TF
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
I've generally found that the Forbidden messages are a sign to go to bed and try again tomorrow. It's not worth trying to fight those invisible and baffling demons.
After Covid hit, a lot of companies here stopped bothering with signatures, deliveries particularly. We are still giving big tips at restaurants, so maybe that helps.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good Afternoon,
Another cold day here with strong north winds but it is sunny. Sure was cold gasing up the car. First time in 6 weeks. At least todays errands are done. Roads were icy. Snow blowing across them polishes the surface making for slippery condtions.
Still in the doghouse. On Monday I signed for a parcel. I did it outside, was masked as was delivery person, but apparently I exposed myself to covid in doing so. That is where the anxiety level is at. I might be cleared for interaction tomorrow but after 3 years of this I am losing interest.
John, I am enjoying your trip reports. Amazing that wine made it home in one piece. We once brought back some Amarula in luggage only to later find they sell it here. I picked up a bottle this week as I really like the stuff.
The U2g is sitting at the water tower. I can easily see it from my perch on the sofa as it is only a foot or so from the left end. It is a nice runner but nothing can touch my brass CP Hudson for smoothness or low speed. May have to get it out of its display case. It is sitting on top of my wife's harpsicord. Would like to sell the harpsicord as she hasn't played it for 20 years but there is a very limited market for them. We may have to just give it away at some point.
Wife is making cranberry sauce so perhaps all is not lost for this Christmas. It has Grand Marnier and Kirschberry liqeurs in it making it the best cranberry sauce I have ever tasted.
It is 40 years ago yesterday since my Afghan Hound, Nazareth, passed away. I still miss him. We had a very strong conection, more than any of our later dogs.
Time for more tea.
CN Charlie
Thanks Ed. I thought that's what I did but I skipped over the youtube instruction. I had used copy in the past.
I saw Mr B posted in the DCC for a small layout thread after I did. I still cannot reply nor edit my post because it is Forbidden. When I went silent a year ago, I thought they were rolling out new forum software?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddyWhat is the secret in posting a Youtube video these days?
I had posted a little tutorial back on page three near the top. In YouTube: Use the "share" feature, select "embed" click "copy" (lower right).
In the MR forum reply box, select film icon, then right hand tab "embed", place cursor in text box and paste (Ctrl-V) then the OK radio button. Done.
Stay warm, Ed
We lost power at 9 pm. My wife had stocked up on battery powered lanterns and headlights, but the headlights didn't have headbands on them and the lanterns had removable plastic strip to prevent the batteries from discharging. Power was only out 90 minutes, which is much shorter than where we lived in Maryland.
I intended to get up early and shovel the slush before it froze, but didn't quite make it. I made 3 passes across the width of the driveway and had to give up as it was ice, already. The temperature dropped from 35 to 31 in a half hour. It is now 15 and headed toward 1 by tomorrow morning. Plenty of wind all day long.
What is the secret in posting a Youtube video these days? I wasted an hour trying to reply to a post and kept getting the Forbidden 503 error. Eventually I was able to edit the post and add text, but not a video or internet link.
I should have worked on the layout today, but it was colder downstairs than up, so fiddled around and wasted the day.
Something like that happened to me one time. We were stay in someone's house for a ski weekend. A branch had come down on the lines, but not enough to take them down. I called the power company but they were full out and couldn't even say how long it would be. So, I called the phone company. They came our right away and cleared the branch.
Howdy... Me again! Just had some excitement a couple houses down from me. Wires blown down and the Fire trucks were here to take care of it. I think the wires were old telephone and/or cable company wires, but they still got them taken down...
Wind goes from calm to around 50-60 mph at times outside. Not a lot of snow coming down ,just a nice easy few flakes most of the time. Hope it stays that way but the prognosticators say we could still get several inches to shovel by the end of the storm. Depends how the thing tracks. Nice day to stay inside......
NYS Thruway is now closed to all vehicles west of exit 46 (Rochester), I am at exit 43....
73
Afternoon folks! (Notice I did not use the word "good"!) Lot's of white thingies swirling around outside, and it is a good to just stay put and stare at the 'puter screen. Today has been cancelled here in the Finger Lakes as well as the Western half of New York State.
"....So if you've no place to go.... Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!" I had hoped to be able to get together with a lady friend and see the stuff at "The Museum of the Earth" near Ithaca sometime next week. Don't think that will happen as family has been filling up the times that we could be free to go there. We like to walk together and we could easily get a few miles inside the Muesum. The place is huge! We did have lunch together yesterday in Seneca Falls which is about half way between where she lives and where I live.
If the wind picks up again I will try to get a photo of what it looks like here.....
It took me five guesses to get the Wordle today.
I should have had it in four, but the letters would not make a word for me today.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
MisterBeasley I'm very surprised that the Bat-people had a hummingbird in this season. We have the ruby-throated variety in the summer. We feed them well and have quite a few, and we often share happy hour with them on the front porch. But, when summer is over, they are gone and those feeder hooks get plants for a while and then Christmas decorations.
I'm very surprised that the Bat-people had a hummingbird in this season. We have the ruby-throated variety in the summer. We feed them well and have quite a few, and we often share happy hour with them on the front porch. But, when summer is over, they are gone and those feeder hooks get plants for a while and then Christmas decorations.
Mr. B -
A number of the hummers on the West Coast are quite a bit less inclined to migrate that the Ruby-Throateds. That's because the winters are relatively moderate. I'm guessing that the Bat-hummer that Brent picked off the snow was an Anna's. We have them throughout the winter here in Portland and rather than his techno-remedies to keep his feeders functional, I swap them out with a back-up kept in the kitchen. When it gets below freezing, ours (always Anna's - the Rufous boogie to California and elsewhere south) roost in the rhododendrons next to the house. Out of the wind and marginally closer to heat.
Hummers in cold weather react rather uniquely by going into a state called torpor. Think of it as an hours-long kind of avian "hibernation" where many of their bodily functions - as well as their temperature - cut back dramatically. That's the state that Brent's bird was in until he revived him. Wonder if he offered the little critter a snort and a chance to watch some hockey before turning him out. He's a good man.
Attuvian John
We think the GF's sister is coming for Christmas, but she is notoriously flakey anyway, and this year she has a divorcing daughter and her two children living with her (a real trainwreck, I assure you) plus a pair of old, sick dogs so she may not show. We are hoping our neighbor with the broken arm will come. She's a delight to be around.
Good morning, diners.
Another day of cleaning the house. If we never had any family visit, our house would never get cleaned.
The worst part? I have to go to the grocery store and to Walmart today. The grandchildren will eat three times as much as the adults.
Buying Christmas presents for the son-in-laws was very easy for me this year. The hard part was getting all the bottles through customs and packed for no damage from airline luggage handlers. I was going to have them shipped, but then I saw the shipping charges for six bottles:
Another airline story: We were at the end of a 12 hour flight, ready to land in Newark, and the pilot alerted the passengers: "Unless passengers start to listen to the flight attendants, I'm going to circle around, and we will add at least a half-hour before we land." I was amazed at how many people ignored directions like sitting down, seatbelts, tray tables, closing overhead bins, etc. Out of 250 passengers, I'll bet there were 30 who just ignored all directions. I'm not sure they pay the flight attendants enough money to deal with things. Maybe the airlines need to hire some ex-NFL linemen to be enforcers.
Have a great day, everyone.
York1 John
Good morning
The snow storm fizzled here as well Mike, but we surely got the COLD! Not surprized as snow storms usually get stronger in milder temps. Bummer...No whipping fishtails in the truck for me
As being a New Orleans boy John, you'll understand my humor that you gave new definition to a Float. The Dead Sea has never been so full of life, as the day you were in it... Would have liked to join you in that Jordan Pub for one of those Petra beers.
That's nice you saved that little Tweety from freezing Brent. Wonder if you have a newly found pet hummingbird, after that thing thawed and started zinging around the house Furthermore, wonder what the bird dogs think of it
Liked the Flying Scotsman going over that Viaduct and highway bridge David. Thanks for that
Well, most of our family is quite spread out. We decided risking the extreme cold to Wisconsin in the old Ram, wasn't the greatest idea. That's when even the new stuff breaks. We'll be having Christmas Dinner with my Daughters this year.
iStock Happy Holidays gentlemen
Good Morning Diners. Flo, I'll take a large white chocolate and cinnamon latte, my hot toddy from David (Thank you!), and an english muffin please.
Blizzard my foot! We're supposed to be having a blizzard right now, and all we are getting is an average at best winter storm. It's cold (7F), but the winds aren't that bad yet and while it is and has been snowing, it isn't snowing hard. Maybe it will change today as our blizzard warning started last night and goes into tomorrow, but I'm doubting it at this point.
Went for a drive last night to look at Christmas lights in town. It was nice. There were dead stretches and even whole neighborhoods that were dark, but there were several nicely done houses and a few good stretches where a bunch of homeowners decorated. When we got home, the Polar Express was put on, followed by Charlie Brown. It was a great evening.
Hope everyone is ready for Christmas. Cheers!
Mike
Good morning Diners. A large coffee please, Janie. Also give the diners across the pond a hot toddy each and put it on my bill.
U.K. 1962. I remember it well travelling to and from Dewsbury and Leeds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_cKbukgYs&ab_channel=TrainsTrainsTrains
1961 Over Stainmore Summit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXObLbUn2gc&ab_channel=AlanSnowdonArchive
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hi again Everyone,
It is cold here, true. But, it's not "snowmagaddon". Yes, the wind is cold and we're supposed to be in single digits on Saturday. The weather forecasters emphasize wind chills and how cold they are, but -20F is nowhere near -20F actual. That is cold. The wind is dangerous and can give you frostbite in a matter of a few minutes, but I'd take that over actual sub zero temps because the wind isn't sustained like a hurricane.
im just staying warm in the house with a cup of hot tea.
I hope everyone is warm and safe.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Hi Everyone,
I don't know about the weather where the rest of you fine gents are, but here, IT IS COLD! It isn't the temps. It's the wind.
South for Sunshine —
SR_South-Winter by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
maxman Have you found Stephen yet?
Listened to song and admit I have no clue as to what it's about. I'll have to google it and see if I can find the Cliff Notes.
Good morning from the beautiful West Coast where it is -14c.
Environment Canada has issued a severe weather warning for tonight until late Christmas eve. Should be fun. I am going up to Vancouver to get my son tonight and he and his GF will stay until Monday. His Mustang is not getting anywhere near the place even if it had winter tires which it does not.
I found a hummingbird laying in the snow yesterday while shoveling. I thought it was dead and picked it up to make sure, it must of liked the heated gloves as its little eyes looked over at me. I took it into the house and handed it to my wife and said I brought you a present. Another one saved from becoming an icicle.
We started with a regular light bulb and the feeder froze in minutes, then moved up to the 125-watt heat lamp and it lasted a couple of hours until freeze-up, now we have a 250-watt heat lamp hanging, business is brisk.
John, nothing wrong with bacon in my book. I love the stuff but don't generally don't eat it as it is high in calories. However, I have been burning so many calories this week that I have been having a mountain of bacon every morning with my eggs. Looking at that skinny guy floating in the Dead Sea I would say bacon is not doing you any harm. Man has been eating bacon long before sugar-coated chocolate sugar bombs hit the market. We get our bacon from the butcher so it does not have all those preservatives added to it as you get in the grocery store brands. We either buy it as a slab and cut it ourselves or the butcher will run it through the slicer.
Jim, that guitar is a Yamaki 335s and is 52 years old, it cost me an arm and a leg when I was 13. It is in pristine condition and is quite rare apparently as only a handful of the model was made. It was only a fluke that I ended up with one of them. It is indeed a Martin knockoff but I would not trade it for a Martin as it sounds and plays better. I have two friends with Martins and my Yamaki at 52 years old is a much nicer guitar. I have posted videos on some of the guitar player FB sites and have had two people ask me about the guitar and offer me a ridiculous amount of money for it once they confirmed the model#. I also have a Yamaki 12 string that is also 52 years old and plays and sounds incredible, it is also in pristine condition but is a much more common model. Read this funny post by a guy that wants a 335s. He is not talking about me but shows the interest that the model has.
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263751
My theory on the TV weather people and their terminology. When I was a kid the guy on the TV was just some guy who drew the short straw and had to do the weather with his chalkboard. The two weather people that we have watched over the last 20 years or so are highly educated meteorologists that did many years with Environment Canada before getting their TV gigs. The increased knowledge they brought with them on the nightly news was noticeable and they brought a lot of new terminology with them. I must admit that on occasion people on TV have made me roll my eyes so hard, I have had to go look up their educational background.
Lots to do today, I better stop procrastinating, but first another cup of Tims.
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."
Good afternoon Diners. I have been at the Hospice best part of the day, so I need a strong coffee please, Zoe.
The Met Office. In a time not so long ago the weather was simple. Strong wind; strong breeze; heavy rainfall; really bad weather. Whatever it was we 'got on with life'.
Now the people under 55 years of age are paranoid. Weatherpeople give names for weather. Here they have taken great lengths to use names for hurricanes, storms, strong gusts of wind etc.. The Beast from the East was a favourite of theirs for a while. The country grinds to a halt at a mention of name for any kind of weather.
Snow Bomb has to stay Stateside perleese!!!
Flying Scotsman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMyU1IraVws&ab_channel=PhilipFearnley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DtC0kw2Ax4&ab_channel=preservedrailway
AEP528The term is 70-80 years old. It wasn't made up in the Internet age.
The confusion for me is that in New Orleans since 1970 and Nebraska since 1992, it is only in the past three years that the term has been used by local meteorologists on TV.
From Wikipedia:
In the 1940s and 1950s, meteorologists at the Bergen School of Meteorology began informally calling some storms that grew over the sea "bombs" because they developed with a great ferocity rarely seen over land. By the 1970s, the terms "explosive cyclogenesis" and even "meteorological bombs" were being used by MIT professor Fred Sanders (building on work from the 1950s by Tor Bergeron), who brought the term into common usage in a 1980 article in the Monthly Weather Review. In 1980, Sanders and his colleague John Gyakum defined a "bomb" as an extratropical cyclone that deepens by at least (24 sin φ/ sin 60°)mb in 24 hours, where φ represents latitude. This is based on the definition, standardised by Bergeron, for explosive development of a cyclone at 60°N as deepening by 24 mb in 24 hours. Sanders and Gyakum noted that an equivalent intensification is dependent on latitude: at the poles this would be a drop in pressure of 28 mb/24 hours, while at 25 degrees latitude it would be only 12 mb/24 hours. All these rates qualify for what Sanders and Gyakum called "1 bergeron".
In the 1940s and 1950s, meteorologists at the Bergen School of Meteorology began informally calling some storms that grew over the sea "bombs" because they developed with a great ferocity rarely seen over land.
By the 1970s, the terms "explosive cyclogenesis" and even "meteorological bombs" were being used by MIT professor Fred Sanders (building on work from the 1950s by Tor Bergeron), who brought the term into common usage in a 1980 article in the Monthly Weather Review. In 1980, Sanders and his colleague John Gyakum defined a "bomb" as an extratropical cyclone that deepens by at least (24 sin φ/ sin 60°)mb in 24 hours, where φ represents latitude. This is based on the definition, standardised by Bergeron, for explosive development of a cyclone at 60°N as deepening by 24 mb in 24 hours. Sanders and Gyakum noted that an equivalent intensification is dependent on latitude: at the poles this would be a drop in pressure of 28 mb/24 hours, while at 25 degrees latitude it would be only 12 mb/24 hours. All these rates qualify for what Sanders and Gyakum called "1 bergeron".
The term is 70-80 years old. It wasn't made up in the Internet age.
Since it quit snowing, I guess we are no longer in a 'bomb'. Of course, the snow is blowing so much it looks like it's still snowing. They'll have to come up with a new name for this condition.
While there is at least here, now an apparent emphasis on work place safety, to me, it’s all smoke and mirrors which highlights how some companies can spend less on actual safety training by using buzz words and employing safety devices.
Been there, done that!
GE instituted, in cooperation with OSHA, the VPP program. "Voluntary" compliance. Hours and hours of documenting and recordkeeping with no actual remedy to the actual safety or environmental issues.
PX_TPP_sept-13 by Edmund, on Flickr
"STAR" = Start Taking A Responsibility. You are responsible for your safety and well being. Smoke and mirrors is just the beginning of it.
A snow bomb:
Metra F-40 at Bartlett IL station by Mark LLanuza, on Flickr
Spilt_Fries by Edmund, on Flickr
Morning, diners. Bacon and eggs. Someday on my death bed I'll ask the doctor about the breakfast diet.
NorthBritA lot of people these days are in a hurry. Getting nowhere fast. Driving (almost) dangerously just to gain one car length.
David, that is a problem in the U.S. also. There's nothing more satisfying than to be passed by one of these idiots, only to pass them further down the road after they've been pulled over by the state highway police.
CNCharlieOur first Westie, Ian, was mad about them. He was a very neat eater, only one section at a time he would take carefully from your hand. He even ate his food from a plate in rows.
Charlie, that's pretty amazing for a dog. Our Daisy the Dachshund gobbles food down so fast you need to get your fingers out of the way or they'll be victims of sharp teeth. We never used to feed her people food. Then the vet told us she had only days to live, so we decided what the heck, we'd give her what she wanted. Now, 1½ years later, she's going strong and we're still giving her people food treats. Maybe that's why she is still with us.
Henry, I also had never heard of the term 'bomb' storm until several years ago. I really believe the TV meteorologists come up with these terms because they know that after years of warning us about 'storms', most people tune them out. Add the word 'bomb' and you get people's attention again.
Today we are in the midst of a 'bomb' storm. Snow, 40 mph winds, below zero F temps. It sounds like snow storms we've had for years, but no, it's a 'bomb' storm.
Jim, Petra really was worth the entire three week trip. We only spent one day there, but we easily could have stayed longer just to enjoy exploring. One problem was that our hotel was at the Dead Sea, several hours away. For anyone who's adventurous, I'd recommend Petra. It's the only place I know of with that kind of history.
JaBearI’ve been accused of being “out of touch,” “not up with the play,” “old school,” (the latter I particularly proud of), ... Of course, this problem is not just confined to my particular sphere of work, unfortunately is seems to be wide spread!!
Bear, you are right that it's not confined to any one kind of work. In my line of education, during my career I watched educational 'reforms', technology, self-esteem emphasis, etc. become the norms. At the same time, educational achievements dropped. What to do? Double down with the reforms and blame lack of money for the problems! The best education came from old teachers using old-style teaching methods.
Kevin, I know you must be drooling over finally finishing all the house projects and you can get started on the 'dream' layout. Maybe 2023 will be the year you can make it happen. In the meantime, your SGRR boxcar continues to run around an N railroad in the middle of Nebraska.
Two more 'non-train' vacation photos. One of the surprises (for me) was the Dead Sea. I had in my mind visions of a deserted, lifeless, dreary place. The opposite was true. The Dead Sea is a beautiful inland sea of fairly clear water with mountain backdrops. Even though very little grows around it, the palm trees growing there and the hotel resorts make it an amazing place to visit.
It really is true. It's almost impossible to sink. This photo of me floating in the water looks like I'm in about three inches of water laying on the bottom. I'm actually floating in about two-feet-deep water. You can wade out from the shore and literally just sit down in the water and float. Amazing! I got to enjoy Jordanian beer in a wonderful hotel bar.
OK, that's enough of my vacation report. I promise.
It's a good day to stay inside. Unfortunately, it's more house-cleaning instead of layout work.
Both mentioned and unmentioned posters, I hope you have a good healthy day today.
Good morning Diners. I see there is 'a crowd' in the Diner. A coffee and blueberry muffin please, Chloe.
Bear. Old School. I'm with you there. I learned so much at 'Old School', and did not have to be told twice or more times.
Japan
Riding on a snowy 'Bullet Train'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qwfRpzMAIc&ab_channel=Kuga%27sTravel
More Japanese trains in the snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9qJ4IAzJrU&ab_channel=%E8%B6%85%E6%A2%93
Snow Plough Train in Hokkaido
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnNJ9auCAJo&ab_channel=%E3%81%9F%E3%81%91%E3%81%A1%E3%82%93