-Photograph by Kevin Parson
Help yourself to some of the best Barbeque in South Florida!
We went to Orlando to visit our baby-baby yesterday. We took the most rural path we could there and back. Each way was about 4 1/2 hours, but we drove on roads we had never been on before.
We did not see any wildlife, which was unexpected.
York1With all the pictures of old buildings, I need to take some photos of our town's old buildings.
I wish I would have taken the time to photograph the downtowns of Punta Gorda and Arcadia, Florida twenty years ago.
Now both towns have had their downtowns fully redeveloped, and all that are left are the old trains stations which have been horribly repurposed as office spaces.
The Art-Deco single screen theater in downtown Clewiston, Florida is another gem I missed. It has been refurbished as a dentist office, and it is awful.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good morning, everyone. Chloe, I'll have bacon, eggs, and coffee, please.
Snow and rain mixture this morning. The worst part about this is that I have to drag Daisy outside to go. She absolutely hates walking on the wet pavement.
Yesterday, the vet said that she will go quickly when the time comes. Not yet, but getting closer. She still is not in any pain or discomfort, so we will keep the status quo until things change. She is one spoiled dog, sitting beside me in my recliner. I think she sometimes wonders what I'm doing in her chair.
Kevin has inspired me to go out in the next several days and take some pictures of our town's buildings. If any turn out OK, I'll try to post a few.
The layout work today is to finish a siding on the mainline. When I first laid the mainline track, I put in the turnouts for the siding, but I never got around to put it in. I don't have enough rolling stock to even use the siding, but I know that will change in the next years.
Have a good Saturday, everyone.
York1 John
York1Kevin has inspired me to go out in the next several days and take some pictures of our town's buildings.
I did photograph this church in Okeechobee, Florida yesterday as I drove through.
It was worth the stop.
Good Afternoon,
A blustery day here but at least the snow is light, fine powdery stuff.
Ed, I believe you have a lot of experience with Paragon 2 decoders. My GTW light mike is completely dead, only the headlight is on. I did a reset including the button in the tender but no luck. Any suggestions? I'm afraid the decoder is dead.
No plans for today. Hope those mice are staying out of the car's engine bay. The insurance co. wants photos of the damage. I sent them the video taken so hopes that will satisfy them.
Pizza day today. We are watching a re-run of Endeavour that goes great with pizza.
Think I'll watch Canadian Steam 1959, the last of the film shot by Maynard Laing on his trips to Manitoba, the last year for steam here.
CN Charlie
CNCharliePizza day today. We are watching a re-run of Endeavour that goes great with pizza.
Charlie, my wife is a big Endeavour fan. While I haven't watched too many of the Endeavour shows yet, I am on about my third or fourth time through the Morse series.
Maybe after I'm finished with Death in Paradise, I can start on the Endeavour shows. I was not a big fan of streaming shows until I actually got to these shows.
I'm afraid our local architecture is nothing to write home about, or even text home about. The development of our beach community is a relatively recent event. Railroads basically ended a few miles north, except for a single lightly used freight line that only serves the chicken farms.
A hurricane came ashore back in the sixties and wiped out most of the beach town just to the east. The most interesting building there now is the police station, which could as easily be a pizza place or surf shop. A developer put in a string of 9 story vacation condo buildings, right on the ocean, and that town basically banned any more high-rise structures.
My town is only the second one in from the ocean, but it never got any nice buildings. The Catholic church is in a steel-walled building that looks like it was scratch-built from Pikestuff parts.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
John, big Morse fans here. We have all the episodes on DVD. I am willing to bet you would like Foyle's War. It is about a detective on the south coast of England during WW2. One of the best done by BBC in my opinion at least as good as Morse, perhaps better. There were about 8 seasons. We have them all on dvd.
Charlie, one of the best presents my wife got for last birthday was a subscription to the streaming service BritBox. I have used it more than she has.
I have been able to see all the Fawlty Towers again, as well as all of the Keeping Up Appearances, Morse, and Poirot. Next I want to see all the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes again. Brett played Sherlock Holmes better than any other actor.
I have not seen Foyle's War -- that's another one I will have to check.
If I'm not careful, I could spend entire days doing nothing but watch BritBox.
CNCharlieEd, I believe you have a lot of experience with Paragon 2 decoders. My GTW light mike is completely dead, only the headlight is on. I did a reset including the button in the tender but no luck. Any suggestions? I'm afraid the decoder is dead.
That would have been my first question, Charlie, on the "hard reset" which I've used on occasion to get a BLI decoder to cooperate. Sometimes it takes more than one try.
Is it possible for you to check the motor to be sure it is OK? Some of those early BLIs had gear problems, too, both the axle gear and those in the worm-to-driver gear "tower".
I have a bunch of spare BLI decoders from early QSI to the latest Paragon 4 with keep alive. These are just some of the steam ones. I probably have another 2 dozen diesel and electric ones.
BLI_Decoders by Edmund, on Flickr
I'd be glad to send you some that you could try out. I believe I already gave away the Pacific ones but I have a Paragon 2 that came out of an NYC Hudson that would probably suffice.
I believe these are the Paragon 2?
BLI_Decoder_P2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Do they look the same as yours? I'd be glad to send you all three.
If you want to try to check the motor you can use two lengths of stiff wire (I use Tichy .020 bronze wire) clipped to about one inch. These you can stick into the engine harness plug, second wire in from each side, and use a DC supply (9v. battery in a pinch) to see if the motor is OK with no binding.
Rolling Stock:
A colorful caboose compliments of Jack Delano —
CnNW_12432-Proviso_4-43 by Edmund, on Flickr
Thanks for the BBQ, Kevin. It would be nice if that could drag ol' Cuda Ken out of his hiding place. I know he liked his BBQ
Cheers, Ed
SeeYou190TOP OF THE PAGE Treats Are On Me!
Eh? Those are NOT Treats!
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Ed, thanks for your generous offer! A half hour ago I found a BLI video about doing the reset using the button. It said you have to power up the system while holding down the button. Success! Everything is working as it should. Wish the manual had mentioned that you have to power up while holding the button. Just have to re-programme the CVs. I'm glad I have that loco back.
It is still snowing. About 5" so far.
Tea time again.
Here are a few more unusual railroad cars and locomotives:
I think the designer of this train liked Toblerone chocolate bars too much:
I used to attach model rocket engines to the back of my model cars. They went like stink until the cars melted!
Okay, this is interesting:
I hope that someone can relieve this tanker's back pain!
Ya, okay! I hope the railcars aren't as iffy as the trackwork!
The low riders in Los Angles would be envious of these wheels:
Here's an inspection car where you could take the whole family along!
Proud bunch of guys!
I wonder how hot it was inside?
Amazing what's out there!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Those are some great photos, Dave!
I've seen that Toblerone one someplace before — with different paint!
Toblerone by Edmund, on Flickr
I believe the internet sleuths already confirmed that was a Photoshop job
Those "donkeys" or mules were used to shuttle ore hopper and gondola cars around the Huletts. Some PRR ore Jennys had big buffer plates on the corners to engage the pusher bar:
Hulett_Delano_43_mule1 by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_0838_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's a look at that high-wheeled Cadillac in better days:
Keokuk_Jct_Cadillac by Edmund, on Flickr
Fun Stuff!
So SOO me...
Soo Line - Watertown, WI by d.w.davidson, on Flickr
Sung to the tune of Runaround SOO?
Good morning, diners.
Great pictures, everyone!
I sure hope I live to see the day the U.S. decides we can be on either year-long savings time or year-long standard time.
Have a great Sunday, everyone.
Good afternoon Diners. A large coffee and a piece of chocolate cake please, Janie.
Great pictures being posted.
Endeavour and Morse. Never got into watching. Likewise with Death in Paradise.
Dawn and I are watching Beyond Paradise. It has the same stars as D.I.P. but is filmed around Cornwall and Devon.
Foyles War. A favourite of mine. Watched it countless of times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhA_7EzVTXE&ab_channel=Ralph%27sModellEisenbahan
Model of KF1 of The Great War - A heavy beast indeed.
IMG_4887 by David Harrison, on Flickr
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning everyone. Chloe, I need hashbrowns and scrambled eggs today.
When my youngest daughter was in middle school, her best friend was a wonderful kid named Brandy.
Brandy had a tough life. Her dad was in his 60s, and had little interest in having a daughter. Her mother had left when she was in elementary school, and she had not seen her in years. Her step-mother and her father had a bad relationship, things were bad at home, and money was tight.
When Brandy started seventh grade her dad got a job driving a truck cross-country, and pretty much disappeared. Brandy started spending more and more time at our house, and eventually her step-mother just moved away and left Brandy behind.
So, we got another daughter.
Brandy lived with us for the rest of seventh grade, and all of eighth grade. She had her own room, we took care of her, and she was part of our family.
My wife LOVED Brandy. Our daughters used to joke that they could not figure out who was dad's favorite, but they all knew who mom's favorite was... Brandy!
Having this amazing bonus daughter was one of the high points of my life.
She and my youngest daughter were really enjoying their last Summer before High School, and were both looking forward to going to High School, being Red Knights, and doing all the related stuff.
Then, one day, a truck pulled up in front of my house. Her father came to the door and said he was there to get his daughter. He bought a house in Alabama and was going to take her to her new home.
That was devastating to us. It was like part of my heart was ripped out. My wife was simply a wreck after her favorite daughter was gone. She couldn't even go into her room for weeks.
We have not seen Brandy since that day. She did spend some time with my middle daughter in Seattle a few years ago. She was living near Daytona Beach for a while and my youngest daughter saw her a few times.
No one had heard from her in a long time.
A couple days ago she was arrested right here in town. We didn't even know she was back. The charges are serious.
My poor wife is really upset about this. We have no idea what she has been through in the past few years, but it could not be good. If she was here in town she could have come over if she needed help. We would have been here for her.
This is a real shame. She is only 28 years old. This kid could have been anything.
Life really sucks sometimes.
Ah, the doors we open and the paths we take on the journey through life. We meet others on our path, then branch to the right as they, left.
Along our journey we will meet five special people who will say something to us. What they say points our journey ahead.
Another five people will do something and that decides our way to go.
Likewise we say something to others that leads them forward.
We also do something that others are glad to take on board.
Kevin. Taking in Brandy as you did, shaped her life to as she knows it should. Be thankful that she knows that. Because others then altered her life, it was her path to take.
She came back, I believe, to get back what she lost, but most probably was too ashamed of her recent past.
Just a thought. Maybe. Just maybe. Reach out to her. If she sees a door open for her, hopefully she will go through.
NorthBritJust a thought. Maybe. Just maybe. Reach out to her. If she sees a door open for her, hopefully she will go through.
Amen, amen, and amen!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good morning from the beautiful West Coast. By next weekend we will be into
T-shirt weather.
Kevin your story really hit home with me as our house was a sanctuary to more than a handful of kids over the years that would spend days or weeks at times with us because of the situation at home. To a kid their parents were horrendous. I could write a book but I will leave it there only saying that if Brandy's court dates are still to come, go be in the courtroom to let her see a light of hope. I bet you can get her back and by that I mean back out of the pit she has fallen into. Hugs and a warm bed work wonders. We just had a 24-year-old stay with us. She is very successful in the film industry in Toronto. She came home to see her parents and lasted one night with them. I think she was ten the first time she came to stay.
On Friday my MIL finally passed away, it has been a tough few years with her bad dementia and already Grandpa is looking a lot better both physically and is sharper mentally but it sure aged him. The same day my Sister informed me she has breast cancer, so it wasn't a stellar day. My Sister and I talked all our lives about how we knew of no one in our immediate or extended family that ever had cancer. Heart disease is big on both sides and that is always what gets us, however, most make it to their late eighties.
I am going up to the big city to fix a hole in the wall in the kid's bathroom. The apartment above him had a water issue of some type and did a bit of damage. I am really good at repairing drywall, I consider it a challenge, so I volunteered as I would not be happy with what a contractor would do judging by some of the other work in the building. I re-did the ceiling last week. The kid is looking for a new place and will keep this one and rent it out. It is a really nice place with a view that goes forever. He and his girlfriend are spending most weekends here now just for the peace and quiet. He said last night if the end of the world comes, I want to be right here when it does.
We had a big crowd of family in last night and picked up a mess of Thai food. Lots of reminiscing about the MIL. She had written letters to all the kids years ago to be given to them when she died along with certain momentoes so those were being read and it was show and tell of the momentoes and why they were momentoes, many memories came rushing back.
Grandpa now has to run the gauntlet of the funeral home trying to upsell him on everything to do with dealing with her cremation and service. That should prove interesting as they can be real sharks.
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."
SeeYou190We have no idea what she has been through in the past few years, but it could not be good.
Kevin, you may never know the effect you had on her. In the coming years, what you may have said or what you may have done for her could have a positive effect on her life.
Thinking of you and your wife.
York1Kevin, you may never know the effect you had on her. In the coming years, what you may have said or what you may have done for her could have a positive effect on her life.
Agreed, she knows what can be.
Brent, sorry to hear about your MIL. It sounds like it was a blessing at this time.
When my Mom passed away, she had cancer and actually decided to not fight it too hard. She had made a living will, which made it a lot easier on me when she was in the hospital and I had to tell the doctor of her last wishes to not be kept alive by extraordinary means.
Thank you and your family for taking care of kids in bad situations. And thank you, too, Kevin for all the help you gave Brandy.
Brent, condolences on your MIL's death. Even though it was expected, it's still a difficult time, I'm sure.
Brent I am sorry for your loss.
Kevin I would be tempted to reach out to her. However if she is an addict, her situation maybe beyond hope and your ability to help her.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Good evening
Haven't read nothing for a couple days, and need to do that.
His name was Brandy, a little Springer Spaniel pup. Bought after the first season of resorting in the Fall.
He went missing early in the Winter.
Snowmobiles, snowmobiles, we all went out searching for him, but the little pup was not found.
To make a long story short, my Mother told my step Father, (the retired Marine Sergeant). "You go out on that Lake, and don't come back until you find him". You go out and get him, before the wolves do.
Yes, it was the Wolfpack.
In a lot of families, the Mom is the boss He went out that night, and didn't come back. In the morning, he did come back with Brandy.
He was sunning himself on the granite rocks, on a low loft cliff of the lake, between Kabetogama and Namaken.
He was with a wolf pack amongst him. They had taking care of him for the week he was missing.
TF
Hi Brent,
My condolences to your wife, you, and the rest of the family on the loss of your MIL.
Hi Kevin,
So sorry to hear about Brandy. I'm sure you will figure out the best way to support her.
I wish you luck with your dilemma, Kevin. I've been there, too.
Condolences to you and your family, Brent.
Monday morning Steam! (Maybe Ulrich will see this?) Just west of Dresden.
Rolling stock (the cement cars are neat!) Turn up the sound
Good morning
Went out to dinner last night with some friends that came down from up North, visiting family. My friend was telling about this wolf pack they see frequently on the lake where they live. My story was shared about our dog Brandy, I'm sure he heard it before, but said that sort of thing is more common than ya think. Ironic, that story was on my mind last night.
Haven't read a good book lately. Have only seen the movie, but am thinking about reading The Call of the Wild.
Heartbreaking, Sorry to hear about Brandy Kevin. Perhaps she will choose to listen to some good guidance from those who love her, that she loves. Hope she chooses to take a better path of life back.
Sorry to hear about your MIL, Brent. My condolences.
Well, thought things were finally wrapped up, up stairs, but they added a few more things. I'll be enjoying some good time off soon though
Have a good Monday everyone.