There has been a lot of train talk about our delay. The freight carrying grain and oil and commodities have track priority. So much oil is moving that the grain was fermenting in the silos waiting to get to market. There was serious talk about maybe even having to have lunch on the train if we would be that late getting into Toronto …. Much wringing of hands, much murmuring and guesses about just how late it will be.

Well we got the diagnosis this morning.
We are 5 hours late!!!! There is a lot of disappointment on the train, missed connections, boredom …..
Me? I AM THRILLED TO BITS!!!! 5 extra hours on this baby!
I get to do this!

We are in the Sudbury area, once so barren that the astronauts practiced moon walking here until the Sudburians thought to plant a bunch of trees.
We are here ~

We Should be here ~

Cheryl, the knitter on board, is traveling with her sister Gail who is crocheting a blanket for her grandson in his football (soccer) team’s colours. We all sat together up in the dome car yesterday like a knitting magnet.

Apparently there is a 90 year old knitter on the train but I never saw her.
By the 3rd day folks were really settling in, the in changing landscape also allowed us to remove our noses from the windows too.

Judith was painting.

Bird lecture was happening …. Did you know that the Great Horned Owl can retract its ears!? It just raises them like antennas to communicate. And! Because they don’t have a sense of smell, they can eat skunks! …. And they do!!

There was a beaver here, but it missed the photo op.

We have mostly been off line which is a lovely reprieve but a bit disruptive for my blogging efforts. A few posts were rushed off before I could edit them because we were passing though a town with internet connection. But towns like this are in the dark.

Some one is a bright light here!