Greetings, and welcome to the December 2011 Sampler, an almost-welcome anti-climax to the “November 2011 Sampler” essay.
This one will be relatively brief, particularly for a set of images that I made in the month of the winter solstice, and is an anticlimactic way to end a tumultuous year.
Thursday, The 1st
All of the automobiles in this image are stopped.
Yes, that is a law-enforcement automobile stopped on railroad tracks, which was the reason that I took the camera out to make this image.
Saturday, The 3rd
I am at the LASTA party at Old Jefferson, where I met a friend who would later sell out me and so many others when the authoritarian bigot rose to power five years later.
The saying “LASTA party” can’t not make me think of a certain Tupac Shakur song.
Sunday, The 4th
I am in Lockport at Bayou Lafourche, looking east.
There was so much more to do there.
Tuesday, The 6th
Here I am at Raceland at dawn.
That’s the sugar mill.
I wouldn’t take the camera out again until 11 days later.
Saturday, The 17th
Here is the Chip Local westbound crossing Bayou Des Allemands.
I think that it went only as far as Raceland that day, and it had only tank cars other than that hopper car, which may have just been a cover car along for the ride.
Now, it’s time for the off-of-work-week grand finale.
Friday, The 23rd
I remember this day very well, though mainly for what I did that night, going to Houma for a concert for a band fronted by one of my friends.
Yes, that’s the westbound Amtrak Sunset Limited arriving at Schriever before picking up some passengers seen by the depot.
Saturday, The 24th
On Christmas Eve, here is a westbound BNSF Railway manifest train that looks interesting after the power.
I wish that I could see trains that looked like just what those first six or seven cars would be as a train.
Tuesday, The 27th
I am at Melodia Plantation late in the afternoon, and here is an interesting-looking eastbound BNSF Railway manifest train approaching the milepost 49.6 detector.
Those are sugarcane fields in the foreground.
Wednesday, The 28th
The next day, I am back at the same place for the westbound Sunset Limited.
There is something that I really like about that view.
Friday, The 30th
Here is an eastbound BNSF Railway train with a Ferromex locomotive leading at Paradís.
That was my last picture of 2011.
So ended a memorable year.
Jim
