Sunday, August 21, 2016

going to the top

Tomorrow, Ed and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. I wanted to do something special for this, and so decided to do something that we have always talked about but never have.  Go to the top of Mt. Washington.....
But not just go in any way... we wanted to go up on the train.. the "cog train" and we wanted to ride in the steam engine.. so a couple of weeks ago I made the reservations....
They have a few trains that run, but only one is the steamer.. the others are diesel. And while they all go to the top, the steamer only runs once a day. It's slower, but it's also more original that is what we wanted. We had to be up very early in the morning to go, but it was worth it...
It's hard to tell from this photo.. but that peak way up in the background is where we are heading...
The grade is so steep, that it appears the trees grow crocked.. when actually they are growing straight. It certainly is an optical allusion for sure
Because the steam engine runs on steam.. they have to stop for water along the route.... and there is three that run the train.. the engineer... the brakeman and the fire man... (who is the lucky one that gets to shovel the coal into the fire box)

Smoke and cinders pass by the train as it chugs it's way up to the top. 

The view is amazing, but as we got closer to the top, there was a huge change the weather. I had been warned to dress warmly for the top even in the warmest of summer days, and I soon began to think I was wise to heed those words...
At times, it seemed as though we were going to fall off the mountain...

But we made it and this sign welcomed us...
along with this weather.. and the wind!!!! It almost made it hard to even walk around the summit. I'm told you can see for miles, and on a very clear day.. even see the ocean... however, this wasn't going to be the day to see the ocean...
I could hardly see Ed.....
or the others that had come to visit. It was actually quite busy with hikers and travelers like us... no one seemed to mind the weather.. and there were lots of folks out walking about...
I asked a nice young man to get out photo.... our anniversary photo.... 
There is a working post office at the top.. with their own post mark.. so we bought some cards and sent them off to the grands.... and one to ourselves marking this day...


we're certainly going to have to bring the grands here one day.
While they have a nice modern lodge .. they have kept and restored some of the original buildings... the Tip Top house is one... I don't recall what year it was built...but its been here for along time..
One thing I noticed right away was how quiet it was inside.. as the wind was howling outside. Then I noticed at how thick the walls were... I should imagine that it must be a pretty cozy place when the weather is really bad on the mountain top..

They had this neat photo of it all covered in ice and snow.. and though it's hard to see, there are great big cables that actually help keep it on the ground..
The train works on a cog.. much like the way a bike goes on its chain.. the teeth of the cog step into spaces on a rail that is between the tracks. I am in awe of how this was thought up and invented...
The engine pushes the train car up the mountain, but going down, the train car actually goes on its own and uses the engine more as a brake. However, the brake man (who was a break gal today).. really is in charge of applying brakes (using the wheel) to keep the train car of racing down the side of the mountain. She was fun to watch and I noticed she didn't do a lot of taling and visiting on the ride down.. she was truly working... 
As we got closer to the bottom.. the weather improved... hard to think that at the bottom it was nearly 80 and only about 41 degrees at the top...

The other trains were running that day... we were just behind this one...
and passed by this one...



We took some time and walked threw the museum.. this is called a "devils shingle".. and they actually rode down it on the rails....
This is all there is to it.... I can't even imagine doing that... especially since I had just gone up on a train and parts of the ride made me look the other way.... 
We closed the day with a nice lunch out and poking around some of the shops... leaving the mountain to the others and the weather.. and promising that we will go back again very soon..

100 years and counting

It's the third weekend in August, which for me means only one thing... Field day weekend. And to be exact 100 years of "field day weekend"... as our fire station is celebrating it's centennial. This year, the celebration is being done in a different manner... but parts of it are just the same. Starting with the Red Shirts banquet that both my Dad and my Ed attended this evening.... Love seeing them dressed up

Instead of the parade and muster, the fire station is hosting an open house. The is being done, because the weekend of September 11.. the station is going to host the Maine state firefighters convention... so with all those plans being made... keeping the annual field day to a small scale on is practical. I'm glad they decided to do some events on this weekend, it just wouldn't be "summer" without field day. I met up with Reagan to head to the open house... he was dressed up and ready to go.

I brought Logan along... her time with me is getting short and it's also a good experience for her to be around "all of this". Reagan felt she needed a hat too... but it didn't fit her head very well.


It was a perfect day for field day. Finally some cooler weather, and though this photo looks rainy, it wasn't.. just some cloud cover which kept things cool. The station looked grand, and the turnout was great. Sadly, I think more came to an open house than attend the parade some years.



Ed brought Protection 2 down. She got a fine spot inside the station. A lot of people looked her over, and it was nice to see that they were so interested. Often they just see her pass by them in the parade, but sitting still people got a chance to really check her over. Ed said he answered a lot of questions about her and just how she used to work. 


Reagan (and a whole lot of other kids) got to climb on the trucks and check out the inside of them. They also go to see (and try) the fire fighters equipment. This is such fun for the kids, but a huge education as well.

Who knows... there could come a day when these two ride the trucks for real... it's in their family with a great Grandfather as a fire fighter and a grand father as well...

Not so sure that Logan wishes to be a fire dog, but we had her try the truck as well.







I took advantage of the situation and just "showed" Logan all the things I could. She, of course, was cool about everything... including Luke all dressed up in a hazmat suit. Not to get off the subject here, but she's going to be a very good working dog.... she is so smart and steady, there will be a job for her to do for sure.


After the open house, there was the clambake. This is so nice because all of the families are invited and it's very child friendly. And there are beginning to be a lot of children. Reagan was thrilled to see his buddies there, and the fact that he was "free" to move about. The meal was as good as always.. but for me, you can't ever go wrong with lobster. 

After dinner, there was an awards banquet... Ed received his 40 (!!!!) year pin!!! He was beyond thrilled.... 40 years of his time in the fire service... working in so many areas of being a fire fighter... to a truck drive/pump operator.. to asst. Chief and then Chief... it's a long and wonderful history

My Dad received his 60 year service pin!!! and even though his health isn't the greatest these day.. he keeps himself as active with he department as he can. My Dad too has worked his way threw the ranks... fire fighter, driver, officer and asst. Chief and Chief.....

There's just one other person in the department with more time than my Dad.. and that's Chuckie (Chris's dad).. he has 62 years of service. When you see these two men together, there is 122 years of service to the fire company......


What a great way to end the day... Chris, current fire chief and I think 46 years of service... my Ed... with 40 years of service and my Dad with 60 years of service... this sort of dedication is almost unheard of these days. 


It was a fun fun day, but the big weekend is still to come in September and I am so looking forward to that.