Things that look out of place fascinate me, like this sluice gate on the edge of the Brickyard Plaza Shopping Mall. The surrounding neighborhoods are a mix of modest single family houses and apartment buildings. Yet, here is a holdover from ca. 1915 that survived the post WWII building boom and the end of farming in the area. I don’t know whether the materials in this gate are from 1915, but this is the way the they looked in 1978 when I first moved to the neighborhood. I can think of two times I took photos of this gate in the 1900s, but I don’t want to even think about finding the negatives.
On a recent July afternoon with temperatures pushing 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius), I walked over to the gate. Fortunately, a stand of cottonwood trees provided shade.
The Sluice Gate
Although I have an eye for the odd, even I find this photo unattractive but include it to set the scene.
Sluice Gate: A Closer Look
What years do those growth layers in the lumber represent? Early or mid twentieth century? Perhaps, earlier?
The Iron Age
Imagine the machine shops where this screw and chain were manufactured. Notice the weld in the link.
Feather in a Log
I bet that someone put this feather in the crack of the log.
Wood, Grass, and Metal
Notice the shadows of the grass blades.
Story Telling Lumber
Only reluctantly do I look away from this image.
Vacant Lot
Directly across the road from the sluice gate.
Thank you,
Michael DeCaria
Making visible what, without you, may perhaps have never been seen – Robert Bresson
Really cool! The rings in the wood are mesmerizing.
Hi Alex, I liked the rings when I saw them, but the photograph brings them to life. I don’t mean that as a cheap joke. Thank you, as always, for your kind comment. Michael
I had no idea this was in that area. It is very cool. Great eye. Thanks for seeing and sharing.
Hi Darrin, Irrigation canals and networks have fascinated me since childhood. I did not grow up on a farm, but our house was at the end of the pavement where the dirt roads and the farms began. Fast forward to today: Your and my urban/suburban neighborhood is in the middle of the Big Cottonwood Lower Canal Irrigation Company (http://bclcwater.org). Many of our neighbors subscribe to the water and use it to irrigate their lawns and gardens. I confess that I rely on the culinary water because I don’t want the bother of the weed seeds. Thank you for reading my posts. Michael