The prompt for day 9 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is language. Hiking along an old railroad line in E. Washington the railroad mileage markers denote the distance from Chicago

I am a retired scientist living on a small farm in rural southeastern Washington state, US. I like reading, writing, making and repairing things.
The prompt for day 9 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is language. Hiking along an old railroad line in E. Washington the railroad mileage markers denote the distance from Chicago