Friday, September 4, 2015

BUILDING BRIDGES...


Isn’t she beautiful?
         
This photograph—one of the first color ones in my family collection—has lived in every house I’ve ever owned.
Literally.
This is the drawbridge at Osterville, Massachusetts. I think it connected the points of land between the North and West Bays in Osterville Harbor, but I’m not so sure of that.
My father, the engineer in charge, was working on this bridge in October of 1946 when he received word I had been born: He drove to Boston to meet me, then came back a couple of days later to finish up the bridge.
It’s been known as “Deb’s Bridge” in my family ever since!

The last time I saw that bridge was in the very early 1960s when I was sailing with my family on the Trident; I was about fifteen years old. I stood on the bow with the horn and called the approach for the bridge keeper – I remember his singular response—a conversation, of sorts; an agreement between us—and then the slow, lovely ascent of the draw.
          We passed through; I made my way to the stern and watched the descent from there.
          My father’s bridge, I thought.


I’d like to think it’s still there…

18 comments:

  1. Looks like it is still there, according to Mr G. I've driven nearby, along Cape Cod to Provincetown about ten years ago, and thought it was a very pretty area. You should get down there sometime.

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    1. I do need to take a special trip, Jo -- perhaps this fall, after the tourist season. If I do, I'll be sure to post a photo!

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  2. Wonderful - They can call it what they want but for me and all other Sepians it will now always be Deb's Bridge. And your fathers' bridge. A great achievement.

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    1. There's something beautiful about bridges -- I've always been interested in them: design, execution, etc. Wanted to be a civil engineer when I was in high school, but in the 1960s, women were laughed at when they had such interests.

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  3. what fun to have your own bridge- even if it's just in your family! I find it amazing that something as enormous as bridges like this one can be drawn up.

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    1. Hi, Norma -- is this your first visit to my blog? Thank you...and I agree -- the fact that it can come up is just astounding.

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  4. What a lovely story of a bridge with such a strong family connection.

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    1. Now I'm inspired to go back! Perhaps I'll time it for this fall, for my 69th birthday -- now THAT would be a celebration!

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  6. We still have many similar bridges in South Florida. I just hate to be in a line of traffic waiting for one to go down. Seems to take forever.

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    1. Next time you're stuck watching a drawbridge, think of the music of engineering! It's like a ballet, really, that give and take of raising/lowering...

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  7. That's just plain cool. I want a bridge. I'd even taken a well cleared path. But you've got a bridge. Yeah, very cool.

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    1. I'm so glad bridges were suggested for the Sepia Saturday post -- I've not given much thought to having "my own" bridge, but it's got new meaning now!

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  8. How cool is that?!! A family connection to a bridge.
    Like you, I've always been fascinated by bridges - big or small. Ironically, when I was younger I was terrified of crossing over the bigger ones - I would have much preferred standing on shore and gazing up at them.

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    1. It's encouraging to hear that my bridge is still standing, still functioning! I'm definitely going to see it. I still don't like going over big ones -- or long ones -- have you ever been across the Confederation Bridge to PEI? Yikes -- it's VERY long!

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  9. Oh so sweet, I hope it is too. Very dear post.

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    1. You'll find out. I'll go to visit, and if it's there, I'll take a photo...a new one, sixty-nine years later!

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  10. I'm a bit late to the conversation... But, not only is it still there, it still responds to your call: http://capecodwave.com/osterville-bridge-tenders-job/

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