HISTORY HUNTS WAREHOUSE: Symmetry on a Mundane Day

LZ had asked after I sent out the Hazelhurst Historical Marker:

Do you take pictures of all the historical markers you come across?
That's a good idea, because I often don't take the time to read or remember them.

I replied:

I was pretty religious about doing that for years. I have passed a few lately I know I will never pass again and I don't regret it. They could have been something monumental.

I once "took" a lot of grave markers ... since they are historical markers on a more personal level. I don't do that anymore. What do I do? (I) Went out on this ride and shot 68 pictures, not one that isn't similar to a thousand others. I'm not even going to post them (because) they are so frivolous.

That was yesterday.

Arising this morning and getting my head in a better place I've decided to post them after sending LZ one that portrayed a little symmetry on that mundane ride granted that I'm wondering again, "why do it"? I suppose that if I didn't I'd end a 13 year habit of documenting every road ride I've taken in that time period. Enough beating around the bush.

My intention was to go northwest after learning that my initial interest was not an easy ride east of Grosse Tete. I'm not familiar with the mile posts on the Addis to Livonia route so I checked some pictures I had and saw that Grosse Tete was approximately at 103 and my interest, a downed engine, was at 90 something. That may have put it on dry land but on the opposite side of the wilderness. I wasn't going that far so I began my northwest ride in Lafayette, a very poor choice to begin any planned outing because there is stuff happening there and I get wrapped up in it as the "game" begins again .... Chase the Train.

Of course my timing was perfect. A beat up old Ex Santa Fe War Bonnet came chugging along slowly. Too slowly. The day was pretty but the sun would play my photography

for a fool over and over.

I sped downrail to the Lafayette Depot and there was no train.

The combo Santa Fe and CSX (one gallon will move a ....) engines were

switching far outside of the yard's eastern limits.

L&D sat patiently trying to get to the yard.

Getting back to the yard from the depot I found another train waiting at the east 902 switch. Being bored and losing some of my zest for the northwest, I decided to make do with local chinanagins.

I suddenly needed to know the numbers of all of the engines. I was clawing at anything that may translate into "something to do later" as the histories of all of these engines are on line.

Sorry, didn't get your number Mz Chinook. Coy hussie.

Here is the beginning of the grand circle this ride report portrays. Junious was going to fire her up.

I jumped the tracks and went looking for more stories in the yard. Headline: Train Sits on Trestle.

It wasn't going well. Then I heard that the L&D was coming off the BR and headed to The Yard.

I knew a place that would afford a good shot if the the winnos and vagrants weren't picnicing yet.

That's the tail gunner, not the train having done a switchie. They all look alike. L&D tried to give them some personality by naming them for their customer locations.

The names are not on the engines. At least I've never seen them. Not being visible seems to deminish any effect naming them might have achieved.

I name them out of pity, if you really want to know the truth. I believe machines have feelings. I won't say "souls" as that would cross the line between this blog and religion. All I need is for some hate group to take me to the Supreme Court.

Having nothing better to do it seems I followed HER to the yard. One day later only pictures keep me straight on the reality and progression of the past.

The little L&D was among the big boys and seemed small within the confines of their lair.

I'd played out Lafayette. I'd been there from 12 noon to 1:30 and rerun a lot of neighborhood streets to the point, if I was a resident, I would have questioned me. I felt a call having gone out to the local police to have me interogated. Paranoia? Well, it has happened so I know it isn't. Feeling my Lafayette visit long in the tooth I headed south because that is the scenic route home and I was feeling done. The radio was silent. Nothing seemed to be going on. I had heard on the home radio that morning that there was at train or something headed to BNSF MP 116 or 117. That is Patoutville Jct. or abouts. Maybe a train was going to the mill? That would be an option if I still had any "anvie" to continue. Only the warm sun, clear skies, freshly blooming flowers and trees combining to create what I prescieved as the First Day of Spring kept me away from the house as it was basically a boring mundane day on the rails. I had also heard that a train was at Cade and the Dispatcher had to get him moving. I would later learn that was an empty statement. Nothing was moving. I saw a light south of this famous over pictured perch but it was motionless.

I'd go south and investigate.

Maybe there was hope.

Below Captain Cade Rd. was the train on the Cade side track.

This was taken from a distance and bad so

I'll call it an "Artful Watercolor".

As you can see he wasn't set yet to leave.

I heard the engineer talking to the conductor. There was a communication problem possibly dealing with the antenna. The engineer said that he would pull the train forward a bit to see if that helped. There was a button involved and when pressed again it worked. They would be on their way north to The Yard.

Again each engine's number became important. I was lapsing into trivia pursuit once again.

She was on the move. I'd taken a perch at the Cade church next to the golfcourse.

"Train on Trestle" seems to have become the theme of the day. It might have

been a candidate for "title" if things had continued as they were.

Since I was in Cade I'd have to check out the place once known as New Iberia. LZ had reported the name change from New Iberia to New Siberia during this winter's icy weather. Recently he reported another re-handling reflecting Spain's win over Russia in girl's vollyball shown recently on NBC, your Russian Olympics connection featuring Comrad Putin, said to certainly to be awarded this year's cuvited Nobel Peace Prize. I'd have to go down there and see if the place had a new feel to it or possibly "old feel" since Nueva Iberia is probably a trowback name to an earlier era.

Mounring the fate of the old L&D engines I went by the hospital. Dissection had not begun, thankfully. I couldn't take it if their bloody parts were strown about.