Unexpected Outage and Outing!

Yesterday afternoon about 2:45 our power went out in our home.  Today reading the paper, nearly 2,000 customers were affected for approximately 3 hours.  Then another power outage of 500 more customers.  We were in the first outage and decided to go for a drive to cool off in our truck. Grabbed my camera and rode over to the overlook to take pictures of the sandbar that is way out in the Mississippi River. Then we drove downtown to see what was going on at the waterfront.  Before we went to town drove by McDonald's to get some ice cream and the power was out and in the vicinity of McDonald's there's a super Wal-Mart.  A grand exit by everyone that was shopping there and a major traffic jam.  What a mess! Thank goodness we have more than one McDonald's in town and drove to the one by I-20.  It had power!  Below are some pix I took of our unexpected outing to try to stay cool on a Saturday afternoon going down

Sandbar way out into the MS River causing towboat woes.  This is Louisiana side you're looking at.

Looking toward to bend in the river at Vicksburg, MS.

Looks like some kind of towboat with a crane attached going under the bridges.

The American Queen steamboat cannot dock anymore for summer trips because the Yazoo Canal is too low.  Picture taken to the right of the waterfront that leads to the Port of Vicksburg.  Read about the towboat trying to come down this canal to pick up a tow to take north.  Could not meet no one!

To the left are a lot of boaters out fishing or just enjoying the day on the river.

In front is the Sweet Olive tour boat and another boat anchored at the dock.  

  

Down from the waterfront is The Illinois Depot that was just renovated and new tenants have moved in.

This building, Yazoo & Mississippi Valley RR Station, (Depot) was an icon when we had record flooding here in Vicksburg last May of the Mississippi River, north and south.  In the renovations, a new walkway with a nice iron railing was added.

Looks like it needs another coat of paint.

Side view of the depot where new bricks were laid and trees planted.  A work still in progress.

On top of the building was a very loud squawking crow who got my attention!

From the Depot you can see where the new Lower Mississippi Riverfront Museum and Interpretive Site is almost completed.  The Motor/Vessel Mississippi riverboat is located on dry-land next to it.  It will be a museum/art gallery.  The grand opening is scheduled for August 24, 2012.