Yesterday, Saturday, we got up early and left at 8:20 a.m. to drive to Essex Connecticut, which turned out to be three hours and twenty minutes away.  It’s an old part of the state for European settlements.  In Essex there’s a sort of outdoor museum of old trains, but we were there to ride one rather that to look at them.A steam train runs from Essex to and along the Connecticut River.  We were in an antique car with swivel chairs, quite comfortable. The windows were open and we were warned not to touch them as they would probably fall and crush a finger or a hand.  The temperature was in the low 70’s, comfortably dry with a few substantial looking clouds skudding overhead. The train moved slowly through the woods, making that lonesome whistle sound I remember from my early childhood, before diesels began to replace the old steam trains.  For me it was nostalgic. For Woody it was puzzling.  He was astonished how slowly we chugged along.  After crossing roads, where I imagine the cars waiting for us to pass were surprised at what they saw, unless they live nearby, we came into marshland, tidal creeks where we saw a green heron and an agret and many marinas crammed with all kinds of fancy boats.Finally we chugged along the river, wide, massive, beautiful. At length we stopped at Deep River.  When the slaughter of elephants brought huge amounts of ivory into the States, Deep River is where the ivory landed and was manufactured into piano keys, needles, handles, jewelry.  We waited while the two decker boat unloaded passengers from the previous train.  The boat is open on the sides. Y ou can go up top but there’s no seats there.  The two lower decks have seating and the usual – restrooms, snack bar.  We’d brought our lunch. I made Maryland baked chicken the afternoon before, brought water and some fruit and chocolate.The boat ran about fifteen minutes late because they had to rescue people from an overturned canoe.One side of the Connecticut River is populated with largish houses often with docks and wellkept grounds.  On the other side, there’s little built up. Occasionally there’s a grand house sitting up on one of the hills surrounded by forest, but mostly it looks pristine.  Motor boats were zooming past us every couple of minutes.  The boat, that only draws five feet of water, wobbled and swayed.  It was pleasant and there was just enough breeze to enjoy.We returned after about an hour to the dock we departed from and road back on the steam train.  We were told that this little Valley railroad with its antique trains has been used in perhaps twenty movies and several TV programs including Boardwalk Empire. For me, there was a little nostalgia.  Predominantly, however, the train made me think of writing about Elizabeth Cady Stanton when she criss-crossed the country lecturing.We rushed home to change and feed the angry cats.  Sugar Ray is only beginning to forgive me for being gone all day and then departing hurriedly.  Not back till after eleven.  We had a wonderful evening with friends at Lois & Ramon’s house.This week I fiddled a bit with the poetry manuscript, but mostly I worked on the novel, tightening, softening one of the characters people had complained about.  I’m drying cayenne peppers for a friend who grows his own fresh hot peppers but doesn’t have a dehydrator to prepare them for the winter.  I’ve already frozen and dried plenty for us. Puck had four teeth pulled this week that were decaying.  He is feeling better now but he was plenty annoyed at the experience.