Off The Beaten Path

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Georgia, United States
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.

Friday, January 2

"The Polar Express" to Blue Ridge






Wednesday was the last day of the year to ride the Blue Ridge Train, it closes down until March. And I have always wanted to take my family on that ride, so I took them up to Blue Ridge and we made the ride up the river. It is a day trip, it takes four hours to go up and back with time for a bite to eat. Normally this is a very pleasant drive, on a warm day in the outdoor car, but in Dec. it is a bit brisk. I don't think of these things when I make plans because I love the outdoors and I would never place myself in a closed in car when there is one where you can have the wind in your face. So here I was standing on the side of the car with my face outside the car with the wind whipping around my head and ears, and I look back and here are my family, all hundled up on the seat. We had brought a blanket with us and they are all trying to stay covered up to their hairline under this one blanket. All of a sudden it hit me, I don't think anyone but me is REALLY enjoying this kind of cold. They insist they had a wonderful day, but you know how people are, they often just say things just to make you feel good.

Nick stayed home, he knew that he wasn't going to want to be out in the cold, he has had a cough for two months. But me, my immune system is working overtime, so I seldom get sick these days.

8 comments:

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

It looks like you had a wonderful time, glad that you got to go on your train ride. Thank you for sharing the pictures, if they had this train running here at this time, everyone would have Frost Bite.

Charlene Amsden said...

Cold or not, I'd have been outside with you. I likely couldn't have moved for all the clothes I was wearing, but I'd have been trying to snap pictures!

Burfica said...

The title threw me for a minute. We actually have a train in this state that starts in October and only runs each night and does a run to another down they do up like the north pole. They call it the Polar Express. Everyone has to wear Jammies, and they get on the train and get hot cocoa and cookies, and get off at the "north pole" and meet santa and get a big reindeer bell, and then back to where they started, whole ride takes about 4 hours. So....cool. Such a huge waiting list I could never get my kid on when he was still young enough. Like a 5 year waiting list.

Avus said...

Looks a great ride, Nea. I, too, like those sort of train journeys. I would have been out there, well wrapped up, with you on the car's step. These youngsters...! They don't make 'em like they used to.

Good to know that you are keeping well these days.

Neoma said...

Hi Bill, I did, I was in hog heaven, you know just like a dog with their face out the car window. I had a grand time. Everyone else was freezing but me.

HI Quilly, I had a hard time getging picture because I had gloves on, and I can't do anything with gloves on...

Hi Burfica, yes, they have one of those real Polar Expresses up in Tennessee also, I wanted to take the kids, they didn't want to go, I WANTED to go. I sure wish I had someone who liked the same things that I like, I get so tired of being the odd man out all the time. It has been this way forever in this family. One day, I am going just go, all by myself, and do all the things I have waited my whole life to do. There is no one that wants to do any of these things with me. Can't get them away from their computer longs enough.

Hi Avus, (Mike), that is one thing about this condition I have, it is like my immune system works overtime, it causes its own problems, however it keeps me from catching anything, even a cold. In fact, maybe if I am exposed to things that make it work, maybe I feel better. Don't know, all I know is, in the last three years, I haven't even had a cold. haha

There weren't many people out there with us on the outside, they would come out from the closed in cars, and say, "oh my gosh, it is freezing out here." and go back inside. I went in once to get someone some hot chocolate, and there is NO way I would have wanted to be in there, I could smell the bathrooms......and every other smell. I need the fresh air, don't care how cold it is. I had a jacket and a coat, gloves, a scarf and a hat. wool socks, I came equipped for the cold. The others wouldn't listen to me, so they didn't. But I guess they just didn't realize about wind chill factor.....besides it was about 40 anyway.

Libby said...

hi nea! that looks like it was a GREAT ride!! cold & beautiful!!

QUASAR9 said...

Wow, what a ride!

Akelamalu said...

Nea you're back! :)

MWM and I quite often go on train rides, we're lucky enough to be very close to the East Lancs Railway which runs steam train regularly. :)