Port of St. Louis

A couple weeks ago, the Mississippi Queen, one of the only stern-wheel steamboats to still ply the river, anchored on the St. Louis levee to board passengers for a fall junket. Unlike this week's hoopla over the 40th Anniversary of the Gateway Arch, the tall vessel came and went with little fanfare. But for those who happened to see the sight, it conjured up a timeless vision of this city's marriage to the great brown god. There was an era when such an embarkation was common place, a daily event. Now such rare sightings are almost dream like. Just below the Eads Bridge, the roustabouts once again took on supplies for the journey, as passengers arrived, their luggage heaped on the cobblestones.

Life on the Mississippi goes on.