There is little happening here, except for high smoke from fires causing hazy sky and enhancing the orange color of the setting sun.
The moon is in its “waxing crescent” stage with only 42% illuminated and it is low — near the horizon. I would have to get 100 yards away from the house to see it. The next full moon is October 6th. By then the smoke should be history.
This one is named “The Harvest Moon” and for me it will be 8:48 p.m. PDT. The HM usually occurs in September.
Central Washington University began its fall quarter this week. Thus, the town is busy again. The scholarship luncheon group I’m a member of met on Friday. The meal was chicken salad with vanilla cream cheese dessert, with toppings. I took a box of plums, most of which stayed in the Jongeward Plant Services Building.
I asked our hostess what the building just to the east is used for. Here is a photo:
The yellow lines show the approximate location of railroad tracks that were in place as CWU grew. This was the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.
The building, and maybe others, were used by the Green Giant Company (Jolly). I have no idea when, how, and when abandoned.
When we arrived at CWU in 1988 the tracks were gone but the corridor through campus was very much apparent. Today the campus part is unrecognizable because of new buildings. The abandoned RR ends east of CWU just north of the rodeo grounds, while west, the entrance is north of W 15th Ave. on N. Water Street. The length is almost exactly one mile.
Outside the city of Ellensburg, the corridor is known as the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, part of this was originally called the John Wayne Pioneer Trail/Iron Horse State Park. It is a long story.
I will try to find out more about the doings of Jolly Green Giant in Ellensburg. I’ve missed the easy opportunity. Jim Brooks was a geographer and served as the president of CWU from 1961 to 1978, and was an undergraduate also. He was the president that advocated and worked to remove the RR from campus. I could of just asked at one of our frequent gatherings. Had I known to ask. Bummer.
Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John