All this fall we have been taking Penelope to the weekly baby story time at the nearby Atherton library (small library, great staff). The library is at the Atherton civic center, a 15 minute walk from our cottage, and also there is the Atherton Caltrain station. On a good day at story time, we'll see three choo-choos whoosh by, two southbounds and a northbound. Maybe more if we go to the nearby park and playground. The Caltrain runs more or less hourly from San Francisco down the peninsula to San Jose and on to San Ajo, I mean Gilroy. The choo-choos have become Penelope's new obsession, surpassing happies, and even Santa is a distant 2nd place. (We have taken her to Stanford Mall half a dozen times to observe the Macy's Santa and to get accustomed to the Santa photography session ordeal; maybe next year). Anyhow, all our local travels are now scheduled around the Caltrain's appearances at Atherton, or Menlo Park, or Palo Alto, or Redwood City. On rainy days, or when she's really bored with the grandparents, we content ourselves with one or two of the many Caltrain videos on YouTube; the best of which is the artful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=WSEpCPTju3w. From these I have learned, additionally, that the current nomenclature is "railfanning," no longer the archaic "trainspotting." Thus, "choochoofanning," adapted for 20-month-olds. Penelope's older second cousin, James, I know, shares her interest in railroads. Anyhow, Wednesday we decided it was time for Penelope to ride the Baby Bullet*, at least from Redwood City to Millbrae and back, with stops at Belmont and San Mateo.
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| Approach of a Baby Bullet |
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| Baby aboard the Baby Bullet |
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| With Grandma at the station |
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| Another station, with Grandpa |
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| Riding with Grandma |
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| Bye-bye, Baby Bullet |
*I have subsequently learned that the Baby Bullet is not merely the sleeker locomotive, but those that run the express route, with very few stops
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