Illumination Round-Robin - Sunspots on Wildcat Creek

The final lines of the "Illumination" poem by J Power:

"
Seeing the water
I sat down and said to myself,
'We can be as beautiful as we want to be.'
"

inspired me to select this photo for the Illumination Round-Robin. Taken from the south bank of the Wildcat Creek, just a few yards downstream from the Adams Mill covered bridge, the uneven surface of the water produces not a single reflection of the afternoon sun, but rather turns the sun into hundreds of sunspots. This is fitting, since the image was captured shortly after leaving a reunion picnic of employees of the Sunspot Natural Market, owned by my sister, Joan. The Sunspot Natural Market has two locations, one in Kokomo, Indiana and the other in West Lafayette, Indiana, and is in its 34th year of operation. The event was held on the grounds of Adams Mill, which was constructed on the Wildcat Creek in 1845.

This photograph was taken on July 4, 2011.

Illumination Round-Robin - Adams Mill covered bridge

The Adams Mill covered bridge, located near Cutler, Indiana about halfway between Kokomo and Lafayette, was constructed in 1872 to allow single-lane passage over the Wildcat Creek. The bridge was completely reconstructed in 1999, and features a central open window on each side of the span, which illuminates the interior with natural light. The window openings also afford a view of the creek in each direction. The accompanying "illumination" photograph is a contribution to the Illumination Round-Robin, and was taken on July 4, 2011. Here is a view of the structure before reconstruction, and here are some architectural drawings of the original bridge, drawn in the 1970s by students from Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning under the supervision of the United States Department of the Interior. The Ball Stgate University study shows that the bridge is constructed using Howe trusses with added arches.