Cold up here too.
Good afternoon from the sunny, snowy, cold West Coast. We have a snow warning for tonight, hopefully, it won't start until we get back from Vancouver where the wife is getting an MRI tonight.
DIRK! So glad to see you drop in, you have been missed and so has your sidekick Ken. You need to show your snout around the place more often.
Ray, I had to look up Pop Rocks as I have never heard of them.
Went to Costco yesterday and it was deserted. Not a soul at the gas bar, usually the line is long. The Pharmacy staff were all just standing around so I said to them they needed something to do, how about giving me a flu shot? I had it in my arm in no time. Today my arm feels like it took a 100MPH slap shot. I need to lift it using my other one.
Track fiddlerIt just dawned on me that I have never made a plan.
TF, I plan for some things and don't for others. I hate plans when I travel. I just fly somewhere and start to see what I want to see at my own pace. Nothing worse than having a travel partner that keeps looking at the watch saying we need to get going, our hotel is still three hours away. If I am really enjoying something I want to stay as long as I want and then move on. When I get tired of traveling I turn in the car and get a flight home from where ever I am. It is a pretty rare thing for me to pre-book a hotel. I start looking when the Sun is going down.
gmpullmanShe's Z Scale!!! Cheers, Ed
howmusin a decade or so it will be a Middle Schooler and nobodies favorite animal....
I coached grade 8 and 9 girls softball for a few years, teeth-gritting patience was required. Especially if the girl's crushes were in the stands. Coaching boys that age in hockey was okay, once they were on the ice they did not know girls even existed.
Looks like a bit of a fixer-upper. Where's TF?
Don't think I'll be too productive today with this sore arm. I wish I could just take it off for the day.
OH BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
All the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Just looking at some films on Youtube. I have come across this one.
Not Christmassy, but oh I like garden railways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0iPCTzxzsQ&ab_channel=DakmanProductions
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good evening Diners. Brunhilda. Give everyone their favorite drink and put it on my tab.
Dawn is having a glass or three of Famous Grouse. I am drinking Snow Grouse.
IMG_4996 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Thanks to Covid our holidays are upside down. Not worth the hassle and anxiety of going abroad.
As a change from the rich holiday food I made some Cheesy Hash Browns with English Baked Beans.
Lovely pictures Ray. We have never been there.
This photograph is taken at Beamish Museum, County Durham. My son driving Santa around the 'town'.
Simon & Santa by David Harrison, on Flickr.
Stay Safe Everyone.
Track fiddlerHopefully I can stop by for a visit in January.
Cool! I had hoped to get over this Fall to see them, but some Virus interupted my being able to do that..... Maybe next year.
Couldn't get the movie to work on my last post... I dunno.
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Those photos are way cool Ray and your son is a lucky dog.
I had my secretary clear my calendar for the beginning of next year and she's getting a hold of the guy that owns this island in Scotland.
Hopefully I can stop by for a visit in January.
TF
Coco still acts like a puppy sometimes, but then that is normal for Springer Spaniels....
Couple More...
I wonder if our Brit friend here has been there?
Looks good to me Ray
Just a test....
Ooooo... It worked. Just testing the size... The photo above is from my son in the UK. It is the park where Donnington Castle is located just outside of Newbury. They take their doggie Coco there 3 or 4 times a week to let her run and play. enjy the ones I put here... (at least I hope you will).
SeeYou190Everyone is doing well.
How sweet.... Gotta love babies! But..... in a decade or so it will be a Middle Schooler and nobodies favorite animal.... (I speak from experience! Actually I liked kids at the Middle School Age, but they could be a hand full at times!)
Sometimes I thank my lucky Stars for David and his way of thinking.
https://youtu.be/QhybkpxpqsE
Hi Everyone,
Brunhilda, coffee with cream, please.
Just dropping in to say hello.
Got our first measurable snowfall yesterday. Yuck! I hate winter! However, the snow was pretty from inside where it's warm.
I forgot who mentioned about not going to a concert because of Covid concerns, but yeah, I kinda think the same way about it.
I really wanted to see Hilary Hahn (world renowned violinist) with Andres Orozco-Estrada conducting the Chicago Symphony. But, all of the requirements with vaccines, passports, tests, hoping on one foot on alternate Thursdays, I just decided forget it. It's the same for the Elgin Symphony this year. Just not worth the hassle, to me anyway.
Glad to see Ken and Kevin back.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good Afternoon,
Ken, great to see you in the Diner! A beer for you and a burger patty for Dirk.
A bit chilly here this morning. Windchill is -42 but it is sunny. I will only be going outside to tend the bird feeders. We have a few Redpoles here and my wife got a great photo yesterday of one on a snowy branch. Sure are cute little birds. They will be gone back north before spring.
Ran the Hudson yesterday and it was fine pulling just a combine. I had always thought brass engines were noisy like the Penn Line consolidation I used to have. This one is as quiet as a BLI or Bman steamer. It does have a can motor.
Stay warm,
CN Charlie
Cudaken and Kevin, great to have both of you guys back!
Heard some sad news today. John Madden passed away yesterday at the age of 85. Truly a football icon. An ambassador of the game.
Not much going on here. Got a beef roast going in the smoker right now. If it turns out like I'm planning, there will be some killer sandwiches at my house tonight about 5:30. BYOB.
Mike
cudaken Just dropping by to say Happy New Year folks! Cudaken
Just dropping by to say Happy New Year folks!
Cudaken
Welcome back! Don't be a stranger.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good morning
It just dawned on me that I have never made a plan.
After 58 years I don't have any kind of a plan.
For my New Year's resolution I am going to come up with one of those and I hope it doesn't get too dangerous.
It's good to see you back here Ken
Congratulations Grandpa Kevin
Good morning everyone.
Chloe is going to struggle to keep my coffe mug full this morning. The eggs are really well prepared today.
Going to put more paint on my 20 year old landscape curbing today. The paint is sure sprucing up the appearance of the old stuff. It almost looks new again.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good morning Diners. Keep the coffee coming please, Zoe. A shot of brandy to go with it as well.
The rain is coming down like stairrods.
We have a saying here in the U.K. "You wait ages for one, then two come together." Kevin now Cudaken. Great to see you both. Congratulations Kevin.
Soak in the Winter scenery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeZwe8eeJbc&ab_channel=Steamman3000
An Austrian model railroad set in Wintertime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uVStGT5j0Q&ab_channel=UweKlimpke
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
cudakenJust dropping by to say Happy New Year folks!
Talk about a Blast From The Past!!! Great to hear from you, Ken!
Cheers, Ed
Hey Cudaken!!!
Happy New Year to you too! Glad to see you back!! You will have to tell us about all your adventures since you last posted, that is if you want to.
Give Dirk a treat for us!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Dirk say's Woof Woof.
I hate Rust
Hi Kevin,
Glad you are back! The pictures of the baby are heart warming. My baby is now 6' 2" but he still yawns all the time.
JaBear Grandad Kevins back, now that’s good to see. Hope mother and child are well.
It is good to be back.
Everyone is doing well.
Hi Ray,
I couldn't resist sending the cat litter joke to several of my cat owning friends. They may never speak to me again!
The World Juniors are on and the dog would rather look out the window! I just don't know.
Where's my bottle of scotch.
Nice Brent! Lunch looks like way too many carbos, but nice!!!
And Now, for something completely different!
Good afternoon from the sunny cold West Coast of Canuckville.
It is -14c and we have just returned from a long walk with the fleabags. We have snow, not much but just enough to make it perfect.
Took the wife to the specialist today and she wants her to go into Vancouver to have an MRI on a special machine. We get home and she phones to make an appointment, the lady says you can book anytime you want as we are open 24hrs a day. We have 0130hrs and 0430hrs tomorrow morning or 1900hrs tomorrow evening and lots of openings the next day. We took the evening as there will be no traffic for the drive into big town.
We may go for an early dinner before just to enjoy the view with all the snow on them thar hills.
BATMAN That is a long trip down to Bears neck of the woods. I hope to do it again a couple of times... There would be a bed, a Lamb roast, and an Appletons or several, available at the Bears cave if that was ever to happen. Then it was back to the homestead for a pleasant day, spent in pleasant company, with plenty of grazing and water (?????) for us!
BATMAN That is a long trip down to Bears neck of the woods. I hope to do it again a couple of times...
I saw that photo and had to go make lunch, I rarely eat lunch.
Thanks for the kind offer Bear. Future travel plans really depend on the boss's health but NZ is near the top of the list. My sister is a big-time hoity-toity dog show judge that does a circuit each year when the world is not so germy. It usually starts in New Zealand, then Australia, and up through a few countries in Asia wrapping it up in Japan. My wife keeps wanting to accompany her on some of her trip so I look at it as a good excuse to get back to New Zealand and Australia, though you will never find me at a dog show.
John, three dirt bikes in the garage! You're a good Grandpa. I was spoiled in my youth and younger years as my best friend's dad had a garage full of every kind of motorcycle one could want. Crotch rocket, big cruiser, or dirt bike take your pick. Every weekend was an adventure.
Welcome back Kevin, I had a couple of stints where I could not post at all. I am not sure it was an accident or a message. I would eventually get around to contacting the mag and get things back on track.
Once I was off the air for eight months and eventually, curiosity got the better of me and I contacted the magazine and found out I had been banned for three days. They just forgot to turn me back on.
Years ago my wife got me a pay-as-you-go cell phone plan for a $100.00 a year. I have averaged 16 minutes a year on it and if you renewed each year your unused minutes were added to the next year. She just changed my plan to the company she and the kids are with that is $10.00 a month. I can phone anywhere in the world and get 1 gig of data per month. I have never needed data yet and if I hit 10 minutes usage in 2022 I'll be really surprised. Of course the wife and kids have the mega data, free call anywhere in the world plan which is more $. I forget my phone 75% of the time anyway. My wife throws it in the cup holder in the truck when I am not looking just so I have it. We never lock our doors and in the 25 years we have lived here it has not been stolen. I wouldn't notice it was gone even if it was. I get the hand me downs and I have just been promoted to an I-Phone ten. Is that good????? I think it was my daughter's old one. I noticed the wife has already put it out in the truck.
Father-in-law just called, he says, there is something wrong with my furnace, it won't shut off for more than a minute or so. I reminded him that it is -14c outside and ours has not shut off in six days. He goes oh ya I guess that makes sense, I forgot it was so cold outside.
Trackside structures are good by me next month, I find them fascinating as they are usually built ad-hoc for a specific purpose.
I kinda wish I had got going on the backyard rink with this long cold snap, with the kid not living here anymore I have no one to body check into a snowbank.
Years gone by.
Meryl has awoken from her nap, time for another walk in the snowy sunshine.
Thanks, Batman and JR for your Christmas Greetings, though it was sad to read that your Christmas plans had turned to custard. That said, I hope that those who were negative remained so, and that those who proved positive have a full and speedy recovery.
BATMANThat is a long trip down to Bears neck of the woods. I hope to do it again a couple of times...
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Glad to see Kevin got his access back
Thanks for that fancy Pullman interior, TF. You can see now why the old Pullman cars were nicknamed "Varnish".
For a while the PRR was trying to attract the family-oriented traveller with amenities like the "Recreation Car"
PRR_Recreation by Edmund, on Flickr