The end of the rail

Along the Wayzata/Minnetonka railroad tracks as far as I can see there are staggerred stacks of railroad ties. Sometimes 7 or eight, even up to 10 dark blackish, cut and treated rails waiting to be laid.. The track glitters, the parallel rails point off to a distant vanishing point. Great for begining drawers. A path for wanderers. Burlington Northern Sante Fe rumbles by. Upon a little examination I see that the end of each hewn rail has a metal grid pounded into it. I checked, and I read that this is to keep the wooden rail end from splitting.