Stuff Turkey and other Stuff

Having spent the weekend floundering around the back roads of Mississippi on a way too extended outing

in search of a prize I could only appreciate at another date, I was back home.  My home turf

provides immediate gratification if I want to chase a train or just take a few pictures.

Today, "the sure thing provider" would not immediately provide.

There was work being done on the switch at ARA below Burke, La, near Spanish Lake.

That would mean nothing would be coming along.

I headed home.

Then I turned around and headed to the other side of Lafayette after hearing of some potential movement there.

 I don't know what is going on at Camp Pratt. Is the pile of limestone to improve the road or to block it?

 At the Lafayette Yard, a pipe train with pipe from the Port of Iberia sat ready to boogie.

I had a rabbit. My mood immediately improved.

 Lots of pipe. It is picked up from the L&D yard in New Iberia on the weekend.

 Running lights lit.

 I  have found a new place that isn't bad for urban Lafayette, Debonaire Drive.

It is between the yard and Scott in back of a metal yard. (US 90 W of Lafayette)

 He was slowly gaining speed and I was able to keep up even waiting at a stop light in Scott.

Scott (downtown)

 West of Scott I measured  my backdrop.

 Then I nailed it.

You can't beat railroad stuff and industrial stuff in a picture.

 Then the race was on to the US 90 overpass west of Rayne. I got behind a school bus that stopped every

10 feet.  What's the deal?    I had to walk 5 miles to my bus stop.

 The Fall foliage and blue skies are working.

 These engines must have gotten a wash job. A clean BNSF engine?

 Then he stopped short of the Crowley sidetrack.

The switch was not right and he had to align it and get in the clear because something was coming fast 

from the west.

 I wandered Crowley while he waited.

The sign tickled me. My wife says I'm a stuff turkey since I can't throw anything away.
No, I made that up.
 The sign tickled me because the name of the "dish" is "Stuffed Turkey", not the
shortened form of "stuff". Same goes for "Stuff Pork Chops". 
That may seem picky but the shortening of terms in English is fairly common.
For instance, here's an old one. The road is "pave". Or, you go down the "pave".
"Economy in speech", some call it. Get real, it's lazy and I do it all the time.
"Understanding me is your problem, not mine".
That's the new attitude, especially concerning government and our new "guest residents"
who are, in reality, criminals sheltered by vote chasing criminals.

 I headed to my favorite place west of Midland.

 The MP is correct.

At rice field flooding time, the water is boiling  here.

 I  tested the east side of the canal as a shot location.

 What appears to be a cypress tree is down there.

 I heard the Mermentau bridge tender  tell her to "highball" the crossing.

Very soon she (AMTK 92) was here.

 BNSF 7074 West had been waiting in Crowley and told to move out after the passenger train had passed.

I knew she'd be slow in coming so I called my wife and told her voice mail that I'd be a while.

I could chase trains all night on that message.

I was happy my timing was getting better though I'd liked to have let the Amtrak a bit closer before

pulling the trigger.

 I even nailed the third engine.

 And pipe. Lots of pipe.

 Heading  home I caught these cows in a rice field. They looked contented.

 Here are some shots from the long range camera.

This is the Midland sidetrack looking east from 

my location.

 This is looking west from the same spot.

 This is a really neat place. There is a great shade tree and it smells OK if someone hasn't dumped spent crawfish there.  That's it.
Oh, HERE'S a LINK to last year's VISIT HERE.  CLICK