Saturday, July 31, 2010

South Shore Awaits

Journeyed down to the rivers edge to check on the Bond Bridge construction. Tons (literally) of progress to report including the fact that it's almost shore to shore. Very small, relatively speaking, space to go before the span touches north and south banks. Above is the view from above the Isle of Capri fake water feature.... the casino takes river water and pumps it through their grounds and then that circuit is complete with the return to the stream shown above.
Above a panorama under the south end of the bridge showing the only gap that remains to be closed. Paseo Bridge is on the left. The new bridge is scheduled to be finished by this time next year.

The north end was constructed using steel supports.... after the midpoint was reached the southern half of the bridge was cantilevered out since the river channel had to be kept open for barge traffic. The river's high level this year has slowed progress somewhat since much of the work is done from barges which also bring a lot of the supplies out to the work site.

When finished and illuminated by thousands of led lights that will be computer controlled the bridge will be stunning...


The top of the delta pylon is roughly 316 feet above the river's surface....

As mentioned previously tugs, like the one pictured above, scurry around the supports of the structure all day.
The remaining gap between in the bridge near the south shore seen above. Below, that same gap from the endpoint.

Above and below the deck will soon stretch completely across the river.... in the above photo you can see the small crane atop the delta pylon which ferries men and equipment to the top.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Summerfesting

Occasionally Hyper ventures forth for culture. I happen to like it you know. Today I went to St. Mary's Episcopal Church at 13th and Holmes to hear the Summerfest Musicians.
Truly an awesome combination of history, architecture and music.

Today's concert featured composers Vivian Fung, Paul Hindemith and Franz Schubert. The musicians were Mary Grant, Dorris Dai Janssen, Alexander East, Edward Paulsen, Shannon Finney, Jane Carl, Barbara Bishop, Kelly Cornell and Melissa Rose. Many also play in the Kansas City Symphony.
After each concert there is a reception where audience members can meet and talk with the musicians. Normally at St. Mary's that is held in the adjacent hall.... but it has been undergoing extensive renovation..... above... only the floor remains to be finished and it will be ready for next week's concert.
It's a beautiful venue with great acoustics.



Taking a bow above and below.... about 150 were in attendance this week.

Above: six frames were shot to maintain proper exposure in both the windows and the interior..... thus the crowd moving toward the food :) creates an eerie scene. The church does have a ghost.... he may even be in the photo above .

This is the 20th year of Summerfest Concerts..... you still can hear great music... just go to
www.summerfestconcertsinc.com for the schedule. It's a splendid way to spend part of a Saturday or Sunday.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Trevor and Rachel



A few from my last wedding. My Niece Rachel married her long-time boyfriend Trevor... they met at Applebee's, Table 47 (true) where they both worked. The service was at Maywood Baptist Church in Independence.


Her Sister Donna was her Maid of Honor.

Mr. Justin, ring bearer, is always up for a picture.

Hyper daughter is far left.... Kelly, Olivia, Rachel, Donna and Amanda.















Reception was at Harrah's.

Rachel made her own cake too....... and a special groom's cake below signifying their first meeting......





To those who also photograph for a living... this wedding saw the first time that the thermal switch on the SB900 shut the flash down.... high ambient temperature I'm thinking. Had to switch flash... back to the SB800 and keep shooting. Now have SD9 battery pack on order.... can't be dealing with unpredictable flashes... the battery pack utilizes 8 batteries and so should eliminate the heat load on the 900 even in our new Missouri summers.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Fall Photo Forgotten


Fond memories of cooler times. This photo, which I forgot about, was taken last fall and shows the skyline view from the northeast. Pretty clouds that day.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Cosby Hotel Is Saved

Thanks to the efforts of local private business leaders and preservationists statewide the Cosby Hotel is off the chopping block.

Here's a link to the STAR story: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/20/2097070/campaigns-to-prevent-cosby-hotel.html

What we need to learn from this is that Dangerous Buildings and Codes... both departments in Neighborhoods and Communities need examination. Hyper called for a second opinion on the "dangerosity" of the building and, fortunately, one was sought. That opinion from a structural engineer was the opposite of the one put out by Dangerous Buildings. A third opinion confirmed the second.

We lost two historic structures in Pendleton Heights here in Northeast under identical circumstances. When it comes to those kinds of buildings it's time to reign in Dangerous Buildings.......