I just checked the status of the train and it is running approximately on time, (15 minutes late at it's stop in Manassas this afternoon), so we will be heading to the station in about an hour or so. I like boarding at stations like Staunton or Charlottesville better than the big city stations like New York or Chicago because you stand trackside and watch for the headlight and flashing ditchlights to come in to view. As soon as you spot those and hear the whistle, you get that sense of excitement that your journey is about to begin. When boarding from the larger stations where you wait inside and wait for the track to be announced, you don't have the same sense of anticipation but rather feel more like you are at an airport. I like boarding from the smaller stations.
As I get ready to depart, I think about my morning. This morning we laid to rest my husband's grandfather. He was a decorated WWII veteran and a very quiet, unassuming man. He was a very kind and gentle man and, like me, he liked trains. In fact, it was with him that I first rode the old train pulled by the powerful steam locomotives back at Cass, WV. I remember we went back to Cass riding in his old mint green pickup truck and we stopped and ate a picnic lunch that Mark's grandmother had prepared for us. It was a great ride up the mountain on the old logging trains and even though it got pretty cold, we enjoyed the ride. So, as I board the train today, I will be thinking of you, Brownie.
This afternoon, we will travel through the western part of this state and into the wilds of West Virginia. I know that at least part of West Virginia is dark due to the Naval base and the radio telescopes, so my cell coverage and internet connectivity will be spotty, at best. As such, I probably won't post again today but hope to be able to post from Chicago tomorrow. Until then, ......
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