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

[mitchelr]

Mitch-- Still thinking about the wonderful week we had in your state last week and the fantastic weather you ordered for us (except for that rainy Tuesday). The York meet did energize us to think more about trains and what the future might hold for us within the hobby.

Jon - Glad the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania could offer up such a nice week for you and your lovely wife.  I hope you will be back again for another York Meet.  The weather couldn't have been better for York, even though it was a bit windy.  I am still in awe of your layout.  I'll be interested in seeing what changes you make to incorporate the mountain scenes you want.

Mitch

[mickey4479]

Its a wet night here in KC and in St. Louis as well, so no game tonight.  Constructing a small (4" x 6") building for the layout to keep busy.  Time to turn in.  Stay well all.

[Jumijo]

Good morning everyone.

I'm glad to hear that the Chief's New England Beef Stew was a success. You can't beat a good New England Beef Stew. No siree, Bob!

Our weather has been perfect of late for some of the Chief's New England Beef Stew. It's been windy and cold for most of the week. Saturday is supposed to be windy with soaking rains. A perfect day for some of the Chief's New England Beef Stew.

We went out for dinner last night. I had baked haddock. It was very good.

No trains last night. Too busy with homework and putting little ones to bed. Still not feeling well, but getting better.

Have a nice day everyone.

Jim

[laz 57]

Hi GIZ,

   42 and nice today  going to get to 54.  No wind finally.

Last Day o GOLF tonite against brother,  I one game up on him.  Score for the year is me 6 wins  BRO 5 wins and both 3 ties.  We have a playoff of three chipping contest if it ends in a tie after that well its time to go drink beer.

  More kidos projects to get done.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVE!!!!!!

laz57

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

It is cloudy (again) in SE Indiana with rain off and on all day today and temps in the 40s.  The FFA is having a big convention in downtown Indy this week, which makes traffic interesting.  I did weights last night and watched "Lost".  I also cleaned gutters.  My wife and Lucas surprised me by raking all the leaves that were down from this one ash tree that loses its leaves earlier than most of the other trees.

I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[Jumijo]

There's nothing like a good piece of ash, Mike.

As I mentioned before, it's been cold and windy here in New England and as you can surely see below, autumn is in full swing. Hobbes, our beloved family dog, pokes her nose out of the kid's clubhouse by the side of the tracks to get a whiff of that crisp autumn air. Mmmmmm . . . Someone is burning apple wood in their fireplace!

[MartyE]

Hey Jaabat...When I was still at home my parents and I had a border collie we named Hobbes.  That was one smart dog.

[Jumijo]

Marty,

Hobbes was our dog for over 13 wonderful years. A lab/shepherd mix. Smart as a whip and as good natured as could be. She ran out of time 3 years ago and is sorely missed. I was thinking about her today, so I posted the photo. She's memorialized on our layout. My daughter's idea.

Jim

[jonadel]

Mitch & John,

Still no solid plans for how I'm going to add a bigger lumbering scene to the present layout. What I would like to do is tear down everything in the longer room but with all the work my wife put in there with the scenery I'm not sure I have the heart to do it. Today and tomorrow are big days for me downstairs as it's rainy and cooler, no reason to be outside doing yard work that needs to be done, it can wait............

One of my best friends and my former high school band director is his last hours of his life. He's 93 and has lived a full and complete life and for that I'm thankful. I've spent quite a bit of time with him since I retired and I'm so glad I did. He was a great mentor to many high school students and changed a lot of lives, including mine. Stopped to see him last night but all he could say was my name and fell back asleep. Never easy to let go but I'm grateful to have known him.

Jon

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It is a sunny, 29 degrees this morning. Frost on the ground. Only going up to about 50 today. Hope it stays sunny.

The leaves are really falling from the trees. Pretty colors. The wind up here on the hill, just blows them into the woods. Never had to rake any. 

Today, I will go a few chores around the house and maybe, run the trains, this afternoon. Pretty soon, I will have to test out the lights for the trees outside. It's hard to believe that Christmas is only a couple months away.

Time to board the Dining Car for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Thursday.

Chuck

[jefelectric]

Good morning all,

Cool and dreary right now.  Forcast is for sun this afternoon.  Hope they are right as I have a little outside work to do, but if no sun I can wait.

All this food talk on the pot is hard on a guy trying to lose a few pounds to keep the Dr. happy.  Lost 7 lbs past two weeks.  Shooting for 20 but that will be tough with you guys talking up all the good food.

Must be old age, I bought 4 WM hoppers and now can only find 3 of them, have all four boxes but can't find the 4th hopper.   It has to be around here somewhere but I gave up looking for now.  Probably turn up when I least expect it.

Read the post on fast track and the spanking the guy got.  Why don't the CTT guys yank those kind of posts?

Has everyone seen the new MTH catalog?  Some nice stuff.

Oh, and I almost forgot, if granddaughter #5, doesn't decide to be born sooner, she will arrive on Monday morning.  We are praying that all goes well.

Going to work on the doll house project a while, the countdown to Christmas goes on.  Jean sent me this link so I stay on schedule.

http://home.valornet.com/sabruf2/countchr.html

Check it out.

[Jumijo]

. . .

Must be old age, I bought 4 WM hoppers and now can only find 3 of them, have all four boxes but can't find the 4th hopper.   It has to be around here somewhere but I gave up looking for now.  Probably turn up when I least expect it. . . .

Look in the fridge. When I can't find something where it's supposed to be, I look in our fridge. It's usually there!

I'll try not to mention the Chief's New England Beef Stew any more.

Jim

[cnw1995]

Good morning from a cold and grey northeastern Illinois where I am going to take the boys out to find some pumpkins today.

Jon, I'm sorry to hear about your friend's last days. 93 years is quite a good run and I'm glad you were able to be his friend.

This is good weather for all sorts of good stews and casseroles - my bride is a whiz with the crock pot.

Repaired much of the layout last night (Gaff tape is wondrful) and ran some trains. That GG-1 is so heavy that I always have to watch my speed on the curves. I'm intrigued with Bob's review in CTT of the Birney and Bowser power kit - makes me want to get a few: my powered Birney has scale wheels and needs perfect trackwork. I still have a problem with the 248 and its train not having enough 'ooomph' to make it around its shallow grade - either I'm not providing enough power or I have to try running it somewhere else. It'll light up and not move - until I poke it.

[dwiemer]

Chief, I put a number of squirrels out of my missery when we lived in Columbus, Georgia, not that Other Place.  Had a great time when the carcass would hit the ground, the dog would run, pick them up and return.  Kim just did not like it when I spine shot one and the dog brought it back with legs still twitching.

Keith, I saw a show on those locomotive carvings, fantastic work, and you would be hard pressed to find another who could do that.  Quite remarkable.  I hope to see them in person some day.  I understand that the family may have a few more of them around.

Jon, sorry to hear about your friend.  Sounds like a good person and I pray that you will see him again in that great Depot in the sky.  Not easy to have friends and loved ones get to the "End of Line".  I wish you and his family comfort and peace.

Chief, it was nice to talk with you last night.  It looks like I will be making that slow transition to TMCC, though I do so with a tight grip onto my postwar conventional stock.  Thanks, I am sure it will be great in the end, Hey It's Trains, can only be Great.

I am off to Northern part of Tennessee to do some fill in work.  It may be a small town, but it does have some hobby shops and I could use some figures for the layout.

Take care,
Dennis

[ChiefEagles]

Good morning everyone.

I'm glad to hear that the Chief's Southern Beef Stew was a success. You can't beat a good  Southern Beef Stew. No siree, Bob!

Our weather has been perfect of late for some of the Chief's Southern Beef Stew. It's been windy and cold for most of the week. Saturday is supposed to be windy with soaking rains. A perfect day for some of the Chief's Southern Beef Stew.

We went out for dinner last night. I had baked haddock. It was very good.

No trains last night. Too busy with homework and putting little ones to bed. Still not feeling well, but getting better.

Have a nice day everyone.

Jim

Yes Jim, I know why there was NO trains at your house.  The wife was home and not at work.  Wasn't the little ones.......   Now you will keep your mouth shut. [he'll quit answering the phone when I call]

Dr. John, Yankees do not know Burnswick Stew.  Goes with PORK bar-be-que.  In fact, my in-laws church has this massive brunswick stew cooking each fall [maybe this weekend ] as fund raiser.  All you can eat plus buy quarts and freeze.   Love some Burnswick Stew.  [Watch that New England Yank try to claim that too]

Sunny and still chilly.  Cold rain tomorrow all day [Yanks can claim cold].  One more load of limbs and that project is through.  Then time for trains [Jim, my wife is at work .]

FFA, I was a hard working FFA and 4H teen.  State winner in 4H Wildlife Conservation Demonstration and State FFA Forestry winner.  State FFA Forestry winner went on a speaking tour [with the other Southern FFA State Forestry winners].  We went by TRAIN [1964 when RR's still had passenger service] to Richmond, Cincinnati, St. Louis and ended at Kansas City for the National Convention.  Glad to see John's Grandkids still active in agriculture.  [Better to have agriculture than no culture at all like some Ohizo Yanks I know. ]  Enough damage for one morning.   Later.

[Dr. John]

Good morning, all! Enjoyed some home-made pumpkin bread this AM with my coffee - love that stuff! Chilly and cloudy today. Probably will get some rain later on. The dogs did NOT want to go outside. Let them out for a few minutes then brought them back inside - they made a bee-line for their cage. I'll let them out again at lunch.

Kind of a sad day today - saying goodbye to a friend. Our church administrator is moving to Greensboro, NC to serve as administrator at another church. We'll take him to lunch as a staff today, then the church will give him and his family a big send-off Sunday night. The move puts them closer to both sets of ailing parents, so I can sure understand how they would like to be up that way. They'll be missed, though.

[Deputy]

Jon: My condolences to you on the demise of your friend. I hope he isn't in any pain. I lost my Dad in 2000 and it was pretty rough on me.

You SQUIRREL MURDERERS are gonna get yours some day!!!!  

All you Johnny Rebs are gonna get hardening of the arteries (and softening/enlarging of the belly) eating all that fat food. You need to eat more healthy food...like Sonic.

 

Dep

[dwiemer]

 

All you Johnny Rebs are gonna get hardening of the arteries (and softening/enlarging of the belly) eating all that fat food. You need to eat more healthy food...like Sonic.

 

Dep

Dep, keeps me in business   Possum helps the diet, so greasy, the bad stuff just flows through you.  Just kidding.  I think Krispy Kream has more to do with our high ASHD rates. 

I have to get back to my biscuits and gravey breakfast.

Dennis

[Jumijo]

Uhhh, Chief, Brunswick stew originated in Brunswick, Maine. Uhhyup! Be careful with that pellet gun. you'll shoot your eye out!

Mary, screen all incoming phone calls!


Who lives in a pineapple under the sea . . . ?

[1688torpedo]

Hello All!    Chief- We have culture up here in the Northland.However, we do not use Possum,Skunk,or Squirrel Meat in our Stew's & Grit's are used as Bondo.Not a Foodstuff. Jim A- Glad you're feeling better. Send Chief some Yankee Maple Syrup for his Grit's- It will hide the bad aftertase they leave in one's mouth. Looks like Groucho is hiding again along with Jim Duda & Skyray? Take Care all.

[ChiefEagles]

Love Krispy Kreme.  Have to stay away from them.  I am adicted and can not eat just one.  Haven't had a KK in a year or so.  Really, eat one and I can not stay away.  Sonic!!!  Their Chilly Hot Dog. [Yanks will claim chilly without beans is theirs too]  Hamburgers at Wendy's called the Carolina Classic is hot dog chilly and cole slaw on a hamburger.  UMMMMM

Dr. John, your loss in AL is NC's gain, I am sure.   

[Jumijo]

Hi Keith!

I've sent the Chief several bottles of New England Maple Syrup. For some odd reason, he's been chasing his nieghbor's dogs around with it!       

[ChiefEagles]

I ignore DIMWITTED New England Yanks [they have no "R's" in their words when they speak].   Keith, I will try to call Skyray tonight.  Got his home number but not his office [big lawyer you know].  He is jolly fellow.  Called right after one of the hurricanes last year and he was still jolly.  Now as for Duda, he kept us laughing.  Flying season is over [I would think], so hope he will be back. 

[1688torpedo]

Jim- That's a new way to catch Dog's- New England Maple Syrup! That would be a Interesting sight to see. "Roseyville Man Chasing Neighbor's Dog's with Maple Syrup! Video at 11 tonight" Take Care.

[Dr. John]

Uhhh, Chief, Brunswick stew originated in Brunswick, Maine. Uhhyup! Be careful with that pellet gun. you'll shoot your eye out!

Mary, screen all incoming phone calls!


Who lives in a pineapple under the sea . . . ?

Ummm. I think that would be Brunswick, Georgia! 

[Brutus]

God bless Jon's friend and John's granddaughter.  Made some pancakes for the kids this morning - Chewy only gets a little taste.  Kids are off school today - seems that they are off school all the time, a lot more than when I was a kid.  Must be all those teacher conferences and training seminars and stuff.  We're watching a Munsters Marathon right now, then going to Michaels for some supplies.  Need to fine sand that gondola where I sanded off the imprint from the lettering - took out some of the embossed rivets as well - Oh well.  Then paint it and let it dry overnight.  Need to run wire to the switches now that my new transformer is here.  Finally, need to move some stuff around and see if I can get at my Transylvania General and other cars I got last year for our first layout.  I thought about getting out my Dept 56 buildings from last year, but there's not really any room.  Anyway, TTFN.

[Jumijo]

Ummm. I think that would be Brunswick, Georgia! 

      HA HA! You Rebs crack me up!!! Brunswick, Georgia!!! HA!     

[ChiefEagles]

Here is a copy of an email I got from a Retired Deputy in Wake Co. NC.

Just at the right time.

RULE OF THE SOUTH
>
> If you moved from Yankeeland [especially Ohizo and Masstucits] to North Carolina
>
> If you are going to live or visit in the South, you need to know these
rules:
>
> 1. That farm boy you see at the gas station did MORE work before breakfast
than you do all week at the gym.
>
> 2. It's called a "gravel road." No matter how slow you drive, you're going
to get dust on your Navigator. Drive it or get out of the way.
>
> 3. The red dirt -- it's called clay. Red clay. If you like the color,
don't wash your car for a couple weeks -- it'll be permanent.
>
> 4. We all started hunting and fishing when we were seven years old. Yeah,
we saw Bambi. We got over it.
>
> 5. Go ahead and bring your $600 Orvis Fly Rod. Don't cry to us if a
flathead breaks it off at the handle. We have a name for those little
13-inch trout you fish for -- bait.
>
> 6. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.
>
> 7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of mallards (ducks) are making
their final approach, we will shoot it (the phone). You might want to ensure
it's not up to your ear at the time.
>
> 8. No, there's no "Vegetarian Special" on the menu. Order steak. Order it
rare. Or, you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the two pounds of ham
and turkey.
>
> 9. Tea - yeah, we have tea. It comes in a glass over ice and is really,
really sweet. You want it hot -- sit it in the sun. You want it unsweetened
-- add a LOT of water.
>
> 10. You bring Coke into my house, it better be brown, wet, and served over
ice.
>
> 11. So, you have a sixty thousand-dollar car. We're real impressed. We
have a quarter of a million-dollar combine (it's farm equipment) that we
only use two weeks a year.
>
> 12. Let's get this straight. We have one stoplight in town. We stop when
it's red. We may even stop when it's yellow.
>
> 13. We eat dinner together with our families. We pray before we eat (yeah,
even breakfast). We go to church on Wednesdays and Sundays and we go to high
school football games on Friday nights. We still address our seniors with
"yes, sir" and "yes, ma'am," and we sometimes still take Sunday drives
around town to see friends and neighbors.
>
> 14. We don't do "hurry up" well.
>
> 15. Greens - yeah, we have greens, but you don't putt on them. You boil
them with salty fatback, bacon or a ham hock.
>
> 16. Yeah, we eat catfish, bass, bream (pronounced brim) and carp. You
really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the bait shop.
>
> 17. They are pigs. That's what they smell like (money). Get it - pig farms
- income - money? Get over it. Don't like the smell?
> Interstate 85 goes two ways - Interstate 40 goes the other two. Pick one.
>
> 18. Grits are corn. You put butter, salt, and maybe even some pepper on
them. If you want to put milk and sugar on them, then you want Cream of
Wheat - go to Kansas. That would be I-40 west.
>
> 19. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season or dove season.
Both are holidays. You can get pancakes, cane syrup, and sausage before
daylight at the church on either day.
>
> 20. So every person in every pickup waves? Yeah, it's called being
friendly. Understand the concept?
>
> 21. Yeah, we have golf courses. Don't hit in the water hazards. It spooks
the fish and bothers the gators - and if you hit it in the rough, we have
these things called diamondbacks, and they're not baseball players.
>
> 22. That Highway Patrol Officer that just pulled you over for driving like
an idiot -- his name is "Sir," no matter how young he is.
>
> 23. We have lots of pine trees. They have sap. It drips from them. You
park your Navigator under them, and they'll leave a logo on your hood.
>
> 24. You burn an American flag in our state, you get beat up. No questions.
The liberal contingent of our state legislature -- all four of them --
enacted a measure to stop this. There is now a $2.50 fine for beating up the
flag burner.
>
> 25. No, we don't care how you do things up North. If it is so great up
there, why not stay there?
>
> 26. And no, down here we don't have an accent, you do.

 

[Jumijo]

Chief,

It may be just a coincidence, but the kid's pet gerbil disappeared the very same day you last visited us. You know anything about that? 

[mickey4479]

Cool and drizzling now and then here in KC and it looks like the Series in St. Louis may be delayed again.  Finishing a building for layout today.  Tough to choose a color as I have enough brick colors and browns.  Trying a greenish with a little gray in it.  Maybe with some weathering it will do.

Gerbil stew.  Hmmmmmm.  Didn't want to think about that right now.  Maybe lunch can wait for a little bit.