And now… Snow!
From this image, taken from the rear of one of the railcars used on our various trips over the Donner Summit, you would think that snow is a constant.
And you would be wrong. More often than not, you see it on the ground, not in the air.
Not that there is anything wrong with snow in the air. We had one trip, years ago, where a couple rode the rear platform in polar suits. Really enjoyed the cold weather. Another trip fondly recalled, found us making a moonlight crossing, with the train over 10 hours late, but plenty of folks outdoors taking it all in. I myself recall one especially relaxing moment stepping out into light powder. Just the thing to cool off after toiling in a very hot kitchen!
The best of both worlds? Safe and warm inside, with a smart cocktail in hand rolling the miles by. That’s how I fight off the snow.
The 21st?
Well, this calls for a celebration, of sorts.
Mai Tai’s, at least…
It has been a long time since I blogged this many days in a row, a long time indeed. And it has been a lot of fun along the way too.
Kind of a way to restart the juices, at least the writing ones. Thanks to Mike Mueller for the challenge.
Now to keep plugging away at the keys.
Why not a story?
Off and on, I have toyed with the idea of writing fiction.
That said, there are plenty of good people out there keeping the fires going. Some, like pal Steve Boyett, have even managed to have their stories see print on store shelves.
I have, what I think, is a fairly good premise for a story. And like many writers, I have started writing that same story many times. Finishing it and doing so to a point I feel good enough about it to let it go beyond my own desktop? That’s another matter.
One thing every author does, even just in writing this blog entry, is to know when to end. At that point, once published, you let go of the story and it goes out to live or die on it’s own. In the case of the blog, it goes out to the sphere known as the Internet. If someone likes it, they pass it along to a friend. If enough people do that, the words become more as they grow in popularity. Often, they just pass into obscurity.
In the case of my fictional tale, that seems to be the block. Never ending, never coming to a conclusion. That or lacking the middle of the story, knowing the ending but not the meat of the tale. Sad to say, but it all just piles up that way.
Yes, it can be an easy out. Time isn’t the big bad gremlin one might think, as I have plenty to take advantage of. Still, until I am satisfied with the tale, loyal readers won’t see it either.
So… One more entry and I reach the goal, of this challenge anyway. Not to worry, plenty more fodder still lurking about. Now to get it out and about.
The Pleasure Dome
One of the favorite railcars we get to charter for clients is the Plaza Santa Fe, a.k.a. the “Pleasure Dome”.
Originally, it was 1950’s version of the Super Chief. Not only was it the only dome car in service between Chicago and Los Angeles, it offered the Turquoise Room – the only private dining room on any passenger train in this country. Located right next to the dining car, it was where you could find the Santa Fe’s Champagne Dinner Service.
Through years of Amtrak service and finding the way into private service isn’t unique to the Plaza Santa Fe. Of the 6 built by Pullman in 1950, all survive. But the 503 is the only one that meets Amtrak standards and still rolls on trains as intended, occasionally along the Santa Fe.
Thanks to all the fine folks who make this possible!
A moment in time
In my life, there are a few moments that I would love to revisit.
This is one of them.
It is an afternoon, sometime in the fall. Rain is imminent, with the smell on the air.
I’m alone with my camera. In a spot that has not much changed over 70 odd years, since man came to visit. The train isn’t terribly out of place either. The long wail of the whistle as it blows for the road crossing echoes across the prairie, just as it might have all those years earlier.
It was just a moment in time. Captured, on film. As much as I just watched it all pass by then, I look at it now and wish I could step back to it now.
A visit today to the same spot? No train, although the rails are there, largely undisturbed by the passage of the years. The train sits nearby, waiting for a call that will never come. Some of the people who made the image possible are gone now.
But the spot remains. Much as it always has, with the passing years. Silent and lonesome, without man.
Still, what I would give to be there again, for just that moment.