The Grand Adventure of 2016

Day 1, January 14, 2016

The morning started out dark and cold. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning on January 14th didn't

help! It has to be one on the coldest days so far this winter at 15 degrees above zero. The

snow quit late last night as Sherry didn't have to scrap the windshield at all. Just an easy brush

and that snow was gone. Still walking through the snow or standing stupidly you could feel the

cold and damp seep right through the soles of your shoes and into your feet. It was so cold you

almost felt like your feet were damp which only intensified the cold more.

We drove through the dark from Kate's to East Lansing with 45 minutes to spare, time for

breakfast if we could have found a decent place to eat. Good thing I brought a couple of

breakfast bars with me. Only thing missing is a nice cup of hot tea.

The scenery outside my window is very drab due to the season and the contrast with the white

snow. But at least prettier than just the dead dried leaves tossed about on the ground.

Arrived in Chicago, a bit late, but that just made the layover time shorter! Was going to be a two

hour layover but ended up being only 90 minutes. We pulled out of Chicago on time and after

spending 90 minutes underground the bright sunshine is very refreshing. But soon it will be

dark and the scenery hidden from view. I hope I go through the mountains during the day so I

can see and enjoy them. There won't be much to see until we leave the suburbs of Chicago.

The guy setting across from me has come from out east somewhere. The only place he

mentioned was Buffalo, complained about the last train being frozen and he couldn't even

shave! He practically unloaded his suitcase when we got on board. Was a strange sight to see.

He, too, is going all the way to Seattle.

I chose to not go to the dining car for dinner tonight instead I went to the lounge fir a

cheeseburger and a Diet Pepsi for a total of $9.50. Probably would have been better to go to

the dining car for a chicken dinner for $16.50. Tomorrow I believe I will do the dining car for all

meals. Eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch not sure what for dinner.

The sun has set now, the orange, yellows and reds of the setting sun were glorious. The

reflections on the clouds made for some spectacular formations of light, dimensions and colors.

Including one band of angels appearing to sing hallelujah to God.

The lights are on inside the car now low and when looking out the window a reflection of

yourself is seen. Then if you look close you can see the bobbing lights in the fields like

lightening bugs in summer. You know when you are out in the middle of nowhere as there is

nothing but black night as far as you can see.

As the train approaches a town, the lights outside the window lights start to accumulate in

groups climbing up towards what can assume to be the sky. The tall towers of lights are

momentarily blocks by the even darker skeletal limbs of the trees reaching up in the night to

touch the stars in the heavens. Man made and nature ever twined together to provide a

contrasting scene outside my moving window.

Sometime during the vastness of the night the train slows and comes to a stop. This time it is

different, the quietness of no sound seems to boom loud in your ears after hours of listening to

the soft rumble of the moving train. This quiet is so deafening it is difficult to even think of trying

to catch a nap.

Day 2, January 15, 2016

Somewhere in northern North Dakota

After a fairly uneventful night we were awaken by an announcement over the speaker system

announcing breakfast being served in the dining car at 6:30. I decided to have yogurt for

breakfast and and a bottle of water was $5.75. Lunch I am decided about.

Our mysterious stop during the night lasted can hour while they attached another engine to our

train. We now have three engines up front, not sure what the problem was but the conductor

indicated it is not unusual during the winter to have three engines on board.

We are moving right along again and seem to be making find time. There is lots of snow

outside my window and it dies appear to look very cold. There is no sun to be seen out there

and that adds to the surreal look of cold and desolation. Not many houses to be seen just open

fields. Once in a while a grove of bare trees with a house in disrepair to the point if collapsing to

the ground. There are no lights so they are just empty hulks of lost memories. Memories of

happy families celebrating birthdays, Christmases and wedding with an occasional death.

Gathering of friends to build a barn, harvest a field or just for a celebration of friends and family.

I decided to skip the dining car for lunch and not sure I will do dinner there either. T did bring

some Atkins reduces with me so have been snacking on them. I think on my return trip I will

bring more food with me. Fresh vegetables at least.

I am thinking I will miss a lot of the view through the Rocky Mountain passes as it is going to be

dark before I get there. We are climbing the foothills now so probably a good thing we have that

third engine. Plus there is snowing and blowing going on making it difficult to see anything

anyhow.

Have a very lively discussion with three young men gearing politics and policies in the

government. They are probably in their 30’s, one us in the military and industrial is a father with

two young children the third one did not have much to say. He actually left the conversation

very early. The military man us a republican and very excited to be voting for Mr trump in this

cycle. The young father has not yet decided on how he is going to vote but feels he is more of

an Independent than either of the two major parties. There was no hard feeling at the end of the

conversation. The guys road with us from Minot, ND to Whitefish MT where they were going to

be doing some snowboarding.

Day 3 January 16, 2016

West of Spokane WA

We spent at least two hours sitting on the tracks in Spokane, I have no idea why. Our train was

split and part if it went south go Portland, OR. I didn't even notice when the extra cars were

dropped off, was a very smooth transaction all together.

Our car is filling up. The conductor woke Nester up to seat another passenger and it was not a

good result. Nester said he wanted the isle seat and the young lady apparently didn't like that

idea. The conductor was not happy and told Nester he now had to stay in the isle seat and he

would not have any more problems with Nester. I have to wonder if it wasn't more of a issue

with Nester’s accent! There were plenty of empty seats before they got to Nester so have to

wonder why he waited until he got this far as we are halfway back in the car from the stairway.

Everything with Nester and the Conductor was clear up. The conductor apologized for the

rudeness of the young girl who refused to set next to Nester. Glad that was worked out and

turned out great. In fact the conductor bought Nester two cups of coffee as a peace reckoning!

At Wenatchee, WA we picked up a lot of new passengers, mostly college students. I had a

student join me in my seat. She stays with her grandmother during the week to attend the local

community college. She is going to study nursing so trying to get all those pesky pre requisites

finished up before going back to the University to get her RN. Her father is a golf pro, Keith

Henderson, I have never heard of him but will let Ruth know as they watch golf all the time.

Another young lady joined Nester in his seat and they seemed to get on just fine. He likes to

talk! I had already let her know he was harmless!

We left Wenatchee on time but still in the dark. From there to Everett as through the Cascade

Mountain Pass. We went through some tunnels but was hard to tell in the dark! One on the

tunnels was eight miles long. I could tell by the sounds when we were in a tunnel.

With the snow at time I could see the skeletal shapes of the trees and fallen trees buried under

the snow. The evergreens were dipping with the heaviness of the snow. In the near dark is

was a surreal landscape rushing past my window. Finally after the long tunnel we were seeing

the beginning of daylight. The boulders covered in snow took on eerie shapes you could almost

picture a bear at slumber with the snow on top of him. For a while we followed a river, the water

was flowing and there was even a small waterfall. At one place the river was fairly wide and

rocks and Boulders were strewn about like marbles on the ground. The flowing water was

rushing to get around the obstacles and move on down the stream. Around the next bend was

an old house set in the bend of the river and back from the river bank. A great place for a

farmer to grow his cops and animals. The windows were out of the house and the barn was

gone but you could still see the white paint on the sides of the house. It was just a low one story

frame house and looked very lonely and forlorn there on the riverbank.

Further along was the remains of what might have been a very small family village. Several

houses grouped together with outlying buildings in ramshackle shape. Old equipment and cars

buried under the snow, great hulks of white, waiting for what, no one knows.

Arrived in Seattle on time, was great since we had lost time during the night. King Street Station

is awesome, shinny bright and clean. There were not very many people waiting in the station.

But a train did come in and a mother was there with her six month old and 2 ½ year old who

was clutching two very sad looking flowers for grandma. I was sure grandma would be thrilled

to get those two little flowers and sure enough she came out of the station carrying the flowers

in one hand and holding the hand of the little girl. What a beautiful picture that made.

Now I am on a bus headed right back to Everett. You would have thought they could do a bus

from Everett to Mt Vernon and I wouldn't have had to back track. So I was fortunate to see the

scenery between Everett and Seattle from the road on I5 and from the railroad tracks! Vastly

different scenes.

Day 4, January 17, 2016
Mt Vernon

Jill and Anne picked me up at the Transit Station in Mt. Vernon.  The bus ride was not exceptional but was different scenery from the train ride down.  As we left the station it was decision time, home and a shower or dinner.  Home won our and it sure was great to get in have a nice long shower. After  Then we went to a Chinese  Restaurant for dinner and then home again.  We discussed going to church so we would hear Jill and Kathy preform but decided to not make a decision until in the morning.  Jill hung out with us for a while and then she was headed home to Bellingham.  I was exhausted and headed to bed early.

I was up at 6:30 and it was decided we were going to church, which was at 8:30 so we had breakfast and planned our day.   After church we went to Bellingham to see one of Anne's friends who had just lost her boyfriend.  Eve is 86 and lives in a marvelous Senior Facility.  We spent several hours visiting with Eve and had a delicious lunch in the dining room.  She was just a very special lady and was go elated we came to visit with her.  She was very sad over losing her companion of the last several years.

After leaving Bellingham we stopped in Joann's Fabric on your way home.  I spent my usual but came home with several projects to work on until the sewing machine arrives.  One of Jill's friends offered the use of her machine or her moms machine which is in storage.  I expect I will see it later this week.  In the meantime I am making her come new knitted and crocheted dishcloths.  Her mom and grandmother used to make them for her but both are now gone and she hadn't found a resource to make her new ones.  I am happy to do some and will be my way of repaying her kindness in loading me a sewing machine.

January 20, 201
Mt Vernnon, WA

What a day it turned out to be!  We started out going to Bellingham for Anne"s appointment at the hair salon, The Velvet Rope and Billy.  What a nice young man he was.  We made him a wall hanging out of a piece of fabric that had skulls on in.  He likes the Day of the Dead and this fabric was perfect.  It was bright and colorful skulls and we cover a piece of painters canvas.  Billy found room on the wall and hung it right up.  there was a small piece of fabric left over which Anne gave to him and he had a plan for it immediately.  Anne asked him if he knew of any apartments in the area that would be suitable for Jill and he did!

From Billy's salon we went to Anthony's for lobster lunch.  It was on special for $19.95 and it was yummy!  Anthony"s is right on the water front with a spectacular view of the Bellingham Bay.  All the sail boats were in port and the empty mast  were like a forest of trees on the sea.  Beyond the boats we could make out the bay with the Canadian mountains in the background which were amazing even coming out of the mist of the morning fog.

After lunch we went to look at some apartments that Billy recommended.  They are part of a large conglomerate of apartments.  Several price ranges and locations.  This one that we looked at was called The Hideaway.  They had a townhouse, a single bedroom add a two bedroom apartment available  We were able to look at the two bedroom that had just been emptied and was not ready to rent.  But it will be ready February 5.  So Jill filled out a rental agreement and put down a deposit.  I plan of being here to help with the move in!  Then is was home, no stops other than to pick up the mail.

It was gong to be an early night, but was still nearly 11:00 pm before we went to bed.