The Romance of the Rails is gone; or, How I Almost Got Arrested

Back when I was but a lad, once or twice a year we'd go camping up on Stevens Pass. One of the activities necessary to call it a complete trip was a visit to the Western portal of the 8-mile-long Cascade Tunnel. What could be more exciting to a young boy than watching 5500 horsepower of diesel-electric locomotive bursting into daylight from deep within the mountain? What was more mysterious than watching Amtrak's Empire Builder disappearing into the cold, dark mouth if this man-made cave? Hours were spent, first with my grandparents and parents, and later with my hiking buddies, standing outside the tunnel, wandering 100 yards or so inside, and exploring the remains left over from the 1920s construction camp.

So earlier this month I took Mike up there, he of the recently posted backpacking video. Parked above the portal, wandered down and took a look inside, showed him the gated Pioneer Tunnel left over from the original construction. Nothing seemed to be coming so we turned and wandered the tracks down toward the original site of the Scenic Hot Springs Hotel, covered over and abandoned during the line relocation in '28. Nothing to be seen there, so we wandered back. A railroad employee was cleaning up some paint supplies at the job shack in Scenic. He told us we shouldn't be on the tracks. Then added, somewhat sheepishly, "They make us say that. Tell us to tell any trespassers to get off."

He was friendly enough, and when I told him my grandfather used to work for the Great Northern (the railroad that originally built the tunnel), and that I had a lifelong history of visiting that place, and wasn't just some yokel lookyloo, he warmed up to us. Spend about 20 minutes regaling us with yarns of the railroad. Complaining about "management." Cussing at the idiots who didn't know how to clean up their messes.

But then. . .up drives an official-looking SUV. BNSF Police it says on the side. The guy inside rolls down his window and motions to our new friend to come over. "Who are these guys?" he asks. I quickly shouted (with a smile) "He did his job! Told us to get off the tracks!" Said policeman wasn't amused. "You know you're trespassing? You know I could fine you $250 just for being here? Nobody's allowed on these tracks. If a terrorist blew up that tunnel, you'd destroy the nation's economy!" (I refrained from pointing out that currently Stampede Pass to the south, as well as the mainline through the Columbia River Gorge, were in fine shape and under-utilized, so blowing up the tunnel would be sad and an inconvenience, but wouldn't actually hurt the economy very much.)

It turns out there's now a tall steel tower sitting there about 300 yards from the tunnel entrance. On that tower are no less than three video cameras, giving a direct feed to an office in Texas. Right as we were climbing out of the Jeep and I was enjoying giving Mike the tour, some guy in Texas was gazing into his computer monitor muttering "terrorists, by gum! Terrorists!" and calling up the railroad police to run us off their tracks. Which means no more standing outside the tunnel waiting for trains, no pictures of headlights piercing the darkness, no exploring the remains of the construction village. The whole area is off limits. Go there and they'll think you're a terrorist.

For what it's worth, it wasn't a total loss. The first gentleman we met had to give us a drive back to the Jeep, so we got some more stories. And we discovered the policeman is an avid RC airplane modeler. We ended up having a lovely conversation about model airplanes; he even showed us some pictures. However, when I asked him where we could stand in the future to watch trains, he replied, "Why does anybody care? They're just trains."

Although, it occurred to me that part of the historical romance of the rails was bums running from the railroad cops. Lots of old ballads written about that very thing. So I suppose we just experienced part of the lore of railroading, and got a good story out of it.

But Mike was glad we weren't arrested. He may never have gotten back to his family in Canada.

That'll be a glad reunion day

We're off to Jake and Shontee's wedding tomorrow; it'll be a Turlock mini-reunion, from what I hear. The Dockters, Jake Bradley, Scottie, Greg. . .looks to be a good time. And we're proud of Jake for finally realizing what's good for him.

Friday Randomness

- Since we live on a narrow peninsula surrounded by the Puget Sound, flooding is never much of a problem for us, like it is for the folks over in Carnation and Puyallup and Centralia. Still, all the wet weather has affected us. Our church chair and his wife have been trying to get home from Canada since early this week, and are still stuck on the other side of freeways that have been closed. The roof of a gym at Vaughn Elementary School collapsed just before Christmas. And on Wednesday we had 1/2 an inch of water in our church basement, coming up through a "previously unknown fault line" in the concrete. Thankfully, we have wonderful, servant-hearted people in our church, and by last night that mess was pretty much cleaned up.

- The first job I ever had was delivering papers for the Seattle P-I. I began around junior high, and carried the job on through high school, eventually handing it off to my brother. Before that, my grandfather worked as an ad man for the P-I for 39 years. So we've always been a newspaper family, and we've always been a P-I family. Yesterday, the story broke that the P-I may be put up for sale, with the thought that nobody will purchase it, and thus, within 30 days, will close for good, leaving Seattle with The Times as its sole major newspaper (The Stranger doesn't count). I would be sad to see it go.

- A headline just appeared stating that sometime today Boeing is going to anounce a plan to lay off 4,000 people. My brother-in-law works for Boeing. This might not be good.

- That obnoxious photo box on the local paper's website leads me to believe it must be awards season again. Pictures of Paris Hilton (are people still enthralled by her?), Ann Hathaway (did I mention how much I didn't like "Rachel Getting Married"?) and the rest. A couple years ago I made a conscious effort to distance myself from celebrity culture. And I resent the way it keeps trying to push its way back into my life. But. . .if you're interested in some reviews of the movies that seem to be getting all the awards buzz, go check out the blog of Barbara Nicolosi. She doesn't shy away from having an opinion.

- What I've been listening to lately:


She may just be the successor to Alison Krauss' crown. To be so talented at 16. . .and from all reports, she's a sweet kid, too. Why is it that artists like Sierra get scant attention, while MixMaster Sledge and the Sexual Perverts get the multi-million dollar contracts and MTV airtime? Rhetorical question, there. If you want a taste, go watch this.

- Good Quote: "Indeed, having people who walk and work and live alongside us, people whom we call 'holy friends,' is indispensable to resurrecting excellence in Christian life. We all need holy friends in our own lives, and we are called to be holy friends to others. We are also called to show hospitality to strangers and to love our enemies, practices that help us discover the grace of navigating relationships in the light of God's friendship with the world, and with each of us, in Jesus Christ. In the midst of sin and brokenness, we discover through hospitality and searching love that strangers and even enemies can become holy friends." L. Gregory Jones and Kevin r. Armstrong, in Resurrecting Excellence

Hey Turlock People

Kent, Glenn, and Adam came for a visit. We went to Seattle yesterday.

On the ferry.
We fed the seagulls at Ivars.
And we stopped by Mike's office.

Weird happenings in the life of Dan

As you all know, last weekend I attended my High School 20-year Reunion, and saw a lot of people I hadn't seen in, well, 20 years. A couple days ago I received an email from another of our classmates who hadn't made it to the reunion, just checking in to say hello.

Yesterday I checked my email and had a message from a former youth group member from Upland days, one I haven't seen in probably 10 years. The last time I heard from her was maybe 5 years ago? For whatever reason, she became curious about us, googled my name, found me, and wrote to say hello.

Three hours later, I was on gmail when up popped a gmail chat from another former youth group member from my Upland days. I hadn't talked to her in a couple years. But for whatever reason she was using a mutual friend's computer, saw my name on the gmail chat list, and popped in to say hi.

It's like Dan Whitmarsh Old Home week. I'd call it coincidence, but the timing is too odd for that. God must be up to something. What? I don't know.

However, I will say this. About 5 years ago I went through a period where almost every week for a three month period, I heard about a friend or former youth group member who had crashed and burned. I started to doubt all the work I'd done, all the effort I'd put in.

And now, most of these friends are doing quite well. Many are coming out of painful situations, but putting their lives back together. They're on an upswing, you might say. Which is. . .encouraging.

At the very least, I'm realizing the value of older friends, and the need to maintain contacts with at least some of them. And I'm thankful for the internet, which makes it that much easier.

So anybody else want to pop back into my life?

Friday Random 10

We seem a little mellow today. #s 1 and 6 are by the woman I think has one of the strongest voices in christian music. #6 kicks off the album that showed up in the Amazon box this week. #s3 and 4 represent the classical genre beautifully. #s 2 and 5 fill in the gentle piano
music category. And see #7 and #8? Both have to do with sleeping. Maybe I should take a nap.

1. Go – Plumb, from Beautiful Lumps of Coal
2. Looking Back – Jim Brickman, from By Heart: Piano Solos
3. All Things Bright and Beautiful – from Gloria: Sacred Music of John Rutter
4. Eternal Source of Light Divine – Kathleen Battle and Wynton Marsalis, from Baroque Duets
5. Japanese Music Box(Itsuki No Komoriuta) – George Winston, from Forest
6. Blush (Only You) – Plumb, from Chaotic Resolve
7. Lullaby – Dixie Chicks, from Taking the Long Way
8. Where the Angels Sleep­ - Bebo Norman, from Ten Thousand Days
9. On a Day When the Wind is Perfect – David Wilcox, from Out Beyond Ideas
10. To Be Loved – Dennis Jernigan, from I Belong to Jesus

But in happier news

Yes, the reunion was a good time. At least for me it was. I think most would say the same. And I needn't have worried about recognizing everybody. Even after 20 years, faces and names clicked almost instantly. Of course, having a class of 32 helps - by process of elimination, you can pretty quickly figure out who is who.

As I said earlier, there are those in the class who are struggling right now. Some in the midst of ugly divorces. Some trying to raise kids across great distances. Some have lost parents recently. Some have struggled but never had kids. On the other hand, some are really doing well. Great jobs, healthy marriages. One spent years as a missionary with her husband, who is now on staff at a Covenant Church in L.A. One is doing a Masters in Spiritual Formation (Hey Diana).

It's amazing how, after all those years, you can instantly go back to that place of friendship and start talking about the deep stuff of real life. Friday night I had a couple of good conversations. Saturday morning we laughed a lot as we cleared some brush at the school. Saturday night, for me, was about three conversations - one on the boat to Tillicum Village, one on the boat ride back, and one as we stood on the dock saying goodbye. Three heart-to-heart conversations with people still searching for some answers, people in some deep pain. And it felt good to sit under the setting sun and share in each others lives.

One more thing: There were 6 of us who went together from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Four were there Saturday morning, when our former Kindergarten teacher showed up to give us a tour of the school. We got a picture of the 4 of us with our teacher. It was a quick moment, over in a (literal) flash. But so much was wrapped up in that moment - 33 years of history together? Something like that. And the fact was, we're all doing well; we all shared a laugh. One of those made-for-TV moments, only without Celine Dion screeching in the background.

Yes, the reunion was a good time.

Oh, and this: Brent told me that they were talking later Friday night, and everybody agreed that I won the award for aging the best. I suppose that's a good thing. Some vindication there.

My one hope is that a few of these relationships can carry on. I need some old friends in my life.

And so it comes

Tomorrow afternoon we're heading over to Seattle, dropping the girls off with my parents, and then driving over to Kirkland to begin my 20-year high school reunion. Personally, I'm a little excited to see everybody (well, at least everybody who is showing up). I went to a small school, and had a graduating class of around 32, so we were probably a little tighter than, say, a class of 500. Whether or not we were all friends, we all at least knew each other fairly well. About 7 of us were together all the way from Kindergarten through 12th grade, so we had a lot of memories together.

This is how it was: we cleaned out our lockers, and went to our graduation rehearsal. The evening of graduation, we all joined in celebration of our achievements. A couple hours later we gathered at the school and drove to a large health club in Edmonds for a night of swimming, walleyball, and hanging out. Early the next morning we were dropped off back at the school, and we all drove home. I remember that moment - climbing in my car, watching all my classmates get in their cars, and thinking this truly was the end of it all. Some of those people I would never see again; many I wouldn't see for years. I did go to Grace's wedding a while later; Brent and I hung out whenever we were back in Seattle - I performed his wedding, and he came to mine. Other than that, I don't believe I've seen the rest of them since.

How quickly it all passes. Now most are married with kids, some are divorced, they are living in Florida and the Midwest, some are professionals and some aren't healthy. I don't think anybody's famous (my inclusion in a theological book notwithstanding), and I don't think anybody's dead.

Friday night we're getting together for a low-key hangout time. Saturday night we're getting on a boat and going to Tillicum Village. And it will be interesting to see what happens. Will it be 10 more years before we see each other again? Or will we reconnect and reclaim old friendships?

Some people dread reunions. Some people hate reunions. Me? I'm rather looking forward to it.

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Lakebay's own Roshni Robert is having an art showing in Tacoma, with a grand opening this Saturday. Here's the information:


the four winds
works from the country,
including watercolours in found frames
by roshni robert

opening reception may 12th, 2007 5-8pm

may and june may and june 2007
blackwater cafe
747 fawcett ave.
tacoma, wa 98402

M-F... 6:30am to 9pm
Sa..... 8am to 9pm
Su..... 8am to 7pm

Catching up

A few months ago I mentioned that this summer is my 20th High School reunion. I suggested, and was given the assignment, that we set up an online message board where we could all go and tell our stories before the reunion, maybe even start some conversations and rekindle (maybe that's not the best word) some old friendships. The idea being that, when we all see each other next August, we have some sense of where everybody has been, what they've been up to, and we're already well on the road to catching up, instead of looking at each other saying "So, how long ago did you become a Harri Krishna?"

So far about 9 people have signed up and shared their stories. And it really has been interesting to read what they've been up to (even as I write this it occurred to me that I'm the only male-type person on that list. Does that mean something?). Some have known real tragedy, some have suffered the end of marriages, most have had kids, at least one is on the opposite side of the country, one was down in L.A. during the same time I was down there, some are doing really well and some are still trying to sort life out.

It's hard, of course, not to picture them as 18-year olds, which is what they were the last time I saw most of them. It's hard to picture them aging at all (after all, I haven't gotten any wrinkles or gray hair or extra pounds. . .). It also brings home what a short time 20 years really is. Graduation doesn't seem that far back. I guess the good thing is that we're still closer to young than old - we're still all on the short side of 40, anyway.

I remember my sister being amazed at her reunion at just how badly many of her classmates had turned out. From what I'm reading, the class of '87 did ok. And reading their stories has got me all the more excited to see them in person again.

One final note - doing this has opened my eyes again to the fact that we were a pre-digital generation. It's amazing how many of our classmates don't seem to have email addresses, or any web presence, for that matter. Many of my former classmates appear to have dropped into the black hole that is non-internet people. . .