Riding the rails in Thorndale

Baking in the midday sun
Thorndale, ON
August 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Ribbons of endless steel crisscross this vast land, connecting communities and fueling economies.

We may grumble when we have to sit at a level crossing and wait for a freight train to cross, but chances are that many of the things we use in the day-to-day found their way to us via rail.

It's funny how that works, the invisible forces that power society yet somehow lurk so far below our personal radar that we never fully appreciate their value to us.

We'll routinely complain about the 18-wheelers on the highway without considering who drives them, how hard they fight for their careers, often far from home and family. We'll yell at construction workers who close entire roads for days, weeks, or months, blithely ignoring the fact that without them, our cities would literally crumble into chaos.

So when I'm pushing the pedals far from my own home, I'll often stop near a crossing to remind myself of the things too many of us choose to ignore. Appreciation is a funny thing - and we don't practice it as often as we should.

So on a scorching afternoon in Thorndale, I took a break behind the animal feed store in the very middle of this picture-perfect town and reflected on the role these rails played in building this community and so many others like it.

And as I got back on the bike and turned for home, I said a quiet thanks to all the unseen heroes whose work enriches our modern existence. And I resolved to no longer take them for granted.

#thorndale #thames #centre #ldnont #london #thames #centre #ontario #canada #rail #railroad #train #history #landscape #landscapephotography #cycling #cyclist #cycle #bicycle #bike #cyclinglife #random #roadside #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded