railroads and fire hydrants

The Fox River has taken its share of beatings in the last century. Appleton, a city of paper mills and factories, has spilled its waste into the water for years. But cleanup efforts and riverfront development projects have helped to restore the river as a place of beauty and legitimate attraction. It seems every time I find myself near the river, I become fascinated with a newly discovered treasure. Near Lawrence University in downtown Appleton, this section of railroad fascinated me for days, before I finally decided to walk along the ties with my camera to explore. This section of old railroad is never used. In fact, the ties and tracks no longer exist once you cross the river. All that remains is this short, bridged section ... and for whatever reason captivates me in its simple, historic extravagance.

It also reminds me of Craig's favorite quote, by Robert Frost ...
[...] I took the road less traveled by, and it has made all the difference.
I practically tripped over this fire hydrant. The chipped paint caught my eye, and after getting this nice closeup, and stripping out all of the color except for orange in photoshop, what you have left is this: