Didn’t sleep much the night before departure–I always have a panic attack before I leave town for a while–having the house burglarized twice eight years ago traumatized me, but since we’ve had the alarm installed theft hasn’t been a problem, so I know it’s just neurotic to worry as much as I do but I still do–not a rational thing. We have all the neighbors watching the house and folks to take the mail in etc., but leaving still makes me twitchy. Plus, this year’s rains have made the roses come out in force, and they were just starting to burst open in multitudes as we left, so we’ll miss it. I hope the mail-bringer-inner accepts my invite to take tea in the garden while we’re gone, as my garden is unhappy unless it is admired….like me, I guess.
We enjoyed lunch with Karl, our chauffeur, in the grand, elegant part of Union Station, then departed through the gritty, dingy platform tunnel. We took our first day on the train to adjust–this is a working vacation for me, so figuring out how and what to cram into our “roomette” and which connectors would fit where took the better part of the afternoon and evening.
Outside Palm Springs, CA
After dinner at our communal tables–thus far our meal partners have been pleasant–we retired to our roomette, clicked off the lights, got a couple of those little airplane bottles of rough Scotch from the club car, toasted the launch of our adventure, and watched the desert twilight of Arizona whiz by. When we finally figured out how our bunks folded out (with the help of our car attendant, who set up a little mattress pad, sheet, and blankie on each bunk), Samuel volunteered for the upper (complete with catchnet to keep you from falling out) and I got the lower bunk and window. I kept the curtains open and watched the sprinkling of stars and airplanes over the dunes; each time the train hit a rough trestle or went around a curve, I could see them shudder and curl around as if the sky were a dark, waving flag. I’m moving, I’m on a train; as I move, the cosmos moves too. It’s all a matter of perspective, of course, just in my head….or is it?
Little cloud over big desert
Sunset, Arizona
Slept fairly well despite long late night stops at Tucson and Maricopa that kept me awake and some rough track as we entered West Texas in the early morning hours. I liked seeing the sunrise, usually miss it at my house.
Sunrise, West Texas
Our lunch companions pointed out the border fence as we went through El Paso/Juarez–the brick station was cute, small and stately, in contrast to the chaotic landscape of sheds and tin huts beyond.
The Border (fence), near El Paso/Juarez
Storm a-coming, TX
Storm's a-here, TX
Tonight we detrain in San Antone, yeehaah (we’ve made it a rule that if you say, “San Antone” instead of “San Antonio” you have to say “yeehaah!” afterwards.) Last we heard there might be rain and heat; that’s some Texas high humidity for y’all.
Samuel and Amistad Reservoir, TX
Here’s a rockin’ little version of the San Antone (yeehah!) hometown tune–enjoy!
San Antonio Rose, 1962
Yeeeee-haaaaah!