Second Inauguration

President Obama continues his journey into the history books. Officially sworn in yesterday, the big showy ceremony occurs in a few hours, down at the US Capitol. As with most of these four-year events, the weather is semi-cooperative.  The day dawned brightly. There's a threat of some rain, but to the West the sky is gray, just light gray - not the threatening black sky of downpours and gully-washers. And it will be cold. The temperature is forecast to be in the mid-forties - - not so bad. Certainly warmer than 2009's Inauguration Day.  And what will the crowd estimates be?

I've lived in this area most all of my life, except for brief periods in Massachusetts and the Deep South.  And I've only gone (with Joe) to one Inaugural Parade - never to the swearing-in, to a ball or a brunch.  I'm not tall enough to see over most people's shoulders, and I am not fond of being squeezed in a crowd.  So if I participate at all, it's as a couch-potato, sitting in my living room.

On Saturday, however, I decided at the last minute to do a bit of public service - I went to Swain's Lock and checked it out.  Surprisingly clean - - I found only one beer bottle and two squashed aluminum cans.  Very little debris and litter.  About a dozen bottle caps, both metal and plastic.

For some reason, folks like to move tables around.  So now Site No. 5 has no table, Site No. 4 has two.   Site No. 2 has no table, Site No. 1 has two.  Those tables are VERY heavy - my guess is that a bunch of men want more seating for their late-night partying.

One very odd find was a Grumman canoe, rather dingy both inside and out.  It contained two paddles, a beat-up PFD, a beat-up flotation cushion and some scrapy pieces of foam insulation.  It had a yellow painter at the bow.  Two boards were screwed into the gunnels for seating.  And a smallish soccer ball - - or volley ball.  I'm not sure I know the difference.

Then I moved downstream to Great Falls and walked out to Olmstead Island.  The river is very high - word is that Billy  Goat Trail was closed (or at least part of it).  So here are some photos of the muddy-brown and raging waters from the Overlook (above) and from one of the bridges (below).

Finally, I checked out the one remaining replica canal boat - the packet boat "Charles F. Mercer", on drydock at Great Falls.  There's been some work on the rubbing boards.  It looks as though the boards are being replaced.  I'd noticed last summer that they'd been looking somewhat splintered; perhaps a harder wood was needed.

The Charles F. Mercer in drydock.
Just below the lower blue-gray area the rubbing board has
 been  removed and the interior ribs are exposed.  The rubbing
boards protect the hull while the boat is in the lock and when locking through.