Alex and the trains

 Cool Saturday riding the Cape Cod Railway train from Bourne to Hyannis, and then touring the train yard.  Up close and personal with a lot of trains, lunch in the diner, etc.  Great day for Alex. 

A quick photo of Joe Turbessi, Susan and I at
L'Osteria in the North End.   Joe was organist for the last five years at our church, 
Old South Union, in S. Weymouth.  He leaved for Vienna to study conducting.
We will miss him enormously. 

On to the train day.  Alex racing to video the arriving train. 

Waiting breathlessly, but looking in the wrong direction.  The train was coming
South from Hyannis.

A train did arrive, not stopping, a freight.

Looking down the CC canal, with the old RR bridge. 

Now facing the right direction, North. 

And here our train comes. 

The train arrives at Bourne, reverses and goes back to Hyannis. 

At the train yard in Hyannis

In a caboose, privately owned (!), and invited to the yard for the day. 

The dining car, set up for lunch. 

Waiting to visit the engineer's cab. 

In the shop.

Back to Bourne, and the train returning to Hyannis. 

One final video.  

A few shots from my iphone

My favorite sight at the yard, a snowplow. 

Sunset on the River, and Fredericton, NB

We crossed in New Brunswick at Calais, Maine, and travelled to one of the great B&B's of our experience, the "Sunset on the River" in Upper Kingsclear, just west of Fredericton, on the St. John River.  We have been here twice before, and it is as great an experience as we have had anywhere.  Tom and Judy Spink are ideal hosts, the rooms are very beautiful, and the setting on the river, is spectacular. We stayed for 3 nights, and celebrated our August 5th. anniversary in Fredericton at Maxwell's Steak House. 

Here is a record of our stay in N.B.

We arrived in Kingsclear very early, and visited a site which is a settlement which represents farms
and farming in the area in the 18th century, "King's Landing". People were in costume, and 
represented real people of the time. 

It was fascinating, and quite beautiful.  The only problem was that the temperature
was 94 degrees, incredibly hot for Canada, and very uncomfortably hot walking 
conditions. We saw about half of the site before wilting.  But I would go back. 

Wearing those costumes in the incredible heat!

A stove from 1850.

At Maxwell's Steak House and Sea Food, at the Crowne Plaza. 
My steak was excellent. 
Desert was on the house. 

Relaxing at the "Sunset on the River" B&B

Our third day, Tom invited us out on his boat for a cruise on the river.  

Tom Spink, our captain. 
(former RCMP)

Judy and Susan

I told Tom that we were going to tell everybody back home that this
was our B&B!

Rental Houseboats, really, really pricey.

A look at King's Landing from the river. 

And finally, a brief look at some of the art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery
Sorry, I missed the title and artist on this one.

Deanne Musgrave
"Transcendence"

A Salvador Dali, the pride of the collection

Cathy Ross
"Blue Dress"
(This is a watercolor!)

And a collection of portraits that was stunning. 

A gay rights activist

A WWII Canadian Veteran

Mary Pratt
"Entrance"
(Oil)

At breakfast with two other guests, 
Blair and Elizabeth. And what great breakfasts they were!

An amazing sight, an abandoned railroad station somewhere in rural Canada

At my sister Barbara's for one night, and one of her Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

And a day after we arrive home, an amazing visitor in the back yard, 
an Ovenbird, usually very secretive.  This is only the second time in 16 years I have
seen one in my yard. 

So, a great time with my great partner in life, and hopefully, 
many more year to enjoy together. 
Thank you, Susan, for being who you are.