There are double train tracks a pane-rattling quarter mile from our house. But since we had the old lead windows replaced several years ago, the trains don’t bother us much anymore. Several trains a day go by and, though we do worry and feel bad for others when we hear about railroad safety issues, we’ve learned to coexist with them. Most of the time.
We’ve become used to their sounds. In fact, their rattles and clanks, squeals and whistles have become the background music of life around here. We enjoy watching them pass as we sit on our deck, especially when the grandkids are here to celebrate each time. Even the dogs get involved, singing duets to the particularly piercing horns on some of the engines.
The trains also take Floyd back to when he played with the Lionel his dad gave him for Christmas when he was around five. I can tell he’s thinking about them by the way his eyes light up when he watches a train pass in the west. And even if I’ve heard it a hundred times before, I enjoy listening to him identify the different engines and speculate about what the cars might be carrying.
On days when he’s in the mood, he relives those childhood days with his original Lionel and several of its relatives residing in the corner of our basement directly under the living room. Nothing disrupts peace and quiet or stifles a conversation like a multitude of toys trains whisking around beneath the floorboards. But it sure makes Floyd happy and entrances any children who might be visiting.
Lately, however, we’ve been experiencing a downside of the big trains. For reasons unknown, they’ve been parking for days at a time on the crossing, blocking our road. We, the plumber, and the guy who serviced our mower and brought it back this week had to drive around the country mile to get to an open crossing. Of course that doesn’t hurt us any and it gives us a chance to see countryside we don’t see all the time. Still, it’s annoying. But it does give us something to speculate about. Was there a breakdown? Engine Trouble? An accident somewhere? I almost wish they’d keep us informed with signs posted on the dinging cross arms: Closed for Repairs. Thank You for Your Patience. Grand Opening, Coming Soon!
In the last two weeks a train has been across our tracks more days than not, the arms down, the warning bell clanging. All night long. But this morning, miraculously, when I looked out the kitchen window just after dawn, the train was gone. The arms were up and glowing in the sunlight like the gates of heaven! And I realized that those cross arms were a perfect example of our lives the last three years. For so long those bars have been down, discouraging us, making us doubt that things would ever change or be normal again. That we’d be able to move on to new experiences, places, and projects. Yes, we drove around the country mile, made do the best we could. But this morning, those arms were up, inviting us to move on to the next adventure!
With Floyd well again and my knee nearly healed, I’m ready! Just in time, too, because next week I’ll be diving into the first draft of my Hotdog book’s sequel at Highlights Foundation’s Just Do It workshop with Sarah Aronson and Chris Tebbetts. My goal is to have the rough draft done when the class ends in June. All I have to do is cross those tracks and get started! Yippee!
Remembering Our Pets
Rory Wendelin shared this picture of her dear Mylo. “The greatest cat to ever live, went to the great warm lap in the sky this past December.”
Thanks for sharing, Rory, and thanks for the memories, Mylo.
If anyone else has pets they’d like me to remember here, I’d be honored to do it. Please email me a picture and a little something about them.
Freebies!
I placed the names of everyone who has commented on posts in my hotdog hat and had Floyd draw three names for bookmarks.
And the winners are…
Gisela Fisher
Debbie Escher
Christine Cully
Congratulations! Please email me your addresses so I can mail you your bookmarks. And thanks everyone for all your comments. I really appreciate hearing from you. We’ll draw again at the end of April, so I can finally be caught up!
Have a good week.
Hugs,
Dale
Thank you Floyd for pulling my name!😂
Love your prospective on the railroad crossing!!