Good morning, everyone. Chloe, I'll have bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.
It's another beautiful morning on the Great Plains. It's another day with nothing planned -- so that means it will probably be filled with things to do.
We've got plans to travel to Dallas in several weeks to view the eclipse. If everything goes as planned, this will be the third total solar eclipse we will have seen. It's pretty amazing to experience.
An amazing thing is that by just watching the moon and the sun each day, ancient people were able to predict the eclipses. We usually think we're pretty smart in modern times -- they were pretty smart thousands of years ago, too.
I'd better not ramble on too much. The dog in the manger may not like it.
Cadiz, California.
Warbonnet Up Front Picture 1 - A Train To Chase? by darkprince66 (Tug Chasing Super Hero :D), on Flickr
Edit: I posted the above this morning, and I did not look at the diner until now, after six p.m. It's a top of the page mistake. Since it's this late, how about a happy hour ice-cold beer? I'm buying.
York1 John
Evening diners. Zoe, I'll have a beer. Thanks for buying John!
Youngest daughter had a soccer scrimmage today. It was freezing out! We were bundled up with blankets on the sidelines. Froze, but it was nice to see her playing healthy for the first time in almost three years.
I'll check back in later. After I finish my beer.
Mike
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. It's also donut day!
Bear, I would normally say something because for us, Tuesday (or Wednesday) is the start of Spring. However ... we have snow predicted for Thursday. So continue your celebration of nice weather down there. It looks like you had a good time seeing the planes on your short vacation.
With the start of Spring, this week I have some outdoor work to do. Cleaning up downed branches, picking up some of the oak tree leaves that fell over the winter, etc. A visit to the nursery is needed to replace a maple tree we lost last year. A trip to Menards or Home Depot is needed for a new screen door for the backyard door. Lots of outdoor projects planned! Some people love having projects like these. I don't understand that.
I'm getting to drive the new car much more than I planned. It was to be my wife's car, but she still loves driving the Expedition. She likes sitting up high and the 'feel' of a big, heavy SUV. Of course, I'm the one filling it at the gas station and seeing the money clicking out. The new car actually gets almost three times the mileage as the Expedition. I'm hoping she will get to like driving the new car.
It's time to head out the door. I hope this Sunday morning finds all the diners in good shape and healthy. Happy St. Pats! We have some corned beef and cabbage planned for later today.
Rolling Along the Feather River by lennycarl08, on Flickr
Another sign is that we’re getting to the end of our summer vegetables, picking the last of the cherry tomatoes (red and yellow) and are hoping the last of the big tomatoes will ripen,
Hi Bear,
Congratulations on a successful growing season! Dianne maintains a small vegie garden on the south side of the house as well as two raised planter boxes. Nothing tastes quite so good as fresh tomatoes, swiss chard or green beans from your own garden!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good evening Diners. A glass of Pusser's Rum please, Zoe.
Had youngest granddaughter over the weekend. She went to World Thinking Day with the Brownies today. Just taken her home.
I have been doing a little writing of stories etc. Something I like doing.
The Last TimeFrom the moment you hold your baby in your arms,you will never be the same.You might long for the person you were before,When you have freedom and time,And nothing in particular to worry about.You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,And days will run into days that are exactly the same,Full of feeding and burping,Nappy changes and crying,Whining and fighting,Naps or a lack of naps,It might seem like a never-ending cycle.But don’t forget …There is a last time for everything.There will come a time when you will feedyour baby for the very last time.They will fall asleep on you after a long dayAnd it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,And never pick them up that way again.You will scrub their hair in the bath one nightAnd from that day on they will want to bathe alone.They will hold your hand to cross the road,Then never reach for it again.They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles,And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.One afternoon you will sing “the wheels on the bus”and do all the actions,Then never sing them that song again.They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate,The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.The thing is, you won’t even know it’s the last timeUntil there are no more times.And even then, it will take you a while to realise.So while you are living in these times,remember there are only so many of themand when they are gone, your heart will yearn for just one more day of them.....
One Last Time ...................
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
David -- very good -- and true!
I just spent five minutes at the workbench looking for my exacto knife. I finally found it -- right there -- about one foot in front of my face. I'm not joking. It was right there in front of me. Is this a sign of old age?
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
My wife decided she didn't want corned beef and cabbage this year (first time in about 20 years), so we're making shephard's pie tonight instead. Sounds good to me, but I'll miss the corned beef.
Spent some time on the layout yesterday working on some odds and ends and just running trains. I'm trying to make myself do at least one small project each time I find myself standing in the middle of the layout looking around. Yesterday was switching out a bunch of scale size kadees that came on some MTH cars for standard size ones. Check that off the list!
How about a green locomotive to celebrate the day!
Now, if someone could provide a green locomotive from Ireland, the day will be complete! Cheers!
irish green locomotives? - Search Images (bing.com)
NorthBrit irish green locomotives? - Search Images (bing.com)
UGH! Good afternoon from the beautiful edge of the Pacific rim where it was 23c today. I finally get to sit down with a splash of good scotch.
I have been a busy man this week. I went to the Doctor for the first time in years to get some crusty bits on my face zapped before my son's wedding, my wife wants me ship shape for the photographer. I get full lab work done every year but I just get a letter from the Government telling me to get my butt to the lab which I always do. The Doc took my BP and commented on how low my heart rate was. I told him it was around 40 when I slept, he said he could easily believe that. I said I hadn't had a rectal since covid, he said they did not do them anymore as the new lab tests were way more conclusive. Works for me, but I finally got a Doctor with small hands and they go and change the program.
We are going over and above on spring clean-up this year as we have a Bridle shower (50 plus) a rehearsal dinner (40 plus) Day of the wedding, we are the staging house, and then the day after gathering (50 plus). It is a big wedding but it is what the kids want and they are paying for it so who cares? My daughter says she is getting married on a tropical beach paradise like her Mom and I did, low-key.
I spent a day with the chainsaw bringing broken trees to the ground and burning 5600 calories that day, and the next day and a half I moved 36000lbs of pea gravel by shovel and wheelbarrow. Today I prepared a 2000 sqft area for a new lawn, on Tuesday I get 16 yards of turf soil to spread on that area. I am doing pretty good for a 67-year-old guy who is full of Arthritis, no aches or pains yet.
David, I enjoyed your writing. When you have kids you always hope to have the best relationship with them, I could not have a better one with my two. Hugs and kisses every time we say goodbye. My son and I are best friends. He has a lot of friends but the time he told me he would rather spend time with me than any of them brought a tear to my eye.
Glad to hear from the Bear, I was beginning to think he had crawled into his comfy cave for winter hibernation. Getting back to NZ is top of the travel list. I have to make sure it is as nice as I remember. It is rated the best country in the world to live and if I was younger I would likely try and immigrate there.
Mike, glad to hear your daughter is running on all cylinders, I remember some hockey tournaments where we were patching them up on the bench as fast as we could. Those kids were tough as nails getting stitched on the bench so they could get back out there. My son got a dislocated shoulder once, I could tell there was something wrong but he didn't miss a shift.
Ed, glad your treatments are behind you. Fingers crossed for success, my thoughts are with you.
Time for the idiot box. I watched 1883 and 1926, both were really good. the next in line was Yellowstone. Not nearly as good but I'll give it a while longer.
In 1959 Dad moved us from Winnipeg to Vancouver as he could not take the cold. He could not afford a house in Vancouver proper so he bought a 65' x 110' lot in the burbs and had my uncle build the house, cost $16,500.00. It just sold for $2.4 million. Who'd a thought?
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."
A quiet Sunday night here. Gently snowing, big, wet flakes.
Thank you to everyone for my continued health. The radiation series was monotonous but not the least bit uncomfortable. I sure enjoyed seeing the smiling faces of my 'team' every morning. Knowing you good folks were rooting for me was certainly reassuring and helpful.
I'll know more after follow up visits, the urologist on the 27th of this month and the oncologist far away on July 1.
hon30critterHow long will it take to get the results? Are they something that can be determined fairly quickly or are they monitored over time?
I guess it takes some time for the dead cancer cells to clear out and the only indication will be a PSA blood test.
P1000378 by William Power, on Flickr
Lartigue Monorail & Museum by Pat Coggins, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Good Morning Diners. Janie, coffee please.
Came in to a frightening message on my office phone this morning. A gentleman stating he was calling from the Sheriff's Department stating that I had missed Federal Jury Selection and asking me to call him back! Yikes! After calming down and placing a call to central dispatch, my suspicions were confirmed that it was a scammer. It seemed odd to me that the call was made to my office and not my cell phone, but I'm running on not enough sleep as I'm fighting some kind of wicked cough that kept me up several hours last night so clear thought took a bit to show up!
Gotta run. Back to the grind stone you know.
Good morning, diners. Just a quick coffee, then on to all the projects that are piled up.
It's still too early to plant anything here -- the temp was 15°F this morning. It was cold for my walk, but the dog doesn't mind the cold.
Spring starts here tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m., so here's a nice California photo to welcome the new season:
Amtrak #5 at Emigrant Gap, CA by John Benner, on Flickr
Have a great day, everyone.
Good Morning,
Brent, that house is a twin to the one my parents bought in Coquitlam back in 1964. I think it was built in 1959. We were only there from July until June the next year before going to Manitoba. I was in grade 12 at Como Lake High.
John, nice to hearit is spring somewhere. We are expecting 40F today but cooling off for the rest of the to about 20.
Last evening about 8 the security light at the back door came on. My wife went to investigate and 2 small racoons were standing up looking in the back door window with front paws on the window frame. They ran off when they saw my wife looking back at them. Good thing they can't reach the door handle.
Think I will pick up Steam through Port Credit. It is a great book but I only read a small section at a time as there are photos to examine or perhaps it is photos with narrative for each. The print quality is very high so the photos show a lot of detail.
CN Charlie
Good evening Diners. A mocha coffee please, Chloe. Doing the Brownie run tonight with the younger granddaughter. Got to stay awake.
Dawn had a bad night, so stayed in bed this morning. She is feeling a little better this afternoon. She has to go to hospital on Thursday. I hope she is not kept in.
Security lights. We have them around the garden fence. The local cats (friendly type.) love to 'parade around the fence'. On come the lights. I have to check, just in case.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
BATMAN Getting back to NZ is top of the travel list. I have to make sure it is as nice as I remember. It is rated the best country in the world to live...
Good morning diners. Brunhilda, a glass of orange juice please.
Well, after the first good night of sleep in several days, it appears my sickness is changing. The coughing is way down. Today, it's all about sinus pressure and boy do I feel pooped. I'm thinking it's going to be another partial day at work again. I went home at lunch yesterday and took a 90 minute nap and went to bed early last night. Ugh.
Bear, good to see you back in the diner!
Wishing good health to everyone.
The Madera Sugar Pine Company. Circa 1901
Good morning. Coffee please. Lots of coffee.
The first day of Spring! We're going to get above 60° today! Of course, we have snow predicted for the coming weekend.
I have a friend from church who collects Lionel train stuff. He invited me over to see the stuff, and wow! Walls and cabinets full of locomotives and rolling stock that looked like the things I dreamed of when I was boy. He has a layout with different tracks so he can run seven of the trains at once. However, his major enjoyment is the collecting.
Spreaders at Cisco by Jake Miille Photography, on Flickr
Water Level RouteWell, after the first good night of sleep in several days, it appears my sickness is changing.
Hi Mike!
Get well soon eh!
Hi Everyone,
Seems like we've had lots of pictures of the Sierras this month. That's a good thing. I went through Donner once on I-80 at about 2:00 am. Didn't see much of anything except the reflective dots on the freeway. I was told that they were called Bott's Dots, supposedly after the man who invented them. I never got any official confirmation on that.
Glad to hear most everyone is doing well albeit a few serious health trials. i hope everyone recovers and gets well soon.
Baseball season is fast approaching. A lot of people find baseball boring. I find it relaxing. Im a Dodgers fan and have been since the 50's, but going into the city and putting up with the hassle of transportation, and/or parking, prices, etc, and this year the only time the Dodgers will be n town is at the first of April. Too cold! I'd rather see one of our local minor league clubs when it's warmer. Cheaper too!
Everybody take care until next time.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good morning, diners.
Jim, I'm the same with baseball season. I love watching the game, no matter how slow the action seems. The laid-back action is what appeals to me. I was also a life-long Dodger fan until recently. I had baseball cards of all the 1950s Dodgers after the move to California. After moving to the Midwest, I became a Kansas City Royals fan, and I have been able to attend quite a few games.
My wife is also a fan, and just about every evening she now has the spring games on from Arizona and Florida. Our cable system has a nice set of games every night.
It was cold this morning for the dog walk. The First Full Day of Spring! I ordered a new maple tree yesterday, and it will be planted in several weeks. This will be a first for me -- due to old age. After a lifetime of planting my own trees, I'm having the nursery plant this one.
I hit some roadblocks this past winter with the layout. When I got to some decisions, I just quit working for a while, and not much was accomplished. Now, for some reason, I have been able to get a lot done, and the layout progress now means I can look forward to completion in 30 years instead of 50 years.
Ed, the loss of the cat is too bad. I'm sure time will help lessen the loss, but the death of a pet sure leaves a hole in the comfort of a home.
Hope everyone has great day.
While I don't know if there's a connection, the feather on the car may have been inspired by the Western Pacific's feather river route through the Sierras.
Feather River route by Keith Younger, on Flickr
Afternoon!
For those of you in the Northern Hemispere, welcome to SPRING!!!! I am looking out the window here at home and watching a blizzard happening!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
I was an old Dodger fan, so old that the first live game I ever saw was at Ebbet's Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. i remember that day like it was yesterday, the impossibly blue sky, the impossibly green grass, and my heroes right there on the field, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson, even Don Zimmer.
I eventually lost interest in them, and became a Red Sox fan. There is nothing like a live game in Fenway Park, even in those meaningless last few weeks of the season when some guys know it's time to clean out their lockers and hit the road.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good evening Diners. A glass of Singleton please, Janie.
Dawn has been having a few not so good days mixed in with some good.
Tomorrow she goes to the hospital. Doctors say she may have to stay in. I hope not.
David, that's disheartening news about Dawn. I hope and pray everything turns out better than the doctors are saying.
Good morning, everyone. It's another day that's too busy. I will have to be on the road for a while, but the good news is that there's a hobby shop along the way.
Driving the new car has been fun. Yesterday I tried out the "stay in your lane" feature some of you talked about. I found a quiet part of the highway, put my hands about an inch off the steering wheel, and let the car drift close to the line. It steered back into the middle of the lane. The funny part was that the dashboard sounded an alarm and told me to put my hands back on the steering wheel. I almost wanted to say, "Yes, Dad." This almost makes driving fun again.
I hope Dawn's hospital visit goes well today. I also for good health for you other diners facing issues. Every day is a gift.
The Green River at Yuba Gap by Patrick Dirden, on Flickr
'morning diners! Janie, coffee and cinnamon toast please.
David, I sure hope for the best for Dawn. I'm sorry to hear of the recent troubles.
hon30critterGet well soon eh!
I tried getting into baseball when I was in high school. It's fun enough to play, but I just can't watch it.
howmuswelcome to SPRING!!!! I am looking out the window here at home and watching a blizzard happening
Cheers everyone!
David, remember, YOU are Dawn's guiding light. You will lead her through the darkness, more than any of the doctors. We have an acquaintance who is in the hospital and has been there for quite awhile. She lived alone before she went in with what seemed to be a case of rheumatoid arthritis leading to an infected ulcer. Now, she can't even walk and is on a ventilator. We think she's lost the will to live, a shame because she used to be a cheerful, involved person. She's cut off communication with friends and asked for no visitors.
You are the difference for Dawn. We know you are there for her, and, more important, so does she.