Snowy Bowie

by Jim on 2011/02/23

[Jimbaux has been around the world like David Bowie.]

Whassup, kiddies?  Mais, Jimbaux’s got something different for you today!  You Cajuns and whoadies will not recognize something that’s in all of today’s pictures.  For the first time in February, I give you some shots that are a day old and taken in the valley of the Potomac.

The inner five-year-old in this Cajun still gets excited about snow.  We had some of the white stuff over the night, more than expected.  Class was canceled, and I decided to use the time to get out and get some pictures in an area that I wanted to explore, the area around Bowie, Maryland, and that’s where I went.

A trip out to this area to the recording studio to record “Hubert’s Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” piqued my interest in this area, hence my choice of going here when the opportunity for snow pictures presented  itself to me.

I did a hard U-turn to get back into position to get these geese.  I thought about climbing on top of the truck to get a better shot, but the presence of snow and ice there scared me from doing this.

Pretty neat, eh?  Anybody know any more about these things?

Foaming On Tuesday

The last time I had taken a train picture was in Louisiana a month ago.  Then, I saw this:

Sweet!  I had to park at the McDonald’s and walk about 500′ up this bridge to get the shot, but that’s okay.  I’m not sure these count as train shots, since the train isn’t moving or even crewed, but it’s the closest thing to railroad photography that I’ve done in a month or 800 miles!

It’s a CSX work train.  Can anyone tell me about this line?  Train frequency?  Radio channels?

Yeah, that’s the other bridge in the background.

I suppose I’ll be back to this area in the future to get some shots.

It’s hard to tell from these shots, but there are Conrail markings on those first three hoppers.

Going Places And Meeting People

As it eventuated, I was being watched as I shot the pictures from the southern bridge (the second one), especially as I went back to my truck to swap lenses.  I had parked my truck at the Main Street Brasserie & Take-Out right next to the bridge.  It was darn cold, and this crazy Cajun needed some coffee, but before I could even try to enter the building, I was approached by some of the ladies working inside the place, inquiring what I was doing.

As it eventuated, I was too early, the place not opening for another hour, but the ladies there took me inside and gave me a complementary cup of coffee as they inquired more about who I was and what in the heck I was doing there.  I tell you, dear Jimbauxlings, if you’re ever in Bowie, make sure you stop at the Main Street Brasserie & Take-Out, and make sure that you tell them that Jimbaux sent you!

Oh, and last night, the UPS man delivered my new business cards.  So, I had them with me this morning, and the lady at the restaurant was the first recipient of one of them.

That was fun enough.  After that, I headed back to town to do some work, hot take-out cup of coffee in hand.  Thanks, ladies.

With Any Luck . . .

You’ll see some new shots in the coming days as I received my work assignment for the weekend today.

All for now . . .

Jimbaux

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Tom Becket February 23, 2011 at 09:21

Those look like Canada Geese. They are EVERYWHERE in the northeast, so much so that they are considered a nuisance. They congregate in large flocks, can get aggressive, and leave their droppings all over. They are cool to watch in flight; when they’re on the ground, not so impressive. I’m originally from NY, we hated the geese.

Nice shots of the CSX. You’ll have to get up there and shoot the former B&O, there are some great spots all along the line. A couple of easy to reach, photogenic spots are the station at Point of Rocks MD, and Harpers Ferry WV, which has a great shot from the station of a train coming out of a tunnel and across a bridge.

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2 EDITOR - Jimbaux February 26, 2011 at 08:02

Those destinations are on my list, Tom!

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3 John Robichaux February 23, 2011 at 09:34

All we have to do is teach the people up north how to make Canada geese jambalaya, make them illegal to shoot (or out of season) and there will be no more Canada geese. We’ll probably have to boil the heck out of them before dropping them in the seasoning because they are so tough. Nice snow shots and you don’t need a gray scale!

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4 George Poknis February 23, 2011 at 09:57

This is the old PRR Pope Creek branch line. Do a google search for Pope Creek branch and there is a website out there with the timetable. If you continue up Rt 197 N. you will come to the Bowie State Univ. MARC station on the Northeast Corridor(NEC). You can catch MARC and Amtrak trains and the occassional CSX train. You can also go to the train musuem in Old Towne Bowie to watch the trains. This is also where the Pope Creek branch connects with the NEC line.

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5 jenni February 23, 2011 at 12:40

I love the first train pic….great job. What nice ladies to let you come in early for coffee!

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6 SSG Jeff Clark 299th ENCO MRBC February 23, 2011 at 14:21

I like the last train picture where you can see the reflection in Pop-Pops pond. I know those nice ladies… one of them is my Beautiful wife. Thanks James. I am currently stationed in Iraq and it is nice to see pictures of home. Keep doing what you do because you are Awesome at it!

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7 EDITOR -- Jimbaux February 23, 2011 at 14:37

Wow! Awesome! I guess you saw the site because of the call I placed to the restaurant this morning alerting them of this post. Thanks! Wow, Jimbaux’s Journal now has a following in Iraq? I’m so humbled, and I respect you for being out there, so far from home. Thanks for joining the Facebook fan page. I guess I’ll have to get back to Bowie some more for site content and such, or at least to eat at the Main Street Brasserie while keeping an eye on the track. Please suggest your friends get on the page too! Thanks so much for your participation in Jimbaux’s Journal.

Merci,

Jimbaux

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8 Aunt Sue February 23, 2011 at 18:43

Sounds like you must be having a good time. The pictures are of course great and I love the snow–I love cold weather. The train and the scenery around it was so beautiful.

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9 George Poknis February 23, 2011 at 21:03

Here is the link to the Pope’s Creek railfan website.

http://www.traingod.railfan.net/

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10 EDITOR - Jimbaux February 26, 2011 at 08:03

That is very helpful. Thanks.

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11 Patricia Champagne February 23, 2011 at 23:42

Awesome, James. Everything seems so serene and peaceful. The first picture is my favorite. It reminds me of pictures you see on the cover of jigsaw puzzles which I love to make. I’m very much enjoying Jimbaux’s Journal.

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12 Sam Coley February 24, 2011 at 10:51

Yep — Canada geese. These are what knocked out the engines of US Air 1549, which Capt. Sully Sullenberger and crew put down in the Hudson River.

There was an uproar in my neighborhood in Brooklyn last year when the city culled the flock in Prospect Park, trying to remove an aviation hazard.

I said good riddance! These geese are a nuisance and, when you’re biking on rail trails, a bit of a hazard. They block the path and get aggressive.

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13 Lee Darrow February 25, 2011 at 09:03

Thanks so much for capturing the beauty of the trains and the tracks in Bowie. My husband
and I walked there many times as we were building Main Street – peaceful and historic.
Very cool to hear and feel the power of the trains as they come past too.
Hope you get back to Bowie soon – have lunch next time. Please ask for me when you come in.
Lee at Main Street Catering & Brasserie (Beautiful photo of Main Street too! thanks)

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14 EDITOR - Jimbaux February 25, 2011 at 09:52

Thank you, Lee, and I will be back at some point.

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15 Angeline Castilloux July 18, 2013 at 22:09

I’ve been looking through the posts and pictures here and I have to say, these are in my opinion some of the best you have taken (although I may be partial to winter scenes since I see snow for months every year). As much as I hate the long winters we have here, I love what winter looks like. If you ever have the chance to photograph snowy scenery again, try to go out on a sunny day either in the morning or sometime before sunset when the shadows are long. The sunlight usually gives the snow an orange hue, and the shadows are a bluish purple. I think it’s stunning, although I’ve never been able to capture it in a photograph.

And yes, those are Canada geese and they are a nuisance! We have them everywhere, especially in our parks. They’re filthy, and their droppings are not your typical bird droppings. The first time I saw them I thought people weren’t picking up after their dogs. I was stunned to find out that came from geese!

And as I ramble I’m forgetting to say, great blog! It’s fun to read about someone else’s adventures around North America, and also to learn more about Louisiana. So much different, yet also familiar.

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