My Life Creative – Pipeline

Yet To Be Explored

Here’s a photo from earlier this summer. I love exploring along the edge of the James River here in Richmond. It’s astounding to be able to wander along in the midst of “wilderness” when you’re just 100 yards from a medium-sized city! One of the more interesting areas is called “The Pipeline Walkway”. This is part of the city’s storm sewer system and is part of the James River Parks. At the opposite end of the walkway from this photo, you are walking on a pipe above the river itself! Well, above on most days. When the river is high, it will come up over the walkway. On the day I took the photo, I was wearing shoes that weren’t as secure as I’d like. Between the curve of the pipe and the pebbly surface of the concrete, I didn’t feel secure. So, I took this one, and reminded myself to wear my hiking boots the next time. I love everything about this composition. The textures, colors and the geometry of the structure struck me from the moment I got there.

The walkway takes you past one of Richmond’s truly unique aspects, a class III whitewater that sits in the middle of a city! There’s also an island with a Great Blue Heron rookery on it just a little way out into the river proper. There’s a post from April of this year that includes one of the local herons. I got a few shots of some turtles that day as well. The wildlife along the river is always beautiful. The system of parks along both sides of the river gives folks access to this resource, and places to fish, sun, swim, hike and bike.