Howdy from Havana ,Illinois.

Spring is approaching and  along with that also comes Fishing season to  which  quite a few locals enjoy.  Either you are a pro or amateur we can all agree on something it's relaxing and fun plus might come away with a good dinner if you're like me and eat what you catch.  The weather should start warming up for fish to start biting around April or May and a few species will be spawning closer to the shore which means jackpot if you're fishing from shore.   I know I hope to go a few times this year if not more.  The past few years haven't been able to go so really looking forward to when I can get out there.  You can bet a good six  hours or so will be spent.  Growing up fishing has been an on and off theme during the summer months since Dad enjoyed to fish and would drag me along.  I didn't really develop an enjoyment for it until I got older though.  When I was a  kid and teenager i didn't exactly have the attention span to sit for hours at a time watching p

Everyone on the planet has some hobby they enjoy indulging in and I am no different.  I have a few hobbies I enjoy but the one I enjoy  most involves getting out there and photographing local railroads as well as  old abandoned tracks or right of way's.  The interest of watching trains started when I was really young but I really didn't start photographing them until 2008.  I wasn't even aware  before 2008  rail fanning was a  hobby with alot of people doing it.  I live in a small town away from everything so you don't see people taking pictures of trains here or if they were I didn't pay any attention to it at the time.  I have always loved trains as long as I remember but I have only been told how young it started so all I really know it was around two or three of age.  In 1988  we moved to the south end of Canton off south first and was 3 houses down from the tracks so when the TP&W would pull through I would run down to the tracks and watch.  I also rode my

Where do I start with this since it is two different topics one includes the Canton Opera House clean up and the other could be  a future JC Penny closure.  I will add it hasn't been announced yet if Canton's JC Penny will be one of the locations getting closed down.  If it does  it isn't something Canton needs right now considering there isn't a whole lot here.  The local Kmart closed last year but to be fair they refused to lower prices so it wasn't exactly a shock especially since we have a Walmart which offers alot better deals on just about anything.  In the economy today and finances people are looking  for what will save them the  most money.  I'm guilty  of this as well since I live on a  limited budget.  JC Penny has been in this town for as long as I remember and probably  before I was born. Personally I haven't been in there since 1997 but  it doesn't mean others don't shop there or enjoy going there like some probably did shop at Kmart be

As some people know I go rail fanning for enjoyment to get away from stress and the next one will be no different.  My friend in Canton who also is a rail fanner might be interested in going so may take him along.  The more the merrier company is always nice since  I know no one in my family wants to go due to lack of interest plus it would involve going outdoors so we know   they can't have that.  Okay Jan keep sarcasm to self.  In my area you don't see a whole lot of rail fanners so mingling with them I haven't had much opprotunity  plus I make such bad first impressions it's not funny what with the tracheostomey and social anxiety issues.   Once i'm comfortable enough around people it eases so maybe over time can get more  active and social plus on top of it it's more easier to relax with people who share the same interests. Anyways I thought  next month providing if we get the break pads replaced on the car and it doesn't financially sting too much I w

That was  totally work two hours of my time watching the movie Silver streak with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.  I'm not even sure where to start with it.   It starts of  humorous enough without being over the top with it.  It turns into this mystery type murder flick and it ends with  quite the spetacular sight. I'm not going to spoil anything so if you haven't watched it especially if you're a railfan it is a must. The actors had chemistry and delivered their lines well, the movie had excitment and the ending was entertaining to say the least.  A friend recommended it after I made a comment about Pryor as I thought was overrated considering I only seen him in two things one being a stand up which I wasn't impressed by.  Too be fair when my mom had me watch two Pryor things when I was around fourteen or fifthteen.  My mom rented JoJo because it filmed while she was working nearby in Peoria and had a few Peoria scenes.  The other one a stand up show of his I ca

Over the years have heard numerous rumors and proposed ideas that have come and go for the small community of Canton.  Each time it has either been passed down or never materialized past the  in talks stage.  Recently past hope in the reactivation of  an old railroad line vanished within a few days as the rails and ties were pulled starting in Canton and heading up to Yates City.  At one time i had hoped Canton would grow, would attract business and the old  CB&Q/BN/BNSF line would one day be brought into service if not by BNSF then a shortline that had once expressed interest but it never happened. At one point a meat packaging plant wanted to build here but the city chased them away then a coal mine expressed interest in the area but  the city as well as the residents put up a protest and killed that. Recently in the county a hog farm had sights in the area but naturally you can always count on the cry babies to step forward and put a stop to it.  What I love is how some people

First off I will say hello and lets get this introduction started.  I'll try not to be long winded so let's get this show on the road.  My name is Jan Smith.  I'm 35 years old from a small town in west central Illinois called Canton.  I'm new to this blogging thing so I guess  fill people in  on my what I enjoy in this adventure called life.  I enjoy rail fanning, fishing,  video gaming, genealogy, visiting old cemeteries and local history of my county and area railroads.  I also enjoy storms and find the sound of the rain in the spring and summer months relaxing.   Now that we got this introduction thing out of the way I can start blogging and go from there.  :)