Follow the Rip Rap

I'm becoming a regular. Today's walk took me to southside again.

This time, I walked down 14th Street, spotting the green Google earth mapping car along the way.

With a red camera mounted atop a column on the roof of the car, it looked a little like a colorful bug with a long neck.

I'm actually that geek who had wondered how all those Google Earth photos were taken.

Taking my chances, I trespassed to walk alongside the floodwall on the north bank before heading across the Mayo bridge, so different from the other bridges I've walked because of its heavy stone sides and relatively low height.

I expected to see a few fishermen, maybe James "Cowboy" Smith, the guy who'd told me he'd caught more catfish in the James than anyone else, but the only people on the bridge were guys toting bags of cans to the recycling station.

Everyone's got to earn a living.

Once on the other side, I climbed the ramp to the overlook on the western side, disappointed that I didn't see a path anywhere.

Somehow I'd expected this to be easier than it was. All I wanted was a trail.

Of course, all I had to do was cross under the bridge to pick up the floodwall walk and while parts of it were marked slave trail, I didn't take it all the way to the Manchester docks.

That's a walk for another day.

A line of geese swam along side me as I made my way, honking occasionally to jolt me out of my reverie.

Coming back across the bridge, I passed a shirtless guy, ear buds around his neck, who greeted me.

"Has anyone told you today that you're beautiful?" he asked apropos of nothing. Nope.
"Well, you are."

People say the nicest things to sweaty women.

Rather than retrace my steps home once over the bridge, I took the ladder down to the pipeline walkway at 14th Street and came back along the river and over Brown's Island.

Moms with young children were picnicking while people in business attire walked the perimeter on their lunch hour.

A train chugged by on the upper track and the man riding shotgun waved down at me.

Another successful foray into new walking territory. Next!