Derby, Derby & More Derby

If you live anywhere near Louisville, Kentucky, right now, you know what is currently top of mind with most folks in these parts. The Derby. There's Derby hats and Derby parties to prepare for and Derby recipes to contemplate. There's Derby Pie, Derby Mint Juleps, Derby roses, Derby horses, and well, everything Derby. Not to mention the one place it all comes down to, the Churchill Downs.

It's all taking front row for the next few weeks here in 'Derby City USA'. And it's all being kicked off this Saturday evening at Thunder Over Louisville, one of America's largest fireworks displays with two barges filled to the brim with fireworks and fireworks to be let off across one of our bridges that spans the Ohio. And let's not forget the Air Force and their show they put on for us over the waterfront every Thunder Saturday afternoon.

You really should come do the 'Derby' one year. It's something to see. And if you happen to stop by this fair city in the next few weeks, make a side trip over to The Flower Studio in Chenoweth Square. All of these Derby goodies you see in this image I took recently for a magazine ad are for sale, as well as many Spring decor items.

As for me, I may go down by the waterfront Saturday night to see if I can get any new fireworks images, but if not, it's no biggee. After all, there's only going to be 10,000 people down there. I'm not big on big crowds. ENJOY!

Thunder Over Louisville!

Thunder Over Louisville starts out like this.Next thing you know, the bridge starts to fire up.
And now the bridge is fully engulfed . . . so to speak.
More fireworks.
And then you have the finale!

It isn't just a fireworks show. It's 'let's light up the bridge with fireworks coming off of it and dripping down from it.' And that's what they do every April in Louisville which launches the Derby festivities. It's truly the most amazing sight you could ever see in a fireworks show. The Second Street bridge closes two days prior to the event so they can rig the entire bridge with cables. It takes thousands of feet of cable. There are two barges that are also rigged with fireworks that sit next to the bridge. If the wind is blowing south Louisville fireworks viewers get smoke in their direction or if the wind blows north, Southern Indiana viewers get the smoke. There is themed music choreographed to the fireworks show. And there's also an air show by the Air Force during the afternoon. I guess you could say we take our fireworks kinda serious around here.

These images were taken using 800 speed Kodak film and using my Pentax manual camera. I had never shot film at night. I really felt lucky when I found these images actually looked pretty decent.

Currently in Louisville, however, we have flooding. The floodgates went up late last night. Apparently the Ohio River water levels increased significantly late last night, to the surprise of our sewer management guys. Fortunately my condo is situated on a bluff so I'm up high. However, less than a mile down the road from me Floyds Fork Creek went way out of its banks yesterday so much so one of the television news crews were out late yesterday filming the situation. Please Mother Nature, I'm begging to the weather Gods, stop all of this rain. ENJOY!