An octogenarian ‘Energizer Bunny’

Many of us know Hope Stewart as the “Lady with the train in her garden.”

Stewart and her unique backyard railroad were featured in the Argus-Courier in October, 2013. A lot of recirculated water has traveled under the train trestle since then, so we chatted about what’s new.

“I’m ‘retired’ as a photographer,” Stewart explains, “which just means I don’t get paid for the pictures I keep taking.”

A few years ago, she assembled some shots and wrote the text for a photo book she titled “My Train Garden 2007 to 2019.” Towards the end of the book, Stewart a few of the jotted-down dreams she had for her ever-expanding train world. “Since I can’t put more track down,” she wrote at the time, “there is going to be an elevated train attached to the new fence and if all goes well, it will have a mural (tastefully) painted as a backdrop.”

Stewart is pleased to report completion of both the elevated trolly — which she has named Hope — running along 80 feet of elevated track, then reversing back-and-forth, along with the fence mural displaying a mountain scene echoing the dwarf Alberta spruces dotted in the garden-train’s landscape.

When asked how COVID restrictions have impacted her formerly very busy schedule, Stewart gives a surprising response.

“Having time free is probably one of the nicest parts of COVID for everybody in the entire world,” she says. “For instance, I had thousands of unsorted images — many from a photography safari to Africa. I began to edit my pictures six to seven hours a day … working religiously every day for two months, and ended up with four books on Africa that I shared the other members of our photo safari.”

The largest of those books became two volumes and included over 900 images.

The memorable trip was organized by educator Michael Ellis, who runs what he calls Footloose Forays.

“Our group was mostly from the Bay Area — writers, teachers, a doctor and a couple of nurses, all like-minded, interesting people.,” Stewart says. “It was a hard trip for me because I was 82. Getting into the truck was a challenge. But with a step stool and help from others, I got along okay. And the photographs are stunning. We went out on safari every day early in morning, came back for lunch, had a siesta, and went out again. We often ate dinner after dark, which I don’t like much, so I would just nibble at things. I loved capturing so many incredible sights. It was a brand new trip for all.”

Stewart followed that adventure with an excursion to see the incredible geography of Iceland.

“I’d still like to visit the Galapagos Islands and Northern Alaska in what is left of my ‘salad days,’” she says.

After sorting all of those photos and making the books, Stewart moved on to making quilts.

“I had two quilts in the works when COVID started, so I finished those and shared them with the six members in my quilt group where everyone helps me because I am the novice,” she explained. “I spent Saturday with a quilter friend designing and creating a newborn-sized quilt for an upcoming baby shower. I just got a phone call that it is pieced together and looks really cute — very spring-like. I also gather with other Hospice volunteers. We meet every two weeks, and social distance by bringing lawn chairs to the park. I still maintain an occasional photography connection to the Garden Club and the Historical Museum.”

Through it all, of course, photography remains Stewart’s passion.

“I used to document every one of the projects done by Rebuilding Together, and I still shoot building sites, and under-construction signs,” she says. “I now pass these on to our local museum historian, Katherine Rinehart, who can creatively find a use for them.”

She admits that she has a great deal of energy, and likes to keep active.

“My next door neighbor calls me ‘The Energizer Bunny,’” Stewart laughs. “But I reply that my middle name is ‘fun’ and I would feel awful if I didn’t take photos. So I head up the hill almost every day, with the dogs and my camera to enjoy the freedom to shoot anything I find — just for the fun of it.”

The only thing Stewart really misses since COVID is sharing her garden train with visitors.

“I loved taking the time to ‘set up’ the display,” Stewart says, “making sure the grocery had boxes of fruit out front, that some quilts were hanging on the wash line, and the elegant, and fragile, Victorian buildings were properly placed. This afternoon, I am keeping things in order by artfully pruning the miniature deciduous trees to make sure they keep their ‘natural shape.’”

Hope Stewart’s love for life is captured perfectly in a poem that a New Jersey visitor, Milton Ehrlich, wrote in her visitors’ guest book.

“Hope resides in the Land of Oz,

In a DREAM that never ends …

Her soul is on FIRE

With an unquenchable thirst,

for the little things of the world

that most people ignore.”

(Gil Mansergh can be reached at 45gilmansergh@gmail.com)