LST Memorial 325 Passing by My Front Door

The Ohio River is a busy water highway. Barges transport goods and equipment up and down the river. Pleasure boats and yachts come out to play on the weekends. Serious anglers launch their fishing boats before dawn. Party barges and paddle-wheelers cruise along at a leisurely pace allowing their passengers to enjoy the beautiful scenery while dining.

But once in a while something unusual passes by. That was the case with the LST Memorial 325 when it passed by my house on Aug. 29, 2015 heading up river to Pittsburgh. It caused quite a stir with some who had not been forewarned about its journey passing through Cincinnati. Comments and pictures exploded on Facebook. Alarm: "Are we under military attack?!", shock and awe.

LST 325 passing by my front door

LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. It was used to land tanks, soldiers and supplies on enemy shores during WWII. This particular LST was known as LST-325 during WWII, USNS LST-325 during its arctic operations in the 1950's, and later L-144 (A/G Syros) while it was in the service of the Greek Navy.

Heading up to Pittsburgh.

It is now the last fully operational WWII LST and has been employed as a floating museum complete with gift shop and tours. Its homeport is Evansville, Indiana but at this writing LST 325 is winding up its Pittsburgh tours and will be heading back here to Cincinnati to conduct tours September 12th to 16th on the riverfront adjacent to the Great American Ballpark. Tours are roughly 60 minutes long and include the Main Deck, Troop Berthing, Tank Deck, Mess Deck, Galley, Stern of ship (Guns and Anchor), Wheel House, Officer's Country and the Captain's Cabin. There are three sets of stairs down and three sets of stairs up. Questions and photographs are welcome.

Living On the Ohio River

This past week has been nerve wracking. Our home sits right on the banks of the Ohio River. It is a breathtakingly beautiful place to live. And it is also pretty scary in the spring. We moved here in 1999, two years after the last major flood in southwest Ohio. During the time we've lived here our road access has been cut off a couple of times due to high water, but our house has never been flooded. And once again, this week we were spared.

Flood of 1898

Our house was built in 1890 so it has seen it's share of flooding. I applaud the Corps of Engineers and the gatekeepers at Meldahl and Markland Dams. They have done a remarkable job managing the river levels. Although the river came up over the flood wall in front of our house it is now receding.

The river lapping at the top of the flood wall.

Why do I live here knowing the potential of the river flooding? I guess every dance with nature has its pitfalls. I've lived in the city. I've lived in the suburbs. But there is nothing that compares with living near the water. Sunsets are spectacular. Water birds are fascinating. The sound of gentle waves whoosh-whooshing below my open window in the summer is as soothing as a calming lullaby.

The Ohio River is in my blood. I was two weeks old, according to my mother, the first time I was on a boat. And that was on the Ohio River. Most every summer weekend as a child, and subsequently as a teenager, was spent on a boat on the Ohio River. To live in a house on the banks of the river is a dream come true.

River sunset

So I pay my flood insurance, make sure my valuables are stored on the second floor and say a prayer every spring that Mother Nature be kind so I can look forward to another summer of magical sunsets on the beautiful Ohio River.

Got the Blues Over the Cincy Winter Blues Fest

Standing in line outside the Phoenix

On Saturday Feb. 7, 2015 we attended the Cincy Winter Blues Fest in downtown Cincinnati at the Phoenix. The event was sponsored by the Cincy Blues Society.  We were so excited. We love blues music and this was our first time attending any of the Cincy Blues Fest events.

We were ready for a long night filled with the blues. And it was... but we were the ones singing the blues.

The doors of the Phoenix opened at 5:30 p.m. We arrived around 6:00 p.m. The line was just slightly out the door. So far so good. That was, until we got to the front door and saw the enormous marble staircase leading to the first floor. The line was longer than we thought.

We finally got to the top of the staircase about a half hour after the first acts started. The crowd on the first floor was shoulder to shoulder by then. We couldn't even get a peek at Ricky Nye performing in the first floor Tea Room. It must be because this was the first stop walking in the door and the smallest venue. Surely it would be better upstairs in the bigger ballrooms.

First we needed beverages. The line was long there as well. We purchased our five dollar, 12 oz. domestic beers and went to explore the other floors before finding a place to land for the evening. After navigating another huge staircase leading to the open gallery outside the Archway Ballroom on the second floor we needed to sit for a minute.

Beautiful marble stairs lead to the 2nd floor.

Johnny Fink and the Intrusion were performing in the Archway Ballroom and it was as packed as the Tea Room on the first floor, even though it had a larger capacity.

Since (once again) we couldn't get in to see the band we wandered into the Cincinnati Room adjacent to the side stage of the ballroom. It was like entering an elegant parlor from the past. The Phoenix is a beautiful old building designed by the renowned architect, Samuel Hannaford. It was built in 1893 and it is one of the finest examples of Italian Renaissance architecture in Cincinnati. Floor to ceiling windows, Tiffany stained glass, huge marble staircases and elegant archways combine for a nostalgic feeling of a time gone by.

We found a place to sit and settle for a minute. We could kind of hear the band playing next door, but the music was muffled as the doors to the side stage leading into the ballroom were kept closed.

It was now 7:00 p.m. and we were anxious about getting a seat on the third floor to see Joanne Shaw Taylor at 9:00 p.m. Our friends ran up to the third floor Grand Ballroom, the largest of the three venues, to investigate the seating situation. They came back and informed us that the Grand Ballroom was standing room only too. But we still had hope. Maybe when the acts switched, the crowds in the ballrooms would shift too. So we went up to the third floor to lean on the balcony to wait until Tempted Souls finished their act.

Tiffany stained glass outside the Archway.

Unfortunately there were more people coming up the stairs than going down. Again we got to listen but not see the performance. We entered the Grand Ballroom between acts hoping to see someone leave.

The seating arrangement here was odd. There was a huge dance floor in front of the stage surrounded by tables with chairs and more rows of chairs arranged lecture style on either side. Taking up a huge corner of the room was a beverage booth. So as the room became more crowded people started standing on the dance floor obstructing the view of the people in the chairs. Eventually the whole venue became standing room only.

After standing for about forty minutes, we decided to try to find a seat somewhere...anywhere. We knew by now it wasn't going to be on the third floor. We went back down to the Cincinnati Room and luckily found two seats at a table in the alcove next to the stage doors. The doors were still closed but occasionally a band member would come out and we would get a glimpse of the band. This is where we ended up spending the rest of the evening.

When Jay Jesse Johnson took the stage at 8:00 p.m. we convinced a stage hand to leave a door open to the side stage. At least now we were able to kind of watch and sort of listen.

By 9:00 p.m. they ran out of beer. RAN OUT OF BEER BY NINE! So halfway through the Leroy Ellington Blues Band act we left.

It is clear Mark Bubash, director of this event, and the management of the Phoenix were not prepared for the huge attendance. They over-sold tickets and over-packed the venue. They ran out of food and beverages before the headliner acts even took the stage. We were very, very, very disappointed.