I went on a walk to Tulsa’s Gathering Place and took this photo of the Williams Crossing Bridge across the Arkansas River on an overcast day.
The Gathering Place has its own swimming beach on a pond inside the park. Cool and overcast meant not many people sunbathing.
I was at Chandler Park a few days later and took this photo of downtown Tulsa and the Arkansas River and a big blue sky with a thin layer of clouds.
I am linking with Skywatch Friday
I was at Tulsa’s Gathering Place Monday evening for a presentation having to do with Monarch Butterflies. After the presentation I wandered over to the nearby Arkansas River to see what I could see.
The Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge was open and all lit up. Just using my old iphone I took a few photos. They are not too bad. This is a view from downstream of the bridge.
And the view from upstream. The lights reflect nicely on Zink Lake.
Across the way, on the downstream side, is Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s Tulsa Power Station. An ancient old plant that is still active. Long time ago I worked for the pipeline company that delivered natural gas to the plant. It was always the last plant to come on during high demand periods and the first to be turned off when electric requirements tailed off.
I went kayaking on the Arkansas River’s Zink Lake last fall and got this photo of the bridge and power plant together.
The Williams Crossing bridge replaced and old railroad bridge that got converted to pedestrian service back in the 1980’s I think. It was a pretty cool structure itself. Here is a photo from before it was demolished to make way for the new bridge.
I checked on construction on the new bridge pretty frequently. About once a week or every other week depending on the season. Like all construction it seemed to go slow.
I’d love to learn how to operate the machines.
I just love bridges. What can I say?
Linking with Skywatch Friday
The first day of the year is a big deal for hikers and geocachers. I went to a private park to find a first day geocache. And I got a “souvenir.”
I went looking for another geocache close by. The area it is in is a mess.
Lots of spray can graffiti. I hate it the colorful mess.
It is quite popular. I found the cache but I cannot count it.
It was way up in a tree. Do you see the black tube at the top of the photo. In year’s past I would go ahead and climb the tree. I could probably do it now but I am 69 years old and the penalty for falling could be bad. (Maybe I couldn’t climb the tree. My orthopedic doc says I need a complete new right knee. Soon, I am going to enlist my wife to come with me to go visit him and get it scheduled.) So I can’t count it as a find because to do that you have to open the container and sign the log. I’m kind of a stickler for that.
I went on a first day hike as well. I went on a one mile loop at Turkey Mountain. The trail was named by the Muskogee Creek Tribe. I am not sure what it means.
Winter is a time for either no shadows during long periods of heavily overcast days or long shadows. I love the long shadows of winter.
I went for a walk near the new Zink Dam and Williams Crossing Bridge on the Arkansas River. There was a long bridge shadow on the water. Don’t remember too many water shadows.
The playgrounds that are busy when it is warmer are empty in the winter. This looks like a fun place to play. The ground surface is ultra spongey to keep little ones from getting hurt.
I walked over the Gathering Place and checked the shadows out there as well.
I am wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year 2025!!
Last night I ventured out to the Arkansas River to check out the new Williams Crossing Bridge’s lights.
I was impressed. They are LED’s and have lots of colors possible.
The bridge has only been open a month. It is 1440 feet long. It is high enough over the water to keep it clear of a 500 year flood event.
It connects Tulsa’s Gathering Place on the east side of the Arkansas River to the RiverParks Trails on the West side of the river. It is 18 feet wide and has separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. It is the first “Steel Plate Arch Bridge” built in the United States. (See below what a steel plate arch bridge is)
I think it is gorgeous. I am planning to be there at sunset in the near future to get some Skywatch Photos.
I am linking with My Corner of the World
References
I asked CoPilot AI what a Steel Plate Arch Bridge is and the following was the answer.
A steel plate arch bridge is a type of bridge that uses steel plates to form an arch structure. Here are some key features:
This sight greeted me the other morning. A red shouldered hawk squatting on my trailcam in our backyard. I think he was looking for a mouse. We have bird feeders in the backyard which attracts a few birds and a whole bunch of squirrels and a few mice.
The trailcam captured this cat in our backyard a while back. I’m thinking he might be carrying a mouse in his mouth.
I went to Philbrook Museum of Art the other day. I saw this squirrel resting for the intense midday heat.
And this big ole hippo sculpture made out of car bumpers.
I rode my bike on the Arkansas River the other day and found this egret fishing in the Arkansas River.
And this group of geese hanging out.
And this cross species collection of egrets and great blue herons sharing their fishing grounds.
After years of construction Tulsa is opening up the new pedestrian bridge and putting the new Zink Lake Dam into service this weekend. I’m going to wait until the hubbub has died down a little bit before I go check it out.
I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters. Go check it out.