The pot of coffee is always on [even after 2 years have passed]. Come on in. Sweet ice tea too.

[ChiefEagles]

Spankybird, you telling me St. Louis might be COLD????? My squash and tomatoes are blooming. My apple tree has tiny apples, peach tree has tiny peaches and cherry tree has tiny cherries. Grape vines are running and got leaves. Regular cabbage are twisting for heading and Chinese cabbage are going to town. Had fresh spinish and lettuce from garden last night. [:D]

[spankybird]

You bet, Think how I feel. The cherry, peach, and plum tress in full bloom, many of the flowers are out. It’s not nice to trick Mother Nature. Last year we had a late spring and the last snow was May 22, I think.

I sure am glad winter is over and it’s spring.

tom

[ChiefEagles]

Spankybird, you'll have to come move in with me down south [8D]. You will have to bring and share your trains though.

[ChiefEagles]

Morning gang. Turned cool here [in the 40's]. Got grass to mow [think the lungs will be OK as riding the JD]. Getting ready to go to St. Louis BPS. Spankybird and Buckeye, keep your snow up there in the north. Here that Jim Duda is home sick with "sore eyes". [;)] All have a great day and God bless all.
No snow here [Pam's gardens].

[spankybird]

Good Morning all,

So they said it might snow. It started around noon yesterday. They said it might accumulate, in some areas it did. It got down to 25 deg in some areas, It was 34 at my house this morning when I left at 6 am.

It’s great to live in NE Ohio. If you don’t like the weather, just waite, it will change. Tomorrow it will have a high of around 75 deg.

Here is a shot at the end of my drive way.



I’m glad that winter is over and its Spring.



tom

[Buckeye Riveter]

Spanky,
Here in the tropics of Ohio, we didn't see one bit of snow. No wonder everyone from Y-town has moved to Columbus. How many snow blowers do you own?

[FJ and G]

Tom,

Are the garden trains buried under the snow?

Chief,

I really like your front lawn. That's my kind of lawn; the kind you don't have to mow!

Trouble is, my homeowner's association would probably fine me and throw me in jail if I were to attempt that. They ride around in golf carts looking for stuff to fine. They nabbed my nextdoor neighbor last week for having a storm door that was a different color than the inside door. You wouldn't believe the kind of stuff they look for. If I ever move again, it will be to a location without an HOA.

BTW, my idea of a cool yard, both front and back, is a lot of bushes, trees of all types, and herbal plans with a garden train chugging some ice tea out to me.

dave vergun

[ChiefEagles]

Well, there is a little grass to mow out front [lots out back in the fence].


There is a half circle out front of grass. Rest is much and plants and trees and shrubs. Wife did it all herself [I was the yard laborer who said yes mam].

[Jim Duda]

I'm gonna put a garden train in my neighbor lady's yard and have it pull some gas powered Large Scale lawn mowers...I could also fill some tankers with weed killer and do her whole yard, sitting in my swing, controlling it. Maybe that will keep her in the house...

Here is what I would pull it with (Union Pacific)...

http://www.lgbpola.com/aristocraft/SD45%20Main.htm OR,

http://www.lgbpola.com/aristocraft/Dash9_Main.htm

JD

[FJ and G]

Jim D.

A long time ago I read an article about the Edaville RR in Massachussets which no longer exists there. They used a train to haul cranberries.

I've often dreamed of being a farmer and running tracks all over and having special MOW cars that harvest corn, hay, etc or transport feed to the animals. The train would be steam powered, using debris from the field, sort of like the sugar cane trains.

Last night on TV, I saw this adventure of some Yorkshire ancestors who were retracing their ancestors' route through the Canadian lake region of Manitoba. They used a replica large boat and had a really long portage thru bug-filled boggy bottoms. In the bottoms, they discovered wheels to an old portage railway that once connected the lakes and they rigged up their own portage system using the wheelsets which were still in surprisingly good shape.

dave vergun

[FJ and G]

BTW, Jim, the price of the SD-45 in G is about half of what it costs in 3-rails.

Go figure!

[Jim Duda]

Deleted...duplicate of post below...sorry...

JD

[Jim Duda]

Big Dave -
I was shocked when I saw the prices of this Large Scale stuff...I was expecting it would be at least 2X what we pay for our 3 rail equipment. A 15 foot diameter loop of Stainless track is $130 so throwing down a simple layout in the weeds, with a decent loco and a small consist, is more within reach than I thought.

True, a soundboard will cost extra buck$, and I'm not sure if they sound as good as our MTH and Lionel trains do, or if the smoke output is up to par with the MTH smokers. But it sure seems to me that runnin' the large stuff outdoors in good weather, and our 3 rail trains inside during lousy weather, and at Christmas, is about as good as we're gonna get it.

I think I'm gonna try it...I'll be glad to haul some fresh Iced Tea over to ya! Hey, with enough power and enough wire and track..hmmmmmmm!

JD

[ChiefEagles]

Morning Gang. Chilly but not cold here. Off to the Va. side of Kerr Lake to meet some YANKEE fisherman buddies of mine. Was going to fish with them this weekend but BPS calls. Off at 6:30 AM flight tomorrow morning to St. Louis. Any of yuz giz live in St. Louis, come by Bass Pro Shops from tomorrow AM until around 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday until 5 PM, and say hello. Be glad to meet any of you. The Chief Eagles Very Short Line Railroad ran somemore last night. Got some new rolling stock and the sound activation button that rings the bell in those Williams. Wi***hat room was cleaned out so it could expand the company tracks to a circle. Mighty short runs with any rolling stock coupled to engine. Well, last BPS trip until last weekend in May. That should give me some time to work on the real room for the layout. God bless you all.

[spankybird]

Good Morning all,

It’s a start to a great day in NE Ohio. High going to 80 degs, and think, on Tuesday we had snow. Like I said, if you don’t like the weather in NE Ohio, just wait, it will change.

Here come the train and trolley to pick up Chief to take him fishing with us Yankees



tom

[Buckeye Riveter]

I've reserved the baggage car for the Chief to go fishing. He can put all of this tackle and his boat in the car. When we get to the lake, we will just drop his Ranger Bass Boat on the ground from the car. Will that damage anything? [:-,][:-,][:-,][:-^][:-^]

[ChiefEagles]

I'm glad you two are my friends. [Have to keep an eye on Yankees all the time [;)] ]

[Jim Duda]

Here are some of your state slogans...just in case you weren't aware...(wink)

JD

Alabama: Hell Yes, We Have Electricity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arizona: But It's A Dry Heat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arkansas: Literacy Ain't Everything
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
California: By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedys Don't Own It -- Yet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Delaware: We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru ( Death To Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes ... Well, Okay, We're Not; But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Louisiana: We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism campaign
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maryland: If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michigan: First Line Of Defense From The Canadians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes .. And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-Wing Crazies, And Very Little Else
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nevada: Hookers and Poker!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New York: You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
North Carolina: Tobacco Is A Vegetable
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oklahoma: Like The Play, Only No Singing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oregon: Spotted Owl .. It's What's For Dinner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South Carolina: Remember The Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tennessee: The Educashun State
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Texas: Si' Hablo Ing'les (Yes, I Speak English)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vermont: Yep
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington: Help! We're Overrun By Nerds And Slackers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
West Virginia: One Big Happy Family .. Really!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wisconsin: Come Cut The Cheese
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wyoming: Where Men Are Men . And the Sheep are Scared!

[FJ and G]

Jim,

I kept license plates from some of the states I lived in. Arkansas used to have "Land of Opportunity," but the State chamber of commerce later changed it to the more boring "The Natural State."

Hey fishing dudes,

Did you ever catch an alligator snapper? In today's paper there's a front page story of a fellow in Maryland who thought he'd hooked a 30 lb largemouth. Instead, he pulled in a 14 inch alligator snapper. They are going to drain the lake because these nasty fish from China eat all of the other ones and even walk on land--i'm not kidding--to travel to neighboring ponds. Heck, these things might grow into monsters and start taking over our streets and cities soon!

Anyway, the article goes on to say that the game warden said the fish don't attack humans, only other fish, however, the kid who caught the fish said he had it in a bag on the ground when the warden arrived and the fish hopped out of the bag and bit the game warden's steel-toed shoe; leaving big teeth marks in it.

If you think I'm exaggerating, look at today's Washington Post, Metro section.

Dave Vergun

[ChiefEagles]

Dave is right. Several exotic fishes been introduced to lakes. A lot along the interstate system. In other words, just meaness. Headed to kerr ot meet some buddies. Think I'll take my Beretta .45 along just in case. [:D]

[FJ and G]

Chief,

Heck, with these fish roaming the woods, who needs gun control? I say open up full automatic! I still think my beagle could tear into one of these things if she found it strutting down the trail. I hope Tom Ridges G-men are aware of these toothy menaces taking over our country.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Thanks Jim, those are great. I like to start my day with a good laugh. Having been to all but 4 states, that was a special treat.

However the one for Minnesota is a bit old and obvious. Under the Ventura administration the motto was changed to: "OUR GOVERNOR CAN BEAT UP YOUR GOVERNOR". Of course this no longer applies, since out current governor couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag. So I guess we're stuck with the mosquitoes. [swg]

[ChiefEagles]

Yanks had not shown by 3:30 PM. Guess they heard that Chief Eagles and the whole Reb Army was waiting in Clarksville. [:D] Got home to read they got delayed on their start. Hope they didn't break down or have a bump in later on. Tried the Nextell of one of the guys and got voice mail. With Nextell you never can tell. [:D] Sat on the big porch and reclined in the shade and breeze. Listened to all the birds sing [8 feeders around me] and slept. Wife calls my cell to tell me she found a Concord Grape vine. Woke me up. [|)][:(] Snoozed some more and then, left them a note. Good drive home through the country. [:)]

[Buckeye Riveter]

Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan

For those of you lacking in the history of Ohio and their fierce rivarly with Michigan, you should know that in the early 1800's, the Michigan militia gathered and began to march on Ohio to settle the dispute over where the state line was located and that is how Toledo ended up in Ohio.

[ChiefEagles]

Good night and will not sign on tomorrow as up at 4 and in the air at 6:30. If the hotel in St. Louis has computer, I will check in. If not, chat Sunday night or Monday morning. Spanky and Buckeye, see if you can keep the old man [Jim] in line. [:D] Be good and God bless.

[spankybird]

Good morning all,

NE Ohio has a great day started, going to 75 and sunny, chance of t-storms later. Yesterday got up to 81.

I think the Texas and Pacific stop and pick up Jim and Chief to bring them up north




I think that is them at the fishing hole in the back ground.

Have a great day



tom

[FJ and G]

Correction: the fish I was speaking of that walks on land and attacks other fish and park rangers steel-toed boots, is actually called a "Snake Head" fish.

--------------------------------

Reading today's paper came up with another gem that will tick a lot of you off.

The story in the Washington Post Metro Section, Page 1, concerned fare increases for the DC Metro Subways. The article mentioned that the poor people tend to ride buses and wealthier folks ride the metro. The article went on to define "poor" as people who make less than 50K a year; yes, less than $50,000. A whopping 42 percent of bus riders make less than that, according to their surveys, and are categoriezed as "poor." However, and get this; just 18% of the subway riders make less than 50K a year in the D.C. area.

Now, after hearing that, do you think it is time to ask your boss for a raise?

Dave V

[spankybird]

The snake head fi***hing must be bigger than we think. A local pet shop had one (maybe two or three) in a tank at there store. This week, the game warden came in and took the fish and had it destroyed by court order. They were worried about the possibility of it being let loose and destroying local fish. I don’t want to say more as I don’t know the whole story or both sides of it.

[Roger Bielen]

Like the Chief I'll need to catch up with ya'll on Tues., the wife and I'll be driving down to Fla. for a family function this weekend. Thought I could get out of it, I had the toe nails on my big toes removed yesterday, fungus infection, but the after effects are nill. I thought I'd have to be off my feet for a day, or two, and took the day off but I can walk around in sandles without problem. Since it's raining, finally, it looks like a good day to run trains. YEA!

[Big_Boy_4005]

To look at my house and my life style, you would never think I was "POOR". But, by Dave's newspaper's definition, I had better go and get a cup and some pencils, and begin my career as a panhandler. I'll hang a sign around my neck that says

"Will work for trains"

The truth be told, I have worked for trains in the past.[swg]