Ahhh how sweet it is. I started off my walk this morning to the dulcet ones of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman riffing to "Freight Train". Jerry's baritone voice and deft finger picking along with Grisman's tasty mandolin runs made the perfect pace for my walk. So I played it twice. Freight Train is the first song to which I learned to finger pick the guitar. And one close to my heart. It caused me to reflect on the time Suzy (bless her heart) and I hoboed from Watsonville to Fullerton to visit brother Bob. I remember the train stopping in Paso Robles to shuffle some cars around at one am in the pitch dark. Suzy stood ready with her Mace to let anyone have it who showed his/her face around our gondola car. And I'll never forget the sunrise as we passed Santa Barbara. Waving to the field workers picking the fruit of the land. How many women would hobo on a freight train all night? Actually I do know at least one other.
The picture of Budda is just because I wanted to.
Knowing that a song can recall memories proves once again that were all on this flight together.
Dick
1 comment:
hi- just wandering the web... saw your post. I (a woman) used to hop freight and know a whole lot of ladies that did and still do :) We aren't as uncommon as one might think. One guy said to me once that no one could ride in a skirt (a friend of mine had ridden from minneapolis to seattle in a skirt and he was saying she didn't ride a train cuz she was in a skirt) so to prove him wrong i rode from tacoma to sacramento in a flower print skirt! lol- that skirt was sooo dirty on the bum by the end of it, but it was actually quite comfy to ride in. :) take care and keep those train memories close :)
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