Picture of the day - November 5, 2007

"The Old Millhouse"

Photo courtesy of Kevin Thompson. I have always been fascinated by watermills. I remember tagging along with my dad from time to time when he would go fishing, and one of his favorite "fishin' holes" was the mill pond at a local grist mill. I just loved to sit and watch that big wheel turn ever so slowly as the "buckets" filled up with water and listen to the rhythmic squeaking of the huge bearings as they strained under the heavy load. I didn't realize it at the time, but my experiences with that big old wheel were my very first "physics lessons". I guess it's been about 35 years since dad last took me to that old mill, but I'm still intrigued by watermills even today. This wonderful picture by photographer Kevin Thompson caught my eye when I saw it on the Canon Digital Photography Forums, so I contacted Mr. Thompson and asked his permission to feature it as a "Picture of the Day". He graciously said yes and offered the following brief story about the image: "I was taking a little 'me' time after work one day and drove out to Midway Village & Museum Center in Rockford, Illinois. I had always heard it was a nice place, but like so many locals, I never visit local attractions. The Old Millhouse is a working replica of a water- powered machine shop. It was a late fall day, with late afternoon sun, and the colors of the trees in the area were outstanding. Simply a beautiful place to sit, relax and reflect."  --Kevin Thompson Click here to comment on today's picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"