Big Boy Steam Engine Fun

 Yesterday, Mister and I heard about Big Boy being in Fort Worth and we missed it.  What?  A little digging found their travel schedule for the next day and we quickly made plans to rise early and be in Midlothian when he arrives.

We've found a great spot under a bridge along the tracks and are pretty much at the front of the pack.  Here is our view and as we wait.

Who is Big Boy?, you may be asking.  Well, here is a LINK to a site with lots of technical information but the short of it is, "Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941.  The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds.  Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves.  They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive.  The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.  There are seven Big Boys on public display in various cities around the country.  They can be found in St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941.  The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years of service.  Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013, and relocated it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-restoration process.  It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's Completion.  

Mister and I actually saw Big Boy 4004 in Cheyenne, WY (LINK) back in 2013, and we've seen the one in Dallas, but they are just on display, not operating.  THIS sweetie today --- the ONLY one actually operating.

Summertime in Montana - Days 11- 16 and Home

 19th - We are back to finishing up the family room desk today and come across an envelope full of pictures.  Mom settles in to put names on the backs of them (so happy for this) and while doing some comes across this picture of a great-uncle.  She starts telling me his story and I'm getting that "this has to be an exaggerated family legend feeling" so I head to the internet.  Lo, and behold - everything she's said is right there in print.  Want to know?  Let me share what I found and it's not always in order, but still intersting.

Please meet Ole A. Olson, a.k.a., The Hermit.  

"He was a quiet, unassuming fellow who didn't seek publicity.  But oh, how he could carve.  His name was Ole Olson, but he gained the fame he didn't want as Ole the Hermit.  He didn't always live alone.  He was married in 1921 to an Irish girl named Hazel but after her death in 1934, Ole settled down in Valley City, N.D., with only Bertha, his cat, for company and spent much of his time carving.  Ole died in 1966 but he left behind many carved figures which are popular because of their intricacy and the wry humor he carved into them."

Now for the details:

Summertime in Montana - 6-10

 July 14 - Mom and I are off to Kalispell this morning for her stress test, a stop at the bank, and to pick up her new car.  No point in pictures from the first two, but TA-DA --- she's driving it home even - back from Kalispell.  This is further than she will usually be driving, but excitement is the same no matter what age we are and a new car, well . . . . dang, that's jus exciting period.

Summertime in Montana - Days 1-5

 July 9 - It's my sister's birthday and we are off to Montana.  I haven't spent her birthday with her in oh so many years - in fact, I can't remember the last time.  It's time.  We have snagged non-stop flights from Dallas to Kalispell and that is amazing in itself.  It's a nice day and we are outta here.  Hours later, lakes begin to appear and we are getting close.

To The Zoo to Meet Gus

 Independence Day has come and gone and since the weather is semi-decent, we are out early for a trip to the zoo to HOPEFULLY meet Gus.

Upon our arrival, the lemurs are already showing off and we spot the little brown ones that have been noticeably absent for awhile now.

Family Reunion - After The Gathering

 Well, that's it.  We are back in St. George, the tears have temporarily stopped and my sweetheart has found a wonderful spot for dinner and a drink - George's, of course.  

One of the things I noticed in St. George is that on the side of one bluff, DIXIE is written and I have wondered why.  NOW, I get to find out.  Utah's Dixie is the nickname for an area in Washington County in southwestern Utah.  It's climate is milder than the rest of Utah, with an elevation of 2,700 feet.  It was first settled in 1854, as part of Brigham Young's efforts to establish an Indian Mission in the region.  The settlers began growing cotton and other temperate cash crops during the 1850's.  The largest community in the region, St. George, was founded in 1861, when Brigham Young selected 300 families to settle the area and grow cotton and other crops.  The region had become known as Dixie by 1860, in reference to the attempt to grow cotton.  Many settlers were bona fide Southerners, who were steeped in the lore of cotton culture.  Dixie, it became, and Dixie it remained.  The name "DIXIE" is one of the distinctive things about this part of Utah. 

Dinner is perfect.  Ahhhh.  Now, off to the motel and some sleep so I don't think about how close my kids are and I'm missing it.

Family Reunion - Day 3

With an early departure for sleep last night, our condo is awake early and spending some much loved time visiting on the upper back deck once again.  Mister and Becca went up first and then I joined them with Jen following shortly after.  Well, perhaps we woke her as we were sitting right outside her room, but . . .  Before it was over Matt, Jacob, Cassie and Mairead all spent  some time with us.  I cannot express how much these moments meant to me.  It is our last day with everyone and I want to make every minute count, if possible.