The Guinea Pig God

Wanda, of Wanda's Domain fame.

New pictures, part 3

From the northeastern part of the city.

New pictures, part 2

From the Wanda's Domain city center area--I'm currently working on a map of this region that should be up soon!

New pictures

Three road scenes from the mountains north of Wanda's Domain.

Going off topic......

I find myself wanting to go off the topic of this site more...no choice but to start a new blog I guess...

http://alayeina.blogspot.com

Long absence

Sorry about the long time between posts--my life is starting to fill up with a bunch of other stuff right now; I'm not able to devote as much time to my geekdom as I'd like ;-)

Hopefully I'll get something up here again soon!

Way off topic--AIDS LifeCycle 8

Some of you already know that I will be participating in AIDS LifeCycle this year--a 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, raising funds to continue providing free and low-cost HIV-related services at clinics in both cities.  I'm a roadie--volunteering my time behind the scenes to make it all happen rather than biking. 

 

You can check out my personal website here:

 

http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/wenda

 

Also, for those of you in the Southern California area, I will be hosting a special fundraising event on April 16 at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, on S. Lake Avenue in Pasadena.  From 4-9 p.m., for anyone who presents a flyer, the restaurant will automatically donate 20% of the proceeds from that person's order to LifeCycle.  It's a great way to help out and fill your stomach too if you don't have a lot of spare dough!  The food is great, and it'll taste even better knowing that you're helping a good cause!

AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7 day, 545 mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to support critical HIV/AIDS services. Please click the image below to support my participation in AIDS/LifeCycle!

Windrider train

Rendered with DAZ Bryce and Adobe Photoshop.

Windrider Red Line

The Red Line, north to south:

Demarre TC--Mostly residential area; some light retail.  Park and ride with connections to most North Valley buses, and Windrider North Commuter Line station located across the street.  Center island platform.

Route descends a hill slowly on an elevated alignment into the U.C. Wanda's Domain campus.

Impala Highway--University housing and support businesses.  Elevated station with side platforms.

Elevated alignment ends; Red Line continues at surface level through campus along a transit-only street.

U.C. Wanda's Domain--Primary stop for the university, located in the center of the campus quad.  Sidewalk platforms.

Red Line enters an open cut upon leaving the campus.

Gazelle Highway--Mostly university housing.  Sunken station in an open cut with side platforms.

Alignment surfaces again.

Moreno Park TC--Transit-oriented development.  Park and ride with local bus connections.  Center island platform.

Valleyheart TC--Residential area with light retail and offices.  Park and ride with local bus connections.  Side platforms.

The Red Line continues street-running along a transit mall on Caidrain Street.

Stadium--Direct connection to Wanda's Domain Civic Stadium.  Station located directly in front of stadium's main entrance on a transit-only street.  Sidewalk platforms.

Winchester Avenue--Inner-city neighborhood with medium density housing and retail.  Station located on a transit-only street with sidewalk platforms.

Red Line ascends an elevated track.

Lloyd Avenue--Inner-city neighborhood with medium density housing and retail.  Elevated station with center island platform.

The Red Line merges into the median of the California-246 freeway.  Here, the line splits into a one-way loop around downtown Wanda's Domain.

The Red Line Downtown Loop, counter-clockwise:

The southbound Red Line leaves the freeway and dives into a short subway for the next station.

Caidrain Street (southbound only)--Inner-city neighborhood with high-density housing and retail.  Underground station shared with northbound Yellow Line trains; center island platform on left.

Southbound Red Line leaves the subway for another elevated track, crossing the Lancre River.

Civic Center TC (southbound only)--Direct connection to Wanda's Domain City Hall, courthouse, and other municipal government buildings as well as surrounding offices.  Connections to the Wanda's Domain Express Streetcar and many downtown bus lines.  Indoor tri-level shared station built into the City Hall complex; southbound Red Line stops on upper level, northbound Yellow Line on center level, eastbound streetcars on lower (ground) level.

Southbound Red Line merges with the Express Streetcar route along Watermark Street.

Wycombe Street (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Central Square (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Financial District (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Firehouse Center (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Southbound Red Line and Express Streetcar dive into the main downtown subway loop, merging with the Green and Blue Lines, northbound Red Line and southbound Yellow Line.

Watermark Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Orinoco Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Tracks emerge for the Red Line's southernmost stop and layover point.

Marylebone TC--Primarily industrial area, with a large park and ride.  This is one of the busiest, most unique, and, some say, most confusing stations on the Windrider system.  Four light-rail lines, a branch of the streetcar, and more than 20 bus lines all stop here, at surface level, in a large intermingled platform/bus stop zone.  The Green, Blue, and northbound Yellow Lines merge onto a single "traffic circle" track, paved so that buses may drive around the same circle, with a large, circular center island platform for trains, and a concentric, outer circle platform for bus stops.  In the middle of the circular platform is another "station" with side platforms for Red, southbound Yellow Line, and Express Streetcar trains that are laying over at the transit center.  If you must use this station, just grit your teeth, keep your eyes open, listen to announcements, and double-check your bus or train's headsign before boarding to make sure it is going where you want to go.

Red Line trains lay over and reverse direction here, diving back into the subway.

Orinoco Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Watermark Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

The southbound Red Line and the Express Streetcar branch off and leave the subway here.  Green, Blue, Northbound Red, and southbound Yellow Lines continue.

Garvey Road (northbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Millenium Quarter (northbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with side platforms.  Mezzanine level with side platforms for transfer to Wanda's Domain Boulevard Streetcar.  

Longship Street (northbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Marina TC (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground bi-level station:  Upper level for eastbound Green and Blue lines, and northbound Red Line.  Lower level for westbound Green and Blue Lines, and southbound Yellow Line.  Surface level connections to downtown buses and Begonia Boulevard Streetcar.

Northbound Red and southbound Yellow Lines branch off, curving sharply north.

Bartholomew Street (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Noriensa Street (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Keck Street (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Route surfaces, continuing onto an elevated track.

Waterfront (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Connection to Wanda's Domain Boulevard streetcar.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Elevated station with center island platform.

Red and Yellow Lines merge into the median of the California-246 freeway bridge over the Lancre River.

Toledo Street (northbound only)--Industrial area on the north bank of the Lancre River.  Freeway median station with center island platform.

Here, the Red and Yellow Lines part ways completely, with the Yellow Line returning to the subway loop, while the northbound Red Line leaves the loop and rejoins its southbound track to return to the University District and Demarre.

Windrider Green Line

The Green Line, west to east:

Wilderness Avenue--As the name implies, pretty desolate.  There are some housing developments near the station, but not much else here at the true western end of the line.  A center island platform; tracks are shared between Green Line and Westside Commuter trains, but only the Green Line stops here.  The north track and all electrification end here.

The route passes by the Windrider West Yard, where trains are stored and light maintenance performed.

Hannigan Junction TC--The functional end of the line.  Some housing and light industrial development, a park and ride, transfer to Begonia's Commuter Line stop, and the western end of all Begonia bus routes.  Two parallel sets of tracks; one for Green Line trains, one for Commuter trains, both with center-island platforms, as well as a shared platform between the two tracks for ease of transfer.

Soltau Street--Housing and light industry.  Center island platform.

Las Preguntas TC--Serves housing and light industrial jobs.  The primary transit center for Begonia's west side, including a large park and ride.  A sunken station, in an open cut with side platforms.

The line curves sharply to avoid the Rose Hills.

Marsh Canyon--Primarily housing.  Side platforms.

Crosses bridge over Marsh Creek.

Westbourne Avenue--Housing, hiking trails and the Marsh Creek Greenway.  Side platforms.

Byrne Street--Housing and light commercial.  Center island platform.

Line crosses a funky old railroad bridge over the Donald Shaw Freeway, then dives into a short subway under downtown Begonia.

Boadicea Square--Primary stop for downtown shopping/dining district along Moya Brennan Boulevard, as well as Boadicea Square and Downtown View Parks.  Most convenient transfer station to the Begonia Streetcar.  This is an underground station with side platforms.

Green Line exits the tunnel.

Harlequin Street--Commercial district with offices and retail.  3 blocks from Begonia Central Library.  Side platforms.

Donegal TC--Commercial district with offices.  Central Begonia's primary transit center; connections to many bus lines, and a park and ride.  Side platforms.

Here, the line intersects a stub track that links the Green Line with the Begonia Boulevard Streetcar.  It is used primarily for maintenance and other non-revenue use, but occasionally trains with passengers also utilize it.  Also, it passes through a short, sharply curving tunnel underneath Interstate 140.

Westside Boulevard TC--Commercial district with offices and light retail.  Station is on an elevated structure, with connections to the Windrider Bronze Line, several bus lines, and a park and ride on the lower level.  Center island platform.

Byzantine Road--Medium density housing, apartments, condos, etc.  Center island platform.

Mountain View--Medium density housing and retail, with easy access to Mountain View Park.  First station within Wanda's Domain city limits.  Side platforms.

Estacada Street--Mostly housing.  Center island platform.

Merges with Windrider Blue Line; the two will share track for almost 15 miles.

Reid Mihalko TC--Industrial area, with some offices.  Park and ride.  Center island platform.

Westside Galleria TC--Transit-oriented-development area with direct connection to Westside Galleria Mall and attached high-density housing.  Park and ride with multiple bus connections and a branching stub track connecting to the Begonia Boulevard Streetcar.  Indoor station built into the ground floor of the Westside Galleria complex has side platforms opening directly into mall and housing.

Green and Blue Lines dive directly into a subway from here.

Calpernia Street--Older, quaint inner-city neighborhood, with medium density housing and retail.  Underground station with side platforms.

Music District--Serving both the City Concert Hall and Lexington Conservatory as well as a plethora of smaller venues and clubs for nearly every genre under the sun, this stop earns its name.  Also home to much high-density housing.  Underground station with side platforms.

Bonaparte Street--High-density urban neighborhood.  Primarily housing and retail.  Underground station with center island platform.

Green and Blue Lines temporarily surface for the next station, and pass by the Windrider Central Yard, where most heavy maintenance/repair work is performed.

Marylebone TC--Primarily industrial area, with a large park and ride.  This is one of the busiest, most unique, and, some say, most confusing stations on the Windrider system.  Here is where the Green and Blue Lines cross the northbound Yellow Line, and temporarily merge with the southbound Yellow Line and both directions of the Red Line.  Four light-rail lines, a branch of the streetcar, and more than 20 bus lines all stop here, at surface level, in a large intermingled platform/bus stop zone.  The Green, Blue, and northbound Yellow Lines merge onto a single "traffic circle" track, paved so that buses may drive around the same circle, with a large, circular center island platform for trains, and a concentric, outer circle platform for bus stops.  In the middle of the circular platform is another "station" with side platforms for Red, southbound Yellow Line, and Express Streetcar trains that are laying over at the transit center.  If you must use this station, just grit your teeth, keep your eyes open, listen to announcements, and double-check your bus or train's headsign before boarding to make sure it is going where you want to go.

Tracks dive back into the subway, now carrying both directions of the Green, Blue, and Red Lines, as well as the Express Streetcar and southbound Yellow Line trains.

Orinoco Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Watermark Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

The southbound Red Line and the Express Streetcar branch off and leave the subway here.  Green, Blue, Northbound Red, and southbound Yellow Lines continue.

Garvey Road--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Millenium Quarter--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with side platforms.  Mezzanine level with side platforms for transfer to Wanda's Domain Boulevard Streetcar.  

Longship Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Marina TC--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground bi-level station:  Upper level for eastbound Green and Blue lines, and northbound Red Line.  Lower level for westbound Green and Blue Lines, and southbound Yellow Line.  Surface level connections to downtown buses and Begonia Boulevard Streetcar.

Red and Yellow Lines branch off completely here.  Green and Blue Lines continue east through a tunnel under the Lancre River.

East Port--Industrialized north bank of the Lancre River, including main ports.  Unique underground and partly underwater station with center island platform.

Green and Blue Lines leave the downtown subway here.

Abalaye Street--Eastside residential neighborhoods and industrial areas.  Center island platform.

Lemuria TC--Closest park and ride/transit center to W.D. International Airport.  Connections to most eastside buses.  Serves remote airport parking, rental car offices, and private aircraft terminals.  Sunken station in an open cut, with side platforms.

Green and Blue Lines enter a curving tunnel which takes them onto a short street-running section on International Boulevard.

Hotel Row--Self-explanatory; primarily serves airport hotels.  Street-running station with sidewalk platforms along International Boulevard.

Green and Blue Lines again dive into a tunnel through the airport itself.

Wanda's Domain International Airport--Directly serves primary terminals.  Indoor station with center island platform, opening directly into baggage claim and ticketing areas.

Green and Blue Lines exit tunnel at airport perimeter.

Santa Barbara Street--Housing and light commercial.  Center island platform.

Albertson TC--Housing and light commercial.  Park and ride with connections to local buses.  Center island platform.

Feitshans Street--Housing and light commercial.  Sunken station in an open cut with side platforms.

West Braxton TC--Medium density housing and offices.  Surface level park and ride with connections to many eastside buses.  Elevated station with center island platform.

Blue Line branches northward from this station toward Aberystwyth, Wendy, and Oriole.  Green Line continues east.

Buenos Aires Avenue--Mostly housing.  Side platforms.

Green Line begins street-running segment along Bellehaven Boulevard.

Rye Street--Retail and restaurant district with housing along side streets.  Sidewalk platforms on Bellehaven Boulevard.

Bellehaven TC--Retail and restaurant district with housing along side streets.  Bellehaven Boulevard is converted to a transit mall for local buses, along with sidewalk platforms for the Green Line.  A park and ride is located a short walk away.

Argus Street--Medium density residential district.  Sidewalk platforms on Bellehaven Boulevard, with an additional stub track and sidewalk platform on Argus Street for trains turning around here.

Green Line leaves Bellehaven Boulevard, and narrows to a single track before entering the old Lancre River Canyon tunnel, built in 1933, and refitted to accept light rail in 2004.  This begins the Nynell Extension, the most controversial segment of the Windrider system ever built due to the difficult terrain and low population density between Bellehaven and Cavia Porcellus.  The multiple single-track segments limit headways to 15 minutes, so about half of rush-hour trains turn around at Argus Street, as well as two thirds of late-night trains.

Lancre--Serves the small, quirky canyon village at the base of the Lancre Falls.  A very unique underground station--it is the only bi-directional station on the system with only one track and platform.  The only entrance to the station is through an underground extension of the Lancre Municipal Elevator, a funicular railway which connects the main village inside the canyon to Lancre Highway and the Rainbow Bridge above.  Rides on the funicular are free with a valid Windrider ticket or pass, otherwise 25 cents; fare control for the two systems are integrated with all ticket machines at surface level funicular stations.

Green Line leaves the tunnel and returns to a double-track configuration.

Brion Village--Primarily serves Lancre Falls State Park, as well some riverfront houses.  Center island platform.

Wood Glen--Serves a transit-oriented development.  Center island platform.

Green Line again narrows to a single track, and begins climbing Moonstone Pass along the old 1933 route, with many curves and tunnels.  Line returns to double-track just before the Moonstone station.

Moonstone--Small town in the Amaryllis Mountains.  Underground station with center island platform.

Green Line descends Moonstone Pass in modern twin tunnels, and surfaces directly before Vixen Vance station.

Vixen Vance TC--Housing area, large park and ride, and local bus connections.  Center island platform.

Chandra Avenue--Suburban housing area.  Center island platform.

Green Line merges with track for the heavy-rail Mariposa Valley Transit run ValleyLink line.  The two will share track for the remainder of their run.

Cavia Porcellus TC--Suburban housing and transit-oriented development.  Park and ride with connections to most Mariposa Valley Transit bus lines.  Shared station with MVT ValleyLink trains; Green Line trains use side platforms, ValleyLink uses a high-level center island platform.

Arboretum--Housing and light commercial, with connection to Wanda's Domain County Arboretum.  Side platforms.  Tracks are shared between Green Line and MVT ValleyLink, but only the Green Line stops here.

Green Line and MVT ValleyLink dive into a short tunnel that takes them into the median of the US-395 freeway.

Bontrager Street--Housing and light commercial.  Center island platform.  Tracks are shared between Green Line and MVT ValleyLink, but only the Green Line stops here.

Green Line and MVT ValleyLink separate just before Nynell TC station; Green Line descends to a street-running loop along Village Avenue, while MVT ValleyLink ends in the freeway median.

Nynell TC (northbound only)--Medium-density housing and commercial, with a park and ride and connections to most MVT bus lines in the area as well as the ValleyLink train.  Platform on left, opening onto bus depot.

Nynell Village North (northbound only)--Downtown Nynell's retail and restaurant district, with medium-density housing nearby.  Sidewalk platform on left.

Line loops around through a park to South Village Avenue.

Nynell Village South (northbound only)--Downtown Nynell's retail and restaurant district, with medium-density housing nearby.  Sidewalk platform on left.

Nynell TC (southbound only)--Medium-density housing and commercial, with a park and ride and connections to most MVT bus lines in the area as well as the ValleyLink train.  Sidewalk platform on left, opening onto bus depot and park and ride.  This is the eastern end of the line; trains lay over here before continuing back onto the main alignment westbound to return to W.D. and Begonia.

The Windrider System

Rail transit first returned in Wanda's Domain almost 30 years ago with the restoration of the old Begonia Boulevard Streetcar.  Wanda's Domain Transit sought to restore the old route to replace the overcrowded bus line 20, affectionately known as the "Terrible 20," which ran the Boulevard between downtown W.D. and Begonia.  It was an ideal place to experiment with modern light rail, with existing high ridership on the bus line projected to nearly double with rail.  The 1950's-era tracks had never been removed from the street--they had simply been paved over.  In 1981, WDT began the Streetcar Project, as it was originally known.  The tracks were uncovered, remarkably in good condition for their age, requiring only simple modernization and repair work.  A new overhead electrification system was installed, and simple sidewalk stations constructed at major intersections.

Rather than using vintage streetcars, however, WDT ordered a starter fleet of custom-built light rail vehicles from a local company--an unusual move, as most of these vehicles were manufactured in Europe and Japan.  These single-ended, articulated cars, offically known as RailBuses or Windrider Mark I's, were built using bus bodies fixed to standard-gauge railroad trucks.  Unfortunately, they would prove to be a source of endless trouble for the agency, as mechanical failures became a regular occurrence.

Yet, despite the problems, the response was overwhelming.  People flocked onto the new line, and by 1983 the streetcar faced the same capacity and delay troubles as the original bus.  Yet this was the catalyst for the system that exists today.  A group of Begonia residents successfully lobbied for WDT to consider an "express streetcar," which would branch off of the main route onto a private right-of-way through the extremely dense areas of downtown and the Music District, avoiding the traffic jams and frequent stops of the existing line.  In 1984, the plan was approved and funded.  Windrider was born.  

The first line to be constructed was the westside section of the Green Line, originally running from Civic Center TC downtown to Byrne Street in Begonia, with six underground stations.  The "Express Streetcar" as it was then called, was an instant hit, and soon WDT began replacing the line's ailing, low-capacity RailBuses with the much larger Windrider Mark II vehicles.  The Mark II's, however, stretched the boundaries of what could be called "light rail."  They were too large to safely maneuver any street-running route, including the new Watermark Street tracks between Civic Center TC and Watermark Street station.  These vehicles were forced to lay over at Watermark Street's stub track, and only the RailBuses could run the whole route.

Next would come the popular Downtown Loop Subway, which would be extended into the Yellow Line subway that exists today, and in 1992 a stub called the Blue Line was branched off from the Green Line south into Culebra and Rossmoyne, using an elevated right-of-way primarily in the median of Interstate 38.  Both lines were built to the specs of the Mark II vehicles.

By the mid-90's, however, WDT began to drastically change its vision for the fledgling system.  Although the Yellow Line attracted heavy ridership in its northern section, through the highest density sections of the city, its southern suburban extension was more lightly used than expected, despite passing through vibrant neighborhoods such as Sienna and Umberpark.  What really stood out, however, was the failure of the Blue Line.  Trains ran half-empty even during rush hour, and off-peak use was low enough to prompt WDT to run one-car trains and end service at 10 p.m.

What went wrong?  The common factor seemed to be that both lines were separated from the areas they ran through, especially the Blue Line.  For most of its six-mile length, it ran on elevated track in the middle of the Valley's busiest freeway, and its primary destination, Culebra, had but two stops, with the one closest to the neighborhood's center being in the freeway median.

As they began considering their next project to extend Windrider, WDT officials reviewed the successful original Green Line, and discovered that it was not blind speed and efficiency that always made a line successful, but pedestrian-friendliness and community integration.

As a result, when the Red Line was built in 1996, it was primarily at-grade, with key stops such as the Stadium and U.C. Wanda's Domain being pedestrian-oriented facilities at street level.  Soon after, WDT began testing a new class of rail vehicles: the Windrider Mark III, combining the agility of the old RailBuses with increased capacity and modern technologies approaching the capabilities of the Mark II.  These would become the standard vehicle used on most of the system, with the RailBuses primarily consigned to streetcar use, and the Mark II primarily running the Yellow Line.

Completing the system were extensions of the Blue Line south to Moyer Park, and north to Oriole, followed by extensions of the Green Line west to Hannigan TC, and east to Nynell.  The final route to be built was the westside suburb-to-suburb connector called the Bronze Line, from Jadzia's Domain to Bermuda.

Windrider Pictures

My drawing of a Windrider train leaving Sunnyvale TC (transit center) station in Quinlan:

Windrider Pictures

Two interior views of a Windrider train rendered with DAZ Bryce from a 3D model I am working on:

Windrider Urban Rail: System Map

Having grown up in Los Angeles, a city of freeways and disorganized, spotty public transit has given me a fascination with how transit systems work.  Very soon after gas hit its all-time high recently (peaking at nearly $4.75 a gallon in most of L.A.!), I decided to be adventurous and try to save some dough.  I bought myself a Metro Day Pass, and headed out to see what the world looked like from the inside of one of those big orange buses lumbering all over town--something Southern California suburban dwellers never do, according to the legends, anyway.

Real Life, on the other hand, is different.  Los Angeles suburbanites can and DO take public transit, despite Metro's rather haphazard bus network.  Despite gas dropping back to semi-reasonable levels, I am now a converted transit rider, and my urban infrastructure obsession took its next turn, from freeways, interstates and interchanges, on to the ways to move people around who do not have cars, or choose not to drive them.  Yes, I guess it is an obsession when I can close my eyes and tell what make and model of bus I am riding from the sound of the engine.  ;-)  

But it was not the buses that truly caught my interest that day that I ventured out into the big scary city without the safe hideaway of my car.  It was the fast, sleek, smooth-riding Metro Gold Line--14 miles of light-rail heaven.

I never liked trains much before that day. Interesting.

Take a ride on the Windrider.  You'll like it.  ;-)

--Wenda

Etymology: Begonia

Meet Begonia's namesake:

Yes, I have a thing for cute guinea pigs.  ;-)

The Guinea Pig Goddess surveying her kingdom from on high...

Sadly, she is no longer with us...  :-(  She had the most lovable personality of any pet I have ever had--a real rough-tough-creampuff type who liked to think that she was a vicious attack dog--except on the inside she was just a sweetheart.  Ahh...I wax poetic.  She is memorialized in a statue at the 401 freeway exit to Moya Brennan Boulevard.

--Wenda