Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Journey Back in Time

I have a whole folder of pictures taken last fall in Branson, MO. Somehow, fall got away from me and I never posted any of them. How did that happen? Life gets so busy. I'm not one for wanting "the good ol' days" back, but it's nice to selectively enjoy some of the more charming aspects of them now & then -- like a train ride! I'll put some of those Branson pictures up over the next few posts. And to help a friend beat the winter blues, I'll start with the "Old Train Series" and maybe he'll get motivated to start enjoying his hobby again. I've been on a couple of those 1-2 hour excursion trains like this one. But one really neat experience was taking an overnight train from Chaing Mai to Bangkok, when we were in Thailand ('97). I had almost forgotten about that. We slept in bunks and I kept looking out the window thru the night trying to take in as much as possible.You've just gotta love the rocking of a train and the clackety-clack sound.All aboard! My mom & dad always talked about taking a train trip across the country. They never did. Again, life gets so busy. Or something else always takes priority - like paying the bills.

I don't know what this is, except it was cool looking, in that industrial grunge sort of way. I changed up the tones just a tad for effect.This little ride made us want to do a train trip someday, too. Hopefully we won't put it off too long like my parents did.My husband was on the Thailand train with me but that was not his first time to experience travel by rail. From his India ('90) trip, he has great stories of peddlers selling "ka-feee!" and the mission team wondering what that dark line was running down the middle of the tracks. (hint - there was no Western style toilet, therefore no flushing system, therefore...well, you get the idea)."The introduction of so powerful an agent as steam to a carriage on wheels will make a great change in the situation of man." ~Thomas Jefferson "There are only two emotions on a plane: boredom and terror." ~Orson Wells

3 comments:

mwc said...

Great Pictures..Has me dreaming of my life long dream to become a hobo. lol I wonder?.. early retirement...cash in 401K.. low overhead.. might just work !!!!
Winter slipped out of my mind already !
Great post !

Charlene said...

I found you at Violet Skies blog (whom I love) & the photo of you & your beautiful fur baby caught my eye. Then when I went to your profile & see that you live in one of my favorite cities (Tulsa I think is where you are)... I knew I had to comment. My hubby works in Olahoma a lot & we always try to spend at least every other year there for our anniversary in the fall. In fact... he has talked of retiring there. ???? Anyway, love the train post & so glad to meet you.
Charlene

Connie Poncel said...

The train pictures are great. I have always wanted to ride a train. I do get motion sickness when I ride in the back seat of a car. I wonder if I would be O.K. on a train? Bob and I have thought about riding the train from Okla City to Ft Worth...maybe this Spring.