Working on the railroad
EN ROUTE TO NORTH DAKOTA — AMTRAK’S Empire Builder is about three hours from Williston, N.D. One of our last stops in Montana was Havre, supposedly named after Le Havre, France. Francophiles and fur traders are free to weigh in at this point.
Havre is located in North Central Montana. Population 9,500. Salud. (Cue the HeeHaw cheer).
It was three degrees when some of us got off the train during our 10-minute refueling. The low tonight is expected to be minus 22. I am not making this up.
Before we got off the train, a charming 4-year-old entertained us at the doorway. She and Dad are heading home to Williston. The attendant was very kind to her and engaged her in conversation. He explained the tracks were laid in Havre before her grandfather was born. “You know my Grandpa? she asked. We all laughed. Kids say the darnedest things. (Cue Art Linkletter tapes).
I used to say that the favorite part of any vacation travel for me was being able to buy different newspapers across the country. Well, today I picked up the Havre Daily News. The top story on the front page was about a local horsewoman who is leading an effort to rescue horses destined for slaughter in Washington. The story mentioned offhand that the woman and three friends had just returned home from an overnight competition in Spokane and then returned to the Tri-Cities to rescue horses.
In my earlier post, I referenced The City of New Orleans as my favorite train song. A Spokane reader, who is snug in the comfort of her own home and bed with no swaying or bumps, put in a plug for I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, a campfire favorite of kids. The song, my crack research team discovered, was recorded by John Denver, Alvin and the Chipmunks and others. In my defense, we were too poor for campfires.
No trip is complete unless someone looks at my fleece and asks, “So, where is Ball State?”
I get that question a lot, living on the Coast of the West. But the woman is from Milwaukee. My identity struggle is real,
The latest projection on our Chicago arrival is about 7 p.m. Friday, three hours later than scheduled. I do hope those who are planning a ticker tape parade for me are flexible.
We just made what I think will be our last stop in the state of Montana. Welcome to Malta, population 1,997 and where the current temperature is a frigging nine degrees and is expected to hit minus 29 by Friday morning. Good to see you, hate to be you.
