Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Today is National Train Day in the States, and it’s also Global Big Day 2016 in the Birding World. I thought I’d honor both here with a short post.
Back in 2012 myself and two friends Dali, and Phil were looking for a particular waterfall called Phantom Fall in Butte county. We hiked through a woodland forest, along railroad tracks, crossed creeks, and climbed grassy hills looking for it. While on a grassy hill taking a break I heard the rumble of a train, and the low train’s whistle and turned to find the train.
I waited for it to get around the curve hoping it was a long enough train to go around the whole curve. It was a wee bit short. 🙂 Still neat to see, and hear though.
We hiked, and drove a lot of miles that day looking for that elusive waterfall, but didn’t find it. Dali and I found it a year or so later, but I’m saving that story. Not enough time has passed yet. I need to be older and the tale a bit more aged before it comes out in public.
Here’s a fun macro image I made of a toy Bachman’s Engine some of you may remember from a post I made last year. This is from a train set we used to set up around the Christmas tree when my kids were little.
To honor Global Big Day and my love of birds here’s an image of a Western Wood Peewee.
I took this image while looking for the Gray Flycatcher posted here The Western Wood Peewee is a “lifer” for me! That was an exciting day of Birding with 2 “life” birds added to my list.
I hope you all have a wonderful week-end!
Nikon D700, & Nikon Df| Nikkor 70-300mm VR, 200-500mm VR, and LensBaby
More to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Love the trains, we did everything trains when my son was 8-10, riding a real one to the permanent year-round set up in our finished basement. I was the official building builder and decal placer, we had a whole town at the base of the mountain with tunnels. What fun! Congrats on the added lifers, Deborah!
Thank you so much Donna! Your train set in the basement sounds neat! I have a track and train, but never went whole hog like that. I only set it up around the Christmas tree. 🙂
I did not know that my birthday was on National Train Day!!! Thanks for the info. I’ll remember to celebrate this until the dementia sets in.
LOL! I hope dementia does not set in! I think it falls neatly between our birthdays next year.
Maybe you can photograph that train and horse/cowboy race again and post more images on NTD. 🙂 Sans any drones we hope!
I’m intrigued, now!
I have to chuckle over your train. I remember when I was a child and we’d see train tracks on our family hikes, but seeing a train was a big deal. Not so much, here. Big freight trains shut down our town daily~they cross our 3 streets and then often STOP!!!! We even had to have a fire station built on the other side because of all the times emergency vehicles couldn’t get across when needed.
Good grief! You’d have to have another fire station and hospital too if that’s the case!
It’s true! It can really get ridiculous. Plus amtrak trains, plus commuters. When my family first moved to Illinois we lived on a small lake, with tracks along the far side of it. It was enchanting to watch the trains pass at night, with the lights of the cars reflected in the water.
I bet the night trains were pretty.
They were, just floating along. Kind of haunting 🙂
can’t wait to hear the whole story. Lovely pics!
Thank you Hana! It’ll be awhile…remember when you had to wait til you were all grown up to tell mom and dad certain stories without getting in trouble? Yeah, this one is like that. Even at my age I need more time! Who’d have thought!! Not me!
🙂 haha!! Now my curiosity is piqued!!
What a wonderful post! I love the pictures and story! Cool!
Thank you Lynn!
I loved this post Deborah!
Thank you so much Lynn! xx
Xx
All are so nice, Deborah! The macro train made me smile 😊.
I’m so glad that macro of the Train made you smile Pam! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Cool train photo and great story! And way to build the suspense for your other story, when you find the fall! 🙂 Congrats on another lifer with a beautiful photo to prove it. I saw a pewee last year, but I’m not sure what species – western is more likely, but eastern pewees have been spotted here too.
Thank you so much Myriam! Thought I had another Lifer today, but looking at the image I think not. 😦 I was hoping to get back here to see a Painted Bunting that had been seen for nearly a week, but there haven’t been any reports of it all week, so now that I’m finally free to go birding I went somewhere else today.
Too bad you missed the Painted Bunting. The male’s have such superbly coloured feathers. I’ve never seen one in real life either. Hopefully we both get to see one soon and have a good story to go with it. 🙂
I love the train, and that you mentioned National Train Day. I also like the macro. The bird is beautiful. I love it when they go to the absolute highest part of the tree.
Lovely flycatcher!! We have them here too. Not a shock to you I know.
Sweet bird, great photo!
Thank you so much Belinda!