Union Pacific 844

In the last few weeks I have posted a couple of photos of Union Pacific Steam Engine No. 844, and each time had many requests for more information. We saw it in Salina, Kansas, at the end of April and in Hutchinson, Kansas, a few days later. The photo above was taken just outside of Hutchinson.

I contacted Union Pacific to ask about the possibility of riding the train and getting more details. They were very gracious in allowing me, and Greg Holmes, a professional photographer, to come aboard on the Claremore, Oklahoma to Kansas City run. The photos here are ones Greg took on this trip, and also when it was through Kansas earlier on this run.

It's the first time I've ridden a train in the United States and I can't imagine a better way to be introduced to rail travel than behind a historic steam engine.

We boarded at 7:30 a.m. and arrived in Kansas City about 5:15 p.m. on May 28. Along the way we met other riders and had the opportunity to talk with them about their love of trains.


Steam engines have been rare in the US for more than 50 years. There are some excursion and tourist trains running around the country, but by and large when you see a steam engine these days it's in a park or museum. It's very rare to see them on a mainline that also carries normal rail traffic.

Union Pacific's No. 844 was delivered in 1944 - the last steam engine the railroad bought. It has been in continuous use since then, first as a passenger train, then for freight, and finally for special projects. It has never been warehoused, put in a museum, or left in a park. It has always been operating.


Union Pacific has been celebrating its 140 year long history with a "Heritage Express Tour," using No. 844 on a trip through the midwest. Thousands of people have come to see the engine during its 10 state trip that began April 27 and wrapped up June 1 when it returned to its home base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. When it was in Hutchinson in early May, one of the employees said it was like the parting of the sea because of all the people who turned out.




Ric Jung of Hutchinson is particularly fond of steam engines, and has been since he was a kid. He caught 844 years ago when he was overseeing the building of a radio station near Abilene, Kansas. "We didn't know anything about it being there," he said in a phone interview. "We just looked up and saw the smoke coming across the prairie."




At the time, 844 was known as 8444, to differentiate it from a diesel that was named 844. Once the diesel was retired in 1989, steam engine 844 regained its original number.

This time Jung was not surprised to see it. He, like others, had been keeping tabs on it. Union Pacific offered regular updates on the train's whereabouts by GPS on its web page at www.up.com. The information updated every five minutes and you knew where you needed to be to catch a glimpse of it on the track.

People are passionate about steam engines. "Steam engines have personality and a lot of dimensions a diesel just doesn't convey," Jung said. "They excite virtually every sense in the body," he said. "The smell is not limited to the smoke, but also includes the burning oil. The sight is massive moving parts working in quiet harmony. The sound includes the whistle, the air pumps, the leaking steam, the fire, and also what seems like 'breathing'." He said the engines "also have a feel. They are these huge, heavy, ponderous things that make the ground rumble if you stand next to them, yet they're very gentle. Everything about them is alive."

Director of Media Relations for Union Pacific, James Barnes, tells me that they make an effort to take 844 to places they've not been previously, so everyone has a chance to experience it. Claremore was a new stop this time, as were some places in New Mexico and Texas.

The engine carries 23,500 gallons of water and 6,200 gallons of oil, its fuel source. They make multiple stops along the route to take on water.

One of my fellow passengers on Saturday was 12 year old Michael Hoge of Arkansas. I struck up a conversation and asked, "so how did you get to ride," expecting that the answer would be he was related to a railroad employee as that comprised the majority of the other passengers. His answer was not what I expected. He answered directly and briefly, "I asked nicely."

He had gotten permission to ride on an earlier leg, and on Sunday morning had shown up with his parents and waited until all the other passengers had gotten on. He then asked Conductor Reed Jackson - nicely - about riding, and was granted permission. It's obviously not the standard way it's done, but it worked for this young man.

I was impressed with Michael's style. At 12 he has already learned that asking nicely can get you a lot of things. It got him a ride behind No. 844 from Claremore all the way into Kansas City's historic Union Station, with a jaunt through the Union Pacific yard where he spotted something he'd never seen before - a new engine being used by the Army.




Michael's parents, along with many other "rail fans" as those who chase trains are often known, were driving, taking photos of the train. They stayed in phone contact with each other and at various stops his mom would meet him with snacks or other supplies. The family was like a well oiled machine itself.

During the trip Michael spent a lot of time in the vestibule where we could lean out and see the engine in front of us. It was really a choice spot to get a look at the engine as it rounded a curve.

He has already traveled to 26 states seeing trains. His dad is a long time rail fan and they spend a lot of vacation time chasing trains. He says it has become a "yearly ritual of riding trains." Michael is well versed about paint schemes, types of cars and details lost on all but the most dedicated rail fans.


They also chase trains in their area. Michael said they used to chase between Little Rock and Conway but he says, "those train chasing days are over because my parents don't want to waste fuel." But, obviously, something like No. 844 was worth expending some fuel on.

I asked if he was going to continue chasing the train and with some disappointment he said, "No, I've got space camp to go to." So, young Michael's train excursion was ending so he could head to Alabama by car.




Steam engines engender a passion that is palpable. No. 844's unique place in history makes it worth a trip to catch it. The first thing you're struck by when you see it is the sheer size of it. The wheels are taller than most men. It's a mindboggling thing to realize you're seeing something work much the same as it did 60 years ago. It truly is living history.

Barnes challenged me to consider how many companies celebrate their heritage, and I confess I had a hard time coming up with any. Of course, few companies can boast nearly a century and a half of operation, either. That's impressive, any way you look at it.

Steve Holmes, an award winning documentary producer, has produced a movie called "RailFans: Passion for the Iron Horse." He's also a lifelong rail enthusiast. "It's a neat thing that Union Pacific is doing this. They are the only railroad now that has a steam program. And as you saw in Hutchinson and elsewhere, clearly it's a goodwill tool for the communities in which they operate. Steam trains are really powerful PR tools."

Union Pacific is well aware of the public relations value, and they make no bones about their reasons for having No. 844 out and about. It is not only a celebration of the rail road, but helps with branding, and also gives them a chance to recruit employees - something they're very interested in - through publicity.

Union Pacific is expecting about 40% of their employees to retire in the next 5 years due to the aging baby boomers. They are hiring people to prepare for that. Some years ago after the Southern Pacific merger, they had a situation where they lost a number of employees and were crippled for awhile. "Once we got behind and started parking trains, it took forever to get caught up," says Kevin Dawson, the Manager for Training and Attendance in the Wichita Service Area. They don't want to do that again.

Dawson says, "Our business is growing rapidly." Part of the reason is there's lot of freight traffic these days, and they're continually looking at new businesses. But another big one now is high fuel costs.

"Look at the highways and you see our future for the railroad," says Dawson. "We can pull 100 containers that take 100 drivers, with one crew." They're also able to tailor the power for the size of the load they're moving, something a truck can't do as well. One thing I hadn't really considered before, but that Dawson pointed out, is that the railroad is, "not moving on publicly owned properties, we have our own infrastructure."

Barnes said Union Pacific thinks of their operation in the western two thirds of the country as a huge manufacturing plant. Only in their case it's open and exposed to the elements, which presents a new set of issues. They have 22,000 plus miles of track alone, not to mention the investment in locomotives and cars.




Finding new employees is something you'll hear about from almost any Union Pacific employee you strike up a conversation with. It takes a unique personality to "marry the railroad," as I heard from a couple of people. Over the course of the day I talked to former farmers, mechanics and factory workers who had made a move to the railroad.




Dawson says, "This is a lifestyle. It is a cultural change. We want to make sure potential employees understand this is not a 9 to 5 job." Union Pacific spends about $40,000 training someone from the moment they come in off the street to get them to the entry level position of brakeman. It takes about 14-16 weeks to do that. It's obviously a huge investment.

Railroading is often a generational job, sons follow fathers into what has become the family business. Barnes says they know what the job is like because it has been a part of their lives. It has been their dinner table conversation.

Glen Driskel of Cherryvale, Kansas, retired from being an engineer just three days before he was a passenger on No. 844 between Claremore and Coffeyville, Kansas - the route he normally worked. His wife and three grandchildren were with him on 844. He had been with the company for 38 years, and says, "it's a great place to work, with good pay and great benefits. And it's fun. I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Driskel is a second generation railroad worker. His dad ran steam engines in the forties. He joked, "This ride is a little better than what I normally have with the freight." He said on a normal day the leg of the trip that took us a little over an hour would take him between 4 to 6 hours, depending on other railroad traffic. He joked, "This is very relaxing. Those other guys have to answer the radio and watch the signals and run the thing." Getting a little wistful, he looked out the window and said, "but, I think I'll miss it."




No. 844 can reach speeds over 100 miles per hour, but on this trip Barnes says 79 in West Texas was the maximum speed reached. No. 844 can move 10 miles faster than freight and it doesn't stop, it has priority on the rails, so other rail traffic stops to let it pass. That's why it made Driskel's usual jaunt so much quicker.




Ten crew people are devoted to No. 844, when it travels and at its home base. It requires many more than those people to run this operation, though. That's one of the reasons steam engines were replaced by diesels, because the steam was so labor intensive. At every stop on this trip, they have to take on water, and maintain various parts of the engine.

Some of the jobs are a bit less mechanically inclined, but essential nonetheless. Penny Braunschweis is one of the people who welcomes guests to the gift shop and passes out information on the engine. It's her third year to do it and she loves "seeing how excited people are, especially the kids" to see the engine.

She is right about people's excitement. Everywhere the engine goes it is met by crowds eager to catch sight of it and see it work. Even people who aren't tracking the engine's every move get excited to see it.

Marty Foster of Cookeville, Tennessee didn't even know to expect the train. She was in Waggoner, Oklahoma, visiting on Saturday, May 27, when she heard the whistle. She jumped in the car with her dog, Barley, and drove down to the track. Someone there told her it was heading north, so she did too. She was rewarded by getting to see it in Claremore, where it made an overnight stop.

Seeing it moving, spewing smoke into the air, is a sight you don't expect. Documentary producer Holmes says he thinks part of the appeal of steam engines is that you can actually see them work. "You see the big wheels move. As one of the people in our program put it 'a steam engine is like a living creature.' A steam engine is working and it shows it so dramatically - the sight, the smell, the feel, the sound. That's all overwhelming, especially if you've never seen it before."




All along the route, people were pacing the train on the road, standing at intersections and standing along the track, wanting to see No. 844 and also to get a better view. People try to capture it with photographs and video. Those seem to be a rail fan's most often used tools.




I was struck how digital cameras have changed our world. I found myself sitting with young Michael and Nathan, another friend we'd made, comparing our digital photos. It's an innovation rail fans couldn't have imagined twenty years ago - being able to see the photos instantly.

Of course, photos don't compare to the actual experience of seeing it in person. "I've seen these things at work and I don't know how any recording or photograph can do it justice," says movie producer Holmes. "It's simply an overwhelming experience. It touches young and old but in different ways. The people who are older are seeing something they remember from their youth. The people who are under 50, unless they've sought it out, this is new for them. But for both it's a step back in time."

The documentary Holmes produced examines the relationship between rail fans and the rail roads, a sometimes contemptuous one. "There are people who take jobs on the rail road because they love trains. There are people who paint trains. There are people who move to houses by the tracks. It's part of our culture, our folkore. Our movie looks at what inspires that devotion, how people show it, and why that is controversial right now."

After 9-11, railroads had to become more conscientious about why people were along the tracks, and that has impacted the hobby. Generally, what railfans want is a photograph, and they're often jockeying for position to get the best shot.

Holmes says on his website for the documentary, "Railfans have been around almost as long as trains themselves. I am convinced that five minutes after the maiden run of the Iron Horse, some guy was out there drawing it. This was before photography. In fact, trains and photography grew up together."

"RailFans" is headed for public television stations across the country this fall. Read more about it on Holmes' website at www.shpvideo.com/railfans/overview.htm.

Union Pacific did a major overhaul on No. 844 in 2000 that included a great deal of work on its running gear, pumps, piping, valves and springs, along with replacement of its firebox, and extensive boiler work. Even the cab interior has been refurbished. They carry some spare parts with them, and have the ability to fabricate some items on the spot if necessary.




"The Steam Team" is a specific crew that works with 844 and Union Pacific's other steam engine, 3985. Running a steam engine is a specialized endeavor. Part of the reason diesel engines replaced steam was because of the labor required to run a steam engine.

Also traveling with them are their own "police" who work with local officials wherever the engine goes. You'll not find nicer folks. Almost everyone who deals with No. 844 is a PR person in addition to their regular job.

I noticed even the official police and sherriff's officers are not immune to the charms of No. 844.




They take the opportunity onboard to do education for the Operation Lifesaver program, designed to educate people about the importance of safety at rail crossings.

Trains weigh so much it takes them about a mile to stop. Obviously, by the time the person on the train can actually *see* someone on the rails, they cannot stop. It would defy the laws of physics for them to bring a 12 million pound train to a stop in a manner of moments. Barnes says, "The engineers are helpless. They can't stop the train."

The recently retired Driskel said, "people run in front of you all the time," shaking his head. For the engineers who are unfortunate enough to be put in the circumstance of hitting someone the railroad offers counselors and peer support.

I covered Operation Lifesaver many times when I was a journalist, but had forgotten the history of the program so went and looked it up. It started in Idaho in 1972 when the national average of collisions at highway-rail grade crossings exceeded 12,000 annually. It was intended as a one time, one state, six-week public awareness campaign sponsored by the office of Governor Cecil Andrus, the Idaho Peace Officers and Union Pacific railroad.

During the campaign's first year, Idaho's crossing-related fatalities dropped by 43 percent, which is an astonishing success rate. In 1973 the program expanded to Nebraska, and they saw a 26% reduction in crashes. Kansas and Georgia experienced similar success the following year.




Between 1978 and 1986, while Operation Lifesaver operated under the auspices of the National Safety Council, all 49 continental states started independent Operation Lifesaver programs. In 1986, the national program was incorporated as a national, non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization.

Some people mistakenly believe that if the railroads put gates and lights at every crossing that would solve the problem. In reality, half of accidents happen at crossings with those. So, that is not the solution. It seems that education is the best answer, and they use every opportunity to spread the message. "Safety is our number one priority," says Barnes.




Others think the answer is stricter laws. But when someone drives around a crossing, they break five traffic laws. Obviously, this has not solved the problem because, as Barnes says, "You cannot legislate people's behavior."

This was an amazing experience. I learned a lot about rail roads. What I knew previously was pretty much limited to what I'd learned through Operation Lifesaver, and a previous story I did on 844, back when it was 8444.


I guess you might say I have a little history with this engine. About 20 years ago when it was in Salina, I made an hour long, early morning drive up the interstate to see it. I was doing radio news then, and did some interviews with those gathered at the depot, and did a story. Greg and I were already friends then, and he shared this photo he took that day of me recording the sound of the engine.

At the time I had no idea I'd ever have the opportunity to ride behind it. Frankly, it hadn't even occured to me until last month when I saw it again and noticed the interest from readers here. I'm thankful for the experience.

I'm much more aware now of No. 844's unique place in history. If I'm lucky enough to find it in my area again, you can be sure I'll travel out to get another look. I'm starting to understand what others have known for a long time - there is something magical about the lure of a steam engine.




See more photos of No. 844 at http://thelope.blogspot.com/2006/05/844.html

I'm finishing up the story of my ride on Union Pacific 844. This is conductor Reed Jackson I'm with in this photo. I hope to be able to post the full story tomorrow.

I've spent the day working on garden tour things - of course. I've also had to deal with a computer problem, which put me a little behind. Tonight was a Horizons board meeting and that went until about 7. This is probably the busiest month of the year for me and I always feel a bit overwhelmed by trying to get everything done in a timely manner. To top it off, something new has been added this year. By the time the end of June rolls around I just relax for a little bit and try to make my life liveable again.

When I'm really busy I let everything in my house go and - oh my gosh - it's not a pretty sight right now. There are paths in my living room, around the piles of things I've brought into the house and not taken the time to actually deal with properly. The time will come...

Art of Gracious Living #24

Art of Gracious Living #24

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I gathered with some friends recently that I see each month. We take turns going around the circle and discussing what is on our mind.

When it was my turn I was talking about the recent artist's retreat I went on and other tidbits about my life. There was nothing extraordinary in what I was saying, and yet I noticed that everyone in the room was giving me their rapt attention.

I was struck by what an incredible gift it is when people truly listen to what you're saying. It also gave me reason to consider if I extend myself to others in that fashion.

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Communication style

Communication is just an interesting phenomenon.

Communication theory indicates that "male style" communication is generally more matter of fact, and people who are more emotionally based when it comes to communication find that difficult. I see this all the time. People get bent out of shape when someone is just direct. Of course, I like it when people are direct - I like to know where I stand.

Women tend to talk more in terms of "I think we should," or "I feel it would be best..." Men tend to talk more in terms of "I decided..." or "We are going to..." Of course, there are people of both genders who cross beyond those specifics.

I had to teach myself the more female style of communication because I grew up with lots of boys and men, and very strong willed women, and didn't develop that naturally. Once I entered the business world, I learned it was very difficult for people to accept a male style of communication out of a female - oddly enough it was never men who had an issue with it in my case, but other women. Men liked the fact that I could just say what I meant/wanted/needed. But the other women I worked with did not like it that I didn't use the "softer" way of communicating. It took me years to remind myself to say, "I think we should..." instead of just saying "I want this to be..."

I've learned to fake it enough to get by, but it is still not natural for me to talk in those ways. If you already know you want to print the project on green paper, I can't imagine why you want to spend 20 minutes talking about why you should print it on green paper, and soliciting other people's opinions about the green paper. I'd rather take thirty seconds to call the printer with the decision and spend the other 19 1/2 minutes doing something productive or relaxing.

I've noticed the same thing on discussion lists. There's a situation now on a list where a gentleman who is very polite, but very "no frills" in communicating, has been chastised by someone for his "terse" emails. He's not terse - he's just matter of fact. I feel for him so much because I've been told similar things just because I'm definitive. It gets old. Really old. And it makes you just not want to communicate with anyone who doesn't respect people who can just say what they mean.

It's probably why I've not been reading any of my former discussion list email for many months now.

It's been a very nice Memorial Day. Greg and I took Mia and Mark out to lunch to thank them for their generous help to us yesterday in chauffering us to and from the train. It's good to have such great friends who will come to your aid for things that might not seem like the most necessary and logical ways you could spend your time.

I've been working on the Union Pacific No. 844 story, which I'll be posting here as soon as it's ready. It's quite an amazing tale with many facets. I know some of you are very eager to see it and I promise we will post it as soon as possible, but tomorrow I must get back to that regular job of mine and it does take some time and energy. I've been reading over my notes tonight and also did a couple of phone interviews to flesh things out. Greg is working on his photos and some of them are spectacular.

Mark had to leave town early today, right after lunch. But later in the afternoon Greg, his mom, Mia and I went over to LV's pool and swam for a couple of hours. We then chowed down on BBQ and topped it off with watermelon.

I think we hit all the typical summer things - swimming, BBQ and watermelon - in the space of a few hours. That seems fitting for the traditional start of the summer season. I spent a large part of the time floating, as is evidenced by the photo. I'm not sure how many more things we could have worked in that typically scream "summer." None of us are beer drinkers - that's about the only additional thing I can think of. Fortunately, Mia had a better idea - she made coconut pie tonight. It might not be traditionally summer-y, but it was fabulous pie.

Today I have had an extraordinary experience - being transported back to the days of the steam engines. Greg and I were priviledged to be aboard Union Pacific 844 as it went from Claremore, OK to Kansas City's Union Station. Expect a lengthy story here, with many photos, as soon as I have a chance to write it. I talked to numerous other passengers today, as well as Union Pacific employees, about the event.

We left at 5:30 this morning and returned after 11 p.m. I haven't even had a chance to download the photos yet, but rest assured this wlll happen shortly.

I think you, like me, will be surprised at some of the details I picked up today - not the least of which is that Union Pacific has more business than they can handle. It's so refreshing to hear a company talk about being in a growth mode instead of downsizing.

For the moment, i must sleep in order to be coherent. Tomorrow, we will take Mia and Mark out to a nice lunch because they were kind enough to drive us to OK and from KC. It's good to have really good friends.

Well, I'm off to slumber land where I'll no doubt dream about puffs of steam and train whistles tonight.

I'm feeling like my life has gotten a bit dull and ordinary. I think I'm in need of an adventure very soon - something unusual - something I've never done - something fun. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I know I need it.

I've gotten too entrenched in daily life. There's the house and garden, volunteer work, organizations, gatherings, details, board meetings, events to plan, projects to do, and work. I've become the soccer mom without the kids or the soccer. I have to break that mold and fast. I do not want to live a life stuck in routine. I realize some people love life to be that way, and more power to them - goodness knows I envy them sometimes because that would be so much easier to achieve.

But that is not how I want my life to be. I want my life to be filled with newness and exciting things and adventure. I want every day to have something in it that makes me say, "hmmm... I've never done that before." It doesn't have to be anything major, but every day should offer some opportunity for something new and different - a new restaurant, a town you've not been to, a person you've not met, a pie you've not tasted, a flower you've not smelled, a rock you've not seen - something. We live in an amazing world - everyday should have something new in it.

This begs the question of when was the last time I did something I've never done before. Hmmm... I'll have to think about that. But it wasn't today. Yet. But it's only 4 p.m. - I still have time. I'll report back.

I have a number of flowers blooming in the front flowerbed now. This lily plant has looked like it was ready to bloom for about three weeks. Finally a couple of days ago one popped open. By the end of the day another was open. Now a half dozen are open. I hope they last for awhile. They're very pretty. I think I'll plant some more things like this.

Last year I invested in a lot of perennials. And "invested" is the correct term. Gardening is not for those who hesitate to whip out the Visa card. It can get quite pricey. But this year when things started coming up on their own, it seemed like it was a good thing to spend time and money on last year

I lost three coneflower plants. I didn't even know you could kill those things - they're suppposed to be very prolific - but I lost all of mine.

One of the garden tour folks told me the other day that although this was a mild winter, the two cold snaps took a lot of things because the plants had not hardened off. My lambs ear stayed green all winter. I have vinca blooming in the snow. So, I'm not sure how weirded out all the plants are.

The mint is doing well. I know some call it "invasive," I just call it "hardy." And I have quite a few morning glories coming up already. I did the string for them last weekend. I always think I'm incredibly optimistic that I'm putting up 12 feet of string when the plants are an inch tall. But, once they start growing, they can really grow fast.

I love viney things that give that wild, overgrown look. My honeysuckle bloomed ever so briefly but I missed getting a photo of it. Hopefully it will bloom yet more.

This year I have also planted a few tomato plants, a cucumber, a pepper, some shallots, and basil. I'm hoping all those things do well. I so desperately want to enjoy home grown tomatoes with fresh mozzarella with basil flavored olive oil this summer. We'll see if that can happen. I hope so.

Unfortunately, it went from days of temps around 70 to days of temps in the 90s. I need to harden off just like plants, but didn't get the chance this summer. Summer just arrived with a vengence.

Your Good Thoughts Requested

About three weeks ago, my brother, Jim, was diagnosed with lung cancer, the same disease that took our father 33 years ago. On May 11, the 5 year anniversary of our mother's death, they gave him 6 months to live. Monday he had a bone scan and today called to tell me it has not spread to his bones. So, he may now be able to have chemotherapy, which may well save his life.

Needless to say, this has been uppermost in my mind. My brother just turned 65 at the end of last month. He has been doing so much better since some unrelated surgery a few weeks ago. He has sounded lots better and said he has been feeling better. I was hoping he would be able to enjoy life a bit, with good health, and then they found this.

I firmly believe in the power of prayer and positive thought. So, I ask you to remember Jim in your prayers, or whatever thought process you practice.

I've had a number of emails from readers, asking why I've been spotty in posting and that is why. I will continue to write here about my daily life with its ups and downs, but felt I owed you an explanation of why I have been absent so much lately. This is all I've been able to think about since Jim called me two weeks ago.

Thank you for your prayers and good wishes.

Art of Gracious Living #23

Click here for show #23 and it will automatically download for you. You can listen to podcasts on your computer. You don't need an iPod or any additional software.

Julia Cameron talks about �filling the well� in her book, �The Artist's Way.� It's a concept that can be applied to all aspects of our lives. She suggests weekly artist's dates to restore the creative energy we all need.

I recently spent a week alone in a small cabin in the woods at an artist's retreat. I was reminded how important it is to have time to be in our own company. When we are alone, we have the opportunity to ask the questions, and also to hear the answers.

It was also enlightening to get together with the other artists in the evenings and share our work. Artists and writers have been doing this for centuries. It obviously fills a need. But, most people create alone.

Humans are social creatures, we do need time to spend with ourselves.

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Busy Days and Nights

I've had a few busy days. The garden tour that we do as a fundraiser has sort of fallen apart and I've been patching it back together. But, it's going to be one of the best ones we've ever had. We're ending up with some great sites. So, things work out the way they're supposed to I suppose.

Tonight was Altrusa's installation of new officers for the coming year. I haven't been in a while - I've been out of town or had a conflict all but one meeting night in the last few months. And that night I was working on things, trying to get ready to be gone. So, I'm glad I made it tonight.

I have managed to get some plants in the ground in the last few days. I planted about 50 lily of the valley very early this morning. I'm hoping they all come up in the spring. I adore Lily of the Valley and have never had any. Hopefully next year I'll have lots. They are the best smelling flower ever, I think. By noon it was very hot so I was glad I made that an early morning project.

I also planted a few tomato plants, one pepper and one cucumber plant. We'll see how that goes. I've not planted veggies in many years. Of course, they're saying we may get storms with hail tonight, so I may be buying new plants and planting them in the next couple of days. We do have some thunder and lightning. Just a few hours ago, this was all north of us and we weren't expecting anything. I'm continually amazed at how weather forecasters are clueless. I know about the butterfly effect but - good grief - it would seem surely we could manage a few hours in advance these days.

When I got in about 9:30 tonight I flipped on the TV and Travis Barker was playing in a tribute to Buck Owens on the Country Music Awards. I do have to admit that I love the way music has gone the last few years - particularly country music - where genres have blended together. It's fun to see Loretta Lynn and Jack White together. It's fun to see Dwight Yoakum, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Brad Paisley and Travis Barker play together. I wonder what that rehearsal was like.

Well, I need to go make a new to do list. I have a ton of things I need to accomplish in the next two days and they won't happen without a list from which to work. And I need to sleep at some point. Seems so hard to find time for that.

The weekend

It's nearly 10:30 on Sunday night and I haven't gotten nearly as much done this weekend as I'd hoped. I could use another weekend day.

Yesterday I did a lot of work outside. It was cloudy and cool. I got the strings up for the morning glories to climb on and I did some other gardening things. This morning was much the same way so I took advantage of the cool weather then too. Unfortunately, this afternoon it got hot and apparently it's going to be that way all week. I still have more gardening things to get done. I guess I'll try to get up extra early and do it before work. It is just too miserable when it's 94 degrees to be doing much outdoors. At least for me.

This afternoon Terry and I went to the Fox to see Napoleon Dynamite. I hadn't seen it before. I rarely go to movies, but I'd heard so much about the need to Vote for Pedro that I wanted to see it. I'm glad I did. It was fun.
My weekend was capped off with a home cooked meal, which was nice. Sondra invited me over for dinner tonight. She cooked green beans and potatoes and corn on the cob, as well as salad. It was great.

I have been getting up really early lately. For some reason I just keep waking up early - not sure why - but I do. Of course, if I want to get some gardening done early that's just as well.

The Party Guys

I like smart guys. Guys who are thinkers. Guys who are responsible. Guys who's idea of a hot time on the old town tonight is dinner out at a restaurant where my food is being served to me on an actual plate, but where my jeans are appropriate attire. And, no, I don't want to go to a movie. I'd rather just go home after dinner.

So, given this, why is it that for 25 years it has been the party guys that are attracted to me? I don't even know how I meet party guys. I haven't been in a bar in... well... I can't recall when I was last in a bar... probably before I was old enough to be in a bar. But the party guys find me. They find me at the local deli, in airports, and at the grocery store. They approach me on the Paris subway, the Paducah library, at the local greenhouse, and at the carwash. They talk to me in museums, Wal-mart parking lots, on the streets of Luxor and in downtown Hutchinson. How can this possibly be?

As I was being hit on today while washing my car I was thinking about the various places party guys have found me. I'm sure I'll think of others - these were just some of the more memorable ones off the top of my head. Speaking the same language isn't even necessary - maybe "party" is the same in any language.

What is it about me that attracts party guys? With smart guys I almost always have to make the first move, or give them lots of encouragement. And at some point in the relationship we generally have a conversation about how they were afraid of approaching me. What is it about me that is so off-putting? It's not in effect with the party guys. They're not afraid. They think I'm one of their kind - ready to party.

Why is that? I'm really rather conservative in my dress. I don't go around talking about partying, because I don't. Admittedly, there have been times in my life when I was "with the band" - let me clarify - not the ENTIRE band, just one guy in the band. OK, there was a time when I was IN the band, but that was a long time ago. I had my younger and wilder days but they were so long ago surely I'm not giving off those signals anymore. And, even then I didn't really find it the most fun thing. It was just "the season" for it. I kept thinking I'd figure out the fun part of it but I never did.

I'm a homebody - content to be in my studio painting or at the computer writing. I like to go out to eat with friends, have people over, bake, work on my house, have good conversation, garden - all very mundane. But somewhere in this there is something screaming, "Hey, party guy, lets have some fun." I cannot imagine what that is.

When I ask the party guys the response is always something along the lines of, "oh, you just exude fun." OK, party guys don't generally know words like "exude," because words like that went the way of various mind altering substances long ago, but, that's the sentiment.

Amazing Week

I have just returned from an extraordinary week in Ohio.

For the last year or so I have been thinking I needed to go away to a cabin in the woods somewhere and write for about a week. I was wondering how I would be able to afford it. Well, in a great example of how the universe provides what you ask for, I was given the opportunity to do this for free, other than my transportation there.



This cabin was my home for the past week. I had power, but not running water. However, it was only a block or so walk to the main house where there was water.

The ladies who offered this retreat paid great attention to detail. Each cabin had a small bouquet of flowers that included mint and lambs ear.

I was one of three artists who were there. The others were an artist/writer from Ohio and a Dominican nun from Wisconsin. There were others who were supposed to come but cancelled at the last minute. It's a shame they missed out. It was an exceptional experience.



There were four ladies who were there every day, making sure everything we needed was available. Sue and Marcia run the retreat center. And Diann is the one who started this week to honor her former partner, Marnee, who died a few years ago. Diann cooked for us all week - wonderful vegetarian meals with lots of organic food. Birch was her "sous chef." Peaches is the resident kitty.

Birch and I really connected because we're both southern girls. She's from Tennessee and I'm from Kentucky so we had the opportunity to talk about "our people."

There were other ladies in and out all week that I got to know just a bit. It was a very interesting time.



Right outside my cabin door was a lilac bush that was in bloom. When it was warm enough I kept the door open and could smell the lilacs.

I spent the week writing on my novel, journalling, painting and thinking. And also remembering my mom. May 11 was the five year anniversary of her death.



I wrote a great deal on my novel while I was there - about 25,000 words - and also did a lot of editing.

My cabin had a nice little table where I set up my writing area. It was incredible the amount of writing I was able to get done by just having that focus. When I'm on the computer at home there are so many things I can be doing. There I had only the book to work on. Batya, one of the other artists, edits a literary journal and asked me to submit some of my writing so I'll be doing that, too.

Batya got so much done while we were there. She did paintings and wrote and worked on her play and did some organizing and was just a flurry of activity. It was inspiring.




Lucy was the other writer there. She is 83, although you would never guess it from looking at her. She was working on a lecture about the female mystics.




We shared some of our work a couple of times over the week and it was interesting to hear what people were working on. These were some very intelligent women I was with all week. I often felt like the dumb one, and I love being around people who make me stay on my toes conversationally.
I did do a little bit of painting and journalling, but mostly I worked on my novel. I'm pretty pleased with how it's going overall.

This was a gorgeous place to be. I feel so lucky to have been invited to share it. I'm thankful that Mary, from my journalling list, told me about the application process and thankful I was chosen. It was a great opportunity.