Since my day was shot anyway I went shopping when I came home. That requires that I go to at least two local stores, each of which carries a different selection of food I can consume and while I was out driving a devilish idea hit me - but some background information is required. Lately I have been receiving various postcards from the state Department of Transportation touting a local drop-in meeting to discuss some major changes to the roads in my once-quiet neighborhood. Well, I am a cranky old dude who doesn't like change, because by golly things have always been this way (in the 8 years I have lived here) and I like it like that!
More background - while out on walkies with my friend who lives down the road she mentioned that she too has been receiving the same post cards and she has concerns about what is going to become of this area. Background.2 - a large chunk of land has been sold and is now being developed into housing - that is a done deal and hundreds, perhaps thousands of new people and cars will be crammed into our tiny town. Her concern is that the route she takes to get downtown will become more hazardous if the current road plan is implemented. So she wants to attend the meeting to insist that a traffic light be installed at the new T intersection.
My concern is that a grade crossing was going to be built not far from my house - by federal law trains have to blow their whistle, which is something between 120-130 decibels, two longs, a short and a long, at every grade crossing. I am deaf, but even I can hear that noise, which I guess is the point.
So coming back from the store downtown I acted upon my devilish idea and took a detour onto a road that is barricaded and that has no trespassing signs, just to get a better idea of the lay of the land. In eight years I had never been on that property even though I can almost see it from my back yard.
Here is what it looks like now:
It took me a minute to realize that what I beheld was the (revolting) development, which due to the way the town is laid out, I never realized was just right over there *points*.
Well, you can't stop progress, but you can document it as it goes:
An artifact.
I drove back across the tracks, well, actually I stopped right on them and took this picture:
That is the Norfolk Southern single track main east/west line in this area. This, of course, raises only one question - which side of the tracks do I live on. Shut up!
My dog walking friend heard my concerns about the grade crossing and she was able to find more information on what the DOT has planned for us - lo and behold they are planning on building an overpass while rerouting the state roads. Hal-a-freakin'-lujah! Not only will that be quieter it could very well be safer and avoid all of the nightmare scenarios that grade crossings on main roads invite. Of course, being a state plan, there are three options which vary in how many tracks they are planning to fly over. But they are currently planning an overpass, so that is very good news. We shall see how committed they are to futuristic train plans, but so long as one track is passed over I am good.
Another part of the plan has to do with where the overpass will land when it comes back down to grade level - currently they are siting it between a couple of businesses in an empty lot so I drove over there and took this picture:
That is a hedgerow between what was once farm fields, but soon it will be mounds of dirt carrying a two lane road. Upon closer inspection I spotted this:
What's that, Sixty? Glad you asked - that is a large burl growing on a cherry tree in the hedgerow of trees. I might have to do some fast talking and see what's what with that prior to the bulldozer pushing it into a burn heap.
I will leave this story now, to be continued, and I have to say, it has been overcast all year. Some sunshine would be nice.
