Mornin'.......
Sn*wed again last night.....
Zoe, I'll have the #2 Special this morning. Over easy on the eggs, bacon, home fries, and a double order of sour dough toast. Will also need a 20 cup urn of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast coffee to wake me up.
Galaxy, you forgot to put in the backslash.... Should be [ /color], not [ color].
Bear, you've been told right! That is why the parsnips are still out in the garden. I usually go out in mid January when we have a thaw and get them dug. This year the ground has been frozen solid since mid January.... The raised beds had around 3 feet of sn*w on top of them most of the winter also.
Currently 16°F outside with a high of 28°F this afternoon. Everything has a nice coating of white on it.... There are a bunch of Robins and Starlings trying to eat the berries from last fall in my Flowering Quince tree.
Catch you all later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmus I'd like to get the parsnips out of the garden,
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I DON'T know whay that post came out the way it did, nothing is wrong with the way I wrote it! And I didn't do it all in green either, only the Healing parts! And I did not bold or put the poems in green either!
Oh, wel, the miracles of modern tech!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
TODAY'S "interesting info":
On Los Angeles highways arteriousWe shout, “Will you be {crazy} serious!”In that kind of trafficOur language gets graphicStay calm, though, if CHiPs stop and query us.
was told by a clever young nerdThat “aerious” was a real wordBut it was so rareThat it meant only airOr at least that is what I inferred.
When game of Scrabble I play,I love to play the word, ai.This duoliteral word,Is a sloth, so I’ve heard,Helps me to win, by the way.
Evenin' folks!
Janie, just a decaf please... Huh, No already had supper over at my son's house... Pulled Pork, sweet corn, cole slaw, and tater tots. For dessert a freshly baked brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Yum!
JAMES MOONHowmus, enjoy your stay in the northwoods off the grid.
Huh??? Have no idea what you are talking about....
Most but not all of the sn*w that fell last night and this morning (but not all) has melted with the nice sunshine this afternoon and early evening. My kitties have, ever since I stopped using ghe wood stove, parked themselves most of the time right in front of the hot air vents from the furnace. Manét sometimes will be sound asleep with his head right against the vent... As fo me, I'm ready for spring to arrive. I'd like to get the parsnips out of the garden, and I need to have the stuff in the side driveway melt so I can start moving the firewood over to my son's house. That would give the contractor a driveway to use while they are working on the living room (also on that side of the house). As soon as the yard dries enough so I can drive on it, my son and I will load up the rest of the firewood into my little trailer and clear off the back porch. Then they can use it as a work space as well.
Catch you all later...
5Pm here on the East Coast....PBS station "Create" is running a "restoration series" on restoring an old train fish car called the "badger"!!
Tune in and watch!
Good Afternoon
Nice and ccold...and windy out here...had to do some work in our garage...wish I didn't. All I managed to do was rewire some of the studio back there and do some general cleaning up....anyhoooo...
Garry: When my sister hosts her open house she has around 200 show up...but then that was when she lived nearer TO than she does now.
Galaxy: All kinds of good ideas there.
Rob: Hope Melody gets better...also, good call on the Hiawatha series...
Flo, I'll have a couple of sandwiches with Cucumber, Lettuce and Tomatoes as well as a Kona Dark Roast coffee please.
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Sir Madog I have learned a big lesson the past 7 weeks. People with an impairment of their eyesight are lonesome folks! My plea is to make friends to a blind and near-blind person, so he has a minimum of a social life. A soon as my vision is back to normal, I will see what I can do in my community.
I have learned a big lesson the past 7 weeks. People with an impairment of their eyesight are lonesome folks! My plea is to make friends to a blind and near-blind person, so he has a minimum of a social life. A soon as my vision is back to normal, I will see what I can do in my community.
WHy, Ulrich what a wonderful thing to do!
It often take one to be in the shoes of such to appreciate things.
AND MAYBE, Just MAYBE, you can make a PAYING job of it somehow!
Start a charity and be the CEO, you have the skills!
You could start a "driving club" to take the visually impaired to Drs. appts and grocery.
You could start a fundraiser to collect old eyeglasses like the Lions club does here for the less fortunate...
YOu could even just start a club to READ To the blind,
And write letter/fill out forms for them!
The possibilities are endless!
Hope you succeed!
-galaxy
Strong coffee in a HIAWATHA mug, please.
***Ray, that is a BIG cat.
Whatever is going on with Melody, she does present a cranial nerve problem. She also seems to be responding to the treatment of steroids and banamine shots(s). Will have a better idea next time I check on her. Have never liked having to give horses shots, but sometimes it is necessary.
Well, think I am committed to having a Hiawatha train on my future layout, for no other reason that I have always thought they looked really cool. Picked up two cars on the-bay the other night. Hopefully when the new releases come out, I'll get a good running loco, free from issues.
Cheers! Rob
Good afternoon diners, Breezy, chilly early spring day in SE Ohio.
I hit the jackpot yesterday as both my Walther's order and order for a mini bench grinder arrived shortly after lunch. With all the power tools I have, have never owned a bench grinder. The one purchased was $39 plus shipping. I decided to purchase it as users claimed it was the same mini grinder offered by a firm specializing in modeler tools for $79.
Plan to put the grinder to use making the first hand laid turnout. Still need to lay about three feet of ties on the curve for the wye before starting the switch. Its an adventure.
Bob, hope your horse recovers.
Howmus, enjoy your stay in the northwoods off the grid.
Uhlrich, hope you receive your new glasses soon and that your health issue has stabilized.
Jim
Good Afternoon!
Thought I drop by for a moment to have a brief chat. I had some pretty rough days lat week, as my old ticker was acting up again, giving me pulse readings anywhere between 45 and 200. It´s fairly stable now, so I feel much better. I am eagerly waiting for the optometrist to call me to pick up my new glasses. I am a bit worn out by now, not being able to read, watch TV, or participate in this forum, which has become a lifeline for me in the past years. I hould be hearing from him not later than coming Wednesday. Hopefully that period of my life will be over soon.
Back next week!
Blessings to you all!
I spent the weekend surrounded by the ladies in my life--my wife and daughters. Life is good.
Richard
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Good morning.
Rob ... I hope your horse gets well soon.
Ray .... We have 3 cats, and they are good company. Fun to watch them play.
Paul .... Glad to see you posting. You have said, you have a lot of ore cars. I have a mix of various manufacturers for my ore cars. Currently, I am upgrading old AHM/Rivarossi ore cars. Walthers current flyer advertised ore car trucks without wheel sets. I have good wheels sets which I previously put in the AHM trucks, but they don't work well. So, now I am putting the good wheels in the new Walthers trucks and installing them on the cars. The old AHM trucks are being discarded. (Quite a while ago, I put kadee couplers on the car bodies and cut the coupler mounts off of the AHM trucks.) ... My other ore cars are Walthers and Roundhouse products.
Barry .... 125 people!... Sounds like a great turnout.
Happy Model Railroading !
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good morning! We've got sunshine, blue skies and a wind chill of 10 degrees. Somebody forgot to send the "spring" memo to the weather gods here. I will be driving up to Maine in a few hours. You won't hear from me again until Friday. No laptop, no smart phone, so I'm off-grid until then.
The other night I finished wiring the between-the-rails phototransistors for my flashers-only crossing, and I was running a steamer around with a few coaches, just to test it out and to enjoy some railfanning. That crossing works in both directions now. I was playing with the room dimmers to see how well they worked in low available light. Once I found a happy spot, I turned on the structure lights and street lamps and sat back to just enjoy the moment.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but flashers and gates when the steamer drew near! That crossing is partially wired, but with infrared phototransistors across the tops of several tracks. I'd had pretty much zero luck getting these things to work at all. I think they started to work because they were seeing the street lamps across the tracks. The gate that's hooked to the Tortoise lowered, and went back up when the train passed, just like it's supposed to. Now, if I can only get it to work in the daytime....
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a bowl of Kashi Granola Cereal and a pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast Coffee this morning.
AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Ahem.... Now that I got that out of my system, yep, it is sn*wing here. Something called Lake Effect. We got a couple inches at least overnight and we are under an advisory for Lake Effect untill 11AM today. This afternoon the sun is supposed to come out and melt off all the sn*w and the eensey, weensey, Spider goes up the spout again....
Rob, so sorry to hear about Melody's problems. Hope there is something that can be done to keep her around and have a bit of good life left. Minis are such wonderful horses (at least any that I have been around)!
Barry, little by little...
I am skipping church this morning... I am still wiped out from yesterday. Besides I can't understand a thing that is said in the church anyway. Funny thing is that now that he is retired my former pastor agrees with me as he has spent some time sitting in the congregation! He too wants us to get going with the sound treatment. I think I shall do some self reflection while I work on the railroad down cellar. This afternoon I will have to venture out to drive to Canandaigua to feed my sisters little kittie cat.
Good thing he is a sweetie as he is incredibly strong. He has a largest front paws of any house cat I have ever seen. Weighs in at just under 20 lbs. and not an ounce of fat on him.
Sun is trying to peek out around the flakes that are still falling outside. Time for me to get moving I think!
Coffee TO GO, please,
I was shocked to find Melody (mini mare) up and alive this morning, as was the Vet. He's on his way as I type. Still not a good prognosis, but perhaps he can pinpoint the problem and I'll learn something new from it. Anyway, I'll be down in the barn today.
Rob
Good Morning
Well, after a nice dull start to the day it ended up pretty nice, albeit a bit on the ccold side. We had about 125 people show up at the open house so we were packed and busy...
Ken: I've been in situations like that...i would rather had seen it handled way different than that.
Ray: Making progress!!
Well, I'm going to have my favorite this morning....coffee and omelette...the thick kind
Good Morning Diners,
Flo, I'll have a nice steaming hot bowl of grits with some butter and cinnamon-sugar and my usual gigante cup of coffee with boo coo cream, please.
Yaaay! It's officially spring and warmth is on the way, sort of, so why are we scheduled for snow tonight?! Grrrrr!
Nothing to report train wise. Still using the next two Sunday's for spring cleaning.
happy to see Ulrich is getting his new glasses.
To all who are going under the knife, and there's more than one, I hope all goes well or went well and that everyone heals quickly.
We are having a mayoral election coming up soon in the city, and the TV ads are going at it. I had never seen politics like this before I moved here.
I hope everyone is OK, safe, and warm.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Mr. B. SO 29 years for you? If I calculate right?
We have beeen together 15 years, but got hitched 13 years ago, and renewed our vows 3 years ago...I think we are now stuck with each other... as we done got hitched! Was that a mistake? the so called "marriage penalty" hit us harder than we thought! Still does, many years later!
Packer{Vincent?};See above to Mr. B's.....THen my parents were married 5 days after my mother turned 19, a month later than our anniversary, but she has passed a decade ago,so my father is now a widower. He doesn't celebrate as there is nothing to celebrate anymore.
well we are off to the stores...
later!
Today's word:
***Paul, thanks for the bit of info.
Been outside all evening and tonight with Melody, one of my mini mares. Called the vet and discussed everything with him. The exact cause would be speculation on my part, but there really isn't anything that can be done for her at this point. Neurological in nature. Tears at my heart. Nothing else to say.
Evening Gang: Not much new here. I am still working on my Milw Rd depot. I got the platform installed and a first coat of paint but I'm not real happy with the results. I'll go over it with a weathering spray and try to get a dirty concrete look.
Cederstrand: I have the Fox Valley Hi and am very happy with it. It does have a few small problems with the couplers but they were easly taken care of. The locomotive runs great, no wobble. I did hear about that problem in some of the units but not mine. I talked to Fox Valley and they said that they were taking care of anyone with that problem. They have also brought out the no. 2,3,and 4 and I haven't and I haven't heard of any problems with them. I run the FV cars along with the Walthers Hiawatha cars and heavy weightsand some AHM and IHC cars and haven't had any problems. For a dedacated Milwaukee Road fan just being able to finally get Hi equipment the problems I can live with.
Well I'm going to head for bed.
howmus Right before I left for the dinner I brought in my mail. Amongst all the other stuff was a letter from my Homeowners Insurance Company. I thought, should I open it now and know what is in there, or should I wait and worry all evening. I finally opened it to find a nice fat check from them to help pay for the water damage in the house.... So......... I will have the Contractor give me an estimate and go from there.
Right before I left for the dinner I brought in my mail. Amongst all the other stuff was a letter from my Homeowners Insurance Company. I thought, should I open it now and know what is in there, or should I wait and worry all evening. I finally opened it to find a nice fat check from them to help pay for the water damage in the house.... So......... I will have the Contractor give me an estimate and go from there.
Isn't that the way with important mail???
And it always arrives on a Saturday or late after everyone is closed or off for the day, doesn't it?
Never can tell, glad it worked in your favor: now two things: I hope that it is enough for the repairs, ,and they don't cancel or overcharge you from now on!
have a restfull night!
Evenin' Folks!
Janie, a refill of decaf would be great, thank you!
Wow! What a day... Had exactly the same meal twice. Lunch and Dinner.... Lunch was at Club 86 in Geneva. That was a luncheon for the new Pastor of a Missionary Baptist Church in Town. The new Pastor is a long time friend of mine now and is the current President of the MLK Committee. I was invited to sit at a table with four beautiful ladies. Two of them in their 80's. One of them was one of the founders of the MLK committee and at one time the chair of the Geneva Human Rights Commission. She was the one who came into School whenever there was a "Problem". The administrators were terrified of her, but she was very fair... She saved my rear a few times back then as she made it very clear to some "problem" students that she and I were friends (Like giving me a bear hug in the main office right in front of the kid who was going to accuse me of.....). Two other ladies are a few years younger than me and were parents of kids I taught when I first came to Geneva. They both at times took me aside back then and coached me on how to best handle certain things in the classroom. I still admire them both and consider them to be wonderful friends. I was also very honored to be asked to speak about the good reverend during the program... (We were limited to 2 minutes for that, so I did one of Victor Borge's routines where he would get half way through an introduction, look at his watch and say, "Oh! My time is up"! Then figure out his watch was upside down....")
Tonight was the Boy Scout District Dinner at Abigails in Waterloo. Owned by the same guy that owns Club 86.... Had exactly the same buffet.... Right down to the same dessert... I am very glad that I attended the Dinner . I had to give out a rotating award, The Cannon Award. And I was given another rotating award tonight! This one is for the person who is still around after many, many years, I guess. It is called the "Old Boot Award". Yep an old work boot with a bunch of stuff tied onto it from all the other old people that got it! But!!! The reason I am really, really glad I showed up. There was a Wood Badge Beading Ceremony at the dinner. The guy that was recieving his beads was one of my Eagle Scouts way back when. He also worked for me for several years when I had the sound business. I was grinning from ear to ear most of the night! Really great!
Hope you all have a great evening. Prayers for all in need!
Good evening.
Galaxy ... It has been about 20 years since I was at the B&O Museum. I was there before the roof collapse. ... It is certainly an interesting museum. In particular, I like the really old trains from the 1800's. .... DC is an intersting city to visit too. I used to go there for business trips. ... I got very emotional at the Viet Nam Memorial.
Ken .... I believe you will do very well as manager.
Vincent .... I'm glad you had time for your model trains.
Mr. B ...... Although you have no work boss in retiremnt, there are always honey-do's.
Model railroading: .... Currently, I am upgrading some old AHM/Rivarossi ore cars.
As for managers,well, I'm glad I am now retired and don't have to deal with anyone managing me again. But as for steaks and salads, again I find myself in complete agreement. Add a baked sweet potato and some broccoli, and there is my own dinner for the evening.
I've been working on two grade crossings, one with just flashers and one with flasher and gates. The project is getting close to done, with the flashers-only crossings working fine and one gate working on the other. I worked out a slightly better linkage for the gates, and I'll install that next week after I get back from the ski trip. I decided that, for now at least, the between-the-rails phototransistors will do for train detection, as they work fine down to a lower level of room light than I'd expected. I'll work on adding IR LEDs to make a true nighttime system later.
Evening Dinners
Flo, The Manager will have a please
Well I had a good day, Dave the X Manger did not. Seems Paul the GM did not man up and tell Dave in person that he was no longer the manager. They did it today over the phone while I was there. I have had to demote or fire many of mangers and other personal, that is not the right way! All Dave did was put his head in his hands and repeat Oh Boy, Oh Boy. He was told by me many of times what was coming in around about way. I would say Paul wants you to do this and this. Dave would just say "What Ever". Seems What Ever bite him in his Caboose.
yougottawantaCuda - I wondered what had been keeping you for so long. Now I know. I am not sure whether to congratulate you or offer my sympathies !
YGW This is not my first Redo. At one point in my life I was in charge of 8 states for my X company. If something is wrong, it the middle manager or manger fault. When things are going well, you give your Managers or crew the credit. Plus my boss took most of the credit anyway!
Like I said before, there is no more $ in it for me, and I do not need another title of manager on my resume. All it really means is I don't need to mess with Dave over ordering stuff we don't need and the clutter he loves to have in the store!
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Evening guys
Been working again. I just ate a steak, hasbrowns, and a salad; after taking a 3 hour nap after work. Did I mention I hate spring, the pollen gets everywhere and makes me kinda sleepy. But it feels more like we went straight from winter to summer. A couple of weeks ago it was in the 50s (normal winter weather here) and now it's almost up to 80. Later in the summer it'll probably get to around 100...
My brother went back up to Ohio State yesterday. Looks like him and his friends left some of their alcohol behind.
I finally got a chance to work on trains the other day. So I tried a fix I saw online for my Genesis GP15-1. It involved enlarging the slots for the axles in the trucks so the axles riding on the pick-up bearing instead of the gearbox. I haven't tested it out yet. Supposedly this fix will work for the Genesis Geeps (including the later models up to the GP50) and F-units.
Galaxy and Mr. Beasly, That day also happens to be my parent's 29th anniversary (I think, I know they were married for a few years before I was born). I just have to remember because it's 2 days before my mom's birthday. (I know it's close when my dad stops buying performance parts for his cars, lol)
Richard, happy belated birthday
Ken, Congrats on the upgrade to Store Manager
Angelo Bob, IMO, DCC really is the way to go. Layout wiring is much simplified. The only downside seems to the expense.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
galaxyJuly 12 th is our anniversary, so it will be a vacation/special day {finally romantic? or are we out of romance at our ages?}
That day is our anniversay, too! 1986 for us.