Baby Belle and Belle of Louisville, Sat Oct 3, 09 also included some Belle history and some family heritage.

In the few hours we spent on the River that day (in the previous blog), this is what Nick saw from the window. Can you see the vessel on the boat ramp? An older retired gentleman has outfitted his pontoon boat to resemble a miniature steamboat - smokestacks and all and has named it the "Baby Belle."

Here he sits patiently in the river at the bottom of the ramp waiting for his passengers (not for hire - friends). Usually there is so much traffic coming and going at the ramp you cannot wait on the ramp there but must go over to the dock and board your passengers. The docks are located just beyond the parked cars in the first picture.

The Baby Belle passengers arrived and they were playfully motoring around, when the Belle of Louisville appeared down stream heading up river toward us. She was on one of her afternoon excursions. The Baby Belle went out to meet her. I bet that was a thrill for the gentleman's passenger friends.

Here the Baby Belle swings along side the Belle of Louisville and excorts her up river for awhile.

In case you are wondering the buildings in the background to the right of the picture are the Louisville Waterworks - The Louisville Water Tower and Pumping Station, 1860.

Located on the Ohio River just east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky is the Louisville Water Tower. It is the oldest ornamental water tower in the world, having been built before the more famous Chicago Water Tower. Both the actual water tower and its pumping station are on the National Register of Historic Places. Louisville Water Company first pumped water in October of 1860. The original system had 26 miles of water main and 512 customers.

Opps... I sorta got off track here. With my history. I just love history. I must tell you the story of the water tower some other time.

The Baby Belle is heading back to the ramp and docking area and Belle of Louisville heads on upstream. I believe she turns around at the head of 12 mile island.

Baby Belle back on the ramp. Notice one of the loading docks on the bank to the left of the picture. Passengers have come ashore. The Captain is left to put his "Steamer" on the trailer and take her home.

Nick enjoyed this little show and was ready to go back home for rest in his own bed.

About the Belle of Louisville

The present day Belle of Louisville

(1914 – 1947 Idlewild / 1947 – 1962 Avalon ) is a steamboat owned and operated by the city of Louisville, Kentucky and moored at its downtown wharf next to the Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere.

She was originally named the Idlewild, and operated in 1914 as a passenger ferry on the mighty

Mississippi River between Memphis, TN and West Memphis, AR.

She came to Louisville (above pic) in 1931 and was one of several steamboats that ran excursion trips from Fountaine Ferry Amusement Park to Rose Island Resort, about 14 miles upriver from Louisville.

If I remember my stories correctly - My parents recall church-group day trips on Sunday afternoons. Families would take picnic lunches and eat on the grounds of the resort. They would pass the time by walking around the grounds and gardens till the boat whistle blew signaling time to board to go back to the city. Children would hike over a swinging bridge that crossed 14 mile Creek. Some would climb a steep hill called the Devil's Backbone. I believe there was even a small petting zoo?

During the late 1930’s she did double duty (War in Europe you know). She pushed oil barges by day and was a floating moonlight dance club for passengers at night. That is where my parents first met.

My Mother went on the "boat ride" with a girl friend of hers, Jeri. It was a company outing. My Dad went with a friend of his who worked for the same company. He had invited my Dad to come along. I have a picture of them in the crowd on the boat that night. It just happened to be in the newspaper. The newspaper covered the event because of the company outing. I think the company was Bell South telephone company.

Somewhere in a family album is another picture of Mother and Dad taken on the Idlewild at another time by a photographer. Mother has on a sailor hat.

After the war, in 1947, the boat’s name was changed to the Avalon. The Avalon left Louisville and became a "tramp" steamer. She visited ports all along the Mississippi.

By 1962, the she had fallen into disrepair. Jefferson County Judge Marlow Cook bought her at auction for $34,000. She came to Louisville as a permanent port and was re-christened the Belle of Louisville.

Today the Belle is now recognized as the oldest river steamboat (steam-powered, sternwheel-propelled) still in operation. She was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. She celebrates her 95th birthday this year, 2009.

Belle with fireworks overhead.

With the playing of her calliope, the Belle, now in her 95th year, continues to beckon one and all to join her on a journey back to the time when she carried passengers and goods to ports all along the beautiful Ohio River. below is live link to Belle of Louisville calliope---- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKGQgTaFhf8&feature=related

Rest and Relaxation at Duffy's Landing

Above is pictured Jo's toy, fifth-wheel, camper, USCG Aux safety station; what ever you want to call it. After several weeks in the hospital Nick could not wait to get to the river. The first week-end out of Rehab we went guess where? To the river. Our camper sits there most of the boating season. We volunteer along with others of the US Coast Guard Aux Flotilla 02 to keep boaters safe. Our main focus here is to do boating safety inspections free for the general public. The parking lot is usually packed with vehicles and boat trailers overflowing into the grassy areas.

Nick is resting after his exciting arrival and his exercise walking around the parking lot.

Sitting at the edge of the bed watching out the bedroom window toward the river.

When looking at he outside view of the camper, that window is the small one to the right of the door (on the gooseneck). Same window in the picture where he is resting. It is also reflected in the mirror on the closet door in that picture.

Wow, something interesting going on out there better get a closer look !

Now he has moved to the sitting area of the camper. Looking out the living area window.

It is the large window to the left of the door. It is much bigger than it appears because we have the blind partially pulled. (the smaller window is the window over the kitchen sink see the edge of it on Nick's left) There is another large window to Nick's right at the end of the camper. We have a spectacular view of the river.

This is the actual view out of the window where Nick is sitting. Do you notice something on the launch ramp? It is the "Baby Belle". Will tell you more about this in the next post. Across the River is Cox's Park in Louisville. There is a boat launching ramp there also and Flotilla 03 usually mans that area.

Last day at rehab hospital

He set a new personal best on the Nu Step. Tired himself out but he did it. Now to go home for the weekend, then come back Monday morning for a few hours of outpatient work.

USS LST - 325

The day we were on the Ohio River for the CG Patrol of the Triathlon – Louisville , I took these pictures of the USS LST 325 docked at Jeffersonville, IN. USS LST-325, a 2366-ton LST-1st class tank landing ship, was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania. Commissioned in February 1943, she crossed the Atlantic a month later as part of the first convoy of U.S. Navy LSTs to reach the European war zone.

LST — short for Landing Ship, Tanks — were used to carry troops, tanks and supplies to shores, helping break the German hold on Europe. Their strength was in their shallowness and ability to beach themselves high and dry on the shores. This LST-325, is a floating memorial to those who served, and was docked on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, near the corner of Spring Street and Riverside Drive. This ship is no longer docked here, but for a few weeks, residents, tourists and history buffs could get an up close and personal look at the ship. The ship was one of only six made in Philadelphia. However, there were about 1,050 such vessels used in the war. The ships are of particular significance locally, as 123 of them were built at Jeffboat in Jeffersonville. In 1944, it made more than 40 trips from England to Normandy, France, in support of troops there. In 1945, it returned to the United States to be fitted with new equipment used to launch and retrieve light observational aircraft. However, it’s one of only two World War II LSTs to be preserved in the United States. It normally docks in Evansville, but for five weeks of the year visits other cities. A 58-person crew slept on board the ship while it was docked in Jeffersonville. "Big boys and their toys." Jo

He is so proud and so am I.

He has earned all the arm bands. orange=bathroom privileges. red="wandering" in the building. green="wandering" outside

Occupational therapy

After 50 years of marriage, through occupational therapy, he is learning to hang up his clothes. This is the practice room at the rehab hospital.