WE'RE ON THE TRAIN AGAIN

Yes, we're back in Georgia but we were beginning to wonder if we'd ever get out of PA last month.  Twice, we sedated poor Calvin and hit the turnpike only to have to turn around at the Lebanon exit because of truck engine issues.  The third time was a charm and we got to Cordele GA just in time for the SAM Shortline's Thomas the Train event's first weekend.   The director told us afterward that this was their second best year, selling over 10,000 tickets for the five-day event. 

With all the drama around leaving home this year, I have to say that we had a very good summer...with just a few hiccups.

The first 'not so much fun' event was on April 22.  We were watching TV and had heard that a storm was coming.  All of a sudden I noticed the trees swaying in the wind.  No sooner had I told Keith to look out the window when a tree came crashing through the ceiling.  Luckily, only about six feet of it came through because there was about 15' still attached outside.  Thanks to the maintenance crew at Sun Valley who came the next morning with a chainsaw, we were able to remove the tree and cover the hole till the insurance agent checked it.  It's been repaired and looks like new.  It could have been so much worse.

Keith spear-headed the building of an RC (radio-controlled) race track at our campground.  He designed it, the park provided the site and materials, and he and his friend Bill, built it.  It's been such a success, the park has decided to expand it for next summer.  He's looking forward to that.

Keith and Bill at work??

Father's Day weekend, Shawn, Kristi Drake and Robby stayed in one of the cabins at the campground.  They tried their luck at fishing in the pond and then Grandpa introduced the boys to "Washers." 

Robby checking out the worm



Drake, the fisherman



In the Hole!

The end of June, I went to Cedar Run Inn at the PA Grand Canyon for a few days with my BFFs Gwen and Mare.  I have wanted to see this area for years and even though the weather wasn't the best, we had a great time.  Loved the inn; would love to go back with my bicycle because the bike trail goes right by the inn.  

Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon



Cedar Run Inn - feeding hundreds of Hummingbirds

The bike trail

The campground held it's annual 'water wars' weekend in July, and our little group of neighbors really got into it.  As I was retreating after throwing a round of water-filled balloons, I tripped and landed hard on my elbow.  Three hours later, I'm at the Urgent Care center getting X-rays.  It's a broken radial cap at my elbow and bruised ribs.  The good news is that they didn't have to cast it and it healed pretty quickly.  The ribs took a little longer.

At the end of August, just as I was feeling good again, I broke out with a case of Shingles in my head.  Ironically, I had just gotten the Shingles vaccine six weeks earlier.  We had plans to spend the second week of September with Dan and Kim in Ocean City MD.  Luckily, I had a mild case (a benefit of the vaccine).  The rash and pain cleared up within a week, and we had we had a good time.  We even got Keith on the beach!

Relaxing in the shade

Competition on the Boardwalk

We ended the month visiting cousins Rod and Ellen in Maine.  They took us along with Tony & Donna and Joe & Sue to Vermont's Jay Peak Ski Resort where their daughter's family has a condo.  It was the perfect time of year for 'leaf peeking.'  We spent a beautiful warm and sunny afternoon in Sherbrooke, Quebec.  The downtown area has huge murals painted on the sides of buildings.  The biggest adventure of the day was trying to find a place to eat lunch and then deciding what to eat since every sign and menu in the town was in French.
Ellen was once again the perfect tour guide.  On the way back to Maine, we stopped at the Cabot cheese outlet where we could sample at least two dozen different flavors.  Who knew there were that many?   Then, on to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory Tour in Waterbury.  It was interesting and, oh my, another sample!  Our final stop was to view Quechee Gorge and to walk through the Simon Pearce glassware showroom and see the glassblowers at work in the original workshop.  It's an amazing craft to watch; what precision!  We had such a good time!  Did I mention 'fresh lobsters'???

On the tram to the top of Jay Peak





On the top of Jay Peak



 

View of  colorful foliage



One of the amazing murals in Sherbrooke

Keith imitating the man in mural

SPRINGTIME!

On March 1, we left Calvin and the camper at the park and drove to Tampa to pick up friends, two couples from Sun Valley, at the airport for a week in Clearwater Beach.  We had rented a condo close to the beach and nightlife.  We had two beautiful days to relax next to the Gulf waters.  Dan and Kim are our 'water babies' so naturally they spent time in the surf.  For the rest of us, it was nice to just soak up the sun.   Then, dinner at Frenchy's or Crabby Bill's or Palm Pavilion where we were introduced to Rum Runners and Crab Traps...nom nom! 

Tuesday was overcast but it didn't rain on our parade...literally.  We spent the day at a Mardi Gras celebration and parade in nearby Dunedin.  The floats were amazing and every one of them was throwing BEADS!

Bobbi, me, Kim

Dan, Bobbi, Keith and Fred

 

Wednesday, we headed to Clearwater for a Phillies Spring Training game.  Fred and Bobbi are from Philly and huge fans and had enough Philly T-shirts to share with us.  I'm not a big sports fan but it was another 'first' for me and fun day.

Four Philly Phanatics and us!!

The weather turned cloudy and cool for the next two days and sadly I came down with a stomach virus and spent the time resting.  On the sunny side, it was a fun week with good friends.

Do they look like they're feeling my pain??

After dropping our friends off at the airport we drove back to Ga Vets to host on the train one last time before leaving for the season.  We had hoped to spend a few weeks traveling through FL but found that campground reservations were hard to get at the last minute in March.  We were able to get three nights near St Augustine which made me happy because I'd never been there and had heard how nice it was.  We thoroughly enjoyed this town and its history.

 We spent the last week of our winter get-away at Skidaway State Park visiting with Don And Barb and getting the 'lay of the land' for our 2015 stay as camp hosts. 

I KNOW IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS...MY ONLY EXCUSE: PROCRASTINATION

The last two months on the Sam Shortline have been relatively quiet, only three excursions to host.

We celebrated New Year's Eve together with our "host family" at a party in the Hawkins lounge car of the train (an appropriate setting for the occasion).  Good friends, food, fun, some wine...and no, we did not see the ball drop!  While the rest of Georgia was having their traditional Black-eyed Peas for New Year's Day dinner, we stuck with our usual pork and sauerkraut for good luck.

Hawkins Car

To get ready for the new year, everything in the commissary car was taken to the depot to be inventoried...thousands of thimbles, key chains, magnets, train whistles, etc.  We made an assembly line with the other hosts to fold, bag, label and price a few hundred new t-shirts.  While the other hosts assembled new shelving and rearranged the gift shop, I painted the new Director's office.  We worked, but with a lot of chatter and laughing...so it didn't really feel like WORK. 

The excursion in February was on Valentine's Day and we served a spaghetti dinner to 50 passengers in the Americus Dining Car.  White tablecloths, crystal,  no paper plates or plastic (and no kiddos!)  The train stopped over the lake so they could watch the sunset, and thanks to a beautiful clear evening we were treated to a full moon on the way back.  The only casualty of the night was a handful of dessert forks that slipped off a stack of plates just as the host was carrying them across the vestibule between cars.  We're guessing that they're lying on the tracks somewhere near Cobb!

On Sundays, if the weather is clear, you can find a half dozen or so men at the park's model airplane field.  It's fun to watch them perform.  This one had a six foot wing span.  Some of the men have trailers to carry their planes and all their tools.  I think that may be the only thing keeping it from becoming Keith's new hobby!?!  (The plane on the ground is part of the plane and artillery display at GA Veterans Park.)

Boys and their Toys

We took advantage of our down time in February to do some sightseeing.  One of the local sights that we pass every time we go to town is the Norbord plant, an international producer of wood-based panels.  Trucks loaded with pine trees arrive every day and sometimes they get backed-up.


Trucks backed up onto the highway

To the right, behind the first truck is the huge pile of trees

  
































We visited Andersonville Prisoner of War Museum and Cemetery.  This was the site of the Union Army prisoner camp built in February, 1864 to hold 10,000 men.  Within six months, it held over 30,000 prisoners in what the men called "hell on earth."  Confined soldiers suffered terribly from over-crowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate food.  Most prisoners died from disease, starvation, or exposure.

Americus, a small town on our train route, is the home of the Habitat for Humanity International's Headquarters and Global Village.  Here they've constructed life-sized replicas of Habitat houses from around the world.  Each house is as unique as the country it comes from, most consisting of only one or two rooms.  We found it interesting to find one with a light bulb installed in the ceiling in anticipation of the day when they might get electricity.

On a beautiful warm day, we drove to Providence Canyon located west of us near the Alabama border.  Known as Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon," the soil's pink, orange, red and purple hues make it a colorful natural painting.  It's believed that the canyon may have been created by poor agricultural practices years ago.

Located in Leslie, a tiny town of only 300 residents, about ten miles from the park, is the Georgia Rural Telephone Museum.  Housed in a renovated 1920's cotton warehouse, it has the largest, oldest and rarest examples of tele-communication in the world dating from 1876 to the present.  The museum was founded in 1995 by Tommy C Smith who has owned and operated the Citizens Telephone Co. since 1946.  The museum houses about 2000 telephones and other communication equipment dating back to when Alexander Graham Bell and others began developing such devices.  There's also a one-of-a-kind 50-line switchboard from 1880.  Having worn a telephone headset at work for over fifteen years, I was especially amused to see one of the first operator headsets.


I'm thinking "Chiropractor"

Our latest news is that we've decided to return to the SAM Shortline again in October to help with the Thomas the Train event.  It was a difficult decision because I'm still dealing with the insects and humidity, but we really enjoy the people and the train.  And, there are still places in the area that I'd like to see, like Atlanta and Roosevelt's Little White House in Warm Springs.  We'll only stay here for three months and then move to Skidaway Island State Park just south of Savannah for three months.

WISHING ANOTHER HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL Y'ALL!

 We've been in Georgia for two months and we're still pleasantly surprised by how polite and gracious people are here.  More often than not I hear, "Yes Ma'am" or "Thank you, Ma'am."  When I tell the school children on the train that my name is Joan, they refer to me as "Miss Joan."  It's refreshing!  And, I still have to chuckle when Julie, our volunteer coordinator, talks to our group and says, "Would all y'all like to..."

We had a fun experience yesterday.  They asked us to meet at the train to help the local SWAT team run through their terrorist/hostage drill.  We were asked to play the part of passengers, and a "bad man" would be coming somewhere on the train.  Our instructions were to react (or act) however we thought we would if it were a real situation.  But they also told us to do whatever the SWAT team said because if they said to, "GET DOWN" and we didn't, they would put us down (and it might not be too gently) because they weren't playing.  There would be shooting but we were assured that their rifles were only loaded with "paint" bullets, and if we did as told, we shouldn't get hit.  We wore protective masks just in case.  WELL, I CAN CROSS THIS OFF MY BUCKET LIST!

 

SWAT getting instructions

 

They're heading in with guns ready
 

Barb was  getting into the action!!

 

We've decided that the weather here in southwestern Georgia is not as agreeable to us as Arizona.  To me it still feels like winter except there's no sleet and snow.  The trees lost their leaves a few weeks ago so that's kind of drab.  And, while the temperatures are higher here than at home, it seems like it's often overcast or raining.  

On one sunny day last week, I went kayaking on the lake with our friends Don and Barb.  It was neat to paddle under the Spanish moss hanging from the trees, and we could get pretty close to the rafts of coots before they took off.  Coots look like small black ducks with white bills, and when they take off, they stay low, skimming across the water.  

In the weeks before Christmas, there were seven excursions, several with school groups.  On one, Keith and I hosted a group of about forty from the Georgia Academy for the Blind.  And on another, we had a car full of second graders who got off at the Plains lay-over.  While they were out, there was a downpour and they came back soaked.  I handed out paper towels for them to dry off a little.  Some were very upset, others (mostly boys) thought it was fun.

Another first...we were in a parade.  SAM Shortline had a float in the Cordele Christmas Parade and they asked the volunteers to be a part of it.  Thankfully, it was a short parade since I chose to walk.  You weren't allowed to throw candy if you were on the float, and I wanted to be a candy thrower! 

Riding the float to the parade staging area

 
We celebrated Christmas quietly this year with dinner at Red Lobster in Albany (that's Awl-beny' to the locals) and then a visit with Don and Barb who were spending time with their family at Albany's Chehaw Park.  Before leaving, we drove through the park's Festival of Lights.    

The last excursion of the month was called the Supper with Santa/Lakeside Ltd.  It was a 45 minute ride where the train leaves the park and stops on the nearby bridge over Lake Blackshear.  The passengers were given a boxed meal and had their picture taken with Santa; then back to the park. 

There is only one excursion planned for January and one in February, on Valentine's Day.  We'll fulfill some of our volunteer hours by taking inventory at the Depot and taking down Christmas decorations.  Hopefully, they'll find some other odd jobs for us till we leave our host assignment at the end of February.







   

I'VE BEEN WORKIN ON THE RAILROAD...

I had planned to post earlier but ran into a couple of snags.  First, my computer tanked and I had to get a new one.  What a pain getting everything transferred and getting used to the differences between Vista and Windows 8; hours on the phone with 'techs'.  And, if that wasn't bad enough, as some of you've heard, I had an accident on Saturday evening two weeks ago.  While removing a container of hot water from the microwave (located over the stove) I spilled the scalding water down over my chest.  It happened so fast I'm not even sure how it happened, but I sustained second degree burns sending me to the local Urgent Care center.  The first week was excruciating, the second week not so bad.  Now, it just itches.  Needless to say, I didn't feel much like sharing during that time.  Now it's December but I want to finish what I had intended last month. 

November was a time of settling in to our new location, getting familiar with the park and nearby towns, and hosting on the train.  We've hosted on four excursions so far and find that we both really enjoy it.  We have three scheduled this week and five the week after.

The park is relatively flat and great for bike riding.  Keith and I went for a ride to check out the beach on the lake (not that it's warm enough to go swimming).  But, aside from the cool weather, I want to know how the beach is protected from the alligators!!!


The beach



A few hundred feet from the beach???

   
 






























As we were traveling in the area, we noticed fields of something that looked like miniature corn, it was about 2' high with a tasseled top.  I later found out that it is Sorghum, an important world crop, used for food as grain and in sorghum syrup, fodder, the production of alcoholic beverages, and biofuels.  It is the fifth most important cereal crop grown in the world.  Fields of cotton were being defoliated in preparation for harvest.  The farmers are now in the process of picking the cotton and we're beginning to see the large rolled bales lined up in the fields. 


Sorghum

Cotton bales



About five miles west of the park in Cobb is what was once the world's largest pecan grove.  They say that some of the trees are over 100 years old.   Nearby Plains is known for it's peanut crops.  In 1995, Georgia designated the peanut as the official state crop.  Georgia produces almost fifty percent of the total US peanut crop and more than fifty percent of peanuts used in the production of peanut butter. 


Pecan grove in Cobb, GA

Peanut bush from Plains



Cordele (pronounced Cor-deel) is known as the "Watermelon Capital of the World,"  but it is also one of the most popular rail fan cities.  In addition to the sixty or seventy trains a day that pass through the town, it has what is known as a "Diamond,"  one of only three in the United States.  Three railroads -- Norfolk Southern, CSXT, and the Heart of Georgia (HOG) -- interlock at the same location.  The interlock is controlled by CSXT from Jacksonville, FL.  It works on a first come, first served basis, and trains have just ten minutes to clear the interlock,  The SAM Shortline has to call Jacksonville for clearance prior to crossing the interlock.  We also run on HOG tracks and have to get clearance to use them for our excursions as well.  When SAM isn't running, it is diverted to a siding at Georgia Veterans Memorial Park.

The Diamond

Two weeks ago, the entire volunteer team spent two days decorating both the train and the depot for the holidays.

 

 Last evening, we hosted the "Plains Festival of Lights" excursion with a full capacity of 400 guests in six cars. Santa and his elves were on the train greeting young (and old) passengers until we arrived in Plains where they rode atop a fire engine in the parade.  President Carter and Roslyn were on hand to turn on the town's Christmas lights and then view the parade from the balcony of the Plains Historic Inn.  (This picture didn't get very good...Pres Carter is wearing khaki slacks and a tan jacket so he hardly shows)

 

The center pole separates President & Mrs. Carter

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!   

 

THE ROAD TO GEORGIA

September was so full of activity that it was hard to think about getting ready to leave for our volunteer assignment in Georgia this year.  We were fortunate to see so many friends and family during the last few weeks.  Kim even moved up Dan's 50th birthday party so we could celebrate with them (even though it's really not till the end of Nov). 

The last week in Sep, we spent a few days with Gwen and Ric at their Lake Carey home.  The lake is the second largest natural lake in PA.  The weather was perfect and we had a great time.  Keith wanted to tap Ric's fishing expertise since he's decided to try his hand at fishing at the park's Lake Blackshear. 



Early morning mist over the lake

While the guys fished, Gwen & I shopped at TJ Max!!

 

One afternoon, we went to see the nearby Nicholson viaduct.  When it was completed in 1915, it was the world's largest concrete bridge serving the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Co.

Luckily, this year the only glitch we had before leaving was a little rain so we lost one day of packing the trailer.  We were able to leave as planned on Thurs, Oct 10.  We spent only three nights in route and arrived at Georgia Veterans Memorial Park in Cordele GA on Sunday. 

We met our new neighbors before we even parked the trailer, and they invited us to join them and other train volunteers who were going out to dinner.  After dinner, Tim and Gail built a fire and we went over to continue getting acquainted.  Big Mistake!  About 4 am I woke to burning and itching on both ankles.  I was told that they were Chigger bites and I counted 20 to 30 bites on each ankle.  I was trying everything that anyone suggested but wasn't getting relief.  On Friday, after buying two different types of ointment and still itching, we were in a local grocery store and I mentioned to the clerk that I was suffering from the bites, and she suggested a cream called 'Chiggerex' that they sold.   Finally...relief! 

Monday morning we started setting up the midway for the Thomas the Train event.  The SAM Shortline has been holding the Thomas event for a few years and are very organized with about 150 volunteers; many from the local community.  Julie, the volunteer coordinator, said that they had 6,000 advance ticket sales this year.  Since Keith and I haven't had our training yet, we were assigned to different midway stations during the five-day event.  We met visitors from as far away as FL and LA.  Several people told us that they had gone to other Thomas events and this one was the best.

This sign made me laugh.  I said, "You know you're not in PA when you have to explain what a Funnel Cake is."

We worked again on Tue and the only thing left to do was clean the train on Thur.  It was the first time Keith and I had a chance to get on the train.  It reminds me a lot of the Strasburg railroad.  There are two premium cars featuring wood and leather decor, four coach, and a commissary car.  The cars are from the 1940's and they're named after towns along the route:  Cordele, Georgia Veterans, Leslie, Americus, Plains and Archery.  On Friday, we decided to take a drive and stop at the towns on the route to familiarize ourselves with what they have to offer.  I had a chance to talk with the Thomas the Train coordinator and he told me that Mattel actually has seven 'Thomases' that appear at events across the country between March and November.  When not in use, they are housed at Strasburg (because of the large facility) and they do any maintenance that's necessary. 

Bright and early Saturday morning, we were at our station assisting the photographer taking pictures with Thomas while he was at the station.  There was a diesel engine at the other end that would take the train out for a 30-minute run.  Thomas would blow his whistle and smoke comes out of the stack, and the kiddos get so excited...he's real, he's really real! 

Keith with Thomas



Sir Topham Hat

Sunday, we were assigned to help dress Sir Topham Hat (a young girl from the local high school).  She wore an ice pack vest and another ice pack on the back of her neck.  I would guide her out to the photo spot since it was difficult for her to see wearing the large head.  She could only be out for 20 min every hour.








The event will continue next Fri, Sat, and Sun but we have off this week, except for and hour of 'host' training with one of the veteran volunteers on Mon.  Any time that we're around the train, Keith has found an opportunity to talk with the engineer or a couple  of the conductors.  I'm sure he'll find his way into the engine before the winter is over. 

Sunset over Lake Blackshear