Today is a return to architecture with the sprawling Wentworth Coolidge Mansion located on Portsmouth’s waterfront.

Today’s image is a very simple, peaceful image of the Memorial Bridge in its final days. Closed to traffic and standing tall over the Piscataqua River, the bridge enjoys a nice view of the late day sky above.  It’s a bit eerie to see that the Kittery side tower already had its rounded cable holders removed, already altering the bridge’s appearance beyond the obvious disappearance of the center span.  Once I am able to get a post-worthy shot of the bridge in its current state, I’ll be sure to share with all.

The Memorial Bridge lift span was brought up to the State Pier when it was initially removed from its home.  After a couple days of intrigue and restricted access for viewing, the span mysteriously showed up at Prescott Park and has been there for the weekend.  It’s amazing to see it up close, especially some of the finer details like the incredibly frayed cables at the top of the corners of the span.

Tomorrow will include photos of the lift span being floated out – but for now I wanted to share two shots of the flurry of activity that had to happen in order for the span to be floated out in the first place. The first shot above features two workers hurriedly screwing something onto one of the barge towers that will help secure the 2 million pound lift span. The shot below is a serene capture of the Cape Cod barge at rest with the early morning light reflecting the scene in the rich blue water of the Piscataqua.

While I was scouting out good spots to watch the lift span float out of the Memorial Bridge, I decided to head over to Four Tree Island for a nice head on shot.  The wind was sharp and my hands were absolutely frozen, but a nice long exposure with a fascinating cloud movement made for a worthy image. Hard to imagine that in a few days this view will never be the same.  I’m looking forward to some action shots with the barge carrying the bridge – but until then some scenic shots will have to do the trick.

The Congress Street corridor is a great spot to watch the light change during various points of the day.  During the winter, the late day sunlight streaks across Congress Street, barely reaching the Breaking New Grounds building in Market Square.  In this shot of the mid-afternoon, the North Church and the square enjoy some direct sunlight while the buildings on either side of the street create a claustrophobic view up the hill.