Cerise Trestle | Lynx Mountain Bridge Inspector

The story of Cerise Trestle

A fictional story inspired by the artwork.

The lynx kneels next to the bridge railing with a brass caliper open around a square bolt. The bright cerise coat hangs down onto the weathered planks. Tall ears with black tufts frame the inspector's lowered head, and the dark buttoned vest and boots make the coat look like part of a practical uniform.

Each spring, the bridge crew checks the ironwork before heavy wagons begin crossing the valley again. The inspector has measured this bolt every year for as long as the local records go back. This morning its head is a little wider. A new bolt in the wrong place could mean a hurried repair, or it could mean someone has moved the old railing one span farther down the bridge.

The timber trestle turns away into the mist, its repeated supports leading the eye from the caliper to the far bank. Dark pines and a small waterfall below the bridge give the valley scale. The picture keeps the inspector close to the viewer so the attention stays on a single piece of iron.

An adventure might begin with the inspector asking a carpenter to compare the rail to an earlier drawing. If the two disagree, both will have to walk the crossing and check where the measured distance begins.

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