[Magdalen] Night Lull.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I've fallen asleep and awakened several times tonight to the pleasant  sound
of steady rain from Tropical Storm Bill.  It's warm, so all the doors  and 
windows
are open and the sound comes through, loud and clear.
 
I was just thinking about other night time lulling sounds.  I no  longer 
sleep
in my prime upstairs bedroom because I avoid the stairs, but up there  with
the windows cranked open I could hear the steady whine of  tractor-trailers
plying I-80 on their way from New York City to Chicago.  It's actually  
quite
a pleasant sound at my distance of about a mile.
 
The most memorable night lull for me, though, is the constant wailing  of
steam locomotives as they hauled iron ore from the MN Iron Range to the  
largest
of the ore docks in Superior, WI and Duluth, MN during the summers  when
I stayed with family in Superior.  The steam era ended slowly, but not  
until
after the Korean War, at least in the "Twin Ports".  When one  approached
Superior and Duluth from any direction there was a drop of 500-600  feet
and the ports were in a black haze that rivaled that of Pittsburgh during  
the
heyday of the steel production.
 
But back to tonight's rainy pitter-patter.  
 
 
 
David Strang.