March Weather Savage and Serene

We enter the month of March, that which draws us into spring. Poets had great emotions on the subject of March: December days were brief and chill, The winds of March were wild and drear, And, nearing and receding still, Spring never would, we thought, be here. ~Arthur Hugh Clough (1819–1861) It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens (1812–1870), Great Expectations These, marching softly, thus in order went, And after them, the Months all riding came; First, sturdy March, with Brows full sternly bent, And armed strongly, rode upon a Ram, The same which over Hellespontus swam: Yet in his Hand a Spade he also hent, And in a Bag all sorts of Seeds ysame, Which on the Earth he strowed as he went, And fill'd her Womb with fruitful Hope of Nourishment. ~Edmund Spenser, The Fairy-Queen, 1590s Today's pictures are "Blowing Off Steam" images from the Sandy River and Rangely Lakes Railroad trip in Maine last year.

Train Ride into Summer

It is train day today.  These pictures are from our Augusta, Maine trip in September.  The brick building is in Barre, Vermont.  Barre Gray granite has the desirable characteristics of fine grain, even texture and weather resistance. It is used for outdoor art sculptures. I assume that is also a 'code phrase' for cemetery headstones. Our train of the day shows the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes train going in reverse in its forest setting. I  can see in these pictures the dominance of the green of the forest in September.   Now just into November, the leaves are changing colour and falling so the green canopy has almost disappeared.  It will be replaced by the stark structural pattern of branches as we move closer and closer to winter.

The Roundhouse and Rountable

Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad was great for the roundhouse and turntable.  We were treated to a live operational demonstration - here are  a few pictures.