It was a fogy morning. I was going to the Northcoast Artists Gallery in the morning and parked my car at the parking lot of the Skunk Train. The train was just about leaving.
501. Skunk Train in Fort Bragg oil painting by Mariko Irie
When my sons were little, we took the train. It goes over the pudding creek, which is so beautiful and going into woods in Willits.
When I was a little, going to my grandparents’, we used to take trains, which were steam engines. It was a long ride from Tokyo to Kanazawa. It was very enjoyable. There were mountains, ocean, villages, towns, and cities along the ride all day long. Every stations offered special lunch boxes, and vendors carrying lunch boxes to windows of trains for sale. So we didn’t need to get out from train. In Japan, every country has own special food. It’s a part of highlight for traveling.
And tunnels. After going through tunnels, some of them brought to different world. For example, after through the tunnel, it was a snow country.
Several years ago, we took train to Kanazawa. It’s much faster, nice seats, interior, and room temperature was perfect. But tunnel, tunnel and more tunnels. I couldn’t enjoy view. It was a big disappointment.
Riding Skunk train in Fort Bragg has nice scenery.
By the way, coming Saturday, June 23, 10am -5 pm, will be Mendocino Art Center’s 20th Anniversary Mendocino Coast Garden Tour.
I will be painting one of the gardens, Garden at Harmony Woods in the afternoon: http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/MyLasso/AnnualShows/GardenTour12/Harmony_Woods.html
Please join us. It sounds very beautiful and interesting gardens. I’m looking forward to painting there and seeing you.