Oooch ouch oooch
Flo some water and aspirin please. Sun finally came out and I have spent two days doing yard work. Ohhh I really dislike weed eating....
Ken - I would call a fence company, handi man and get three to five bids. In order to get that many real bids unfortunately you will have to contact ten to twenty companies.
Evening Dinners
Flo, Barry Buger and a Please.
Work was busier than I thought it would be. Once again nickel and dime stuff but still a fair day. I sure was not bored!
Looking for a contractor front. I have made a few calls and have one company is sending a guy over Wednesday to see if he can do the need work on the fence. If they send a forman like person, I will listen to what he says. If they send a Salesman more than likely I will not beable to afford the company.
YGW You have better idea of the mess I have to deal with. Would you call a fence company, land scaping or general contractor? Main thing is to get the gravel moved so new fence post can be installed. Idealy I can buy the post and fences my self.
Ulrich sorry to hear you are down in the dumps. Here, I will make you a spot next to me. I hope when you said Partership problems you where not speaking about Petera. If you are, I can relate. With the current Money cruch it does cause stress between couples and it is here. With my never ending health issues rather real or in her mind it has taken a toll on me.
I would love just one day with out hearing what hurts, what she cannot do or is worried about what could happen that is bad. Before you folks think I am a jerk, I meet her when she was 23 and not a thing wrong with her! But even then I heard the samething as I am now, just less often.
Nickel Plated Sure glad someone had a Great Day!
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Sawbones, there are great ones, average ones and bad ones. It's hard to tell the difference just by talking to them. In fact the bad ones seem to have better social skills. The spine doctors in particular, over estimate their ability to cure with one operation, the degeneration of the spine that occurs at multiple levels over time.
One of the good ones, a colleague and friend died mowing his lawn last week at age 72. I just found today when his common law wife of 37 years stopped by to tell me. He left no will nor did he put her name on his properties. His domestic situation was real complicated and there was another woman for decades, with whom he had a planned daughter. The two women knew about each other but I don't think they liked the situation.
Recently he was always was to busy to get together. He never shared what else was going on in his life that made it so complicated. We were going to rent the caboose at Cass Railway and it never got scheduled.
My own father's estate planning was poor and it cost us tens of thousands of dollars back when that was real money. I have my affairs in order. I strongly you put aside your fears of being mortal and draft a will.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Good afternoon, diners. We are having another grey moist day in the mid-Ohio River valley.
We sang a fun Pentecost song for choir this morning. Our congregation must have enjoyed it as we got lots of applause for our efforts.
Layout scene - finished painting a section of homesote roadbed. In fact, used up the last of my latex porch and deck paint that I have been using to paint the road bed. Hope Lowe's still carries Valspar premixed porch and deck grey so I can keep a consistent undercoat on the road bed. Also need more caulk to glue down road bed. Have been using latex caulk for projects and paneling to glue down both styrofoam and homesote. I like this stuff as it is possible to pry up stuff glued down with it without doing too much damage.
Camera scene, I too use a Canon Rebel SLR camera with the lens it came with. I paid about $400 for it 8 years ago. Bought a Canon on recommendation from my cousin who is a professional wildlife photographer. I had a small Nikon point and shot with a supposed telephoto arrangement that worked for about the first year I had the camera. Carried this little camera backpacking for a couple of years and probably did it no go as that can be pretty rough going. Miss the backpacking days but don't think my knees or hips would allow packpacking anymore. The last time I tried walking with a full pack was a mile long portage and it just about did me in. I had no problem paddling all day long but the portages and carrying heavy weight was a struggle.
Time to get outside and mow the back yard. With all the rain, it is growing fast.
Have a great Pentecost Sunday.
Jim
The door bell chimes as we enter the dinner, the aromas are wonderful and I look forward to a late breakfast with my beautiful bride. Our comfort food arrives and we dig in...She asks about my progress and I tell her of the number of models I still need to assemble while I still continue my bench work. I guess she is chomping at the bit to get started on the scenery with me. She has been very supportive of me and this hobby so I feel lucky. It is slow going by choice after many false starts and rebuilds I don't want to speed through.
These home style potatoes are out of this world, infused with onions, peppers and sweet dill, I dunk the last of my toast into my hot cup of coffee and enjoy the sweet tang of butter as it plays against the acidic after taste of the coffee. Life is good...
Freelancing MCRR/NYC Northern Division - Angelo
Good (late) Afternoon!
Our weather was riding a roller coaster today - from beautiful sunshine (but quite cold) to a hail storm - whatever you can imagine, we had it today!
The weather sort of reflects the mood I am in, lots of up and downs, but lately more downs than ups. Something is utterly going wrong in my life. I wish I could change that, but I don´t think I have the means to do it. I won´t go into details, but it has a lot to do with health, partnership, financial situation, lost dreams and the like.
Pretty sobering! MRRing had helped in the past to get over all those issues, but I am afraid it won´t do it this time. I don´t know how to cope with the situation which will eventually, but inevitably arise.
I guess the best for the moment is to drown my sorrow in a cup of hot chocolate!
Morning diners,
Howmus- I just assumed a CD Rom because of having a computer. But I forgot about internet download.
It appears to me I will get a 200 dollar camera. So YGW you would have to wait till a few months. I will also open photobucket around that time when it comes.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
V8VegaMy normal day at church, I turn off the computer in 45 minutes and get dressed and go. It's 7 AM here.
Yess, It is timme for church. All I have to do is put my habit on and go into the church.
But today is Penticost... Supposed to wear the Grand Chior Robe, but it is to hot for that. Was too hot at morning prayer already. I am going to go up there now with a simple tunic and read scripture until Mass starts.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Flo, a Barry Buger and please
What a day. I was busy, hardly got any rest between customers. I really have no ideas how many people came in the store. Soon as someone came in to pick up, 3 people would walk in. I help the pick up customer to get there stuff to the rear door. By the time I turn around 2 of the new customer would have left the store!
I had to Nickel and Dime my self to a decent day, total sales was $2100.00. By the current standerds of this POS company, not bad.
Bob I would love a new camera, but $50.00 is kind of low. Now in that range I would look at use. I have a old, old, old HP 720 that still takes good photos. Not too Ray standerds, but for me it does just fine. While it is only 3.2 Mega Pixles you can blow it up to a descent sizes on the computer screen.
YGW I may give you a call Sunday depending on how busy I am.
Well I am beat, going to stare at U Tube and work on getting a Tyco Old Duch Hopper back on the rails.
Guda Ken
Photo that is on top, well I was trying to put it on the bottom? Anyway Bob, that is with my old HP 720 camera
fec153RAY- Kodak Browny [sp] took great pictures. They still look good 70 years later.
Well, yes they did at the right time and place... But.... It all depends on what you are taking a picture of and what you want to do with it. For just going outside or standing in a room and taking "a picture" most any camera is OK. That was what they were made for!
However you couldn't take something like this with a Brownie (at least I wouldn't think you could easily. This was taken with a 100mm fixed lens that I have. It got published by the local paper during an almost year long weekly photo contest they had (the winner got the photo published in the paper. Whoopie!).
It was called "the predator" (see the wasp?). Notice it has a very shallow depth of field so the entire background is blurred out. Also shot very fast (ISO 400?) as the wasp is flying through the scene....
How about a honeybee in the Oregano?
You aren't going to get that with a Brownie either. LOL
This is probably my favorite photo, not my best, but one I just like of my Night Blooming Cereus:
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Hi CORWIN- Did you ever use those Turtle Creek decals I sent you ?
Phil
RAY- Kodak Browny [sp] took great pictures. They still look good 70 years later.
{Wish I Did}
Good afternoon diners,
Flo, I will have a bacon-cheeseburger and fries, and a coke.
Cold, wet day here today, 50's and rain. Chance of mix or wet s**w tonight....
First pic from Jamestown train day....
Due to weather, I left early, too cold and wet to stay....
Will have more pics later on. (They are still on my camera, but I shot this one with my cellphone, to show my boss I really was out of town...)
I also attended the model show, picked up a couple car kits, (cheap!) and got some paint @Craft world before returning home. (Acrylic's... Of course. Less fumes to bother asthma....) To put it into perspective: I spent more on paint and a tshirt than I did on the 3 railcars! (One boxcar, 2 covered hoppers.) One person brought part of his layout, a detachable diorama, of the Jamestown NY train station, in Erie Lackawanna days, in HO scale. (Really nice looking!) So, inside the station was a model of the station!
Workfront: They wanted us on a "accountability call" yesterday, my store manager said, in no uncertain terms, no way. (I will not use her words... But she was about to walk out.... While singing a Johnny Paycheck song, but the non-family friendly version, if you get the drift.) One manager is off for medical issues, so I went open to close on Friday, as that makes us short handed. (Surprised to not get called in today... As she was in the hospital Thursday night and most of the day on Friday.) And, an associate under me was off, bereavement leave yesterday, as her grandma died, showing is tomorrow afternoon, so after I leave my friends house after dinner tomorrow I will be heading to the showing. That only made us further short handed. And, local school prom is next Saturday, so cut off date is tonight @6pm for free shipping, Wednesday @6 for expedited shipping is absolute last day to rent a tux for that prom, so extremely busy with those. (Last one for local schools, but it is in the same town as our store, others so far are surrounding schools.) And, our hours are still cut back to winter payroll, as in after holidays, so less hours to go around. Needless to say, when I was asked to sit in on said call instead, my response was also no way.... I stand behind the store manager. If Mr. Scott is not happy with that, he can come to our store to help us and show us what we are allegedly doing wrong, and how it should be done.... (Frankly, I feel they place way too much importance on new acounts anyways...)
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Greetings All,
it's been a busy, but not a bad week for me. a mocha and pie please...
1) sold an ugly flatdeck trailer - solid deck, DOUBLED my investment after 2.5 yrs, just nice to get the room back on the property.
2) acquired another business client, for my home office (office is taking shape) - moving in in a week or two :)
3) helping an elderly model railroader friend with the sale of his S scale layout (occupies entire basement), a difficult move to assisted living for him. I am supporting some of his investment by purchasing some basic S scale rolling stock, track (I don't "need" it as I don't have any S), thinking a display or a point-to point might keep that going a bit.
4) getting to some of the yardwork
cheers, krump
"TRAIN up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" ... Proverbs 22:6
Afternoon diners!
Chloe, just a RBF to tide me over to Dinnertime if you would.
angelob6660I decided to look for a digital camera. I been researching for a while and found that I have to buy a SD card and a CD Rom to download software. So does anybody know what camera you use for taking railroad photos. (My cellphone doesn't have a camera attachment.) I'm searching for something around 40-50 dollars.
Well.... You can take layout pictures with just about any camera. Now if you want to take good photos, it helps to have a "good" camera. SD Card.... Any camera that uses an SD Card will come with one. What are you using for a computer? You can download photo software directly from the internet. Not sure why you will need a CD Rom?
$40 to $50??? Even the cheapest decent point and shoot will run you over $100. A good EOS DSLR may run you $2,500 before you even look at lenses. So I guess the question is are you satisfiyed with out of focus, low resolution, distorted photos from an old used camera... You might get a cheapo at a garage sale. Maybe it will work, maybe not....
I use something in the mid range of what I mentioned above...LOL My go to camera for my photography (my second hobby, BTW) is a 5 or 6 year old Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xsi. That ran me about $400 without any lens. I also have about $4,000 in glass (lenses). For model photography I mostly use my 18-135mm lens. I can stop down the aperature very tight so I only use room or some added light for the exposure (never use a flash). That allows me to get excellent depth of field and the exposure may take 20 to 30 seconds to do. Here is a recent one:
That was a tough shot to get and it took about 50 tries to get what I wanted (it was a contest photo). Notice the depth of field. The tunnel portal is about 4 foot away from the camera. The only thing really out of focus is the rock on the right side that is only about an inch away from the lens.
The other lens I love for certain model pics is my 10-22mm close up lens. Here is a shot where the camera is right in the doorway of the enginehouse.
The front of the loco is about an inch away from the lens. Also notice the depth of field in that shot. The lens is stopped down to f-29 (basically a pinhole) so that the back of the enginehouse is still in pretty good focus. Again the shot is done in appurature priority mode on the camera and took 15 or so seconds to expose. Biggest drawback of this lens it that it is prone to fisheye (notice the curve in the doorway).
So, I doubt you want to drop a couple thousand into a DSLR camera so I would say to look at some good point and shoot cameras for hobby use. They can still take some great shots. That is going to be somewhere in the $200 to $500 dollar range....... If you don't really care about the quality of the photograph then just use a cell phone...... (Over across the street there are a couple of people that post cellphone pics to show us their work. I look at the photos, scratch my head, and think, "What the heck is that?")
Afternoon Diners,
Since YGW asked about looking at my locomotive roster. I decided to look for a digital camera. I been researching for a while and found that I have to buy a SD card and a CD Rom to download software.
So does anybody know what camera you use for taking railroad photos. (My cellphone doesn't have a camera attachment.) I'm searching for something around 40-50 dollars.
YGW,
The name of the ship was Friday, launched on a Friday, keel laid on a Friday, left on her maden voyage on Friday, the captain's name was Friday, the ship left the dock, and was never heard from again. This was done to dispell the mariner's superstition about leaving on a voyage on Friday.
Appears I have the top, bar is open, tab is on me.
herrinchoker
Good Afternoon, ahem - Evening!
I am running late today - still not feeling well enough to do even the slightest thing. I seem to paralyzed, both physically and mentally. I guess it is time for a break, reload the batteries, have fun, enjoy myself - but how? We are stuck here and that´s it!
My Swiss friend Pascal has made a short video of his layout - you know the one I designed for him and helped him built by offering him advice on a number of issues. We must have excahnged thousands of emails over the last year. Would you belive I have never talked to him? I probably won´t be able to understand his strong Swiss accent
Here is the video:
I´ll be staying at the RC for a moment, sipping on my , waiting for someone to join me.
Flo - What ever CN Charlie wants today is on me. Didnt mean to offend you or Garry.
Daughter - is still not feeling well. She is seeing a specialist this coming week. Finished mowing the fields today. About a third of the weed eating done. Riding mowers quit - Again - so I still have to finish cutting in and doing the hills once those are fixed.
Herrinchoker - what was the ships name ? I watched a show on the templars they really got shafted! It was amazing how they went from being this amazing group of men to being hunted down and treated like criminals.
Garry - Continuing to pray for your Mom and safe travel for you
Lion - so that is actually the LED and not a plastic cover or shade ? Amazing. Looks great
Flip - LOL been reading your emails. Responded to several and sent some forward.
Mr. B. - Yep some times married people have to pick their battles some arent worth fighting
Angel - When the BNSF arrives I hope you share some photos. Its a 100 degrees there already ? We have been in the 60s and 70s. I'll bottle some and send it your way
V8 - Why are you scared to death about airport hassles ?
Richard - What in the world did the stewardess put in your ginger ale ? Did they fly over Colorado and some of that wacky weed get sucked in ?
Ken - That was a horrible scene. My BIL was in the military police he served in the first Desert storm. Look for a PM went to the USPS and got a qoute on shipping. Numbers will be in PM.
CN Charlie - you actually go out in 18 degree weather and there are birds out to watch ? I would have thought they all flew south ?
TTYL
YGW
Mornin' everyone...... Hmmmmm... Well Good Morning Angelo!
Zoe, I just need another pot of Dark Roast Coffee to keep me awake.
I just spent the last hour looking for the papers that have the amopunts of the scholarships and thye names of who got what on it. Saw it a few days ago and put it somewhere so I would not lose it. Have no idea where that is.... No, I have always had that problem. The slide show is done and ready to show after about 12 hours of work on it yesterday.
Cloudy and gray outside and only going up to 64°F here in the Finger Lakes Region today. Good day to get stuff done inside I think.
Quotes for the day:
“I believe in kindness. Also in mischief.” ~ Mary Oliver
“Act without expectation.” ~ Lao Tzu
Morning all,
I'm surprised its empty. Ulrich is usually the first one here.
Just another hot day over the 90s. Stay cool.
Good Evening,
Believe it or not it is 29F here with a windchill of 18F and it is supposed to be a little colder later. At least the sky is clear but there was some white stuff floating around this afternoon.
Garry, hope they are able to give your mother some comfort from her injuries. Thinking of you at this time.
I'm also thinking about Jerry. His funeral is tomorrow.
Not much new here. We didn't go to birding and breakfast this morning as it was just too cold to be out tramping around looking for birds at 7 a.m. I did get myself some new binoculars for that endevour though. I have some high end compact ones but they aren't the best for birdwatching so I bought a pair of Celestrons 8x42 that will fit the bill without breaking the bank.
I took the opportunity on this cold day to finally do some work on the Dairy Queen structure as in start assembling it. I painted it months ago so time to get it finished. I also did some site prep as I had to cut into a hill to make space for it.
Last night my wife and I went out to a Spanish restaurant here that is really good. Spanish food isn't anything like Mexican. I must admit I am with Ray in that I am not fond of Mexican food but Spanish is a whole different matter.
Time to say Good Night, so Good Night.
CN Charlie
I am home, safe and sound, after my harrowing Friday, the Thirteenth flight. As we were flying, I looked out the window and saw a goblin on the wing. (Actually it looked more like a man in footie pajamas than a goblin.)
Richard
Flo, Barry Buger, and Chesse Cake!
Friday The 13th was pretty good to me till I got home. I have told my wife over and over not to talk to me when I am taking my meds! Does she listen? NO!@! While she was yapping at me about stepping on a rock by mistake I took Two Metformin! Feeling a tad light headed so that why I order the Chesse Cake.
Jerry The Ticket. Jerry had a good Wednesday that will bite the idiot in the caboose! He sold a $2000.00 power base (raise the head and feet) a Box Spring (they don't flex) and a King Koil Mattrees that does flex! Well the Mattress will flex onces, just won't go flat again! Plus it was the floor model so it should have been Sold As Is, was not marked that way on the ticket!
Pointed this out to the powers that be, and was told "Not Your Problem". In other words they are giving the the rope he needs to hang him self! This could be fun to watch!
YGW What I hated was when Brad Pitt shot the POW. While it was realistic I still hated it. Been going on from the time mankind learned to fight. All so having beening a Militray Policman part of my traning was handeling POW's, shoot them in the back was not part of my training.
By the way, I hope the daughter is feeling better!
Ken
CNCharlie- Thankyou. Guess I'll have to 'E' him direct.
YGW- Look for an 'E'.
Flip
V8VegaEdit: how do you work the quote thing? I did something wrong.
Highlight the words you want to quote and then click add quote to your post.... Just like Magic!
Angelob6660, If you ever need to give a cat a bath here are some suggestions: http://www.yuckles.com/catbath.htm
Evening Diners,
It's been to too hot for the past two days, to do anything. It frightens me that summergettoden is here at over 100 degrees.
We finally got a kiddie pool for the dog. It should be easier to give baths. But he's afraid of water. So I picked him up to feel the water with his feet. Then he looks around and starts drinking it. I'm teaching him slowly to not to be afraid, when bath time comes.
Not much railroading. I'm waiting for my BNSF Warbonnet to come so I can test out all the locomotives at the same time.
Sir Madog10 days without anybody misbehavin´? That´s scary! I remember times it took me 6 to 8 hours of work as a moderator to scan all the forums and extinguish the little fires someone always started. Is it a sign that we all get wiser with age?
Is it a sign that we all get wiser with age?
I doubt it. You're married. You just learn when it's time to knuckle under, right?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
CN Charlie .... You are one of my favorite Diners to talk with .... My family tree includes a lot of retailers also. ... I used to email back and forthe with JimCG, but not much anymore. My email account has been screwed up, and I don't do much with emails now.
Now, I'm busy driving back and forth between KY where I live and AL whre my Mom is in the hospital
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU