Journal entry



Rail link between Gardiner and Reedsport over the Smith River.

This morning I heard the train as it rumbled and scampered through our little town. January has been getting colder since last I spoke of her. No surprise there. The sound of the train’s whistle, in the cold crispness of a stark winter day, strings a long echoing trail through the mountains, and stops me every time I hear it.

I’ve always loved trains. Ever since Nonna and Nonno boarded the train to New York where they would be making the rest of their journey to Italy via an ocean liner. As I recall, the train pulled out of the station with me running alongside waving after them. A bit of a romantic even when I was 10, I‘m afraid.

So, getting back to our train. The Coos Bay Rail Link began running again a few months ago, and for the most part, hauls lumber. When we first moved here, I remember telling the spousal unit, ‘… the only thing missing is the long, distant bellow of a train whistle.’

Now, life is perfect.



Umpqua River Rail Bridge in Reedsport