America’s Covered Bridges Connect Us to Days Gone By

"Jubilee Park Covered Bridge" original watercolor painting by Gerard Bianco. 

What attracts us to covered bridges? Could it be the feeling of nostalgia we get when we look at a covered bridge, our longing of the past when we felt that times were simpler, when we felt unified with other people, a time where we felt safe?

We sometimes feel alone in this world where fierce trouble rains down upon us. The covered bridge represents the protective environment we inwardly seek, both in reality and metaphorically. The covered bridge swaddles us with its shelter, protecting us against the storm, keeping us dry and warm.

 The covered bridge was built with the sweat and hard labor of men, not by cold, unforgiving machines that build the sleek modern bridges of today. We find companionship and a natured presence in the fruits of this hard labor.

Covered bridges are usually situated in scenic environments that attract us, offering a quaint vision of when we were young and had more time and less anxiety to marvel at the beauty of its structure and setting. It gives us a feeling of nature and tranquility, offering us an oasis in the desert of modern technology.

My painting of Jubilee Bridge in Saco, Maine, is an example of how modern civilization and day-to-day life removes us from acknowledging and admiring beautiful structures such as this. Jubilee Park Bridge is literally set back only a half block from Main Street and yet there are many people who live and work in Saco that don’t know if its existence.

Well, now you know it’s here and I hope you’ll find time to visit Jubilee Park Bridge and other covered bridges that are scattered across our beautiful land that we call America.

There is a marvelous book I recommend titled, "America's Covered Bridges: Practical Crossings - Nostalgic Icons" by Terry E. Miller (Author), Ronald G. Knapp (Author), A. Chester Ong (Photographer). In it, the authors talk about how, at one time, as many as 15,000 covered bridges were built in North America and how fewer than 1,000 remain. They also talk about the fascinating story of how these bridges were built, the technological breakthroughs required to construct them, and the dedication and skill of their builders. Here is the Amazon link to the book: https://amzn.to/497td4j

! Disclaimer – some links in this post are affiliate links and I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Thank you for supporting my content.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JANE ISAAC: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Image
Today, I'm excited to introduce fellow mystery writer and guest blogger Jane Isaac. Jane is the author of the psychological thriller, An Unfamiliar Murder . Jane lives in rural Northamptonshire , UK . She studied creative writing, and later specialist fiction with the London School of Journalism. Jane is not only a mystery writer, she is also an avid reader, a mum, a dog lover and a traveler. Recently, she has had two short stories accepted for crime anthologies, so please listen up – she knows what she’s talking about. Here is her fact-filled essay: The Devil is in the Detail No matter what genre you write, every book carries some element of research and, for crime fiction, the weight is a heavy one. There’s not only police procedure, plotlines, areas and events to study, but also people. What’s the secret formula behind the great characters in fiction? Research. Investment into creating and layering our characters gives them the depth to become ‘real’. ...
Read more

3 REASONS TO USE SLANT RHYME IN YOUR POETRY

Image
S lant rhyme or half rhyme, sometimes called near rhyme or imperfect rhyme are words that come close to rhyming, but they really don’t rhyme. (Said / regret, or find / friend.)             Emily Dickinson is best known for her use of slant rhyme. They are a common characteristic of her poetry as is her unconventional punctuation.              I will admit, my original thoughts about slant rhyme were confining. I was under the impression that Dickinson (and others) used slant rhyming merely to increase the possibilities of word choice. This, in turn, would allow the poet greater flexibility and increase his/her ability to convey meaning.             In searching the internet for thoughts on the advantages of slant rhyme usage I came across a site, www.Chegg.com. In their definition of slant rhyme the author states...
Read more

DO YOU KNOW THE “BIG FOUR” FEMALE DETECTIVE WRITERS FROM THE “GOLDEN AGE”?

Image
If you’re a writer of detective fiction or someone who loves a good detective mystery, then you’ll want to learn all you can about the “Big Four” female detective writers from the 20s and 30s. Their combined work has sold in the billions. Okay, let’s take the leader out of the picture since her work has sold over 4 billion copies . That still leaves millions of books sold, which means there are millions of fans, which means millions of buyers. That ain’t chump change.    1)       Number one on the list is Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976). Creator of two of the best-loved detectives, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. She wrote the best-selling mystery of all time and one of the best-selling books of all time, And Then There Were None , selling over 100 million copies.    2)       Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 – 1957). Creator of one of the great detectives of the “Golden Age,” Lord Peter Wimsey—sophisticated, ...
Read more