A bridge going bye, and directional disorientation adventure in Logansport, Louisiana

Road construction in Logansport, Louisiana
Road construction in Logansport, Louisiana

I need a map of Logansport!  A brand new completely up-to-date directional map showing me where’s what and what’s where.  I really, really need one, as all of the construction is a bit disorienting to an already “directionally” challenged person such as myself.

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The Toledo Bend Damsite: Spillway, power generation plant, and plenty of beauty between and beyond

Toledo Bend Power Generation Plant in the middle, and the Sabine River in the background
Toledo Bend Power Generation Plant in the middle, and the Sabine River in the background

The Toledo Bend Project was created by the Legislatures of the States of Texas and Louisiana and includes the mammoth 186,000 acre lake, a more than 11,000 ft. long, 100 ft. tall rolled earthen dam, a managed spillway with 11 release gates, and a hydroelectricity generation plant capable of producing over 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

In the video that follows, the footage on the Texas side of Toledo Bend, where the power plant is located, was taken this past weekend.  Some of the footage at the spillway was taken this past weekend as well, while some at the spillway was taken about a month ago.

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Drone versus Wind

A near drone mishap… though through our pilot’s excellent skills, we were able to avoid crash and/or injury to aircraft.

Here, we are flying away from the Toledo Bend Dam spillway… When we took off, the wind was not so bad, but within minutes it kicked up a good bit.  We avoid flying in winds above 14 miles per hour… and we always check weather for wind speed and speed of gusts.  We were not in the danger zone gust-wise, or at least nothing we looked at prior to flying on Sunday indicated otherwise… but…. let’s just say this was a tough and nerveracking flight back.

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Drone mishap

They might be boring to the general audience, or they might be fun.  I can’t call it, but we figured we might as well give it a shot… We will post our drone mishaps here… at least the ones we catch on “film.”  If not for cheap entertainment, then maybe at least for lessons to others flying drones on what not to do (that is, if we even know what we did wrong… because we had some mishaps where we have no idea what went wrong)

This mini-crash (itsy bitsy, barely a blip on the radar) was at the old Tom Sawyer Chapel… Lesson learned, never have liftoff when a canopy of trees is slightly above you.  The drone was fine… just lost a propeller or two.

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A step back in time, Bronson-style

From 1909 comes this postcard of Bronson, Texas.
From 1909 comes this postcard of Bronson, Texas.

In Sabine County, Texas, nine miles west of Hemphill, there is a town named Bronson.  It was once a hopping area, in the glory days of logging.  Donna Owens Jones shared two postcards from Bronson in 1909.  Back in that time, Bronson was just getting kicked off in its heyday, and had reached a population of 1,000.

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Program for the dedication of the original Pendleton Bridge

ats pb1I came across this gem at the Sabine Parish Library… It is a program, published by The Sabine Index of Many, Louisiana, for the 1937 dedication of the Pendleton Bridge over the Sabine River.

This truss bridge crossing the Sabine River came thirty years before there was a Toledo Bend Lake.  For the time, it was considered a spectacular bridge… and one that essentially carved out a much needed road across the Sabine River at Pendleton between Louisiana and Texas.  Before the bridge, the Pendleton Gaines Ferry was used for travelers to get across the Sabine between Texas and Louisiana.

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Goodbye to the Hills, once Toro and later Emerald

Postcard for Toro Hills Motel
Postcard for Toro Hills Motel

First, it was Hodges Gardens Motor Inn, just across the highway from the magnificent Hodges Gardens.  It was created and designed specifically to complement Hodges Gardens… which in the 60s was such a heavy tourist attraction that a nearby hotel (okay, motel) and restaurant was needed.

Not just wanted, but needed.

And an accompanying golf course was perfect for the men who might tend to be bored with the Gardens.

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Revisiting a towering monument; and remembering to not forget

Monument to the memory of New London School explosion and to all of its victims
Monument to the memory of New London School explosion and to all of its victims

Usually, I have a very curious mind.  Usually, I look around, at my surroundings.  I observe.  Usually, I wonder.  Usually, I explore.  I observe more.  I ask questions.  I look for answers.  I look for meaning.  Usually.

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New bridge now open over Sabine River, between Logansport, Louisiana and Joaquin, Texas

At left, the new bridge between Logansport, Louisiana and Joaquin, Texas is now open to traffic. It is shown at the far left. The old bridge, shown at center, is closed and will eventually be demolished.
At left, the new bridge between Logansport, Louisiana and Joaquin, Texas is now open to traffic. It is shown at the far left. The old bridge, shown at center, is closed and will eventually be demolished.
Photo taken Dec. 1, 2015 shows the new bridge under construction. This bridge is now fully complete
Photo taken Dec. 1, 2015 shows the new bridge under construction. This bridge is now fully complete

A brand new bridge which crosses the Sabine River from Logansport, Louisiana to Joaquin, Texas is now open to traffic.

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Gray Ghosts’ founding member honored in tremendous procession

We had the honor of capturing footage of the funeral procession of John Franklin Lewis, one of the founding members of the Gray Ghosts Motorcycle Club.  Lewis was laid to rest in Many, Louisiana on Saturday, Jan. 15.

It was difficult not to be awed and taken aback by the show of respect and honor Mr. Lewis earned from his friends and fellow motorcycle club riders, as well as riders from all over the state and beyond.  In all, close to 500 motorcycles participated in the procession in some way or another.

The procession began on South Capitol Street at Warren Meadows Funeral Home and continued south to Hwy. 171, traveling to San Antonio Avenue where it continued on through downtown Many and on to St. John’s Catholic Church.

We used multiple cameras at several vantage points in our attempt to do justice to this awesome procession.  The 8 minute video we put together for Mr. Franklin’s family, extended family, friends and motorcycle is within this post

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