It's hard to believe that another year has passed. When you have young ones at home, as I do, it sometimes feels as though the time just flies by. It reminds me of the sentiment of a Rush song, Time Stand Still.
This year has been an interesting one for me, at least in terms of what has happened trackside and on this blog. I've been pressed for time far too often this year but I've still managed to come away from this year with some great experiences trackside. I just hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you.
Railways will always be special to me in intangible ways that I cannot properly describe on this blog. Whether it be the first time my grandfather took me inside a CP engine in Windsor as a kid or the countless hours I spent riding between Ottawa and Sarnia to see my family for the holidays. Railways will always be connected in my mind to home and family.
My mother once told me that there was a reason I continued to refer to my hometown of Corunna, Ontario as "home" even though I haven't lived there in decades. It's because home is a state of mind. You associate a town with your sense of place in the world and your tribe, so to speak.
To me, railways carry a similar sentimental connection. Aside from my fascination with the physics, optics and business side of the industry, I love railways because it's part of who I am. It's part of the identity of my family. It's home.
So please accept my sincere gratitude for dropping by, commenting and, as always, steering me onto the right track when I've gone astray. Many people have contributed tips, photos, thoughts and encouragement to me over the course of the year. I greatly appreciate every single railfan that has helped me with this blog in some way.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone throughout the Ottawa Valley, Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, throughout Canada and wherever else you may be.
See you all next year!
Michael Hammond
hammond.michael77 AT gmail.com
3 comments:
Nicely written, Michael. This has been a good year, and let's hope 2018 will be even better.
Keeping family first and foremost will stand us in good stead!
Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018!
Eric
Hope you had a great break, Eric. Here's to more success for everyone in 2018.
I am late to the game, but Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to you too. Really looking forward to what you have in store around here for 2018.
No need to worry about the pressures of life getting in the way of your blog either. I am envious - since being back in night school, I never feel I have time for blogging myself (although long wanting to start my own), so I can definitely respect the time you put into things here. Make sure you have the comfort of knowing the work is appreciated.
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