Railroad tracks trace many of the miles of river we’ve traveled. I guess it makes sense as the river is somewhat level and has already carved a natural path. 

Sometimes these rail lines go through little towns along the river’s edge. From our vantage point, it almost looks like a model railroad layout with scenic little clapboard houses perched on the hillside above the river. The houses stand out against a backdrop of seemingly uniform trees in varying fall colors. Riprap covers the slope down to the shimmering shoreline with the railroad tracks bridging a gap in these stones allowing a little creek to make its way to the big river. Cows gather in bunches to drink the fresh water along the shore. Telephone wires are strung between poles that are crowned with glass insulators. The glint from those insulators brings a smile. The whole scene is topped with puffy clouds against a bright blue sky. 

It’s easy to imagine being a kid again creating little worlds for imaginary people to live in. Or it takes me back to my “Purple Crayon” days and the delight brought by making such scenes in our window displays for customers to enjoy. Now, I marvel at these passing towns and imagine the good and purposeful lives of the people who get to live along this beautiful river.