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Jeffrey's Trackside Diner, July 2018 Locked

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Posted by Uncle_Bob on Thursday, July 12, 2018 9:28 PM

SeeYou190

 

 
BigDaddy
Nobody models this:

 

.

That is scary. I am not by any means a fan of snakes.

.

-Kevin

.

 

They're better than bats flying around inside your house.  I've told Mrs. Bob that I'm buying a functional Bofors gun for use if another one gets into the house.  Maybe overkill, maybe not, but I'll sleep better with it than without it!  

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Posted by CNCharlie on Thursday, July 12, 2018 9:36 PM

Good Evening,

Say has anyone heard from Tom in Pittsburg lately? He used to post regularly about is railfan trips but I don't think he has done so for some time. Hope he is ok. Also I was wondering about Inch. He posted about a year ago that he had cancer but there hasn't been any info since then. I don't know his real name but perhaps Gary does and could try to contact him. 

Johnboy, are you ok? How are things in Regina? You have certainly been sending hot weather to us. We have a heat warning in effect. 

CN Charlie

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Posted by Little Timmy on Thursday, July 12, 2018 10:15 PM

maxman
Ummm, okay.  I think I'd rather scratch my eyes out than look at that vision.

That's just what my wife would say...

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by Little Timmy on Thursday, July 12, 2018 10:45 PM

hon30critter
Why do you kill them? How great a threat do they pose?

 

In the two year's we have lived here, we have killed  9 so far.

They in turn have killed 3 cat's, one puppy, and one of our pig's.

I'm not interested in spending the night in the hospital ( or the $25,000 pricetag associated with just the anti-venom ) so when I step out onto my porch, and there's a snake waiting to greet me, I dont say hello. I shoot it.

I'm not a "tree hugger" , but I dont go around looking to wipe out the native population of wildlife, only the one's that I have to. The critter's around here can be a danger to people. We have: Scorpions, two different types. The deadly one is the Bark Scorpion.

Black Widow's ... nuff said there.

Ring tail cat's . not really a danger to human's ( unless their Rabid) , but they sure raise havoc with the chicken's . ( and their cute as heck so I really try not to kill them.)

Centipede's . they sting... and it HURT"S !

Coyotie's. They go after the chicken's.... and their smart enough to know what the range is on my shotgun ....so I havent hit one yet.

Gila Monster's . I cant do anything to them... their "protected". So I have to call animal control to come out and "Re-locate them.

( animal control laugh's at you if you call to "re-locate" a rattlesnake.)

We have a few more snake's and bug's here that shouldnt be toyed with... but I have gone on long enough ....

Oh yea, one more... Cougar's . I really DO NOT want to shoot one of these ( I havent seen one yet anyway...) It would be a "Last resort" if I had to shoot one. I would much rather have it relocated.

 

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, July 12, 2018 11:02 PM

Little Timmy
They in turn have killed 3 cat's, one puppy, and one of our pig's. I'm not interested in spending the night in the hospital ( or the $25,000 pricetag associated with just the anti-venom ) so when I step out onto my porch, and there's a snake waiting to greet me, I dont say hello. I shoot it.

I get the picture! I'd likely be shooting them too.

I live in a relatively benign environment. The worst thing that I might run into at night is a skunk. So far I have managed to avoid that problem. I think that if I were in your shoes my nature loving instincts might not hold up so well!

We are also blessed by the fact that here in Ontario the anti-venom is 'free', not that I want to have to give it a try. Of course, we are all paying for it through our taxes but at least here medical problems won't bankrupt you.

I hope that's not too political for Mr. Otte.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, July 12, 2018 11:11 PM

Evening Diners

I'm sorry but a lot of bull pucky going on here.

We did forget to mention serious repercussion of the brown recluse spider.Tongue TiedConfusedZip it!Zip it!

PS... Dave is Canadian..... I grew up near International Falls and went to Fort Frances Ontario quite frequently..... therefore Dave is right

PS... Steve I'll take that new subscription of Trains Magazine.... make it so

                    Track Fiddler

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Thursday, July 12, 2018 11:42 PM

Good Morning!

Gee, I am glad that non of the critters you folks have mentioned in your posts are around where I live. No snakes, deadly spiders, ferocious feral carnivores - only the "cute" side  of Mother Nature, like deer, red squirrels and pretty birds. Spiders are small and harmless, and so are the centipedes. No scorpions. We have a wolfpack in our neighborhood, but they do not impose a danger - unless you wear a red riding hood Laugh

Time for breakfast!

CUL!

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

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Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, July 13, 2018 12:04 AM

Didn't know people hunted rattlesnakes at 3 am in their skivies.  Is there drinking involved?  Big Smile  

Someone was bit in a park near DC by a copperhead this weekend.   There are coyotes only a couple miles from downtown Annapolis.  They are pretty much everywhere these days.   There are 2000 bear in Maryland, once in a while one makes it to the interstate near DC or Baltimore.  They don't fare too well on the interstate.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by NWP SWP on Friday, July 13, 2018 12:29 AM

On the subject of critters here's what roams my neck of the woods,

Cats, yeah wild cats, they pose no danger but they like to steal our cats' food, them and opossums and coons, the coon family had three of its members forcibly deported to a nice stretch of woods 8 miles from us, the rest of them must've gotten scared off, the possum had a few shots taken at it by my brother with his bb gun (low powered) and he's been gone too.

I've seen a big fox, actually probably a coyote, but I haven't seen him since.

Deer, a couple feed in our field and the one next door.

Rabbits and field mice, don't hurt nothing.

June bugs AKA corn beetles, they swarm like nuts at night especially around lights.

Love bugs, (I don't know what their real name) they are the, THE WORST! swarm all summer every other year or so.

Banana spiders, weave the biggest webs you ever will see, I don't know if they're poisonous or such but I avoid and kill them as I see em.

I've also see a rattle snake, cottonmouth, and copperhead, the first and latter were merely young'uns and the middle full sized, the younguns met their maker but the bigun I didn't have the guts to go after.

BATS, yeah holy bats, batman, you'll see them right at dusk flappin around about 50 or so feet off the ground, you can tell it's bats because of the lack of grace with which they fly. 

Then for the domestics,

We've got Kavik the husky, maxwell the German Shepherd/Labrador mix, Jaime the cocker spaniel/poodle mix, Walter the cat, Billy the three legged cat, and Elizabeth and Sam the old cats, we used to have roscoe the basset but he's gone to the big doghouse in the sky, Isabella the wandering cat, Carmello the cat and the twins that all mysteriously disappeared.

Well I've gone on too much about that.

I've gotta mow the grass tomorrow, and it just rained this evening so it shouldn't be so dusty.

The bit about the rattlesnake hunters reminded me of a comedy bit I heard a while back by Jeff Foxworthy, I forget the details but it was comparing those fancy hunting shows to the real thing, it was quite funny.

I had some more stuff to say but I forgot, is that a sign it's too late at night? 

Yeah.

Goodnight all!

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, July 13, 2018 12:38 AM

BigDaddy
Someone was bit in a park near DC by a copperhead this weekend.

A guy in Texas was bitten ten minutes after he had chopped the head off a Western Diamondback. Snakes can still bite up to an hour after being decapitated or killed.

 

Little Timmy
I'm not interested in spending the night in the hospital ( or the $25,000 pricetag associated with just the anti-venom )

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rattlesnake-selfie-results-in-a-153k-medical-bill/

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Friday, July 13, 2018 9:18 AM

Good morning .... Coffee and a donut, please. 

Evidently snakes is the topic ... 

We see mostly nonvenomous blacksnakes, cornsnakes, or ratsnakes. Venomous snakes in this area are rattlesnakes, copperheads, water mocasins, and cottonmouths. 

The fox no longer sleeps on our deck because I blocked off both ends of the deck, and leave the light on. 

Trains ... Last coupld of days I have had no new projects. I am running mostly Burlington trains now as I like doing. 

 

Cheers. 

 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by RideOnRoad on Friday, July 13, 2018 10:13 AM

Little Timmy
. . .We have: Scorpions, two different types. The deadly one is the Bark Scorpion. . .

Only deadly to a very limited subset of the population--those with immature or compromised immune systems. We have bark scorpions in our neck of the woods and nearly everyone in our house has been stung at least once, myself included. If you call poison control after a sting they will ask if breathing or vision impaired, if not, they will recommend Advil and Benedryl. I am not going to lie, it hurts like a sun-of-a-gun. My sting came after I had been sleeping on the couch. One of the critters had climbed inside my shirt and was on my back. When I woke up, I felt something on my back and swatted at it, and it returned the favor by stinging me. I yanked off my shirt and smashed the bugger, but the damage was done. There are two phases in the fun of a sting. First is the immediate, burning pain at the site of the sting. This lasts for a couple of hours. Second, the venom is a neurotoxin that gets in your blood and moves to and numbs your extremities. One of my toes, the tip of my nose, the tip of my tongue, and a couple of my fingertips went numb, which lasted for almost two days. Not a lot of fun, but I am definitely still around to tell the tale.

Scorpion

Richard

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, July 13, 2018 11:00 AM

Uncle_Bob
I've told Mrs. Bob that I'm buying a functional Bofors gun for use if another one gets into the house.

.

I don't know, a single 40mm is effective A/A against dive bombing and straight line straifing, but with the erractic flight patterns of bats I think a Quad 20mm Flakvierling-38 would be a better choice.

.

Just my thoughts, choose what suits you best.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Friday, July 13, 2018 11:06 AM

You mean this one?

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, July 13, 2018 11:10 AM

Tinplate Toddler
You mean this one?

.

Yes. If I ever had a bat in my house, that is what I would want to deal with the issue. I cannot even imagine a bat inside.

.

I have no problems with Alligators or Pythons, but Bats and Geese terrify me.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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  • From: 53° 33′ N, 10° 0′ E
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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Friday, July 13, 2018 11:15 AM

We had a bat in our apartment a few years ago. It came through the opened bathroom window, landed on the towel rack and started to make itself at home there. Actually quite cute! We left the window open and after an hour or so - after it had turned dark - it was gone!

The Vierlings-Flak would leave the bat unharmed, but the house a wreck Smile, Wink & Grin

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

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Posted by NWP SWP on Friday, July 13, 2018 11:52 AM

I prefer to use this to eradicate any and all house pests.

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Friday, July 13, 2018 12:20 PM

NWP SWP
I prefer to use this to eradicate any and all house pests.

I don´t know whether to eradicate all house pests by eradicating the house is a wise move ...

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

  • Member since
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Posted by NWP SWP on Friday, July 13, 2018 12:54 PM

Yeah but it's a sure fire way to get the buggers out of the walls!

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by CNCharlie on Friday, July 13, 2018 1:04 PM

Good Afternoon,

Track Fiddler, you mentioned you grew up near 'the Falls'.  I spent my high school years in Rainy River just across the river from Baudette and then a few years later in the mid '70s helping my parents get rid of their businesses. They had a hardware store there and in Atikokan.  

The only snakes we have here are garter snakes. No scorpions or other poisonous critters.  The only possibly dangerous animal here would be black bear and only if you get near a cub or it is cornered otherwise they just run off. There were quite a few of them around the garbage dump when I lived in Rainy River. 

CN Charlie

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Posted by NWP SWP on Friday, July 13, 2018 7:34 PM

Afternoon folks!

Did some more driving today!

Put up another 3 sections of privacy fence, now we can turn again and finally close up the back yard!

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by hon30critter on Friday, July 13, 2018 8:06 PM

NWP SWP
I'm doing well but my left turns are quite atrocious, it's mostly when I'm on a major highway or thoroughfare with traffic following close behind I tend to take the turn (when clear to do so) with more speed than necessary. 

Being nervous is perfectly reasonable when you are first learning to drive. Heck, if you weren't nervous I'd be concerned.

Try not to get 'pushed' by traffic behind you. That is easier said than done when some idiot is climbing up your butt. Just remember to signal well in advance, reduce speed gradually, and look for things like pedestrians, especially at night! I hate people who wait until they are already in the turn lane to put on their signals! It's like they are saying "see - I'm proving that I'm going to turn" after they have already moved into the lane. 

Whatever you do Steven, don't follow in my eldest son's footsteps. He got a little too cocky with his new car and it cost him his life.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by NWP SWP on Friday, July 13, 2018 8:37 PM

Dave, sorry to hear about your eldest son.

I did better today, on the way home things got a little interesting, I was in "old blue" the 93 F-series, well I was at a light and the guy in front of me sat halfway through the green and went right before yellow, I followed through and made a left but halfway through the intersection the light turned red.

Then this nut in a new gmc truck pulled way up in the lane next to me (I was stopped at the right distance) he was almost out in the intersection, then he went to go before the light turned green, then it does and he floored it way ahead of me, at least the lanes merged so I didn't wind up next to him again.

Then I was rolling along and I was coming to a intersection between a side street and the main highway, there was a small SUV sitting in a turning lane to go left onto teh side road and a sedan on the side road at a stop sign trying to make a left, the sedan turns right in front of me onto the highway then makes a uturn right behind the SUV coming to a crawl all the while hanging out in the lane I was in, I slowed down and tooted the horn a little to let them know that they messed up and almost got into a accident.

Then on the rural highway by my house another gmc truck passed me.

And finally there was a log truck on my tail so I had to go up past my street and turn around at the end of the highway which wasn't too far only about a quarter mile or so.

Well I'll be back later.

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

  • Member since
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Posted by Little Timmy on Friday, July 13, 2018 9:06 PM

Howdy .

I'm almost done with the topic of snake's .

BigDaddy
Didn't know people hunted rattlesnakes at 3 am in their skivies.  Is there drinking involved?    

No... no "booze" was involved ( I would probably shoot my foot off if it was...)

 Flo.... could you get the gang a round of Chicken wing's  please ? ( gotta get the "snake flavor" out of my subject matter...)

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by hon30critter on Friday, July 13, 2018 9:31 PM

Little Timmy:

I'm sorry but I have to ask. How do you come to find yourself hunting rattlesnakes at 3:00 am (please spare us an explanation of the attire!)? How did you know it was there?

Just curious.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
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  • From: Douglas AZ.
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Posted by Little Timmy on Friday, July 13, 2018 10:08 PM

hon30critter
How do you come to find yourself hunting rattlesnakes at 3:00 am (please spare us an explanation of the attire!)? How did you know it was there?

The "rattle" Is a great way to find an angry snake. This last one rattled so loud that it woke me up, so I jumped out of bed, threw on my boot's , and grabbed the gun. It was about 100 feet from the bedroom window, and rattling like crazy !

I couldnt tell what had set it off ( probably one of the cat's had disturbed it and then ran off) 

I don't purposely hunt them ( especially at night.... I like my sleep) but when they show up, I have to do something, or they will cause more trouble.

a side note: My wife has taken a tutorial on how to train our dog's to avoid snake's . It involves , among other thing's , getting the dog to recognise that the rattleing sound need's to be avoided. So she has made a "Rattle" out of snake tail's  Now, I ain't the smartest person on the planet, but even I know that a "Be-headed rattlesnake can still bite you, so I take great care when " dis-arming" the snake. I take no pleasure from this, and Getting the rattle for her is no "picknic either" But this last snake was quite large. they say ( just who are "they" anyway) that you can gauge a snake's age by the number of "Button's" on the rattle. This one was roughly 13 year's old.

Im no expert on the age Identifying thing, so if I'm wrong please fill me in.

( I dont mind being told I'm wrong, It's how I learn stuff .... just ask my wife !) 

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by cudaken on Friday, July 13, 2018 10:28 PM

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, the gang and I will have a cold Beer and give Rick and Steven what they like. What Free Chicken Wings? Dinner Ah, Flo the Chicken Wings taste like Rattle Snake? Whistling Yes Flo, I have had Rattle Snake before when I was in Recon School. But we did not have BBQ sause.

 Work FrontSigh Found out today my store is the worst one in the company so far in sales this month with only $4111.00 in sales. Sigh

 Harmful Wild Life Luckly not much around here. Unless you count Gnats. We did have one Bat in the house and it was easy to catch with a pool net.

 Train Front Feel like a Civil War Surgeon hacking off body parts of HO scale people. Neither the seats or HO scale people seem's right but what the heck.

 Later, Ken

I hate Rust

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Posted by Little Timmy on Friday, July 13, 2018 10:37 PM

cudaken
Yes Flo, I have had Rattle Snake before

Taste's like ..... chicken ? ? ?

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by hon30critter on Friday, July 13, 2018 10:42 PM

cudaken
Feel like a Civil War Surgeon hacking off body parts of HO scale people. Neither the seats or HO scale people seem's right but what the heck

Ken:

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

I feel the same way, but I guess that making HO seats to accommodate HO people with all their extremities still attached is a bit of a challenge.

Don't worry, there's no blood being spilled (unless it's yours).

Carve away!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Friday, July 13, 2018 10:48 PM

Little Timmy
Taste's like ..... chicken ? ? ?

My wife ordered alligator meat in a supposedly decent quality seafood restaurant in Toronto a few years ago. She might as well have ordered a pair of shoe soles to chew on! I tried one piece. I had to split it out. Their crab cakes tasted like congeiled wallpaper paste too.

I guess we should have paid more attention to the decor when we first walked in. On our way out we noticed that the dust on the decorations behind the reception desk was about 1/8" thick!

Bad night out!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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