Since I will be posting every day in January for JusJoJan, I will endeavor to keep this close to Linda’s intended length. You can all stop snickering.

Many of you are well aware of my appreciation fondness love of trains. Several years ago, Connecticut’s CTRail began operating the Hartford Line between Springfield, Massachusetts and New Haven, CT. I have taken this train several times. I like the train and I like having the option. For readers in other countries, rail travel is not a given in most American cities.

I installed the CTRail app on my phone, and I receive alerts through that app, including the one shown below:

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. And, given the time of the year, it’s also part of Just-Jot-January. If you have a one-liner, I encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

Note: I am trying yet another gallery option. The captions are visible in the composite image. You should be able to click on any photo and enter a slideshow. I appreciate your patience as I try to figure this out.

All five of my current books are now available in audio book form thanks to Amazon KDP’s Virtual Voice process. The voice is AI generated, but I can honestly say, it’s pretty darn good. The audio books are reasonably priced (all below $7 US) and, if you already own the Kindle version and want to add an audio version, you can do that for $1.99. There is a five-minute sample on the book page for each book. If you’re interested, click on any of the Dreamer’s Alliance book links below the image or on the link below for my latest book.

Bridge to Nowhere

80 responses to “Improper Substitution – 1LinerWeds”

  1. I’ll say the puddle shot, the flag reflection shot, the moon shot, and the leaf shot are some really good shots. In Mumbai, such an announcement can create a lot of commotion. Trains are lifelines here in Mumbai and India as you know by now. We have apps here where railway authorities constantly update us about the work they do, and if there will be delays or interruptions. For instance, every Sunday is a maintenance day so a certain section of a particular line they want to work on will be cut off for specific hours. This information is available to all on Friday night before Sunday so commuters can plan accordingly. There are some scenarios where they will have to cut off the entire line (when they are replacing a block of flyover that intersects the railway line) in that case, the announcement is done at least 10 days prior. These days the apps have become so good, that I can see the location of the train. I can be on my way to the railway station and chat and ask someone on the train about its exact location. Of course, by the time you receive the reply, the location might not be the precise location of the train, but you get the idea. Indian Railways has also come up with a unique ‘ Kavach’ (means Armor) an automatic train protection system to avoid train collisions.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. That sounds like a very cool system, Sharukh. Here in the Northeast Corridor, we have more intercity trains than anywhere in the U.S. Many cities have trains or subways connecting their suburbs to the city. CTRail started the Hartford Line only a few years ago. Affordable transportation for me to travel to the cities along the Connecticut River.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Hi Dan we get buses substituted for trains a lot over her and your right it sucks!! The photos are great and you can read the disciption easily. Have a good day 💜

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks for the feedback on the gallery, Willow. I am trying to find something that works well – it hasn’t been easy. To go from the pure delight of riding a train, to the drudgery of riding a bus is too much for me.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Me too but it happens a lot over here 😂

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I wasn’t sure where to post it, I hope you will find it…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I got it – good luck!

      Like

  4. Once a flight was cancelled and we were put on a bus, a 3-hour bus trip when the flight would have been 45 minutes. At least I still made my connection! I like the new format!!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Once when I was coming home from college for spring break, our flight was diverted at the last minute due to weather. That also ended in a 3-hour bus ride home.

      Thanks for the feedback on the theme.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. A train announcement telling you to take a bus is the very definition of wrong!
    And I’m sorry, but I really dislike this gallery option with the captions blocking the images.
    🥴

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Seriously, moving from the excitement of a train ride to a bus is awful.

      I wish I could find a gallery option that had the captions show when you hover over the images, but I can’t. I have to choose between forcing everyone who wants to see the captions into the slideshow (which isn’t even working for everyone), or overlaying the captions. This gallery gives me the option to make the captions smaller, and I switched to two rows instead of three, so they don’t cover as much of the photo. I’m still experimenting, but this might be the best I can do.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Things like that drive me crazy. So annoying… and Lord knows you can’t please everyone. Good luck.
        😉

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I have two gallery options I can’t even try because, unless you refresh the page after viewing them when you try to type a comment, D and one other key brings the slideshow back. WordPress has known about this (I reported it) for well over a year. but it hasn’t been fixed.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. And it probably never will be.
            🥴

            Liked by 1 person

  6. Thanks for the smile at the heart puddle. I hope you’ve been keeping notes while you work this out. Some of us will need ‘Dan Notes for Dummies.’ :-)

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I have been keeping notes, Judy. This hasn’t been difficult, but a lot of trial and error has been involved. I will try to summarize the process when I finally get comfortable with what I have (I’m close).

      Like

  7. “You can all stop snickering” was dangerous for my keyboard. The gallery looked great, but clicking on the photos didn’t get me to a slideshow, sorry to say. I grew up near Chicago, and commuters could get bus or train; both beat driving, but the train was more fun. The calls of the conductor were part of the mystique, and still remembered fondly.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Me and brevity are not close companions, Maureen – I am aware.

      I am sorry about the slideshow not working. This might be the gallery option I stick with, as it’s the best I’ve found. Can I ask if you’re in the reader, on a laptop, iPad and if on a laptop, what browser you use.

      Sorry, I know, I sound like tech-support. I have issues with several other galleries, and I am going to summarize them and open the case (again) with the Happiness Engineers, so the more information I have the more likely they might do something.

      I still enjoy seeing and hearing the conductor on the trains. Right now, only one car stops at the platform at our station, so we have to know which door to get to in advance.

      Like

  8. Gallery is functioning this AM. Expect bus message for gallery tomorrow… I have been trained to expect the unexpected. Happy awkward start to the new year…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks John. I hope you didn’t check any bags with us.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Ginger Salvatore Avatar
    Ginger Salvatore

    Yeah, that’s an unhappy substitution, but better than lining up carts drawn by donkeys to take you to your destination! 🤗

    The gallery is fine. On my first run-through, the captions were beneath each photo. When I read reader’s comments, the captions were ON the photos, but either way was clear. I cannot get the slide show, but I don’t need to have both options. I have no problem scrolling through the gallery. Pictures are clear and sharp and captions are easy to read.

    LOVE the heart puddle, the leaf with the duck, the moon through the trees and the sky filled with blackbirds!

    Those little beggars have your schedule down pat! If you and the Editor ever moved, I swear these guys would all be in the moving van when you arrived at your new home! I hope they all have their snow gear ready for this weekend!

    Old Glory and her reflection is a fantastic shot.

    Happy Hump Day Dan. I know we’re overdue for snow, and you’re probably antsy to use your snowblower, but I hope accumulations are less than meteorologists are saying…..5”-8” here! 😡 Ginger💞

    Sent from my iPad

    >

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks for the feedback on the gallery, Ginger. I see you’re using an iPad, so I don’t need to ask for more info for the Happiness Engineers. I can even try this on my iPad, if they offer a solution.

      The heart puddle was nice to find. I walk past that spot every day, but this is the first time the level was at the point of making a heart.

      The little beggars know our habits pretty well. No danger of us moving, but I would expect them to require a change of address to be filed.

      I do enjoy snowblowing, but I hope this snow doesn’t interfere too much with Sunday activities. Enjoy the downhill slide to this week.

      Like

  10. I don’t know why the first supplicant squirrel photo made me feel happy, but it did. The heart puddle was my next favorite.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. That first squirrel lives in the little wooded area near the park. He’s has figure out the timing of my walk, and waits for me several days each week. The heart puddle was so nice to find. I’ve seen the puddle before, but never at this level.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. The gallery looks fine to me. You can read the captions, but still see the picture itself.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks GP. I did everything I could to make them readable but with minimal impact. This isn’t easy I wish they would have a ‘hover over’ option, or put the captions below the photos. When I’ve asked about this issue, they suggested I write shorter captions. Pffft.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. They are too much!!

        Like

  12. I agree with most of your readers. The gallery looked fine to me, I can always expand the smaller pictures and I read the captions below them. I loved the puddle shot! Buses do suck! I rode one all the way to CO from Tx when I was in the military and that was horrible. Took three days!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh my goodness, Kim. Three days on a bus – ugh. The longest I’ve ever been on a bus was a few hours. Thanks for the gallery feedback. I’m trying to please everyone, but this might be as good as it gets.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. 1) You know how much I love trains (since childhood), 2) the heart puddle should win a photo contest, 3) The reflection of the flag immediately brought to mind the words in “The Star-Spangled Banner”, ‘In full glory reflected now shines in the stream’. Yes, when I was in school we learned three verses. I still remember!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, Jennie. We learned all the verses, but I had forgotten that one. I do like that heart puddle, and of course I love trains (and buses are no substitute!)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome, Dan. I’m glad to connect with that verse. I’m not kidding on the heart puddle photo, submit it to every photo contest. Trains might as well be a portrait on my wall. No busses.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Thankfully, I’ve not had that experience by train or plane. The heart shaped puddle is wonderful, and the moon shot is great. I was able to scroll through the gallery using my arrow key with ease and the captions were all there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Deborah. I’m glad you liked that photo. Thanks, too, for the feedback. I think this is the gallery/configuration I will be using. It has the fewest problems.

      I was offloaded from a plane to a bus once, when we were diverted from Pittsburgh to Cleveland due to weather. At least I was going home.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. This happens quite often in South Africa. Only they only tell you once you are on the long distance train and you wonder why the train hasn’t moved for two hours

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ugh – that’s awful. Probably not as bad as sitting in a plane on the tarmac, but certainly not fun.

      Like

  16. Fantastic photos, Dan — including that heart-shaped puddle! 😍

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Dave. I do like that puddle.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Foul! I call extreme ‘bait and switch’! PS that heart shaped puddle….🥰

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That would be the right term, Cheryl and the appropriate level.

      That puddle is great.

      Like

  18. The gallery worked great for me. Amtrak is looking to rebuild the line between New Orleans and Tallahassee (I think) but, sadly, my town was not approved. And our Amtrak station remains unused. Ridiculous! It just needs a bit of sprucing and we’d be good to go. Back in Jersey, I worked right across from Amtrak so could that it into NYC at any time. Not been on a train since then.
    Any idea why the rule is to skate counterclockwise? That is how we walk/run the track at the junior college, too.
    I love your little helpers. They know they won’t be working for peanuts! Oh, wait–they will! 😆🐿

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love taking the train, Lois. It took years of whining, but our town is getting a new train station (the current one is more like a cattle ramp to a siding). We still have train service from AMTRAK as well as CTRail.

      Some people say we skate to the right because it helps blood flow away from our heart. Some say because our heart is on the left so the weight balance is off. Some say it’s because 90% of people are right handed. They add that the ancient Romans raced counter clockwise, so it might just be natural.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Wow. Thank you so much for all the ‘right’ info, Dan. Very interesting!

        Liked by 1 person

  19. Heart shaped puddle gets my vote this week ☺️

    Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks. I really loved seeing that.

      Like

  20. I like that heart puddle and those tiny birds filling the sky.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad, Frank. Those birds made quite the racket as they swarmed overhead.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Super phots and I have to agree about the announcement.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks John. Yeah, don’t get my heart set on a train ride and then put me on a bus.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I frequently wrote “phoots” – not to worry.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Trains are cool, buses . . . are not!

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Our blackbirds believe in strength-in-numbers as well. While I have not issued any peanuts, I have managed to assist the squirrel population here simply by not hitting them with my car as they continue to wait until the very last second to dash across the roads. FYI, the slideshow is a “go” – no issues at all for me, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Bruce. I think we have a winner. At least it seems to work for most people. So far, I have one option I don’t like. One option a lot of people didn’t like or had problems with and two options that have a technical problem that WordPress has known about since I reported it over a year ago but hasn’t fixed.

      Avoiding the indecisive squirrels can be a challenge. Some days, it’s a challenge just getting out of our driveway.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. As always, great pics, Dan. That heart-shaped puddle really was something special!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks! That seems to be the favorite today.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Everyone craves a little bit of love. ;)

        Liked by 1 person

  25. It hasn’t been cold enough to ice over? Oh my! I agree – bus travel is not a good substitute for the train! But sometimes necessary.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We continue to have daytime highs in the 40s, although it drops into the teens at night. We might see some snow on Sunday, but it may turn to rain.

      Like

  26. I won’t lie… I sniggered ;-)
    Great one-liner, though. Nice pics, too. I’m so sick of the grey we have had. The tiny bit of blue sky was very short-lived. Gimme snow, gimme blue skies, gimme something besides this grey!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – I figured people would, but it’s OK. I know what you mean about gray. I’ll take anything else, please.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. ;-)
        Ugh. So depressing.

        Liked by 1 person

  27. Who wouldn’t LOVE a heart-shaped puddle? Nice capture!

    Liked by 1 person

  28. That puddle is amazing! I have a friend who posts pictures of heart shapes that she sees here and there… she would be thrilled to come across that.

    There are some unstable cliffs along the train route going north from where we live. Every once in a while, they have a collapse that needs to be fixed and a bus is substituted. Yikes!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ok, that would be a good reason for a bus.

      The heart shaped puddle was so cool to find.

      Like

  29. I will add another appreciation of the puddle. And the birds of course.
    Back to grey skies, unfortunately…(K)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Kerfe. Yes, gray and drizzle – oh well, onward we go.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. They are promising a little sun before the storm comes in Saturday…

        Like

        1. We have sunlight behind a very thin layer of clouds. We had a dusting of snow overnight.

          Like

  30. Okay… I don’t understand how I missed this, even if my days are messed up. Anyhow, it always makes me smile to see Jinx. But that puddle is astonishing. You really have a winner there, Dan. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Teagan. Jinx always has to have the tippy-top branch. My days are messed up as well. I thought yesterday was Thursday.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. Gorgeous photos! Damn, I love that puddle! :-)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks. The puddle is a big hit 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Bin reçu merci 

    Liked by 1 person

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