The Wet Way

Went out for a hike at one of my favorite local spots today, the Pole Mountain trails. Lots of trails and not very crowded. The weather is finally nice enough. At least, according to the weatherman it was supposed to be.

The day started out pretty nice. Mostly sunny and warm. But some clouds to west.

That's good dandelion! I wasn't the only one enjoying the nice day.

Panorama shot on a scenic lookout, from south to west. And as you can see, it's getting to look a bit stormier. Guess I'll continue on...

Within couple hours it was thundering constantly, sprinking rain, and hailing. That's hail. Not flowers or anything else. Good thing I brought a rain coat. Cause it opened up soon after, and really rained. I had to hide out under shelter during the heavy pours. And it got a lot colder also.

Shot from near the end of my hiking day. I quit earlier than planned because the weather just wasn't gonna cooperate. I was cold and wet enough for one day. Back home, it was dry, warmer, just cloudy. That's annoying. The weather is usually nicer up on the trails, and wetter back down in town. Oh well, there's always another weekend.

Depot Days

On Memorial Day weekend the Union Pacific here opens their old Roundhouse and yard to visitiors. You can wander around and look at a bunch of old trains, both diesel and steam. Some are fully restored, operational and are used on special occasions. Other things in the yard are just old junk for parts or possible restoration I imagine.

844 is one of the big old steam engines still taken out on special runs.

3985 is another old restored steam engine that still makes runs. You know when one of these things goes by. You can really feel the power from the steam engine.

Now this is travelling. A fully restored Pullman car, in older western style. Kind of an executive car. With a sitting area, bathroom, 2 bedrooms, a dining area, plus a kitchen area with another small bedroom. The woodwork and fixtures in this car are beautiful.

A diesel that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. There's a lot of derelicts around the yard.

A shot of the side of a beat up old Chicago Northwestern caboose. Not everthing in the yard is UP.

The backside of the UP Depot building from the Roundhouse. It's been restored over many years, and is pretty impressive inside with many original features, a UP museum, a restaurant and other spaces. It's a popular local spot for many activities.

Zoom Zoom

Oh boy, a new toy. Yes, a new lens for my Pentax K10 DSLR. Got to feed that LBA (lens buying addiction).

Specifically, its the Pentax DA 55-300 mm zoom. I have an older Pentax zoom that goes to 210mm. But this one is new, has more zoom range, can autofocus, and its smaller and lighter. It's not as sturdy as the older one that's all metal, but I think it'll be good to take on hikes and other uses. The lens isn't made in Germany - I wish it was! Just the filter I have on it is. Here's a few sample shots from the park today -

A pair of metal chairs. Playing with depth of field and composition.

It's that time of year. The tree rats are everywhere.

All aboard the train to nowhere...

New Blog, New Shooz!

Welcome to my new blog. And to go along with it, my new cycling shoes. Since I have SPD Shimano pedals on one of my bikes, I needed some shoes to use the clips. After looking at several, I got these, which look like normal shoes, and you can walk in them without looking like you are either learning to walk, or just escaped from clown college.

So far I'm just walking around in them getting used to the stiff soles. Maybe one day the weather will finally get nice out so I can ride outside! And yes, for the observant know-it-all out there, the SPD cleats are not yet attached to the shoes!