Crashing the Party at Enterprise

To begin with, I'm kinda in a mood right now. I offer no excuse.

It may be the election, it may be something else.

I'd been dilly dallying with the Basile History Hunts academics. Research gets tedious as progress is slow when dealing with the obscure past. I would  have never imagined finding myself laboring at such.

I needed some relief.

Possibly I'd give a little real time life to the project by trying to find the setting for the mill. That's a laugh, I needed a ride. The day was not settled and it had gotten to be noon very quickly so I told my wife I was going out for a short one. Indeed, I inserted the same old route plan and went into auto pilot. Zilch was happening and that I expected.  One ray of hope existed. It is cane milling season and Enterprise, the mill at Patoutville, would be thumping. Sugar mills in Autumn are berserk places. There's clanging and banging and smoke dust and mud during the calm times. When they are really rocking and rolling they are manic to panic punkanese kick out the jam operas. Get the picture?

I find them beautiful. 

After efficiently gliding through New Iberia, I found myself on the edge of the Marias at the tracks leading into the mill. There were a number of tank cars there, and wait, a fellow in a green safety shirt. I saw no engine as it was obscured. I'd nailed a Louisiana and Delta visit. The mill was at full steam belching as a animal in the throws of conflict.   I couldn't wait to watch the little train approach the monster.

If I'd missed the green shirt, I would have ridden on.

Subtract an hour from the time stamp.

I saw the train pulling out for the mill.

I flew to where the tracks cross US 90, about 

half way to the mill from the Marais location.

A night shot would give the emphasis which I wanted, but this is close.

The train was headed into the fray.

 

 Here she came.

 Traffic on US 90 stops.

 Gorgeous!!!

Next, the batteries went out in my long distance camera.

My backups were dead too.

These are taken at great distance. 

All I had left was the little 4x zoomer.

It was out of its league.

I shifted to the cane road and shot these.

I have played with them in hopes of extracting something.

While I was fighting the batter situation she had pulled the line of cars in, 

unhitched and come back around to pull a full set out.

Back at the Marais.

She was pulling the full cars out.

 

I'd seen this next section, crossing the Marais.

Check out Racoon Railroad.

I was off to cross the Marais on my secret road.

I'd meet the train at Patout Junction.

She emerged from the basin through a turn which

set all the wheels screeching. If you've never heard this noise, you need to.

It will erase and replace any memory of nails on a chalkboard.

 She was pulling them onto the mainline siding.

 The conductor told the engineer that the cars had cleared the switch.

 I don't know how many of you are into letting your clothes make your statement.

I am wondering about the engineer's hot pink outfit. 

Of course I am not being judgmental.

 Well, he deserves to wear what he wants, he was doing most of the work.

 The engine would leave the cars there.

The engineer radioed the dispatcher that they were going east "light".

 I hope they had the brakes on.

 I thought I'd have no chance of catching them east of Jeanerette after catching a light in town.

Sure enough, just south of Albania Plantation I did.

Not bad for a mundane short putt.

Back in New Iberia nothing had changed.

The place was in a trance waiting on Mz Sunset Limited Amtrak,

exactly what I had expected. 

Pictures from Pictures

"PNP" refers to "pictures in picture". Digital cameras are capable of huge images. They are landscapes ready to explore. I did a bit of that in yesterday's shots. This is what I gleamed from them. Click, they are large. Hit the "X" in the right upper corner to return or use the line of icons in the bottom row to check them out.

Some are blurry, no problem, consider them water colors.
In reality, looking into a picture is looking at a distance.
That's my excuse and I'm sticking w/it.



























For your next mattress and some swamp pop, try out...

Pictures in Pictures for December and Earlier

The following shots are huge pictures represented by their little "short cut icons, aka, the pictures you see". Click them and the big shots are there for you to download if you want. If you download them I'll know where you live so that could be a consideration. I really don't mind you having them because I enjoy meeting new people, but only if you don't mind me coming by. Your choice. Or, I could call if you'd prefer.

All kidding aside, if these pictures make you happy, I have no problem with you having them, selling them, hording them, looking at them in dark places, whatever, I'm cool with that.
Merry Christmas!!

I've set the boundaries, lets proceed.

Since I'm in a "people mood" we'll start with "People Caught Not Looking".

The big fella below is a Train Doctor. Mick was stuck and
Doc needed to pay the train a visit and get it going. He did.





Besides leasing railroad engines, repairing engines, the
fellas at SILX also do great tune ups.



Bob, there's a man in the ditch taking our picture.
Yea's, he's a nut, just ignore him.



Oh _ _ _ _ {rated double X} I'm here, stuck on Taft St.
and it ain't looking good. Can I take off my seat belt, now?



Next are a few odd balls I'll get out of the way.

Some of these border on "modern art".
Possibly, now you'll have an appreciation for
that style. I'll actually identify what you are
looking at, something the "modern artists" fail
to do and I'll tell you the truth instead of making
you try to figure them out. Like I could say, this one
is titled, "Cow Skin". How long would you try to
manipulate it into that description?
Naw, I won't do that. Here we go.

This one I call, "Side of Old Engine at the SILX Yard"



This one is "Side of An Old Engine at AKDN's Statesman St. Yard".



This one is "1503, Are You Ill?", taken at the SILX facility.



This one is "Hell Bound Train", a title stolen from a song I like.



These are various "pictures in pictures" of my latest Sunset
Limited shots. They are much better than the larger versions.

"Untitled", named after a favorite record album of mine
by the Byrds. Some say the design of the Amtrak engines
resemble a bird.



"Knuckle Head", named after my nickname. I thought it
was my real name for a while.



"Mail Stop", named after what trains once did. Look closely, Mildred.



"What's Wrong Trucker, You Can't Keep Up?"



Just imagine the sheer fear the guy in the black pickup
would be experiencing at night.

"Nellie, Are We Going the Wrong Way?"



Getting very extremely, without a doubt, serious, the 2 Santa Fe engines, so dirty and beat up, but still displaying the colors of a once proud railroad, and putting on a good show, made for an excellent shooting session, which I had no idea I was accomplishing. I never know until I look at these shots, and then look into them, as I've been doing on this post. {I have a large supply of commas, but few periods}

Jointly named, appropriately for the season, here are the "Santa Fays" pictures.

Poor Santa Fays, parked in Cade, waiting for the Prima Donna,
Mz Sunset Limited, to come by.



Could you turn around, dears. Thank you



Next are variations on the same shot.







Bye Girls! The sooty honeys were headed for an evening in Lafayette.

This last one is close to being the original. Maybe it is better
than the "pieces", just as the whole story is better than only parts.
But, sometimes you don't want to know it all but have to listen, anyway,
or maybe you don't want to see everything, but have to look. Mirrors
may be a good example, here.
The debate rages.