Fireworks in Fernley
Dec. 9th, 2017 07:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeI had to run a bunch of errands into Reno today, including one that couldn't be easily postponed. Lisa's sleep schedule is very much out of phase, so I left her to sleep while I made the foray into Reno. I did not enjoy fighting the crowds for the various errands I had, none of which were really holiday shopping. But after hours of running from shop to store, I made it home in one piece.
Today was the annual Christmas Parade in Fernley, which I missed because I was in Reno. But I got out of town before I was effectively trapped in the house, because the parade has in the past formed up on Front Street right in front of our house. By the time I got home, the parade was over, but I did manage to get in to see the inside of a building I've wanted to see ever since I moved to Fernley.
The Fernley & Lassen Railroad Depot was supposed at one time to become a museum after it was saved from the Union Pacific, moved from its original site across from our house, and restored. Unfortunately, a dispute between the City of Fernley and the historical society (and as far as I can tell, a city council that doesn't see any point in doing anything that doesn't directly make money) led to all of the donated railroad displays being pulled out and the depot never opening to the public. However, it was used today for some of the post-parade festivities, so for the first time, I got to see inside.
Santa visited with children in what appears to be the original waiting room.
This looks like it was the ticket office, with these windows looking into the waiting room in the picture above.
This is the opposite angle of the previous photo. The room was being used for "Cocoa With the Cops" earlier, but I got there just as they were closing up.
After my brief look inside the depot, I drove to the Fernley Out-of-Town Park for the promised fireworks.
It was unclear exactly where we should go, but I followed other cars and picked a space opposite where the fire department was set up. It turns out that I had one of the better locations. The video above is about 30 seconds of the start of the show. I do not have a lot of space on my phone, and I didn't know how long the show would be, so I only took this small bit.
The road between me and the area from which the fireworks were launched — and it didn't seem that far away to the earthen berm protecting the launch area — is US-50 Alternate, which runs from Fernley east to Fallon.
There were a couple of points in the fireworks show where I don't think things went as planned, with some detonations way too close to the ground. I didn't get them on camera, and I hope nobody got hurt.
After what I (and many others) thought was the finale, I made for the exit, only to be surprised by a few additional launches.
On the way home, I found out what the source of sirens before the show was: a multi-car pile-up in front of the Fernley Nugget on US-50A that must have happened only minutes after I passed through on my way to the fireworks. Cars were being diverted through the Nugget's parking lot while they cleaned up the mess, but big rigs on US-50A were pulled over and idling to wait for the road to reopen.
I got none of my planned fannish tasks done today. I hope I have time tomorrow, but Lisa and I may need to go back to Reno for additional shopping.
Today was the annual Christmas Parade in Fernley, which I missed because I was in Reno. But I got out of town before I was effectively trapped in the house, because the parade has in the past formed up on Front Street right in front of our house. By the time I got home, the parade was over, but I did manage to get in to see the inside of a building I've wanted to see ever since I moved to Fernley.
The Fernley & Lassen Railroad Depot was supposed at one time to become a museum after it was saved from the Union Pacific, moved from its original site across from our house, and restored. Unfortunately, a dispute between the City of Fernley and the historical society (and as far as I can tell, a city council that doesn't see any point in doing anything that doesn't directly make money) led to all of the donated railroad displays being pulled out and the depot never opening to the public. However, it was used today for some of the post-parade festivities, so for the first time, I got to see inside.
Santa visited with children in what appears to be the original waiting room.
This looks like it was the ticket office, with these windows looking into the waiting room in the picture above.
This is the opposite angle of the previous photo. The room was being used for "Cocoa With the Cops" earlier, but I got there just as they were closing up.
After my brief look inside the depot, I drove to the Fernley Out-of-Town Park for the promised fireworks.
It was unclear exactly where we should go, but I followed other cars and picked a space opposite where the fire department was set up. It turns out that I had one of the better locations. The video above is about 30 seconds of the start of the show. I do not have a lot of space on my phone, and I didn't know how long the show would be, so I only took this small bit.
The road between me and the area from which the fireworks were launched — and it didn't seem that far away to the earthen berm protecting the launch area — is US-50 Alternate, which runs from Fernley east to Fallon.
There were a couple of points in the fireworks show where I don't think things went as planned, with some detonations way too close to the ground. I didn't get them on camera, and I hope nobody got hurt.
After what I (and many others) thought was the finale, I made for the exit, only to be surprised by a few additional launches.
On the way home, I found out what the source of sirens before the show was: a multi-car pile-up in front of the Fernley Nugget on US-50A that must have happened only minutes after I passed through on my way to the fireworks. Cars were being diverted through the Nugget's parking lot while they cleaned up the mess, but big rigs on US-50A were pulled over and idling to wait for the road to reopen.
I got none of my planned fannish tasks done today. I hope I have time tomorrow, but Lisa and I may need to go back to Reno for additional shopping.
