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Jeffreys Track Side Diner for April, 2023

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  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, April 8, 2023 10:30 AM

The World Is A Beautiful Place

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

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Chloe, I am just going to have some coffee this morning, but I promise to leave a healthy tip when I leave.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

I just have 14 feet of soffit left, then I can get back to working on the master bedroom again.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, April 7, 2023 2:28 PM

 

YES, John! That's exactly like the thermometer/weather 'cottage' I recall at my grandmother's house. Brought back memories.


 

In 1968 I was afforded a ride on this wonderful vessel after arriving in Hoboken aboard Erie's Lake Cities we were ferried across the New York Harbor (North River) to Manhattan.

 EL_Pocono by Edmund, on Flickr

To this wide-eyed twelve-year old it was pure excitement. A day or two later I was aboard one of the Staten Island ferries enjoying a 25¢ hot dog with the works!

In 1974 I was also aboard a former C&O business car #3 and since the car had tanks of propane on board it was not permitted in the tunnels. The cook and I were permitted to remain on board as the car was loaded on to a Grand Trunk ferry for the ride to Windsor, Ontario.



 

Addendum:

Some scenery for the Green Machine Bridge Guy—

 Soaring over Cut Bank Creek by Mike Danneman, on Flickr 

Great memories.

Cheers, Ed

  • Member since
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, April 7, 2023 12:54 PM

MisterBeasley
I will add an exception for the former Maine to Nova Scotia high speed catamaran we took once.  The advertising all made it look like a spacious luxury trip, but it was an ordeal.  It had a crummy little snack bar and a small casino.  I don't gamble.  Most of the passenger section was filled with theater-style seating for the huge crowd on board.  Even worse, all of this seating had loud movies showing.  Being a high speed boat, the decks were inaccessible and the only outside space was a tiny rear platform with no seats.

Sounds like the Key West Ferry.

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

The journey is about getting to the destination, Key West, not the trip. The shore is out of view for 95% of the trip,and the return trip is at night.

Just make the trip as short as possible. This beast can get to Key West in about 3 hours. Sure beats a 15 hour road trip. Then I can walk to the Schooner Bay Bar & Grill from the dock.

I'll watch the movie, and then enjoy a day at Key West. I don't need luxury, I just want to get there and back home.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, April 7, 2023 12:39 PM

NorthBrit

Brent.   Love the ferry pictures  (and Glenfiddich  Laugh)

Always venture on deck.   You never know what you see.  Big Smile

David

Whilw we're talking about ferries, i will add an exception for the former Maine to Nova Scotia high speed catamaran we took once.  The advertising all made it look like a spacious luxury trip, but it was an ordeal.  It had a crummy little snack bar and a small casino.  I don't gamble.  Most of the passenger section was filled with theater-style seating for the huge crowd on board.  Even worse, all of this seating had loud movies showing.  Being a high speed boat, the decks were inaccessible and the only outside space was a tiny rear platform with no seats, which was basically used solely by smokers who couldn't do their thing indoors.  And to make it worse, the trip was six hours and it took at least an hour to get our car off.  It was like one of those long airplane ordeals.  I brought a book to read and found one seating section where the movies weren't working.

Fortunately,  that option for traveling didn't last.  For a few more hours, you can drive to Nova Scotia and enjoy the coastline of Maine and Canada.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, April 7, 2023 10:30 AM

The World Is A Beautiful Place

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Good morning everyone, nice to see you all here today. Chloe, I would like a bowl of corn flakes with a sliced up banana and one teaspoon of sugar. I think I'll have a glass of milk as well. Thank you.

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I did not find anything wrong with the rain sensor on my sprinkler system. It needs to see 1/2" of rail before it shuts off the sprinkler control system. I guess it had not rained long enough yet.

I will check it again the next time we get rain. Who knows when that will be.

Water Level Route
Yesterday was ridiculous.  Normally when I get in to work I've got about an hour to look over my schedule, check emails, grab a cup of coffee, that sort of thing.  Just sort of get set up for the day ahead.  Yesterday I barely got my office door unlocked and I had somebody standing there needing help.  Then it continued, usually with some combination of someone at my door and one or both of my phones ringing at the same time.  The next thing I knew, it was 6 hours later.

I do not miss thoses days at all. I hope I never need to go back.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by NorthBrit on Friday, April 7, 2023 6:22 AM

Brent.   Love the ferry pictures  (and Glenfiddich  Laugh)

Always venture on deck.   You never know what you see.  Big Smile

 

 IMG_2356 by David Harrison, on Flickr

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by Water Level Route on Friday, April 7, 2023 5:49 AM

Good Morning Diners.  Flo, coffee and a big plate of biscuits and gravy please.

I am so glad it isn't Thursday anymore.  Yesterday was ridiculous.  Normally when I get in to work I've got about an hour to look over my schedule, check emails, grab a cup of coffee, that sort of thing.  Just sort of get set up for the day ahead.  Yesterday I barely got my office door unlocked and I had somebody standing there needing help.  Then it continued, usually with some combination of someone at my door and one or both of my phones ringing at the same time.  The next thing I knew, it was 6 hours later.  I thought to myself "perfect" and grabbed my lunch out of the fridge.  Then my phone rang again.  An hour and a half later I was finally eating my lunch.  Sheesh.  I just hope it means that next week will go smoother.  We are going into a maintenance turnaround next week, and most of the insanity yesterday was dealing with questions or problems around it.  Fingers crossed.

Heading to a celebration of life for my aunt tomorrow.  She passed back around the start of the holidays, but the family did not hold a funeral of any sort until now.  She wanted her body donated to their local university's medical school.  First person I've known to do that.  She was always quirky but caring.  

Mike

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, April 6, 2023 11:28 PM

The Worlde tonight was a word I had not used since college.

It took me all six tries, but I got it.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, April 6, 2023 9:31 PM

geez Brent you should ahve bought a lottery ticket.

My freshman year of college I went to Fl Tech in Melbourne and to get to the beach, we had to cross a causeway.  I promised myself I wouldn't live anywhere if there was a bridge between where I wanted to go.  12 years later I lived across the river from Annapolis.

I can't imagine depending on ferry's to get me to where I want to go, but when I visited my cousin in Seattle, that's the way they live.

Congrats on your good luck.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by York1 on Thursday, April 6, 2023 9:06 PM

Nice pictures and videos, everyone.

We're leaving early in the morning to travel for some grandchildren time.  I'll catch up with everyone next week sometime.

Have a good weekend.

York1 John       

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Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, April 6, 2023 6:52 PM

Good afternoon from the very wet, very windy West Coast.

I went overseas today to pick up my daughter. Being a senile old man I had forgotten to book my ferry passage for going over and coming back and the pre-bookings were sold out. I thought I was in for a day from H-E-double hockey sticks and would be waiting in line for ages on both sides because of the Easter long weekend rush as well as the University kids starting to hit the road from Uvic. Such was not the case!

I woke up early, the first sailing over was at 0700hrs so I got in the car and headed for the terminal thinking I might get on the 10:00 if I am lucky not having a reservation. I was at the ticket booth at 0656hrs and the kind lady said you will just make the 0700hrs. I was the last car on.

I went to the cafeteria and there was no line at all! I had a huge feed of bacon, sausage, ham, eggs and toast. She just kept piling on the meat, I could not believe it. I ate that and went out on deck to my usual spot to take in the view.

I got to my daughter's place and we packed her computers, cameras, books, and clothes into the Toyota and headed for the ferry expecting a long wait not having a reservation. We pulled into the ticket booth at 1154hrs and drove right onto the ferry being the second to last car on for the 1200hrs sailing.

I went out on deck six and started walking laps to get my exercise in. 1 Lap around the ship is 486 steps. I did 12 laps until it got so windy I could barely stand up, the rain felt like BBs hitting me.Laugh I got over 10,000 steps in just on the ferry(s)Big Smile There were two other people doing the same thing, I could tell because we all kept looking at our smartwatches and kept passing each other.Laugh

One thing about bad weather is only the hardy dare to venture out on deck.

Being the last on we got put deep in the bowels of the boat with the truck traffic.

I could not believe my luck on the day, though I did spend $18.00 more than I had to as on the way over I forgot to tell the ticket lady I was a senior and she charged me an adult fare of $18.00. We, old geezers, ride for free don't ya know. I did remember on the way back though. The young lady in the ticket booth said there is no way you are a senior and I had to show her my ID.Smile I looked at my daughter and she said, "You just love when that happens, don't you"? I just smiled.Pirate

The wife figured my day was to be a travel nightmare and picked me up a bottle of this on her way home from the Dentist to help console me for having to watch the Canucks game in the ferry line-up. The day went smooth as silk and I was home 4 hours before the hockey game starts.

Things come in threes for us all the time so I better buy a Canucks for Kids 50/50 ticket tonight. I always do anyway.

I just heard it is Sushi tonight.Dinner

All the best to all.

One thing about life: It doesn't matter where it's going. What matters is deciding to get on.

 

 

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, April 6, 2023 5:19 PM

maxman
Something I never understood. Maybe I need to smoke some weed. Add Quote to your Post

I just saw a Joe Rogan short on Youtube suggesting (with a hilarious video) we are descended from monkeys who ate magic mushrooms, which are now all the rage among Hollywood types.  Psychodelics are also the subject of legitimate medical research.  I have no medical opinion on those alleged health benefits.

I'm surprised by you guys in the snow belt.  We are in Full On Spring in VA.  I've deadheaded half my daffodills, the cherry trees are fading and and the red buds are in full bloom. 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, April 6, 2023 2:44 PM

Livimg in the Eastern US, I don't often get to take mountain pictures.  This on was from a ski trip out west, to Steamboat.

Those of you with eagle eyes might detect that the thicker black line near the top of the picture is a coal drag passing through the valley.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by NorthBrit on Thursday, April 6, 2023 11:27 AM

Good evening Diners.  Time for a glass of Singleton Malt please, Janie.

 

Settle & Carlisle  +  Lake Windermere.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYRThfZX3wo&ab_channel=rab4472

 

6233  Duchess of Sutherland.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0aytEsRf5I&ab_channel=Steamclips

 

 

Still going strong.  Big Smile

 IMG_1994 by David Harrison, on Flickr

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, April 6, 2023 9:40 AM

York1
I still like the movie, although I usually fast-forward through the apes, through the long psychedelic flight, and I skip the ending.

"open the door, Hal"

"I don't think so, Dave"

Way back when in a galaxy far, far, away, when I worked at the grocery store, one of my co-workers told me he really enjoyed that film while sitting in the front row smoking weed.

Although you skip the ending, maybe you can explain it to me.  Something I never understood.  Maybe I need to smoke some weed.

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Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, April 6, 2023 9:22 AM

Good morning

JaBear
However, I think I might have found out what Chloe gets up to when she gets time off from the Diner.Whistling
 

 
Quite the science fiction film, and not to far fetched to wonder if one can still completely call it that anymore.  Always had a fond ear for the unique sound of Jethro Tull.
 
 
And Chloe certainly has been making her rounds Bear. Whistling
 
 
 
 
TF
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Posted by York1 on Thursday, April 6, 2023 8:52 AM

howmus
 
 
I don’t know why but I’d never realised that was the piece which opened 2001, A Space Odyssey,

 Yep! You get the prize...  Flo, I got the Bear's Tab this morning!  That is still one of my absolute favorite bits of music (and one of my favorite Movies).  Smile, Wink & Grin73

 

I saw that movie in Cinerama when I was in high school.  Our church youth group traveled to Omaha to see it at the only Cinerama screen in the state.

I was so impressed when that music started the movie.  When I got home, I immediately ordered the soundtrack from the music club.

I still like the movie, although I usually fast-forward through the apes, through the long psychedelic flight, and I skip the ending.

York1 John       

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Posted by howmus on Thursday, April 6, 2023 7:49 AM

I don’t know why but I’d never realised that was the piece which opened 2001, A Space Odyssey,

Yep! You get the prize...  Flo, I got the Bear's Tab this morning!  That is still one of my absolute favorite bits of music (and one of my favorite Movies).  Smile, Wink & Grin

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, April 6, 2023 5:55 AM

howmus
Also sprach Zarathustra

I don’t know why but I’d never realised that was the piece which opened 2001, A Space Odyssey, which is strange because Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz was the soundtrack for the approach and docking of the spaceplane to the space station, an inspired pairing of stunning visuals and music. After all these years I still feel WOW!!! I guess copyright issues is why the full sequence is not available on YouTube.
 
However, I think I might have found out what Chloe gets up to when she gets time off from the Diner.Whistling
 
 
Thoughts and Best Wishes to All that need them. Kia Kaha.
Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by NorthBrit on Thursday, April 6, 2023 4:47 AM

howmus

Photos by my son....  Donnington Castle 

73   

 

Donnington Castle, near Newbury.  A long way from Northumberland.  lol.

Nearest I have been to Newbury;  travelling down the A34  to Southampton.  A ship to board. Cool

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by CNCharlie on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 8:41 PM

Well I was off on snowfall guess, more like 10" when I got the wheelie bins in. At least it has stopped now. Sure glad I arranged to get it cleared.

Enjoying the scenery photos, Thanks

CN Charlie

 

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 7:43 PM

TF

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Posted by York1 on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 7:06 PM

gmpullman
I half-expect a pink or blue Dutch character to pop out of one of the doors here. I seem to recall as a child, my grandmother had a thermometer which had people in Dutch garb and, based on the atmospheric pressure one or the other would come out of the door to predict "fair" or "stormy" weather.

 

My grandparents had the same kind of thing.  One door had Hansel and Gretel, and the other door had a witch.  The witch came out when storms were on the way.  I'm sorry that disappeared -- it was such a favorite of mine when I stayed at their farm.

 

Something like this, but the witch looked more evil in my memory:

 

 

Edit:  Top of the page.

Since it's evening here, how about joining me in a big bowl of chocolate chip ice cream!

 

York1 John       

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Posted by howmus on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 6:40 PM

NorthBrit
Not directly

Photos by my son....  Donnington Castle it says on the name of the photos.  One of those places I would like to visit if I ever actually decide to get over to visit......

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by howmus on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 6:35 PM

Track fiddler
Close enough, but Gotcha Ray. I'll add that correction to my railroad log.

LOL!!!  Sorry....  Just couldn't resist! Whistling

Since my Model Railroad is the SLO&W, I do have a Shay on the layout pulling a long string of log cars.....

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 6:28 PM

Potties on Parade:

 There's A Prototype For Everything! by David Blazejewski, on Flickr

I half-expect a pink or blue Dutch character to pop out of one of the doors here. I seem to recall as a child, my grandmother had a thermometer which had people in Dutch garb and, based on the atmospheric pressure one or the other would come out of the door to predict "fair" or "stormy" weather.

So if its scenery you want...

 Royal Gorge by Mike Danneman, on Flickr

Lots of Hydrocal there!

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 6:22 PM

howmus

Yep!  The world is a beautiful place!  Let's see if NorthBrit (David) recognizes this?

one more....

73

 

 

Not directly, but the first picture looks like Bastle.   They can be found around Northumberland.

The second picture I would like to think was looking down towards the River North Tyne.

Most probably wrong on both, but thanks for posting.

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 5:58 PM

howmus
(Uh......, that is Climax.... Not a Shay!)

Maybe Cousin Vinnie needs to sing a song and become the disinformation czar.

Haven't felt like coming to the diner to say anything.  My 94 yo mom died last Monday after a long battle with Alzheimers.  Nothing acute, she just died. 

She had a trust, actually two trusts because Maryland used to tax estates over $1mil.  When I had my estate plan drawn up 10 years ago and revised this year, two different lawyers insisted they needed to see her plan.  Neither volunteered that they saw anything wrong with it. 

Now that she has passed, a third lawyer "doesn't understand it" and says it is "internally conflicted." Great. I am an only child so there will be no sibling wars.  I just want to pass it directly, without going through my possession, to my sons, who are not mentioned in the estate. 

I have a meeting in 2 weeks, with a 4th lawyer, the successor of the original lawyer.   I'm going to have my questions ready.

As I said a couple years ago, attend to your estate plan.  A friend of mine lived with a man (also a friend and former colleague) for 20 years and his daughter by another woman got everything.

 

Henry

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 5:56 PM

Close enough, but Gotcha Ray.  I'll add that correction to my railroad log.

Recognized those pictures you posted.  By the way, did you happen to get top of the page?

 

TF

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Posted by howmus on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 5:51 PM

Hmmmm.....  Pssst!  TF....  (Uh......, that is Climax....  Not a Shay!)

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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