A Loved Lover

Those once called students of Natural History are now occasionally call Environmentalists. A natural historian was interested in the study of man, his origins, his nature, and his environment. He and she was interested in the whole natural world, from the sub-microscopic to the universe at large.

Mary Austin, authoress of a little book entitled The Land of Little Rain, may be called a naturalist. I call here a love and a lover; a land lover, a language lover, and a lover of humanity. I've called her a damned good observe and a fine words smith.

Her 'little book' is about what I sometimes call my land. If you can read it and don't, you may consider yourself a damned fool.

Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation



Do the people still own some right-of-ways used for rail transport?


Are leases being paid for?

My Memory is Growing Dim

I was thinking of the railways, the railroad, rolling-stock. I was trying to remember things; perhaps I never Knew. I know that for a time I was a brakeman for the SP. Please help me.

Who owns the cross country railways? Who owned the land into which the golden spike was driven? I thought it belonged to us, the people. I thought 99 year leases long, but not a transfer of ownership? Didn't honest Abe start the railroads with the people's money? Do I have it all wrong?