Historic 1917 Widow's Creek Bridge in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Designated as a Mississippi Landmark in 1987 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 copyright byC Hanchey
I don't usually post from Flickr without a direct link but it wouldn't work, so I have posted it haphazardly, this beautiful photo of a bridge I once stood on. I've posted other bridges on the blog and scenes of water along or near Highway 61 South in Mississippi and Louisiana. That road has been the center of my life in terms of landscapes. And now I write about it, in all sorts of ways.
I am going to finish writing a new novel this year, something I thought might not ever happen again. But it's happening. And part of that is my love of the landscape, especially from Vicksburg MS to St. Francisville LA, places I have lived and loved. I simply cannot escape place and predicament any more than the characters in my work in progress. This is the last day of March, and I can't stress enough how much work I have to complete in April, not only writing, but in my garden. I am going to attempt to do more blog posts during this time as a kind of visible journey of my activities. But again, who knows??
Joey and I are going to the Brooks Museum in Memphis the first two weekends of the month to see some exhibits. This will be a return to civilization for me, the first real outings since Covid/March 2020. Yes, I've been shopping and out to eat but that doesn't count. I am so grateful that my first trip out is to see some art. Will post about that if I have time.
Back to the main reason I am here, so glad I found this bridge on Flickr. The road to it is hard to navigate except in really dry conditions. Never attempt it during a muddy season. It's a dirt road, Shalfer Road. It's the kind of road my mother used to love driving down. Over 200 years old, it is narrow, with high walls of earth on both sides in places. There is no cell service there, which is really scary now since we are all used to our phones. Once you get in deep down Shalfer, you are stuck. I love Shalfer Road. It's the kind of place that takes you out of your present day privilege and reminds you of how much of the world lives. The thought of it also makes me want to write. I want to go there again. The last trip was the late spring of 2016 on a trip that ended with a tour of my old house on Ferdinand Street and then the entire town, St. Francisville, including some old, old houses. On that trip, we also spent more time on the Old Trace than we did other places around Port Gibson. We spent a lot of time looking at old haunts. I was sort of sad that the ferry was gone at St. Francisville. This old bridge is closed to traffic. Has been for years and years, but I like to get out and walk, because my mother took pictures of it with us when I was a child. I still remember going over lots of old bridges as a child while my mother navigated the roads and very badly. She was a terrible driver and didn't get her license until she was about 45 years old and never like to drive at all. But Mother had a thing for doing that sort of traveling. The odd road, the obscure bridge and of course, the lost cemetery.
