Leonredbeard
54 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2004
- Messages
- 1,863
- Reaction score
- 4
I decided to take a shot in the dark and go to Strasburg, VA and look for Vern's pyrites. I knew how easy it would be to fail in this enterprise, so I asked Ms. Audrey to go along. We decided to make it the celebration of our 33rd wedding anniversary. We went down Monday evening and came back last evening. I tried to follow the railroads around by car and look for likely places where the pyrite cutout is. This was in the morning while Ms. Audrey wanted to relax and read a bit before getting up. To the east of town the rr ran along the main road much of the time but there were no banks to speak of once out of town. Vern did not give me the impression that he had made his find in town. To the west of town there are two tracks that converge. But no road follows them. There is quite a bit of track that is hidden in between places where the roads cross the tracks. There were plenty of places where the pyrites could be hidden in there. I came to the conclusion that I would find the prites only if I hiked the tracks for several days, or it I found someone who knew where they were. To the end of the latter I asked everyone I had any dealings with while Ms. Audrey and I went about sight seeing. In the early afternoon the nice lady at the pottery museum gave me the name of the Director of Public Works and the phone number for his office. I shall try to communicate with him on the off chance that he knows where the bank of pyrites is or one of his workers might know. I hope he doesn't dismiss me as a crank or report me to Homeland Security as a possible terrorist. Haw, Haw!
Now, a thought about Vern. I do not believe he got into any trouble trying to get us pyrites. This is a very sleepy town. It is the kind of place where a resident could walk down the track without others noting it. The trains come thru infrequently as witnessed by the splotchy rust on the inside top of the tracks where the shiney ribbon should be. Several residents said the trains only come thru at night. So, I do not know why Vern disappeared so abruplty from the forum last year in May. I should have asked also if anyone knew someone named Vern, but it did not occur to me yesterday. I will keep you up to date if I discover anything else.
I want you to know that is was a pleasant trip and Ms. Audrey and I made it worth while. We wanted to do something to celebrate and combining it with one of my interests made it that much nicer. The area is lovely. There are meadows and streams and the north branch of the Shenandoah river with a suspension walking bridge over it and one of those low concrete one lane driving bridges with no sides to it. When the river gets high it just goes right over the driving bridge. I have seen these elsewhere in rural Virginia. No matter how high the water is one could still walk across the river at that point on the suspension bridge. The whole area is a battlefield, having been run over more than once by the north/south armies.
God bless.
volatpluvia
Now, a thought about Vern. I do not believe he got into any trouble trying to get us pyrites. This is a very sleepy town. It is the kind of place where a resident could walk down the track without others noting it. The trains come thru infrequently as witnessed by the splotchy rust on the inside top of the tracks where the shiney ribbon should be. Several residents said the trains only come thru at night. So, I do not know why Vern disappeared so abruplty from the forum last year in May. I should have asked also if anyone knew someone named Vern, but it did not occur to me yesterday. I will keep you up to date if I discover anything else.
I want you to know that is was a pleasant trip and Ms. Audrey and I made it worth while. We wanted to do something to celebrate and combining it with one of my interests made it that much nicer. The area is lovely. There are meadows and streams and the north branch of the Shenandoah river with a suspension walking bridge over it and one of those low concrete one lane driving bridges with no sides to it. When the river gets high it just goes right over the driving bridge. I have seen these elsewhere in rural Virginia. No matter how high the water is one could still walk across the river at that point on the suspension bridge. The whole area is a battlefield, having been run over more than once by the north/south armies.
God bless.
volatpluvia
