We, may we begin? We are in a new month, May, the month when classes end. We still have two agonizing weeks of lectures to finish it off, but it isn't so bad since we are only teaching one Zoom session for each class per week. If we were still holding classes live and in person, we would be showing up twice a week to campus, dealing with all the hassle of seeing the day slip away silently as we stand in front of desks talking about things for which they have no interest.
I went to a new museum today. I don't even remember how I heard about it, but somehow, it came up, and I hatched plans to visit. It is the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, CA.
It is a new type of museum for me. Up to now I have been on a rampage, visiting one botanic garden after another, and to tell the truth, I am tired of it. I just don't have the desire anymore, I have gone to the major garden over and over this past year of the pandemic, and as we continue with this second year, the fire is about to putter out. I just don't want to go back to Descanso or the Arboretum or to South Coast or to the San Diego Botanic Garden. I am tired. So, what interests me now are different types of places, and one that offers old railway cars is a big change of pace.
I was originally going to go to San Diego today, but no, after seeing the weather forecasts, I passed on that. We were supposed to have cloudy weather for most of the day, especially down there in the San Diego area, and if I was going to photograph the Star of India Sailing Boat and buy a ticket for the Maritime Museum to climb on other boats and even take a 45 minute ride on a swift-boat (not the same one, hopefully, ridden by the unscrupulous "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" who derailed Kerry's presidential bid back in 2004), this was not the best weather. I want clear sunlight that lights up every detail of these boats, I don't want underexposed negatives with grey backgrounds. Plus, it is Sunday, and the weekends will attract big clouds, pandemic or not, so I don't want to be circulating among them. So I changed tracks and decided for Perris, CA.
For the first time I was able to drive on the 74 freeway west. I have driven on it going east to San Juan Capistrano, and it was one of the loneliest, dangerously curving and bare drives I have ever taken. I did that drive about twenty or more years ago. This time, instead of going west, I drove east, to Perris, CA. It was actually a very wide road, no hair-raising curves on two-lane highways with tailgaters riding right behind me. It was more relaxing.
It took about 45 minutes to arrive, and I was in danger of getting lost, but I used my cellphone to arrive. It is not barren or desolate, the way the Cajalco road is a little to the north, but still, we do see very modest and rural settlements, and hoary homeless men with intense looks walking along the road. In the heat that will come it will be terrible.
The museum, when you arrive, looks unassuming. It is only the first impression. You don't see the whole scope of the museum when you arrive, and what you see is modest. There was no admission fee, they "get" you when you buy a ticket to ride on the trains that ride all day. They are commandeered by volunteers, this is not a for-profit venture, and the attendants are mostly old white men who are retired. They have to be commended for helping to keep this museum running.
As you walk around, you see more and more displays. You might be dismayed to see the picnic tables, and think it was just a little grassy area with tables for people to take fast food to eat. No, walk around, walk around, they let you do so and you see it is a big facility, and you see old railway cars in different places. I had to do so, and while I struggled with the muggy weather because I knew it would sabotage my photos, I managed to wait it out for when the sun peaked out and take photos. I ended up, if you can believe it, with about 7 rolls taken, in addition to my cellphone photos.
I didn't pay to ride around, I didn't want to jump into the vintage cars. I really wanted to maintain my distance. This pandemic has really fed my introvertive nature, and now I really want to stay about 20 feet from anyone. I am taking it way beyond, but that was always in my nature. The pandemic let me justify my lifelong social distancing.
There were moments when I saw old trains with wildflowers on the ground and the clouds above, and I marveled. It was beautiful. I don't know what this place will be like in searing July, August and September. During those months one is afraid to leave the house after 9 a.m. because the heat is that oppressive, and in Perris, which is further inland even than my home town (the "Crown"), it will be very bad. It is acceptable today, in early May, and this agreeable clime will last for a few weeks more, hopefully. Then, we will be dreaming of the ocean, and snoozing at home in air conditioning. Which is a luxury that many do not have, including the homeless people I saw walking along the side of the road on the 74 freeway as I was driving in.
Can you believe I spent two and a half hours there? I arrived at about 11:30 a.m., and I left shortly before 3 p.m. I can't believe it. The sun was becoming braver by then, but we still had clouds. It would have been great for infrared photography, but I was not in the mood today. I think I might have accidentally mounted my infrared R72 filter on my camera when I was shooting regular film for one roll, so there goes that roll, it will never get anything on the film because Fomapan cannot capture infrared film. But the good thing is that it is not such a big loss. The Fomapan rolls I bought for about $3.75 on special. If it had been a roll of slide or color film, the loss would have been greater, because that type of films costs about $10 per roll, plus I have to send it in to be developed, and there goes another $8 (for C-41) or $11 (for E-6). I would not know what roll I had mistakenly shot with the infrared filter. But if I did, it was a black and white film. Annoying, but not a big loss.
As the Bobby McFerrin hit of decades back goes, Don't worry, be happy. Whatever happened, happened. Don't stress about it. Live in the moment. Appreciate what you have. Try to do the best that you can. And keep busy.
One last thing: today was my youngest sister's birthday. She turned 40 years old. I can't believe it. When she was born, I was in my last years of high school. I remember her crying at night as a newborn. And now, she has her own two children. The children that I consider almost my own.
Here are a few cellphone photos. I will most more in the next few posts.
