A Slow Transition from One Year to the Next

The Old Year Ended Not with a Bang, but with a Whimper

My last post explains where we found ourselves two weeks before 2017 ended. It should help you understand why this post has been so long in coming. We've been surviving. First there was my husband's accident. Then we both got the flu.

There were numerous doctor appointments for my husband the last week of December, and some days a friend drove him because I was too sick to drive. I thank God for my Covenant Presbyterian Church family who fed us Thanksgiving dinner when I was too sick to cook, helped with my housework, and got my husband to medical appointments when I couldn't. 

By December 28 we had learned that besides the flu and his injured rotator cuff, my husband was also fighting a prostate infection and will need a biopsy when he finishes his course of antibiotics. My friend who took him to the urologist took good notes. Now we are waiting that out.

I'd been unable to take him because I had almost passed out that morning. I've been fighting heart palpitations and dizziness, as well as the flu. I have to take one day at a time. On days when I was able I had made a crock pot of turkey soup and another crockpot of pot roast with lots of vegetables. That is the only cooking I managed to do, but neither of us had much appetite.

As the year ended, we were both still weak. Between New Year's Eve and January 4 I had lost five pounds. I do not recommend flu as a weight loss technique. My younger nephew, whom I'd not seen since Christmas 2016, was scheduled to visit on January 2. There were still preparations to be made.  Again, my church helped prepare the way for his visit. We really wanted to see him, but had to give him a realistic idea of what to expect. He chose to come anyway, and I'm glad he did.

My Nephew at Sunset January 4, 2018

The New Year Arrived Quietly to our Home Hospital, and So Did Joey

I was scheduled to pick up my nephew Joey at the Paso Robles Train Station Tuesday afternoon. All morning I was exhausted. We had about giving up on seeing the plumber who hadn't showed up to fix the shower in the guest bathroom during the over two weeks we had waited for him. He decided to come just when my friend was scheduled to come clean. We worked around him.

By the time Rebekah and I (mostly Rebekah) were through doing what we could to make Joey's visit more comfortable, I had only about 90 minutes to rest before it was time to go to the station.  I'm thankful God gave me enough energy to pick him up and get him here. His visit was a blessing to all of us. He stayed until yesterday afternoon.

Joey Peeling a Hard-boiled Egg I Had Prepared Ahead

Joey was fortunately an easy guest to have. He was willing to eat leftovers and the fresh fruits and veggies I had around. He played chess with my husband, who was starting to feel almost human again, though he was and is still weak. We looked at family pictures, told family stories, and had honest conversations that lasted far into the night. Time seemed to fly by. We even did a brief photo shoot Thursday afternoon to capture the sky. He is naturally photogenic and could probably be a model should he choose to.

Saying Goodbye to Joey

When I took Joey to the train station Friday afternoon, I really did hate to say goodbye. We got a few more photos there to document his getting on the train.

Joey Getting Ready to Board Amtrak Coast Starlight Going South

Then I hung around the station after he left to photograph some of the oak trees and vehicles coming and going around Velta Circle. You will be seeing more of those in future posts. I'm hoping to be ready by Monday to start getting back to a normal life as the new rounds of medical appointments start. I'll be posting here as I find time.

What I Observed from my Bench at Larry Moore Park

You Can See a Lot of Nature Just Sitting on a Park Bench

Many times we don't really notice what's right in front of us. When I was escaping my roofers' noises this week I found myself on this bench. I'm so blessed I can walk over here, though I didn't on this particular day. This is the bench upon which I sat.

This bench faces west toward the Salinas River, but the riverbed is dry now. On the other side of the river runs some railroad tracks and on the other side of those the 101 Freeway as it goes through Paso Robles. To the left of the bench is the end of the cul-de-sac and a fence dividing public land from the small farm across from it. That land is where I saw the goats after I left this bench to go home.

This Bench Offers a Dose of Wilderness Close to Civilization

One of the first things I saw was an Amtrak train heading south from the Paso Robles Station. It always passes the park, and you can almost set your clock by it if you pay attention. Normally I see it going toward the station, but I was earlier than usual on this day.

You can see beyond the train to the cars on the freeway. It's a divided freeway on this stretch. I was using a zoom lens, so that train and the freeway look much closer than they really are. You'd have to walk about two blocks through the park and across the riverbed and then a bit further to get to those train tracks. When you listen to the video you will hear the traffic, but I believe the train was gone by the time I made the video.

The Salinas River Trail

My bench sits near an entrance to the Salinas River Trail that goes through the park and past it for a couple of miles. If you look to the right of the bench, as I did to take this photo, you will see the trail. Quite often people are walking or biking there. Many people use the trail or the dry riverbed to walk their dogs.

The Video

As I sat on my bench, I made a video by pointing the camera from the right to the left to take in my view. I aimed it up, down, and sideways to take in the height of the tree near me. I narrate to tell you what I'm seeing and doing. I hope you enjoy it.

Still Views from My Bench

Below you see the path that leads to the riverbed, now dry. On the far right is the tree branch you saw in the video that bends all the way to the ground and looks like a little tree by itself. Between that and the path to the river you see a bed of poison oak with a red tinge. The oak is on the left and its branch extends all the way to the ground on the right. The path is steeper than it looks and one has to be careful not to slip -- especially when it's wet after one of our rare rains.

Here's a closer look at that poison oak beside the path to the river.

Here's the other side of the oak on the left side of the path.

Below is the rest of the oak and the rocks near the trail entrance near the road. On the far left you are seeing outside the park onto the private property where I saw the goats yesterday.

This is another perspective of the oak with a zoom and some dried poison hemlock stalks. Have you noticed how much poison lurks near the trails?

Here's a book that will help you identify and deal with poison oak if you happen to touch it. This book has the highest reviews of any I saw, and a great section on identifying these plants.

Below I put the poison oak right next to the oak branch so you can see the leaves clearly. There's part of a willow tree on the far left near the top.

Now You've Shared my Views from the Park Bench

Which did you like best? Did you learn anything from these photos? I feel very fortunate to be able to walk to this park when I need a dose of nature. 

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Paso Robles: A Train Runs through It

The Amtrak Train Stops in Paso Robles

Of course to get to the station, the train needs to pass through the city. While in the city it crosses some busy streets, often during rush hour. In the photo below, it's leaving town going south. I'm not sure why that boxcar is sitting there looking lonely. 

On this October afternoon I decided to chase it south on foot to try to get more of it in the photo. The background around the track isn't very pretty in that direction. Trains often do run through some ugly places. Actually, the view from the train is probably better than the view following the train under all the wires. Most of the wires in this town are above ground and it's really difficult not to get them into photos. This could have been a better picture if I'd been able to run fast enough to capture the train when it got past the wires. 

I'm spontaneous. I got to the parking lot by the station just as the train was leaving. If I'd thought to look at a schedule I might have planned to be in the right place in time to get the photo I really wanted. But, no. I hadn't even expected the train to come through while I was there. I'd come to document the way the street had been modified to accommodate the new parking area. 

Here's the station the train just left. I can't remember ever seeing the depot open, but maybe I just always happen to come after hours. 

Get it on a postcard from Zazzle. This is more of an overview and shows you a bit of Velta Circle on the right. The buses circle around it. This photo was taken on a winter day. 

Postcard: Paso Robles Train Station in Winter Postcard

The Train Is Arriving on Its Way North

This train is about to stop at the depot to drop off and pick up passengers.

Amtrak Train Headed Toward Train Station, © B. Radisavljevic

Take a peak inside while the door is open.

A Peak Inside the Train, © B. Radisavljevic

Here are the passengers about to get on.

Passengers Preparing to Board Train in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

The Train Crosses Busy Paso Robles Steets

Here's one crossing 10th Street now, headed south toward the station.

Cars Waiting for Train to Pass, © B. Radisavljevic

Finally, it got across. The drivers can resume their way across town. Well, they can as soon as that gate goes back up.

The Last Car Is Crossing at 10th Street, © B. Radisavljevic

Let's watch it head the two blocks toward the station.

The Train Is Almost to the Paso Robles Station, Getting Ready to Stop. © B. Radisavljevic

Now let's watch it leave the station on its way north.

The Train Is about to Head North from the Depot, © B. Radisavljevic

This photo used on these products was taken in autumn. Use one to tag your luggage when you pack for your train trip. Or get this deck of cards to play with while you wait for the train to arrive or when you travel through those ugly parts of town or after dark.

Paso Robles Train Station in Autumn Playing CardsPaso Robles Train Station in Autumn Luggage Tag

Here's a poster with a different orientation from a photo taken on a dreary winter day.

Poster: Train Leaving Paso Robles Station in Winte Poster

Now the train is gone, the gate is up, and you can proceed to whatever you need to do next.

If you enjoyed this, please consider pinning this photo on one of your Pinterest boards. 

Are you a train aficionado? Do you like to watch them? Do you ride them? Or do you consider them an annoyance when they stop traffic or wake you up at night as they pass through near your home?  Would you like to know more about trains and train travel? Here's some help from Amazon.

 All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide Train: The Definitive Visual History (Dk Smithsonian) The Great Railroad Revolution: The History of Trains in America

Watch a Forklift Reacher Truck
Load a Lumber Truck.  

You might also enjoy a previous post I wrote after visiting the freight area where a train had left a lot of lumber. I stumbled onto the scene just as a forklift was loading the lumber trucks and I got a video and some photos. Watch a Forklift Reacher Truck Load a Lumber Truck.  This photo is not in that post. I created it for this link.

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Down by the Station and Welcome Sunshine

Down by the Paso Robles Train Station

This afternoon I was just leaving an appointment around 5 PM on Seventh and Pine when I heard the Amtrak train coming into the station. I managed to get my camera out before the train was completely out of sight. 

Amtrak Train Pulling into Paso Robles Station around 5 PM

I walked as fast as I could hoping to get to the depot for some other closer shots. I was in luck. One of the boarding passengers didn't have all her luggage aboard yet. As she was rushing toward the open door, I noticed she had dropped a scarf. I ran to pick it up for her, but she was so flustered about her luggage she almost didn't notice me trying to hand it to her. I wanted to give it to her so I could finish getting my photos before the train pulled away again. 

A Peek throught the Amtrak Train's Open Door

The lady and her escort finally took the scarf and I turned north again to take this photo of the train while it was stopped. Notice the sign for the Paso Robles Depot. 

Amtrak Train Parked at Paso Robles Depot about 5 PM -- Please Pin Me

Zazzle Products Featuring the Paso Robles Train Station

Paso Robles Train Station in Autumn Playing Cards










These products all come from photos I have taken at the Paso Robles Transportation Center (Amtrak train station) in the past.

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Postcard: Paso Robles Train Station in Winter PostcardPaso Robles Train Station in Autumn Luggage TagPoster: Train Leaving Paso Robles Station in Winte Poster

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Sky Journal February 4, 2017

I welcomed the sunshine today after yesterday's rain. This is how my usual photo spot across the street looked at about 11:30 AM.

Late Morning Sky at 11:30 AM

By 2 PM the scene had changed. You can see the contrail high in the photo. 

2 PM, Fluffy Clouds with Contrail

At 4:20 when I left for my appointment,  the sky looked like this. The bright sun was behind the tree trunk of the oak. 

Sunburst behind Oak, 4:15 PM

When I came home about 5:15 PM, the sun was ready to say goodbye. 

Sun Almost  Down, 5:15 PM

Kind of a mellow sunset, don't you think?

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