The Bayou Top 10: #8

Beware of Pelicans!

It seems that I left one bridge behind to return to an old familiar friend. During my time in Wetumpka, I had the opportunity to drive across one of the more beautiful historic bridges in our state on a daily basis. The Bibb Graves bridge was completed in 1931 and is the only reinforced concrete arch bridge south of the Mason-Dixon line. It spans the Coosa River right in the middle of town and the city has grabbed onto the bridge as a symbol of the community. From my office there on W. Bridge St. I was just a few hundred feet from the bridge. When I opened our church newsletter (The Bridge Builder) I often saw a picture of the bridge across the top. When I attended a Sunday morning small group (Bridge Group) I was reminded of the presence of the bridge.

I'm familiar with bridges, and the first one to capture my imagination was the Wintzell bridge on Hwy. 188 in Bayou La Batre. I remember it in its original color scheme. I remember the paint change and thinking that there wasn't enough money in the world to get me on the top of that thing to sandblast and paint. I think of trips under the bridge via boat and checking out all of the wildlife from underneath the bridge. If you've driven through the Bayou very often, you've probably had the experience of waiting for the bridge to raise and lower. When I was a kid, watching the platform rise and fall made for a great day. When I became a driver, it led me to the alternative route around Hemley and Davenport.

My favorite bridge memory involved a trip across it in my Mom's freshly washed 1987 Hyundai Excel. If you've spent much time around the water in the Bayou, you're probably familiar with our pelicans. Pelicans are large birds that like to hang out around the bridge or any other site near the waterfront. They also have the accuracy of a B-17, for on that fateful day, minding our own business driving across the bridge, the Landry family faced a pelican bombing raid. Pelicans bomb using the same wet white material that other seabirds use, there's just a lot more of it. A seagull or other bird will leave a spot on your windshield. This particular pelican launched a volley of refuse that managed to cover the entirety of the windshield. To my seven year-old mind it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

I've never forgotten that day. I drive across the bridge regularly, and often think of that old pelican. Maybe one day my kids will get to experience the thrill of pelican guerrilla warfare. I smile fondly when I cross my city's bridge (unless of course I'm caught up in bridge traffic) and know that whenever I see it, I've made it home.