file this away for a future visit. I can’t believe I’ve never noticed that farm over the years.

Train in the distance

My attention was drawn to the train whistle of a BNSF freight. I hustled over to get a shot of it crossing the 1929 railroad bridge Niece Laurie and I photographed last year.

Old Federal Materials building

I swiveled to catch the train headed toward the cement plant with the old Federal Materials building in the foreground. The original Blue Hole BBQ was right across the street from this building.

Sinkhole patch about done

Looks like Sprigg Street is about to open. There’s only a little patch left to go. I wonder how long it’ll be before the street gets swallowed up again.

December 20, 2011

Master of 22-Minute Nap

On the way out of town, I stopped by to pick up some stuff at Annie Laurie’s that my Foodie Friend Jan wanted. I was pleased to see my Glimpses of East Perry County calendar on display. It would make a great Christmas present for someone, hint, hint.

I don’t mind driving

Wife Lila doesn’t like to spend two days on the road. I don’t like the hassle of flying these days. We’ve compromised: I drive, she flies. When folks express concern about me driving half-way across the country by myself – aren’t you afraid of falling asleep? – I explain that I’m the Master of the 22-Minute Nap, perfected since I’ve retired.

When I feel myself getting drowsy, I pull into the next rest area, set the alarm on my phone for 22 minutes, wake up and drive for three or four more hours.

This was taken somewhere in Georgia right about sunset Monday night shortly after the alarm went off.

Look what greeted me

This was the first thing I saw when I walked into the house.

Son Adam saw the post I did on the sign my Grandmother made and said it would be neat to make one for me here. Wife Lila designed it, Adam approved it, and it was posted on the Christmas tree. Thanks.

December 19, 2011

My Favorite Christmas Decoration

Mother is a decoratin’ fool. She loves nothing more than to drag out boxes of ornaments and mementos and scatter them all through the house.

Any holiday works: Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, Groundhog Day (OK, I’m not sure about that one.)

I put in a fold-down staircase a couple of decades ago so she didn’t have to perch on a step ladder to get the stuff out of the attic. Now that the house is empty, there’s plenty of closet space, so she, thankfully, doesn’t have to climb up the ladder anymore. (I wired the attic lights to the porch light and told the neighbors if they see it on for a couple of days and they don’t see her, check the attic.)

This Santa is probably almost as old as I am. (Click on any image to make it larger.)

Nativity Scene

I can remember carefully placing these figures when I was about the age of Grandson Malcolm. Based on the number of chips, my destructive younger brothers much have been less diligent. I can just see them playing Shepherds vs. Wise Guys.

A lump in my throat

The one decoration that always brings a lump in my throat wasn’t storebought, it isn’t fancy and it’s a bit worn.

It means more to me than all the others combined.

My Grandmother made this sign and had it hanging in the stairwell the first Christmas I came back from Ohio University. When I see it, I know I’m home.

I’m typing this in Cape as the last thing I do before loading the van to head home to Florida. By the time you read this, I’ll be back with Wife Lila, Sons Matt and Adam, Daughters (we don’t need that in-law business) Sarah and Carly and Grandsons Malcolm and Graham. Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year with lots of new tales.

Monday night update

Well, I made it back to Florida by Monday night, but I stopped in Lake City. Wife Lila won the pool for how late I’d be getting out of Cape Sunday. I quit just north of Monteagle Pass when my eyes got heavy.

I was going to push on to Ocala tonight, but I saw something about 200 yards north of the Florida line that made me a little cautious.

About half a mile after a fire rig passed me headed south, I saw the largest collection of police and fire vehicles I’ve seen in one place in a long time. When I crawled past them, I saw at least two van/SUV type vehicles that had rolled over and down an embankment just before they reached the Florida welcome center. I don’t know if the response was so great because it happened on the state line and Georgia and Florida folks both responded or if enough vehicles and patients were involved to require that much turnout.

I suspect that one or more of the vehicles changed lanes when they spotted the welcome center sign, resulting in the crash. They didn’t make it to the welcome center OR Florida. I hope the people were damaged less than their vehicles.

December 18, 2011December 20, 2011

Backstage at Broadway Theater

Yesterday you saw the public areas of Broadway Theater. Today we’ll go backstage and into the dressing rooms and basement areas. [Note: the photos are dated 12/16/2010. They should have been marked 2011. That’s what happens when you are working at 3 in the morning. Thanks to Gail Jackson Brown for pointing that out.]

The Broadway was a full-blown theater with an orchestra pit and a stage where vaudeville actors performed.

Dad used to talk about pulling his little wagon loaded with sheet music for the woman who played the piano during the silent movies. Because we all know that Steinhoffs never embellish the truth, none of us ever challenged him. In 2007, I made my usual Sunday night call back to Cape. Mother said she had read the obit of the woman who used to play the piano in the silent movies. She was 101.

Dressing room walls are bare

A lot of old theaters I’ve been in have autographs of actors scrawled all over the walls backstage and in the dressing rooms. The only marks I could see here looked like they might have done recently with lipstick.

If these dressing rooms are typical, an actor’s life was far from glamorous. The rooms were tiny, with a bare bulb hanging from a cord from the ceiling and two bulbs over the mirror.

Rheostats controlled lighting

These knife switches and huge rheostats were used to control stage lighting.

Frugal, for sure

I think this is my favorite photo from Down Below. This drawer of pencils was pulled out over what I assume to have been a work bench. Some of the pencil stubs weren’t over an inch long. THERE’S a guy who didn’t waste anything.

How to “paint” with light

I’ll go to about any length to keep from using flash. I’m not very good at it and I don’t have the equipment to do it right. Sometimes, though, you have to shoot where there’s no available light available.

There was a little light in the room in front of us, and there was just enough light coming from a room behind us to ALMOST keep me from tripping over a pipe. I perched the camera up on a rickety tripod and set the shutter to stay open for 20 seconds. I had Friend Shari push the button, then I walked around the room shooting off my electronic flash in the dark corners of the room. That’s called “painting” with light.

When I was at Ohio University, about half a dozen of us lit up a building that was about two-thirds of a block long using this technique “just for fun.” (Photographers have a strange idea of fun.) It’s a lot easier in this day of digital photography when you can see your results immediately.

The key is to have enough light to bring out detail without having hot spots. I have one that’s better lit, but I’m holding it for the blooper tape. The shadow of the camera and tripod show up in the frame.

Photo gallery of backstage Broadway

Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side to move through the gallery.