Cindy called to remind me that she had a doctor's appointment and would be home early. I suggested she pick up something for dinner and we go to the Smith Ranch for a Pic-Nic dinner. The Smith Ranch (Not the real name) is one the larger vineyards we manage and it borders the Napa River. Yogi Bear, our black Lab mix loves to run through the vineyards there. She thought that was a great idea, so I planned to have everything ready when she got home.
I went to get our card table & 2 chairs before realizing our chairs are on loan elsewhere. I came up with the table and one old rusty fold up chair. As I searched for another thing to park my caboose on, I spotted a large plastic nursery tree pot. You know, they are fairly comfortable and strong, too. Our dinner (whose origin I will not divulge) was not suited to a big ole' Pina Cab. It did go quite well with a Hess Collection Artezin Zinfandel, though. And it's just a coincidence that Cindy is the HR Director at Hess.
We arrived just after 5:00. We turned Yogi loose and I set up the table, chair and tree pot as Cindy laid out our dinner. We sipped & ate & sipped some more. Yogi would come back to check in every 10-15 minutes, then head out again - His nose always to the ground. Twice, he must have gotten a bit warm, so he would bound down the river bank breaking through the brush (sounding much bigger than his 75#) and take a quick dip in the river. The water must have seemed warm to him. He's used to swimming in the Tomales Bay which hovers around 50 degrees this time of year.
After dinner, but before the wine ran out, we filled our glasses and strolled down the road above the river bank. The sun was getting low over the western mountain ranges and the shadows started moving faster & faster across the vineyards.
I commented that the sun would be down in 10 minutes and Cindy asked how I knew that. I said to look how fast the shadow is traveling up the Eastern hills, you can almost see it moving. She was entranced with wonder about that statement. You could see the wheels turning in her head. And it was like everything came together for her and it was mirrored in her face. I had taught her something! I always feel good about turning the tables on her - 3 out of 4 times it's the other way around.
We returned to "base camp" and poured the last of the wine. At exactly 7:30, we heard the wine train whistle in the distance and then the sun was gone. I was going to explain to Cindy that not all the train whistles sound alike - It's just that we only get to hear the same one over & over: Long, Long, Short, Long. It was going to be cool and I'd sound so knowledgeable and, and, and... one problem. She had explained the whole system to me after going to the railroad museum in Sacramento as a class chaperon.
So anyway, it was a great date & a great evening made just a bit richer by the trials & tribulations of the past year. Last year, Cindy was diagnosed with a serious illness. She had surgery and while there are lingering issues, the prognosis is good. She is anticipating the arrival of our first grandchild in May, an event she thought she might not live to see.
So anyway (yes, I realize that's how I started the last paragraph, too), you gotta check out this Wikipedia sight http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_whistle#Whistle_code
It has all the standard & different train signals. Oh, you already know them?
Test yourself on the following:
1) Used when an emergency exists, or if persons or livestock are on the track
2) Danger
3) Apply manual brakes to stop the train as soon as possible
AND it also has this:
Train whistles in folk culture
The well-known song "Five Hundred Miles" makes frequent reference to the sound of the train whistle as being audible over a great distance.
Excerpt:
If you miss the train I'm on,
You will know that I am gone.
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles,
A hundred miles, two hundred miles, three hundred miles, four hundred miles,
You can hear the whistle blow five hundred miles.
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