How about this- Railways?

Once in a while I get a crazy idea about how to fix the United States. I think I am going to start posting them here along with all the other stuff I post. Btw, sorry about lack of posting a lot has been happening around the house so blogging was put on the back burner for a bit. Anyways, here is my idea...

Let's introduce a nationwide passenger rail system. Start with all the interstates and lay the line right alongside of them. Not only will this get people back to work building the thing, it will also help with vehicle emissions as less people would be using vehicles. Make the train faster than the speed limit, so people save time by using the train. We could also reduce our dependence on foreign oil, by exploring alternative fuels (I believe Xcel already has a natural gas powered train?) found in the United States. 

Some of those "small towns" of the 30's and 40s will may come back to life because of the depots that will be needed. Kind of how turnpike systems work? At each stop you know there will be some kind of fast food, convenience store, etc that would pop up. Allow the fare to be reasonable enough that a family could travel cheaper by train compared to cars/planes. Thus boosting tourism and spur of the moment shopping trips. 

As it would progress, hubs could connect the national system to smaller "state" systems and then again to city subways, bus lines, etc. There would be a need for safety and regulations, construction and maintenance, drivers, janitors, etc. What does that mean? More jobs... more jobs... more jobs.

Wouldn't it be awesome to hop on a train, sit, relax, and visit with people instead of cramming into a car and dealing with road rage, idiot drivers and hazardous weather? Not having to wait in an airport for hours on end because there is a storm in Timbuktu? Maybe call it a modernized version of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) but at least it's a step. One of my crazy ideas on how to fix the government... I think I am going to start writing these down more often.... haha

On the Road....

Its been a few days since my last post, but we have been busy! This past weekend we went to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. 
I planned on utilizing my time in the car thinking of this blog. With camera in tow, I took pictures almost the entire six hours (one way) from the car. The majority of the ride up with filled with green fields, cows and road construction.

Honestly, I think this is the reason mileage is so low... 

Ended up taking about 130 photos throughout the weekend. Between conversations and baby toy rescues, I look for things that have been "lost in time" so to speak. I love photographing old barns and houses, stonework, abandoned roads, etc... makes me wonder who lived there. What kind of life did they have, when did they first settle there. That could be the reason I love history so much, my mind just wanders there. 

One of the old farm houses along the way. 

We also like to keep an eye out for home improvement ideas. Our current situation finds us within the city limits of Watertown, but have just started renovating a home on Cully's parents farm. Basically, we need visual ideas of things we may like in/on/around our home. 

I thought of this as an option to mowing a ditch every other day...

Another idea that I had was to arrange the gardening and flower beds in the yard so certain smells fill specific rooms within the house. The herb garden would be just northwest of the kitchen window, while the lavender and lilac would be directly west of the bedroom and bathrooms. This probably is not too original of an idea, but I thought it was pretty amazing! So while on our treck to the north-woods, I kept my eyes out for other landscaping ideas, and especially flowers! I was surprised to see the abundance of daisies on the side of the roads and realized there are not too many around home. Another nice surprise were the small, scattered patches of Pink and White Lady's Slippers. The flower of the State of Minnesota, I have not seen it since I was younger but yet there were patches for a good 70 miles or so. I should have stopped for a photo, but since I was driving, both the guys were sleeping... 

Zzzzzz.....

 We finally made it up to my Grandpa's house where we spread my father's ashes (For those who don't know, he lost his battle with esophageal cancer in March). The weather cooperated and he had a quiet, beautiful send off, just the way he would have liked. It was an afternoon filled with reflection and spent with family. To my Dad the lake was his second home, he knew every inch of it and could always find the fish. It is the epitome of why I love northern Minnesota so much. 

View of the lake at Grandpas (Dad's Home). 

It was a nice little get away. We were not up there all that long and had no requirements as to time. Although it was only drive up, sleep and drive home, it was very relaxing. 

--Sara

Coming up this week: 

New Recipe: Stuffed Pork Chops

June "Freebies" and Reviews

Ideas for Building on a Budget

....and quite possibly more!!!