This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Little Rivers ( #AtoZChallenge )

There are rivers that are little and there are rivers named Little River.  Little or big, all rivers play an important role in the watersheds they encompass...



#AtoZChallenge 2021 April Blogging from A to Z Challenge letter L

 

Little Rivers


Little River in Great Smoky Mountains  (Townsend)


         There are over 20 rivers that I could find listed for the United States with the name Little River as well as scores of rivers with "Little" used as an adjective in the names--quite a few more than rivers with "Big" as a name or adjective.  Maybe it's something to do with the nature of a smaller river as opposed to a larger one.  After all, a name like Mississippi sounds a lot better than just plain old "Big River" (which is what some have called the Mississippi). 

          One of the rivers near me looks little in size as in regard to waterflow, but very wide in respect to the concrete covered river channel--in other words it looks more like a highway than a river.  I'd say most if not all who are reading this have seen the Los Angeles River in movies.  From the giant ants seeking refuge in the river drains in Them! (1954) to teenagers racing cars in Grease (1978) to the car chase in Terminator 2 (1991) and many more, the Los Angeles River has been a frequent setting for all sorts of action scenes in films.  But one driving over this waterway might never guess that it is a river in these areas where it has been paved over.

         In West Virginia one can find the somewhat little Lost RiverThis unique 31 mile river is actually part of the  Cacapon River in the Appalachian Mountains.  The portion that is "lost" eventually disappears underground and remerges downstream as the Cacapon,  The Lost River gets its name from the fact that it is what is called a "losing stream" which is a waterway that loses water as it flows downstream.  Most rivers are "gaining streams" because they get bigger.  Where does the water go when it's losing?   It seeps into the water table or disappears into the ground.  

        One of my favorite rivers is the scenic 60 mile Little River in Tennessee.  This river starts in the Great Smoky Mountains and ends up in the Fort Loudon Lake near Rockford.  The Little River in the national park and through the towns of Townsend and Walland is a much used recreation area for those who want to swim, float, or fish.  Back in the early seventies my friend Vernon and I floated down the Little River from Walland to Rockford.  It was a wonderfully relaxing few hours that I wouldn't mind doing again one day.  Maybe someday...

         Do you have a favorite "Little River"?   Which films have you seen that featured a scene set in the Los Angeles River basin?   What is your favorite song by The Little River Band?  


Since I've been reminiscing, here's one you might remember...








13 comments:

  1. Loved the continuing education about rivers Arlee also enjoyed the video. I had not heard that before.
    Only another fourteen letters to go.....lol.
    Take care.
    Yvonne.

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    1. Yvonne, I'm surprised you hadn't heard "Reminiscing". It was a pretty popular song--in the U.S. at least--and I hear it still somewhat often.

      Halfway there! Hope I can keep it going!

      Lee

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  2. First thing that came to me was Little Rock River which I have crossed hundreds of times.

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    1. L.Diane, Little Rock River has a nice sound to it namewise. If there are a lot of rocks in the river then the flowing waters probably sound nice too.

      Lee

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  3. Fascinating info about "losing" and "gaining" rivers, Lee! My favorite song by Little River Band is Reminiscing ;-) I thought sure "Gone in 60 seconds" would feature the L.A. river, but a quick check only mentions the cars that were destroyed - ha!

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    1. Diedre, the concept of "losing" rivers fascinated me as well. I was aware of rivers that sunk into the ground but didn't know they had a term. The Los Angeles River has been used for so many car chases.

      Lee

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  4. As soon as I saw your title, I thought of Little River Band. I think my favorite song of theirs is "Lady".

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  5. Lee,

    When I first read "Little River" I thought of the Little Pigeon River but according to Google Maps it's prefixed by West Prong. That bit somehow escaped me. Little River flows away from the Smoky's. I don't know if I knew the river by name but we've drawn through Townsend a whole bunch of times in our near 42 years in the area.

    I'm glad you decided to work the Little River band in with your content. Great oldie band!!

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    1. Oops, I failed to leave a direct link to my "L" post. Here it is, Lunch Looney Tunes A-Z Art Sketch. Happy A2Zing, my friend!

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  6. I know there are a ton of little rivers that I have seen but I could not name them but some have gone through very pretty towns. I am glad you are showcasing this band since they popped into my head right away. You could do a BOTB using one of their songs...maybe :) As for films, I think Earthquake used this and so did The Italian Job, the newer version.

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  7. I thought of the Loyalhanna Creek, a tributary of the Kiskimentas River. My father and his friends used to swim there as children, and I think my grandparents as well.

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  8. Little River Band was my first thought! I love their song, "Lady."

    Janet’s Smiles

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  9. I've been past the Little Pigeon hereabouts...

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Lee