Wow! Eighteen years! This website is now old enough to vote!
I started this to chronicle railroad history of the area, and that is what is has continued to do. It's helped produce two books (and a third, in the works), numerous speaking engagements, and allowed me to have some credibility in historical circles. I've volunteered with the Coulee Pioneer Museum in Electric City, the Grant County Historical Society in Ephrata, the Ritzville Railway Depot Museum, the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Society, and the Great Northern Railway Historical Society (of which I am on the Board of Directors). Big thanks to the initial encouragement of my wife to put all this stuff somewhere easily accessible, rather than stuffed into a filing cabinet. Consider this site my online filing cabinet.
Life changes a lot in 18 years. Like a child growing up and leaving his parents at home, life has handed me a number of big curves in these 18 years. My daughter, who is a few years older than 18, left here and moved to the big city. She got married, and has a kid of her own now. She's really not that far away and I adore visiting the three of them.
I've had a health challenge of my own, but that is now more than 5 years behind me. I nearly died.
Speaking of death, my wife recently passed. I didn't note it here, as it was unimportant to the page. She passed in October 2024. I normally work a few days ahead of what is actually posted (I'm typing this out on December 29), so I sat back and let the posts roll out while I tried to figure out which way was up. I got through the major holidays and our anniversary (December 28) and have come to appreciate the stability of this page. It always wants a new post, which I am ALWAYS happy to do.
I've had a health challenge of my own, but that is now more than 5 years behind me. I nearly died.
Speaking of death, my wife recently passed. I didn't note it here, as it was unimportant to the page. She passed in October 2024. I normally work a few days ahead of what is actually posted (I'm typing this out on December 29), so I sat back and let the posts roll out while I tried to figure out which way was up. I got through the major holidays and our anniversary (December 28) and have come to appreciate the stability of this page. It always wants a new post, which I am ALWAYS happy to do.
Thanks for stopping by and having a look around. Leave a comment, or don't, it's okay.
8 comments:
Congrats man! Sorry again for your loss and wish you the best in the future. I always love to read your blog. Thank you for keeping history alive! Darrin
Happy Birthday Big Bend Railroad History!!
Congrats on 18 years of some great history! And many more to come!
I have enjoyed reading your blog every day from the very get-go. Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by, often!
PS, so sorry to hear that she passed away. I wanna' say I met her once or twice in our travels and running into each other at various places in the past.
Prayers to you, and the family.
The house is awful quiet now.
So sorry to hear of your loss. It's something we all face one day, but we're never ready for it come.
Thanks for all your hard work here on the site.
John, Ephrata
Thanks for the kind words!
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