Bosque visitor center still closed and lack of rain means the impoundments are dry. Many of the trails are closed ude to "social distancing". Still a good spot to see migranting smaller birds at the moment.
Today's gem in New Mexico is the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, we are a little early in the season for most of the migratory birds. The best months for seeing the birds are November through January. Bosque del Apache is the winter home to thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese, and other birds. Bring your good camera, a telephoto lens, and a tripod for some excellent pictures.
Richard
Good morning from the warm, sunny Pacific Rim. We are expecting a big blow today and tonight, warm outflow winds. Usually, our weather comes in off the Pacific, so this is, shall we say a less frequent event. 80km gusting to 100km so I filled the gas cans and we can keep the fridge and freezers going.
I think we are goig to get going on the trainroom bathroom today. It is the slowest reno job ever as we have so much going on.
This is a Matthew Hicks photo that he posted here a long time ago on the forum. Fall is in the air so it has become my background on my computer. It is the siding at Massive (Backsaw) which is between Banff and Lake Louise. In one of the RR publications they talked of a very old Grizzly bear that took up residence there for years living off spilt grain and abundance of fish and other food sources. The RR workers and the bear were so comfortable with each others pressence that the workers had no issues walking right past Mr. bear when he was beside the track.
I have sat in this spot a few times to take in the rail action myself.
John, I really like your hotel pics. I find peoples travels interesting as I enjoy travelling immensely.
Time to go set up the tile saw, the boss is ready. She sets the tile with her surgeons skill, I do everything else. Works for me.
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."
I would love to teach a few tools a lesson.
Happy Labor Day to those that are enjoying an extra day off. Labor day is not a holiday for me any longer.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Kevin print this out fill in approiate name and hang it up
Heartland Division CB&QEverybody: WAKE UP !
I am awake... enjoying my first cup of coffee right now.
Starting the day with clean-up in the new bathroom. Getting rid of all the construction debris so I can do new tile and painting.
Everybody: WAKE UP !
I'll have coffee and a donut, please.
Ken ... Thanks !
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a please and Dirk a dog treat.
Garry Belated happy annvisary
Kevin House is looking good.
Got the front yard cut which is not saying much. But it is something. Spent way to much time loving on Dirk Pip today, but I enjoyed it.
John Enjoyed the photos! I like historic places.
Enjoying some Bessimer power tonight! Good running engines!
Later, Ken and Dirks says Me likes thundering tennies balls Daddy, Woof, Woof!
I hate Rust
BroadwayLionYes. That is a young cat.
My kitty Blackie (who I lost a year and a half or so ago) doesn't like competion. But all he will do is stick out his tongue...
Now Manet on the other hand wants to meet your kittie! Lost him too a while back. They were both almost 19 years old and died a month apart (litter mates).... I do miss the little guys!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
John York 1 .... That looks like an intersting hotel to stay at. Thanks for sharing the photos and the information.,
TF ..... Where are you? ... We miss you !
Yes. That is a young cat.
My cat is now quite old, has a slight limp and is quite hard of hearing. If I am sitting in front of her and call her name she will look to the left. When I call it again she will turn to the right.
Oh well, enjoy the kitty.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Kevin, thanks for getting us back to normal pages, and for the donut. I haven't had any in a while.
With TF not around, I feel like I'm becoming a Post Hog. Hope he hurries back.
Several years ago, my wife and I passed through Cimarron, New Mexico, and spent the night at the St. James Hotel. It was built in 1880, and had many famous westerners stay there. Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Bat Masterson, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, etc.
My wife and I stayed in Doc Holliday's favorite room, #16. It was next door to #14, the haunted room. There are 22 bullet holes in the dining room ceiling.
In 1878-1879, Doc Holliday stayed at the hotel while he recruited men to work (and fight) for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in the 'railroad war' for control of the Raton Pass and the Royal Gorge.
If you don't mind having a shared bathroom down the hall, it's a pretty neat place.
I hope no one minds me taking up room here with family vacation photos. At least this time there is a little bit of reference to a railroad.
York1 John
York1After two or three of those, I switched to prehung doors. Like doing anything, my first ones were a lot of work. They got easier, with better results, as I went along. Even with that, I doubt anyone would pay me to help them in their homes.
I used a pre-hung door.
One of my Nephews helped me out. He did construction back in the day, but it has been a while.
This is how he showed me to do it:
1) Remove the door from the frame.
2) Make the non-hinged side perfectly plumb and straight. A plumb-bob and a 6 foot level/straightedge was perfect for this.
3) Use a large framing square to get the top of the frame perfectly at a right angle to the side that was just installed. Make sure it is level on both axis. He showed me how to use three-shim-stacks for this.
4) Install the door back into the frame and use wedges to adjust the hinged side of the door frame until all the gaps around the door are even. Make sure the door opens and closes smoothly.
5) Fasten everything into place with 3" long construction screws.
6) Remove the door for painting.
7) Install the trim pieces.
8) Prep the door frame for paint.
It seems to have worked.
We made it page seven. Page numbers are back to normal!
Heartland Division CB&QKevin... Evidently, you have accomplished a lot in your first few months of retirement. You will essentially be living in a new house.
I really have been very busy. Sometimes it is difficult to see all the progress because so much of the house is still torn up, but an awful lot has been done.
Our house is 32 years old. We have owned it for almost 21 years. I bought it in October of 1999. I thought I bought it in 1998, but my wife showed me I was mistaken.
In that time, before this project, I had redone one bathroom (terribly on a shoestring budget), tiled the whole house (four different tiles), and painted the interior. The A/C had been replaced twice, roof twice, and the plumbing had been repiped.
The inside of the house was in terrible shape. After three teenagers and all their friends, the house was tired. The lanai was falling apart, the garage was awful, and the yard was needing attention.
We looked for another house with our $500,000.00 budget, and we wanted something really nice. We could not find what we wanted. Nice houses were all way too big, and smaller houses were not nice. We did not want to live on a golf course or a canal, so that took a lot of nice neighborhoods off our list. I will not live in a "high density" community with 3,000 square foot houses on 0.09 acre lots with a $250.00/month HOA. That is what you get for $300,000.00 now. We do not have McMansions down here like are all over Georgia.
If I had a couple million I would have moved to Quail West, but that is not for this lifetime.
Houses with train rooms were not hard to find, which surprised me.
Then I took early retirement, we looked at our modest house we have lived in for a long time, our neighborhood, our resources, and we decided our current house with a $400.00 mortage in a neighborhood we knew was OK. I do not need to go back to work with this budget.
We are remodeling it into exactly what we think a retirement house should be. Nice big master suite and a good train room. Nice back yard, TV room, and kitchen. Everything we need, and financial security that we can stay here.
We are finishing all the updates for full Category-5 standards.
Hopefully it will be done (except for the train room) by 2021.
I should have taken "before" pictures.
Good Sunday morning, everyone.
Lots of birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I hope everyone has a great time.
I've also lost track of some diners who have health issues. I continue to think of you.
Kevin, I have installed 11 interior doors in our house over the years. I can show you the first door I did, although I'll bet you could tell it was my first door just by opening and closing it.
Several of the first doors were a 'complete' build, with me ripping lumber for the frames, cutting the hinge insets, etc.
After two or three of those, I switched to prehung doors. Like doing anything, my first ones were a lot of work. They got easier, with better results, as I went along. Even with that, I doubt anyone would pay me to help them in their homes.
I finally finished the wiring, wood and sheetrock, exhaust fan, shower light, medicine cabinet and mirror, and painting in the basement bathroom. The porcelain tile floor was still in good shape, so I left it. I'm not sure how I will spend my time today with that project finished.
Livestream church today. Have a good day, diners.
Good morning ....
SpaceMouse Heartland Division CB&Q Chip ..... LOL ... Actually, Monday might be Labor Day. Congrats BTW. Just had my 30th in August. We didn't drive to Nashville, but we did order out at her favorite Tai restaurant.
Heartland Division CB&Q Chip ..... LOL ... Actually, Monday might be Labor Day.
Congrats BTW. Just had my 30th in August. We didn't drive to Nashville, but we did order out at her favorite Tai restaurant.
Chip ... Thank you, and late congrtulations for your anniversary.
Dave .... Thank you for the best wishes for our anniversary.
Apparently, the economy is doing well based on all of the trucks I saw on the highways hauling freight and the large buildings under construction in Nashville with large tower cranes at work.
Brent .... You had interesting comments about various happenings with you and your family. I have been to BC only briefly a couple of times, and the scenery is fantastic. The refugees painting your house must have witnessed horrors in thier home country. Hats off to Wounded Warriers. While much remains to be done, I think there has been progress towards having peace on our planet.
Kevin... Evidently, you have accomplished a lot in your first few months of retirement. You will essentially be living in a new house.
I hope to get back to model railroading later today. Currently, I am weathering coal hoppers.
hon30critterAnyone know where TF is? He seemed less than pleased that the Diner was going to New Mexico. I hope he is well.
I have no idea what is gong on with Track Fiddler. Hopefully he will be back soon.
Somewhere I have his cell phone number. If he stays missing for another week I will try to locate it. Finding anything in this construction site of a house is nearly impossible right now.
BATMANWorked a lot with wounded warriors through the local sledge hockey programs and I am thinking of them a lot today. Between the stories of our refugee painters and our wounded warriors, I hope we can soon get this planet turned around in the near future.
Amen, amen, and AMEN!
SeeYou190My house only will have 5 interior hinged doors when this project is done. I believe I can handle hanging 4 more.
I'm quite sure you can Kevin!
Dave
P.S.
Anyone know where TF is? He seemed less than pleased that the Diner was going to New Mexico. I hope he is well.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterThey are interesting cars and that's all that matters to me.
Those are interesting. Nice score.
My house only will have 5 interior hinged doors when this project is done. I believe I can handle hanging 4 more.
The three pocket doors are going to be interesting. Something else I will need to figure out.
I just scored three Canadian Pacific old style drop bottom gondolas on eBay!
The price was reasonable (I won't say 'cheap') but I'm happy. I hope that the paint is still in good enough condition that I can preserve the lettering. I will have to play with the car numbers.
They are probably a bit early for my 1950s era but I don't care. They are interesting cars and that's all that matters to me.
SeeYou190We are at 32, 33 in sixteen weeks.
Congratulations Kevin!!
SpaceMouseJust had my 30th in August.
Congratulations Chip!!
SpaceMouseCongrats BTW. Just had my 30th in August
We are at 32, 33 in sixteen weeks. I am so lucky with my spouse. Of all the friends that we had that were married around the same time we were, we are the only couple still married.
Garry: It is easy to eat too much in Nashville. When I am there I get more than my fill of Hot Chicken! Yum!
Heartland Division CB&QChip ..... LOL ... Actually, Monday might be Labor Day.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Ringo58Man those are some looooooong trains. We have long CNs up here, but not that long. Well they feel long as they creep by at 5mph. You sit there and wonder why theyre going slow, then they pass and the gates dont go up and you realize they were waiting for another one to clear the siding! I remeber one nice I got caught by 4 trains! I sat there for almost an hour. One stopped on the crossing, letting 2 pass then started going as a 4th went by. Sorry I'm after curfew dad, I got caught by 4 trains at once, that was a hard one to explain.
Dianne and I got stuck at a crossing last fall where two long trains were passing each other and the road we were on went right through the middle of the passing siding. We were starting to laugh after a while because the passing train just kept coming and coming...... and coming...... and.., well you get the picture. Just when we thought the end was in sight, along came more cars! We weren't there for an hour but it sure seemed like it! Railfanning has its limits when you are trying to get somewhere!
Cheers,
Heartland Division CB&QThanks to everbody who expressed well wishes for our anniverary.
Hi Garry,
Belated congratulations on your anniversary!! How many years?
Good evening from the beautiful West Coast where it was 24c today.
Glad to be past the dreaded page five. I don't even bother until we have passed those rapids.
Had just an exhausting week or so. Took my daughter back to Victoria as even though all her University courses are online, she wanted to check out the place she had rented. I think she will be back home before too long, I sure miss her as we will sit and talk for ages late at night. Caught the 1000hrs ferry over and the 1600hrs ferry back. I will never get tired of that trip as it is so beautiful. I get a big kick out of watching the tourist going live with their cell phones back to the relatives around the world, listening to the commentary.
Had the train room building painted and it looks great. The painters that showed up from the company were refugees from Syria and were the finest young people you could ever meet. I think for the first time in my life someone did a job on my house where I could say I could not have done a better job myself. I hate having people work on my house and painting is the only thing I won't do myself.
Listening to their story was heartbreaking and they will contribute a lot to Canada, I am glad to have met them.
Before.
After
Got new glasses after 20 years. Got all the bells and whistles as our extended medical pays for most of it.
Ed, like the Hudson/Mountie pics. I have several family and friends in the RCMP and when they are over and start telling stories of doing duty in their formal dress, it is hilarious. The behind the scenes stuff is great. One of my friends drove the Prime Minister and Governor-General around for years at home and on foreign trips, lots to laugh at for sure.
Rob, thinking of you often, you joined the forum not long after I did and I have always enjoyed your post.
After I hung my first door, I had it licked, I am always going to friends houses to show them how to adjust their sagging doors, easy peasy.
Put a bunch of old furniture out on the driveway and placed an add on FB marketplace, it was gone in no-time.
Richard, I would love to visit the SETI sight. We have two good friends that are/were deputy Government ministers and the UFO file is not the least bit confidential anywhere in the world except the U.S. I get to hear lots of poop on the whole thing.
Fall is in the air and soon golf/ sailing/ mountain biking season will change to ski season. I think it will be colder than usual this year with lots of snow on the local hills.
It's coming.
The Vancouver Canucks went down in game 7 to the Las Vegas Knights. We'll get'em next year I have been saying that for fifty years.
Worked a lot with wounded warriors through the local sledge hockey programs and I am thinking of them a lot today. Between the stories of our refugee painters and our wounded warriors, I hope we can soon get this planet turned around in the near future.
TF, come out of hiding, or have you gone fishing?
Think I'll grab a tot of Rum and go snuggle with Meryl, she always makes things better.
Good evening, everybody .
We had an enjoyable time in Nashville, but we ate too much last evening. We retruned home earlier today.
SpaceMouse Heartland Division CB&Q Howdy ..... Thanks to Ken, Chip, Ray, those I already mentioned, and anybody I missed for the birthday wishes yesterday. Next, our anniversary is tomorrow, and we will leave shortly for Nashville where we will celebrate it this evening. Everybody, have a good day. First it's your birthday, then it's your aniversary...what's Monday going to be, Second Christmas? Richard--you beat me. Only 100F here.
Heartland Division CB&Q Howdy ..... Thanks to Ken, Chip, Ray, those I already mentioned, and anybody I missed for the birthday wishes yesterday. Next, our anniversary is tomorrow, and we will leave shortly for Nashville where we will celebrate it this evening. Everybody, have a good day.
Howdy .....
Thanks to Ken, Chip, Ray, those I already mentioned, and anybody I missed for the birthday wishes yesterday.
Next, our anniversary is tomorrow, and we will leave shortly for Nashville where we will celebrate it this evening.
Everybody, have a good day.
First it's your birthday, then it's your aniversary...what's Monday going to be, Second Christmas?
Richard--you beat me. Only 100F here.
Chip ..... LOL ... Actually, Monday might be Labor Day.
Thanks to everbody who expressed well wishes for our anniverary.
SeeYou190I hung the door in the bathroom today. I had never hung a door before, and it was quite a challenge. Certainly a lot more to it than I expected.
I agree! I sold preframed exterior doors for years but nobody explained to me that there is an inside and an outside to a door slab. They are not symetrical. The 'opening side', as opposed to the hinge side, has a slight taper to it so it fits snuggly in the frame. When somebody else was installing the door in the frame I didn't have to know that. I have installed two interior doors and I got them both wrong!
Cheers!!