afternoon
work is done.Ns was clear when I left work.Working on projects around the house.(where does that list end??) Mother nature sent us a shower.Will mow the swamp tomorrow morning.Mamma and Matt are playing cards at G+G house.I told Matt not to cheat.
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
Carl, I noticed a similar increase in passengers on my line. I usually catch the 5:18 out of CUS on the Southwest Service. The consist usually arrives at the platform on an inbound run at 5:04 with about 20-25 passengers in the one working car. Yesterday, it arrived at about 5:10 with around 80+ passengers. And we still departed on time.
evening
ns had an eastbound when I left work.Matt and I went into town.Csx had 2 eastbounds waiting back to back at FC.A westbound stack train came by as we left.Stopped in an Ice cream place because when you bought ice cream they donated proceeds to Children's miracle network.Going to go enjoy our treat for hard work finished.Glad tomorrow is Friday.
Joe
ps got our new "Trains" to ponder over as well.
Retirment is not easy, Larry...doesn't help when advancing age gets in the way. I thought I had things all figured out, but sh...tuff happens. (I'll bet you wish about now that the dog was a dalmatian!)This week, for example: medical appointents Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday was for mowing the lawn. That leaves Thursday for train-watching. That was today.Just a couple of drawbacks...the weather called for scattered thunderstorms. It wasn't raining when I walked to the station, or when I got off the train in Elmhurst, but it started up soon afterwards. I later went east to Oak Park, then came back west to Elmhurst, before returning home. I was able to dodge most of the storms, and had my umbrella available for when the rain was heavy enough.Second...it's Lollapalooza weekend in Chicago. That means that all morning the inbound scoots were packed, and the crowds will continue well into the evening. Oh, yes...this evening also holds a game between the Cubs and the White Sox at Wrigley Field (last game of a four-game series). The agency at Elmhurst is staying open until suppertime tonight, later in the afternoon tomorrow, and has Saturday and Sunday hours as well.Anyway, my train was late into Lombard, due to accommodating passengers. It pulled up to the point where the first three cars--presumably full--were off the platform. I remained in the vestibule as about 50 or more other passengers searched for seats. There was a goodly crowd waiting to board at Villa Park, too, and Elmhurst had to have had well over 100 people wanting to get on an already-crowded train. I got off, ready to forego the trip into East Proviso...I mean, Oak Park. One reassuring sign was an empty westbound scoot consist going through Elmhurst without stopping--I suspected that I'd see this one coming east again, and soon.An hour later, the next inbound scoot was running late due to accommodating boarding passengers. And there were long lines in Elmhurst--at the ticket window, at the bathroom door, and on the platform. The announcement was then made the inbound scoot was filled to capacity, and would be expressing from Lombard in to Chicago (this was later changed to omit the Lombard stop as well, and express from Glen Ellyn). It would be followed by an extra scoot to pick the rest of the people up.Before too long the original scoot came through, and I got a very good impression of what "filled to capacity" meant...the vestibules were packed, people were standing in the aisles, and many of the seats had more than two people in them. This train had crossed over in Lombard, and went through Elmhurst on Track 2, staying away from the platform. I decided to board the extra scoot, in spite of there being a lot of other people with the same idea. Most people were standing by the station, which became more crowded when the rain began to fall. I was up to where I could board toward the front of the train. I shared my umbrella with an appreciative young lady (I'd surmised that she also was not going to Lollapalooza, since she wasn't dressed like a lot of the folks). This worked until the rain came down too hard, and we moved under the canopy to wait with the crowds. When the train came, I walked her to a coach of her choice, then moved on to the lead car, which was--surprisingly--nearly empty.By Oak Park, the rain had stopped, and I got off and went to lunch (there were Five Guys that I had an appointment with, but I only ever saw three of them). The fact that the train I'd gotten off was not on a regular schedule meant that I had plenty of time for lunch, instead of having to bring my food back to the platform to catch the next scoot. I saw an eastbound manifest freight before I got back to the platform (I'd have been up there for more of it had it not been for a cute little guy in a stroller who'd waved back to me!). And when I'd gotten to the proper platform, it was gently raining again...not quite hard enough for the umbrella.We got to Elmhurst in time to see another crowd of Lollapalooza guests get onto an already-crowded train for the city. It was still raining, but I was able to get in a walk to the store and back. And, as the signals and lack of headlights were telling me, it wasn't worth lingering much longer, so I caught the next scoot to Lombard. When our train got to Villa Park, the skies unloaded again. At Lombard, I took note of the rooftop dining my favorite local eatery is putting in (not sure yet whether it will offer me any advantages in train-watching), then went to the drug store for my surgical stuff (the rough equivalent of a mom-to-be packing a bag for the trip to the hospital). Pat picked me up from there, and now (well, soon!) I'm working on some of the neat sightings I got today.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
MookieWhat is her handle?
Zoe.
Just as black as night, and a character to boot.
Should be an interesting week.
But she's been here before.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68I'll be watching my daughters's standard poodle next week.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
No rest for the weary department:
Been trying to get my truck inspected. It failed on a tire and the emergency brakes. Got the new tire today. Going in tomorrow morning for the brakes.
Tomorrow afternoon it's a trip to the daughter's house to pick up their dog, which I'm sitting for the next 10 days. That trip will include supper out - they head out on their vacation Saturday.
But wait! There's more! Just got a phone call from one of our chiefs. Seems the local TV station saw a picture of our old fire engine with said chief's son riding along on FB. He's about 5 and a huge fire buff.
So, between the work on my truck, and the trip for the dog, I get to do a TV interview and show off the truck.
Who says retirement is easy?
eastbound frieght and westbound stacker when I left work.work still busy.Maybe rain on Friday according to the guessers.Chores to do.
CShaveRROne has to remember that poodles can be large dogs, too.
I'll be watching my daughters's standard poodle next week. She's a real character. All black. Her predecessor was named "Rosie" and did have a pinkish tinge to her coat.
Got back from my vacation late last week on Amtrak's Northern Rail Experience package. It was really nice except that an extra day in Seattle would have been appreciated. Our hotel in San Francisco was near Fisherman's Wharf at the turnaround for the historic trolley route (F line). It was pleasant to watch and photograph PCC cars from my window.
MS,
DOGs, they're great as long as they belong to someone else, kind of like grand children, at some point it's nice to see them go home.
mudchickenWas he drinking some of that Hugo, CO funny water? Shoulda left the D9H mudCAT outside.
Wow! That's almost out of the early part of "Junior Bonner" where the dozer plows down JR's boyhood home. One interesting scene in that movie with Steve McQueen and Robert Preston couldn't be shot today, sadly enough.
We saw an interesting mutt yesterday or the day before: a mixed poodle and golden retriever. It looked like a retriever, and had the curliest, palest gold fur you ever saw! It was just a puppy, according to the owner, but was probably going to be the size of the retriever. One has to remember that poodles can be large dogs, too. This one had a very friendly disposition.
More consultations tomorrow, with the surgeon's go-to gal (my advocate, or as close as I'll get to having one).No trains for the past couple of days...trying to get a report finished, and also did the lawn today (kind of warm, but this is what was available this week).
CShaveRR Big problem there, Balt...your bulls were awake. MC's bull was dozing.
Big problem there, Balt...your bulls were awake. MC's bull was dozing.
I'm not much of a dog person, but I'm generally ok with them. Standard poodles however, kind of scare me. Dress them like bellhops and put wings on them and you have those scary winged monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
10 days of just poodlin' around!
Annual vehicle inspection got expensive in a hurry - emergency brake needs work and one tire is tired. I know the brake might need attention - the tire was a surprise.
Checked on getting a replacement for the tire and found out that the model I have on the truck has been discontinued, so I'll have a mismatched shoe on the old girl.
At least they didn't outright condemn the truck (not that they can - they can just fail me on the inspection, which they did). Back to the dealer on Friday to get things fixed up.
After that, it's time for a trip south to pick up my charge for the next 10 days - the daughter's standard poodle.
work busy.Ns had an autorack train waiting to go west.chores to do.
Lawn still dead. Even the weeds are suffering. Flowers doing OK with watering.
High today near 90...
County road crew busy across from the house putting in drainage system for the reworking of the road. Still waiting on power company to move a pole.
Lawn busy. Temps were supposed to moderate. Sky was clear when I started. Chores still to do, inside and out.
work busy.Temps are going to moderate according to the guessers.Ns was clear when I left work.Chores to do.
Ah, what a wonderful sound - rain on the metal roof! Haven't heard that in a month!
And it's a gentle rain, for the moment - so maybe it'll soak in!
Our grass is a pretty uniform brown these days (except the weeds, and even they are struggling).
csx was jammed up this morning.Had an L 324 working in the yard.Csx had NS,UP,BNSF and CP power too.Looks like mother nature is going to give us some more rain.
hot here in Nw Ohio.Matt and I were busy this morning and got the weeds mowed.He is over at in laws helping and keeping little cousins entertained.Told them I would be back later to borrow their pond to cool off.Matt said some interesting things might be in the CSX yard too.On a sad note praying for a young ladies family.They found the kiddnapper.Lot's of reports to file.Keep cool.
It could have been some Baltimore bull....
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Even some "cats", muddy or not, like to come in once in awhile!
He gonna have some 'splainin to do.
Norm
Geez - If it wasn't bad enough with self destructing beer trucks raining cans of barleypop down on the freeways below, now we have errant bulldozers crashing into houses...
http://twitter.com/DenverPolice/status/756568978965819392/photo/1
Was he drinking some of that Hugo, CO funny water? Shoulda left the D9H mudCAT outside.
Hot. Muggy. Glad there's a wind blowing...
Weeded out the blueberry bushes. Maybe the lettuce I planted in there will start to show.
Might have enough blueberries by the end of the weekend to garnish my morning bowl of cereal!
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