Thursday, December 19, 2013

Deck the Halls!

It's time to spread the festive Christmas spirit to Trackside Treasure's loyal readers. This year I've fused (fuseed?)the Yuletide classic Deck the Halls, with some of my own blogging experiences, and some wintry photos into a post that I trust you'll (Yule?) enjoy. For the full multi-media experience, open up this musical version in a new window. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear", as Buddy the Elf said in the movie Elf. Like I said, enjoy!
Deck the blog with railway hobby,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Always friendly, never snobby,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Photos, text and useful data,
Blog blog blog, blog blog blog, blog blog blog.
Curl up with your dog or cat-a,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
I write, I scan, I format content,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
If you'd like to, you can comment,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Railfans rail and foamers foment,
Blog blog blog, blog blog blog, blog blog blog.
Keep informed, up to the moment,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Before I finished, I got thirsty,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
As I smelled the roasting turkey,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
First a cold one, a second I swallowed,
Blog blog blog, blog blog blog, blog blog blog.
While I, in rail nostalgia wallowed.
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Then I heard a distant air horn,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Of what cool train might it now forewarn?
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Away I ran up to the tracks,
Blog blog blog, blog blog blog, blog blog blog.
Disappointed; 'twas only double-stacks,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Fast away our fifth year passes,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Where'd I leave my reading glasses?
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Weekly, railfans read together,
Blog blog blog, blog blog blog, blog blog blog.
Visit here, whate'er the weather.
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Fine blog partners* post before us,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Newsy blogs that never bore us,
Blog blog blog blog blog, blog blog blog blog.
Hope you'll spend your well-earned leisure,
Blog blog blog, blog blog blog, blog blog blog.
Here, next year on Trackside Treasure,
Blog blog blog blog blog, BLOG BLOG, BLOG BLOGGGGG!!


*Adam, Bruce, Chris L., Chris M., Chris V., Dave, Jason, John, Lance, Manny, Mark, Matt, Michael, Robert, Scott, Steve and TOTW. 

Merry Christmas to Trackside Treasure's amazing blog partners and loyal readers alike. 
Thanks for coming along for the ride this year, and all the best to you and yours in 2014. 
Stay aboard for a pleasing plethora of Canadian trainpalooza posts in the year to come!
-Eric
Running extra...

The Jan-Feb-Mar 2014 issue of The Train Order, the newsletter of the International Association of Train Order Collectors includes a print version of my two recent Across Canada by Train Order posts. Thanks to IATOC's newsletter editor Bryant Barbour for his assistance. For information on joining this specialized and friendly group of collectors, please contact association president Richard Baker by email: toman718ATcoxDOTnet. You'll wonder 19Y you didn't join sooner.

AR3K On-line Archive is distributing two limited-release 2014 calendars - PBS's 12 Best and Covered Wagon editions. (You heard it here first.)  I trust AR3K will become an internet force to be reckoned with in 2014!

16 comments:

Michael said...

Merry Christmas to you and your family, Eric. Thanks for your guidance and support in helping me start The Beachburg Sub this year. I look forward to more Treasure next year!

Eric said...

Same to you, Michael! Thanks for your kind comments - it's great to have you in Trackside Treasure's sidebar as an inspiring example of what Canadian rail blogging can be!

Blog on, and all the best for 2014!
Eric

BArailsystem said...

Merry Christmas Eric & Family!

I look forward to all the upcoming treasure that 2014 will bring trackside.

I went for the full multimedia read, it was awesome!


All the best,

Ben,
BArailsystem

Eric said...

Thanks, Ben. General knowledge of Christmas carol tunes and lyrics was always sparse, but getting sparser. So, I thought I'd contribute something to the mix, providing some orchestral score to help with the learning curve.

As kids, we were paraded to the school gym and sang carols off the ol' overhead projector in a Christmas assembly. Then it was off for a week or two! Woo-hoo (or as we said back then) Yay!

Thanks for your good wishes and keep those professional videos coming on BArailsystem!

Like any treasure, sometimes it takes some digging trackside to find it, but it's there!
Eric

Sir said...

Thanks for all your work on this blog!!

Season's Greetings to you and your family!!

Eric said...

Thanks, Warren.

As long as one person is out there reading this stuff, I'll keep churning it out. The stack of draft posts continues to grow! I'm currently working on a post on boxcar and tank car placards. Now that's actual treasure found trackside!

Merry Christmas to you and yours, also.
Eric

Anonymous said...

I was out shovelling this morning when it occured to me that it's just about time for one of my favourite parts of Christmas: the Trackside Treasures Christmas post. This one was terrific. I'll be humming: "blog, blog, blog, blog, blog; blog, blog, blog, blog."

Great stuff, Eric. I really enjoyed that!

/chris

Anonymous said...

I was out shovelling this morning when it occured to me that it's just about time for one of my favourite parts of Christmas: the Trackside Treasures Christmas post. This one was terrific. I'll be humming: "blog, blog, blog, blog, blog; blog, blog, blog, blog."

Great stuff, Eric. I really enjoyed that!

/chris

Eric said...

Sorry about that, um, little weather system we sent you when we were done with it, Chris :(

Of course Toronto is whining about the ice, as Toronto does. Trees still encrusted here, VIA getting back on track schedule-wise (pun intended).

All the best to you and your family at Christmas. Hope you have some festive family activities planned, or just enjoy those impromptu Christmas moments that present themselves (pun intended, again). Truly gifts.

Eric

Robert in Port Townsend said...

Appreciate the song writing effort, Eric, but don't quit your full-time job just yet!

Keep up the good work; looking forward to your presentations in 2014!

Robert in Port Townsend.

Bryan said...

The best to you and yours for the holiday season!

Eric said...

Bryan and Robert, thanks for your good wishes of the season.

Two things I can promise...

One - more in 2014! Yeah!
Two - I will leave most of the songwriting to the experts. You know, like The Funkel Brothers...Simon and Gar Funkel:)

Eric

Zartok-35 said...

Merry Christmas Mr. Gagnon! I hope your Black Widow Nickname post is coming along well.

Anonymous said...

Dear Eric...From the deep freeze here in Winnipeg. So many thanks for the mention on the blog about AR3K for 2014. Now committed since the SPOILER ALERT. 2014 WILL be the year for on-line. Far flung interests from motive power and MOW to western grain elevators and the photos of city and rural ambulance and fire app. All the best for 2014, bonne fete and noel to you and Karen. So many thanks for your ear and support.From the R3K...

Eric said...

Elijah, yes the text is done (not that pre-release version that inadvertently found its way online) and I will be adding some photos of the Widows and others.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Eric

Eric said...

2014 WILL be the year for AR3K to emerge. Will AR3K come screaming in like a Crestline Code 4? Will it come in like the slack action banging out through a ballast train? Or will it emerge like a bright CP Holiday Train bringing joy to those trackside who are able to witness its arrival?

Only time will tell...

All the best in 2014 Brian, as you receive clearance from the almighty yet still mysterious internet to leave the yard and make your way to the next division point into cyberspace.

Eric