This Space for Rent

Railroad picture of the day

OPR1202_switching

This afternoon, as I headed out for a short loop on the Springwater Trail, the railroad crossing lights on 17th Ave started to go and this short train pulled across 17th and down into the industrial park. I followed it, and reached 19th & Ochoco just as it started backing down into the siding alongside the Goodwill store.

In a “I need to build my midlife-crisis-mobile” moment, both times I saw the train I had to do this routine:

  1. Stop
  2. dismount from my bicycle
  3. open the saddlebag
  4. extract my purse
  5. extract my camera
  6. take the picture

If I had a bike with a porteur rack, step two and step 4 would not be necessary (a front bag would take the place of my purse altogether) and I might even be able to pull the camera out and take pictures without having to stop the bicycle, though the teeny detail that I’m using manual focus lenses without automatic apertures weighs against it.