technology?

It's a railroad grade, from the early part of the twentieth century, the trains going out to the stamp mill at Freda but also for a while taking people from Houghton to the lakeside park at Freda and -- from 1908 until 1941 -- taking students to the high school in Painesdale. It's easy to see how the grade was built up, to see how it rises above the uneven ground around it in order to provide the even and low grade the ore-hauling trains needed. Once you notice the grade, you have to wonder how many hours and what sort of equipment it took to build, and to wonder who decided it was worth the effort and investment. The part that's still easily accessible is a road several miles long that has 2 farms off it, and is called The Covered Road because -- in the summer -- the tree leaves fill it in and make a tunnel.

In late April, though, those leaves are just tipping in. But the mottled leaves of the trout lilies are thick on the ground: if this week is warm (but it is supposed to snow tonight) then next week will be good for another walk, to see the yellow flowers.

Yesterday, though, 4 cars passed us in the in the two hours we walked. The people in each car waved and smiled. There were some birds, some calling and some drilling into the wood. Otherwise, we heard only our talking.

I think we need to live in Hong Kong for a while, for comparison, to shock our overly calmed systems -- or else to be transported back to this same place, just 100 years ago.