@OldBastard 30 August 2021 more from that month

Improved Bridges A few months ago I wrote a post where I complained about the inadequacy of the foot bridges around here. ( https://noise.cash/post/1gp3k4z5 ) I am very pleased to announce that several bridges nearby show considerable improvement over my original example. Attached are pics of two such "improved" bridges. The first pic shows a simple bamboo bridge. Due to the thoughtful inclusion of multiple bamboo stems, this bridge was able to bear my bulk, sagging only slightly. But the real genius behind this bridge is the addition of a handrail. Now this handrail was only "permanently" fixed on one side, while the other side was simply loosely tied to the coconut tree. (Yet ANOTHER friggin' coconut tree waiting to bonk me on the head with a coconut!) But if someone stood next to the tree and held the loose end of the handrail, it functioned well enough to help stabilize an old, wobbly American. The second pic shows a concrete bridge spanning the creek. Since this bridge didn't bend, buck, or sway in the slightest, most Filipinos could skip across it with ease. Old folk, such as Lola or me, are naturally less stable, so we needed a helping hand to make our way across. The last pic shows Ms. Em leading Lola across this bridge. I also needed help, but being fatter and much more prone to fall than Lola, I needed not only a person in front of me, but a person behind as well. So there you have it! Proof that not all pedestrian bridges in rural Mindanao are impassable.