Good morning from the sunny West Coast.
Ulrich, enjoyed the video, is that dump truck a Mercedes? I think I had one like it at some point.
Steven, congrats on passing the drivers exam. I logged close to two million accident-free miles with the Federal Government in my 36 years with them and have a bunch of awards I got along the way. It is all logged when you are in a Government vehicle, so I guess it is accurate.
I ended up sitting on accident review panels in my later years and all I can say is "stupid is as stupid does". The most common cause of an accident was, failure to apply the parking brake. We had a truck roll into a fully loaded 747 once. Though it barely touched the plane, all the passengers and cargo had to be offloaded and another plane provided.
First offense for not applying the parking brake was a 3-day suspension, 2nd offense a 2-week suspension, 3rd offense was dismissal with no appeal. Like I always say some people make their own luck.
We have had a Bald Eagle take refuge on the property as it is injured. We are providing water but not food as we are waiting for it to become weak enough to capture and get rehabbed. We have lots of eagles in the area and this one is a monster size wise. Hard to believe he probably lost a fight.
Resting in one of my Redwoods for the last 30 hrs.
I set up the dog's turtle pool out by the Redwood so he can get a drink.
Richard, please keep the tour going, life is too short to see the world but I'll try.
Garry, the wife and I have the Grand Canyon high on our hit list, that train looks like something we will have to check in on.
Jimmy, congrats on the new job, hope it goes well.
Dawn dish soap is great for taking oil and grease off, so is laundry detergent. My wifes hospital use to keep gallons of the stuff on hand to de-oil animals soaked in oil and other things. Butter takes tree sap right off.
Went out for a great prime rib dinner last night. Had a $100.00 gift certificate that someone gave me for helping them out. It was a $140.00 for the two of us, so it was a cheap expensive dinner, and it was incredible.
The kid has been getting called by movie people and has done some screen test for rolls with lines and is on the short list of a couple. He also signed on with a new agency that contacted him and the head of the agency took him in his own limited pool. He has turned down some offers as he is going back to school in September and there are conflicts. It is nice for him to have the movie industry as a backup if need be.
Well time to do more pressure washing and cut the front lawn, I'll leave the back to grow as Eddy the eagle is snoozing and we don't want to scare him off.
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."
BATMANUlrich, enjoyed the video, is that dump truck a Mercedes?
It looks like a Mercedes truck, but it is a Swiss made Berna. The model is from Arwico, also a Swiss company, and it nicely detailed. It ´d better be - for the price of $70!
What a bird you have in your back yard! They don´t come this size in my neck of the woods! She´s a beauty!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Evening diners, the day has flown by, whew.
I got the ZTR running and did some mowing, I'll finish tomorrow.
Be back later!
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Brent .... It is very good of you to provide water for the eagle. I hope he can be rescued to a shelter. A broken wing is usually not fixable unfortunately. There is a bald eagle living in the Nature Center of Land Between the Lakes here in KY that was resuced. It, too, has a broken wing. He will live there for the rest of his life being unable to fly again.
Also, Brent ..... You mentioned the train in AZ. Both the Grand Canyon Railway and Verde Canyon are worthwhile, and I suggest you do both. They are not too far from Flagstaff and Sadona. ... Other northern AZ attractions: The red mountains in Sadona are remakrable. ... Good restaurants in Sadona, too. .... Montezuma's Castle is close to I-17 south of Flagstaff, and is worth seeing. It is a well preserved, 800 year old cliff dwelling which can easily be viewed by the public.
More for Brent .... One of the best train rides in my entire life was on the Rocky Mountaineer in British Columbia and Alberta. Since you are fortunate to live in BC, I wonder if you have been on that train.
https://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Heartland Division CB&QRichard ... Your photos of Wupatki National Monument look like they belong in National Geographic. .... Thanks for sharing !
I cannot take credit for the photos. While I have been to both the Sunset Crater and the Wupatki ruins, I took pictures of neither place. All of the pictures have come from the wealth of the Internet.
Richard
Not playing with model trains rigfht now, but this is good too!
.
Hanging out on Daytona Beach people watching, beer drinking, relaxing... and ABSOLUTELY NOT SHAVING!
Hope everyone is in as good a mood as I am.
Cheers!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hey diners,
Watched "Death Wish" with Bruce Willis, never push a good man too far, you'll certainly regret it. Anyways I think they will be making a sequel, hopefully it will be good.
Well I'll be around for a little while.
Ulrich... I meant to say earlier I enjoyed your video. Nice.
Kevin... Have fun.
Richard ... I’m still thankful to you for posting the pictures no matter who took them .
Evening All!
Haven't looked or checcked in here the last couple of days as it has been a bit warm and latelyl the laptop doesn't like the heat.
Hobby Front: Got the wheel car painted. Also finally got a bit closer on the last caboose - got the roof and the roofwalks with the first coat of aluminum paint. (Base is BCR so it will take two coats to cover.)
I'm also on countdown. (13 days. June 23 will be R-day. Hoperfully, I will get everything ready to move on that day. But I also have the 24th if need be.) I figure that I will need a couple more days once everything is moved to get it reset in my apartment. Whatever amount of time it needs, it should be interesting.
Oh boy... Mother Nature has been putting on quite a show!
There is a huge thunderstorm a few miles off shore, and the lightning is striking the water and bouncing from cloud to cloud. I wish I had my tripod and shutter release. This has been incredible to see.
BATMANWe have had a Bald Eagle take refuge on the property as it is injured. We are providing water but not food as we are waiting for it to become weak enough to capture and get rehabbed.
Wow Brent! That is amazing! I feel for the poor bird, but having the opportunity to help it out is incredible. I'm assuming that it can still fly given that it was perched in a tree, so if it is hanging around it must be in bad shape.
Two of my aunts used to volunteer at the Owl rescue center in Vancouver. They had some amazing experiences. My aunt Ruth used to go on recovery missions to bring injured birds back for treatment. On one occassion while in a small helicopter with a Bald Eagle wrapped in a blanket on her lap, the eagle managed to get one foot loose and promptly sunk its' talons into her thigh! The pilot told her that if the bird got loose all three of them were likely dead! She managed to avoid passing out and she kept the bird under control until they could touch down. Afterwards she was proud of her 'battle' scars!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
SeeYou190There is a huge thunderstorm a few miles off shore, and the lightning is striking the water and bouncing from cloud to cloud.
Kevin, when we lived in Chatham, Ontario we used to have some really amazing thunder storms. The sky would stay lit for several minutes at a time. It wasn't just a flash or two, it was constant. I remember thinking that this what it must be like in the southern USA.
Good afternoon all.
Flo - I will take a slice of apple pie, and a RBF please. Thanks.
Steven NWP - Drivers-Ed wasn't too bad in PA, but the worst part of the whole thing is they still require you to be able to parallel park.
3 point turns, sure.
All other types of driving, sure.
But where do you parallel park? There is nowhere in my area to do this, so they set up a box, with cones and paint. If you can make it into the box, you are fine. If you can't, you don't pass.
There is no curb, no cars around to see, so it is very difficult to pass.
And yes, everyone seems to think trains can stop, seemingly quick, when they simply can't.
I once had a w*^kmate say that they could beat the train as the trains could stop. I told him that they sure can, about 1 mile after they crushed your car. He was sure surprised it took that long!
Kevin - Best thunderstorm I ever saw, was split between the one in the Pocono mountains, and the mountainous area of Virginia near the WV border. Both put on quite the light show!
Weather - Warming back up.
W*^k - They seem to think I'm doing well in the new department, so....
Hope all are well, and all enjoy the day!
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.
In Louisiana they no longer require "parallel park" because they don't feel it's necessary.
Good Evening!
It´s been a pretty day, but only outside! I felt bad all day long as my BP and heart rate have completely derailed. I have a doctor´s appointment on Thursday and I hope I´ll make it that long.
I didn´t get much done today, just a few minor adjustments and shiftings on my layout. One of the signals on the tracks leading to the engine house will not be installed, allowing me to move the engine house a little closer to the nearest mast, which happens to be exactly one length of a piece of catenary. Now one of the stalls is "under wire" - and one to go! To complete the job I still need a few masts - and those two semaphore signals. Right now I don´t feel like driving to the neighboring town to pick them up.
No parallel parking? You guys would be lost here! Roadside parking is always parallel parking here, no angle parking allowed!
Have a good one!
I can parallel park if needed, it's just no longer a required part of the course.
Afternoon Diners
Flo, the gang and I will have a and give Rick and Steven what they like.
Brent Hope the egale will be able to fly again.
Gary Thank you for the photos!
Wife and I had a fight today and it beat me up. Last Friday she wanted to give me $100.00 toward the gas bill and I told her to keep it I was not going to pay till 6-11-18 this Monday. Asked her for it today and she swore she all ready gave it to me! I have never seen her this mad. I got her to go thought her wallet and she found $100.00 but she said that was for a coming Vet bill! (funny she asked a few days ago if I could pay for Sparkies shoots?) I finally gave up and did my running for the day, thank god.
Got home and the wife started remembering right. Hum now she remembered I told her to keep the money? It pertty muched runied my day. I am getting worried about her, this is not the first time she said she gave me something and it turns out she still had it.
Going with someone 5 years older to you when 17 was cool! Being married to someone 5 years older to you when 62 not so much.
Later Ken
I hate Rust
NWP SWP In Louisiana they no longer require "parallel park" because they don't feel it's necessary.
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
ricktrains4824But where do you parallel park?
Gainesville, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Statesboro, Georgia
Etc.
We have one amazing storm that just came in across the Atlantic Ocean to Daytona Beach. Most tourists probably hate the rain, but I am enjoying it. It rains the entire Summer in Florida, but I rarely get to see it over the ocean.
Ulrich - In my area, people raised a fit when a local town went to back in angled parking. It was originally split between parallel and pull in angled parking.
Trouble is, if you pulled in at an angle, you had to back into traffic to leave!
Everyone griped that it was "too complicated" to back in on a busy street at an angle.
All of the remaining "parellel parking" spots in the area, were, and always are, empty.
People actually are now crossing said busy street to pull in forward, against traffic! This is, in my mind, much more dangerous that way, than backing in to a parking place.
It's just that everyone is in such a hurry, that they can't wait 5 seconds for you to back into a parking spot without getting all upset and crowding you and honking at you. (As well as some choice words and guestures!)
I have actually been thinking about getting a dash-cam, just because I now drive 26 miles one way to w*^k, not because I do dumb thing, but because I am worried about all the idiots finally doing something dumb enough that I get caught in the mayhem they create.
I actually have been recently subpoenaed for a trial date because of witnessing a idiot total his car on the interstate in front of me. He lost control on a straight and slammed into the "catch fence", as I call it, that cable style guide wire fencing.
He claims that another car hit him first and pushed him into it, yet, not only did I never see that other car, he took off on foot before the police showed up!
Ken - Sorry that your wife is having memory issues. A good friend of the family has been having issues of late, as has another friends mom. The friends mom no longer know who I am, and is stuck back when her kids were very young time wise. (My friend had is his third oldest graduate high school this year!)
The friend of the family is getting to where he sometimes forgets people's names, ours included. Other times, he is still as smart as a whip!
So, while I can't say I understand, as yours is your wife, I can say I have sympathy for what you are going through.
Wish that your wife stays well for a long time!
Edit - While I was posting, I see that Kevin posted again.
Kevin - I should have said that, in my area, there is no where to parallel park, so it's very hard to practice.
Because of that, and the fact that all they use for the test is a painted in box, with a couple of cones for your test, it is very, very difficult to pass.
And, if we do travel, we will be so out of practice, that we will be probably bumping something, be it curb, or another car, if we had to parallel park! In my area, there are only a few spots, and no one ever is in them, so it's very hard to keep practiced in it.
I watch people in shopping centers and with a clear shot, they can't make it into the parking space (forward parking) the first, second or third time. 7 years of parking in downtown Baltimore and I can parallel park with the best of them.
This weekend is the 7th rainy weekend in a row. I've never see constant lightning, but it can happen hundreds of time per hour. Toby doesn't care much for thunder and lightning.
https://tinyurl.com/y94l4n3j
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I live in a small little town in one of those big square states out west. For a place that has literally thousands of square miles of nothing, we have traffic and parking problems of our own.
In the downtown business district there are plenty of angled parking spaces. The problem is that most of the people here drive big duelly pickup trucks and king-cab, extended-bed diesel pickups and pickups with giant wide angle side mirrors (for pulling lots of flat bed and livestock fifth-wheel trailers). Talk about ten pounds of sugar in a five-pound sack.
The irony is that my town was laid out in 1909 to provide "streets wide enough to allow wagons driven by four-oxen teams" to pull a u-turn maneuver. As if.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
ROBERT PETRICKThe problem is that most of the people here drive big duelly pickup trucks and king-cab, extended-bed diesel pickups
They have the same problem in downtown Dublin, Georgia. They put angled parking places downtown for easier access to the businesses. These are along the streets where you would expect parallel parking to be.
When someone parks a big dually crew cab in one of these spaces it protrudes out inot the travel lane and causes a traffic problem.
Swing and a miss! Gave up one problem and created a different, but just as bad, new problem.
Evening diners,
I'm starting to think that the girl from Drivers Ed (Anna) will not be texting me, as my Grandpa Ward said, "hope for the best, expect the worst" well I tried, perhaps I'll be wrong though, we shall see.
Either way it's fine.
Anyways, I completed my online application for American Idol, just have to finish some paperwork to fill out to go to the audition.
Again not going to win, just get out there.
Wednesday I start voice lessons again. My mom is pushing me to start playing piano again, I would need lessons but I guess I'll try.
Still no news on the mobile home situation, hopefully my uncle won't change his mind.
Mowed some grass today, gotta finish tomorrow if it's not too wet.
ricktrains4824I have actually been thinking about getting a dash-cam, just because I now drive 26 miles one way to w*^k, not because I do dumb thing, but because I am worried about all the idiots finally doing something dumb enough that I get caught in the mayhem they create.
Hi Ricky W.:
I strongly suggest that you invest in a dash cam. In fact I suggest that you get a system with a forward pointing camera as well as a rear pointing camera.
My wife recently witnessed an accident where a kid tried to go straight through a red light in the right turn lane. He hit a car that was coming in the opposite direction that was legally completing a left turn after waiting for my wife to stop. He made all sorts of excuses, including accusing my wife of stopping too quickly, but when the officer saw the video from the dash cam she said the kid's goose was cooked. If we had had a rear view camera he would have been charged with following too closely too. We now have a rear view camera.
The reason we got a dash cam originally is that we witnessed an absolute maniac driving wildly on a major highway a few years ago. I moved over two full lanes to make sure he didn't hit me. We called the police and they got him stopped, but because they didn't witness his wild driving they couldn't charge him with anything. Had I had the dash cam then, he would have been charged with several driving offenses. I would have purchased a rear view camera at the time but they weren't readily available.
Prices have come way down recently. The front/rear view video camera system cost me about $150.00 Cdn. on Amazon. You should be able to get something decent for not much more than $100.00 USD. The last one I bought is made by 'Aukey'. The screen is a bit small but workable. My previous camera was made by 'Auto-Vox'. It worked great but didn't have a rear view device.
Don't go too cheap. My very first camera, which was a gift from my son, was a piece of garbage. He only paid about $30.00 for it.
Stephen, text her. You have nothing to lose. In life you lose a lot of the times, but if you don't ask you don't get.
Dashcams are big in Russia. There is a Youtube of all sorts of crazy things including a truck driver coming through the front windshield of his cab.
BigDaddyStephen, text her. You have nothing to lose. In life you lose a lot of the times, but if you don't ask you don't get.
Steven:
That's good advice! Be brave!! The worst you will get is a "No". Anything other than that and you might be away to the races!
I would certainly text her only one problem, I gave her my number, when I asked hers she said she'd text me, and did not give me her number, so that's where I sit.
NWP SWPI would certainly text her only one problem, I gave her my number, when I asked hers she said she'd text me, and did not give me her number, so that's where I sit.
Oh well, don't give up hope just yet.
I met my wife Dianne at University. I was in 3rd year and Dianne was in her first year. Another young lady with whom I had had a very brief (and regretable) prior relationship warned Dianne that I was one of the worst guys on the campus! Stay away!!! (The reputation was partially deserved by the way. I never let my classes interfere with my education.)
Dianne managed to avoid me for about four months despite the fact that our residence rooms were right side by side. The ice was broken when I asked her if she could make change so I could do my laundry. The rest is history. We have been together for 42 years, and if I'm lucky, I'll get another 42 years out of the deal!
I have not given up hope, just I'm not expecting anything.
Thanks though for the advice guys.
I did try reaching out to a girl I met at graduation, all I got was her name, so I looked her up, found her on instagram, so I took it easy and just commented saying"hey don't I know you from graduation?" She said "yeah we met at the bowling alley in the sports center" I said "yeah"
Well I waited a few weeks, finally got the courage to talk to her again, I commented "hey, so what do you plan to do now after graduation, if you don't mind me asking" that was a few weeks ago.
I have the same problem with my friend, she's a grade older than me, we've known each other since 3rd-4th grade, I've always been nice to her, we've talked, I've gotten her mad, made amends, I stopped talking to her for a while, nothing she did I just needed some time, we've been talking for a while, I've tried to make gestures, like inviting her to prom, she said she had a rehearsal for something at church, I thought that I might have startled her with the invite, so I tried to explain that I was just wanting to go as friends, and that I'm not looking to date right then, I've invited her to my concert, she said she had to work, I've offered to take her to hang out at the mall on a Saturday when I get my license, that she just ignored. Perhaps she's just a little shy, we both have never dated so that might be it. Just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. She has however started to seem a bit jealous now that I'm meeting new people, especially other girls.... oh well it will all work out, there's plenty of fish in the sea, and "beyond the sea"
Patience is a virtue I guess!