And Now For Something Completely Different
Mes amis, here’s a rather unusual subject matter for what is only the second-ever post here on Jimbaux’s Journal. We’re very far from Cajun country here, mes amis!
A Halcyon Time
It was the summer of 2008, and Jimbaux was spending much of the summer on the far northern Great Plains of North Dakota, South Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Hey, that almost rhymed. Anyway, it was Independence Day, and there was a gathering at the home of Professor Plains and Momma Plains. They live not far from the BNSF’s KO Sub in West Fargo, North Dakota. So, after the party let out, it was time for yours truly to head out for a little foam action.
There’s Always a Geography Lesson
And I’m always a geography teacher, even if that is no longer my job title. Lessons of geography are a recurring theme in many of my images, especially my railroad images. The images shown here were made at dusk. Now, for my fellow Cajuns on the bayou reading this, we’re accustomed to dusk coming this time of year a little after 20:00. However, here on the Northern Great Plains, these images were made just before 20:45 on this day.
This line was part of the Northern Pacific Railway until the formation of the Burlington Northern.
Bound For Pasco
Didn’t I just say that there is always a geography lesson? This is BNSF train H-CSXPAS. In BNSF nomenclature, the “H” prefix denotes that this train is a high-priority manifest train. “CSX” is the trains origin/station code; in this case, it means that this train was delivered (presumably as-was) by the CSX to the BNSF in Chicago. The “PAS” is the station code for Pasco, Washington, where this train was destined.
The fact that this train was bound for the state of Washington is also indicated by the presence of many empty centerbeam flatcars in the above picture. These are destined for lumber loadings at the various sawmills in the Pacific Northwest.
The H-CSXPAS was gone, and soon would be the light on this Independence Day 2008.
Site News
So far, reception to Jimbaux’s Journal, which is fewer than 12 hours out of the womb of web-design, is good. I am grateful. Please don’t forget about the Facebook fan page. For now, unless you want to keep checking the site on your own to see if it’s been updated, the Facebook fan page is the only way to be alerted of any updates, as any new article will appear in your news feed.
I’m back on the farm this evening from a wonderful evening with a gathering with some of the extended family that was scheduled mainly because we lost someone earlier this month. This month has been a wonderful time for love for my family, as we, despite all our differences, pulled together after one of ours was lost. All too frequently, I am able to find the negative in things, and I’m making an effort to move away from this. I am making great progress, and this evening was yet another of many reminders of how truly fortunate I really am. In a way, Jimbaux’s Journal is something of an illustrated gratitude journal as seen through my eyes, and if my discoveries of gratitude can help you see them too, then I am even more grateful.
On a lighter note, at the gathering this evening, we looked at some old slides taken in the mid-1980s. In several of the posed pictures of myself and my first cousins as a group, I am seen being held against my will to sit for the picture! This caused a few laughs, of course, and everyone remembered that. My father quipped about the obvious irony, that a man who is now known for what he does with a camera was so unwilling to be photographed as a small child. Truth be told, I still don’t much enjoy being in photographs; I obviously take comfort in being behind the camera.
Ask Jimbaux
Anyway, what I originally wanted to do with this “Site News” this is introduce the “Ask Jimbaux” feature of this site. You’ve got questions, and I have answers! I suppose that the main topics about which readers would like to pick my brain are photography, railroads, and geography, but just about anything is fair game! Submit your questions to AskJimbaux @ Gmail.com. If, when I answer the question on the site, you’d like to respect your anonymity, so be it. If you allow me to use your name and location, I will do that too.
All for now. Bon soir, mes amis!
Jimbaux
