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15_the_circle) wrote2007-02-17 04:45 pm
excursion
[OT from cottage renovations]
Maryland lies South of the Mason-Dixon line but lacking the regional accent we know our place as far as the South is concerned: yankees if not damnyankees. but the occasion of an excursion train from Cordele GA to Savannah provided an opportunity to visit the region, and to be welcomed. the one-off trip was operated by the SAM Shortline Railway on a former CSX route originally built by the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery Railroad.
of the journey from the Grove to Cordele there is little to say. its stages were: Metro to downtown, Amtrak out to BWI airport; a flight to Atlanta; the MARTA subway to downtown and a grey dog to Cordele. the bus pulled in late at night to a cold and empty downtown. a lone police cruiser observed the three passengers alighting and after taking a second pass a few minutes later vanished into the darkness. after more than a little while the local taxi operator turned up to take us the remaining distance to our respective destinations.
when the Interstate comes through two outcomes are available: building it through a town will destroy the place all at once, but a bypass will draw the economic activity out to the periphery leaving a husk, sucked dry of vitality and slumbering in dusty memory.
what remains will linger on, perhaps to form the nucleus of a later effort for preservation.
or not: it might just fall in upon itself.
it can take a while to determine which way things will go.
Cordele's downtown hotel is abandoned and the Best Western is out by the interstate.
(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)
Cordele, GA
morning came to a place still cold (overnight low had been on the order of 27°f) but flooded with sunshine from a clear, open sky.
the light spilled onto ground free of the several inches of ice still layering the Grove.
well, mostly.
at the boarding location somebody had left a spray of water running, turning these plants into an ice garden.
the excursion train's equipment is visible in the background.
somewhere near Vidalia, GA
it was too early for Vidalia onions: the annual festival is a few months away. but these Mimosa pods, nicely illuminated and seen through the coach windows, provided a reminder of home. stately pecan trees can be made out in the background.
Mimosa
winter, such as they have of it in these parts, has a lighter touch and doesn't last as long. daffodils were out in at least a few gardens.
somewhere near Daisy GA
there's lots of bottom country with dense mangrove but the area is widely cultivated: many pecan orchards were noticeable. for miles what completely defines the environment are vast stands of pine being grown for wood pulp. at first impression they seem completely natural, with an accompaniment of understory low palms. it's the straight rows that give them away. that, and the occasional patch, generally not more than a few acres, where the harvest has already been gathered. other than the limited clear cut zones the management practices don't seem all that disruptive.
as the train ambled along in the afternoon light I took this image looking down into a trackside ditch, reflecting up into the treetops and the sun.
no subject
(Would it be okay if I save it for a possible painting/sketch? If not, that's cool too, I always try to ask before doing so though.)
no subject
yes, of course, that would be a pleasure. if you need a higher resolution copy of the image to work with let me know -- anything in this space has been smashed down for the web.
no subject
I didn't know cycads could weather such cold conditions. It certainly makes for fascinating textures.
no subject
it doesn't seem to bother them. the Mojave and Sonoran deserts are within their normal range and do get the occasional freeze and dusting of snow in winter; whatever lives there deals with it.