Ballard Avenue

Wee Little Pirates on the attack again

photo by Ballard Avenue

Having failed to land the big one, we see the Wee Little Pirates turn their attention to the wee little boat with the blue sail. Aye, the sea's a rough neighborhood, indeed.

photo by Ballard Avenue

Shown here with the handiest size comparision device I could find is my new iPod nano. For you tech-heads it's the 2GB version. Small and cheap, just how I like my electronic devices. They'll all soon be obsolete anyway. But for the time being, I'm totally hooked on podcasts such as CBC Radio's Newfoundland and Labrador This Week, Riddim Cast with Itation Sound, and The Brass Figlagee.

The Best Job in the World

photo by Ballard Avenue

We've seen this bridge before, but it's enough of a Ballard landmark it deserves another post. It seems to me that the bridgetender's job would be the best job in the world. You report to work, inspect your bridge, then settle down with a good book. When a train comes along, you lower the bridge. Wave to the engineer. Watch the train go by to make sure there's nothing wrong with it. Raise the bridge. Watch the boats go by underneath. Repeat as necessary. What's not to like?

I'm sure that the bridgetenders would have all sorts of stories about perfidious railroad management and obnoxious engineers who blow their horns as they pass by your bridgetender's shack and boaters who forget to wait until the bridge is up. Whatever. Every job has its drawbacks. But this one still looks pretty good.