D.D. & C. S. (Same folks just a brand new coffee shop--everyone welcome)

[JoeKoh]

morning

thanks for the breakfast.matts slow to wake up this morning.might still leave him and his cousin lucy with the monkeys at the zoo.

stay safe

joe

[cherokee woman]

Good Thursday morning, all.  Turned out to be a nice afternoon yesterday.  The rain left our area, and I managed to get most of my errands done.  Still need to pick up my medicine though.  But that will have to wait until after 9 a.m., when the pharmacy opens.

Coffee is ready, juice is made, and there is hot chocolate and hot tea available, also.

On the warmer bar, you will find:  turkey bacon, sausage, sausage gravy and homemade buttermilk biscuits, oatmeal and toast.  

Sure do hope the rigamaroll dies down, and things get back to normal around here.  This place just doesn't seem right, without  Mookie in here. 

Everyone have a good day, and talk with you later.

Message From:
The Cook

[edblysard]

I think Mookie and Tina were looking for one of these a while back...

 

[edblysard]

Right down the street from North Yard...they could see some of the flames from the tower...had a softball game tonight, so didn't get to see the 10 o'clock news, but 2 firefighters were injured...will know more tomorrow morning.

I see Ed's neck of the woods is in the national news tonight- big office fire in Houston.

[JoeKoh]

wow better check the news.matt and i had a good time.some odot workers had their hands full.they were taking the portable roadwork signs in the truck and mother nature decided to blow them across some fields.guess the road got fixed after we went by.were people fishing in the river for walleye today. no thanks but to each their own.thanks for supper CW.

stay safe

Joe

[spokyone]

I think I will take a tuna salad sandwich, with fries...a double order of fries...and some sweet tea.

No rain...*sigh* it's bone dry here, and we need some moisture. We need the weather machine back! 

Duff. I was down your way last week and enjoyed the nice weather. It was sunny and low 80's on the beach in Key West with a nice breeze. Ft. Lauderdale got 1 inch rain in some places Saturday morning. Barbara and I stayed a couple of days in Ft. Pierce, again sunny, warm and windy. Nice surf and caught some rays. We hit some rain this morning in Springfield. I agree, you need lots of rain there. How are y'all doing this days?
  Not too many trains went by where we were.

[blhanel]

I see Ed's neck of the woods is in the national news tonight- big office fire in Houston.

[NightrainAFD1987]

I think I will take a tuna salad sandwich, with fries...a double order of fries...and some sweet tea.

No rain...*sigh* it's bone dry here, and we need some moisture. We need the weather machine back! 

[blhanel]

I'll take a ham salad sandwich please-

All of the conflict and hurt feelings/egos on the forum lately has me doing my best to keep a low profile, which has one bad side effect- I keep having to pick the eggshells out of the soles of my feet every night.

[cherokee woman]

I've got lunch ready for you all now.  In the cooler, you will find:  BLTs, tuna salad sandwiches, ham salad sandwiches, PB&J sandwiches, and on the warmer bar is fries and onion rings.  

Have to go pick up my medicine (had to have two of the four prescriptions refilled), so will try to dodge rain drops on my walk there and back.  

Message From:
The Cook

[NightrainAFD1987]

CopCarSS, I can understand where Bergie is coming from, me being a musician. If someone asked me to perform for them, I did a piece, and all I got was a "Yawn" in response, it would feel like I got smacked in the face. So I can relate

Now that we got all that off our chests, I suggest we move on...to lunch, ......Me? I am undecided Blah I guess a bowl of cereal, and orange juice for now. I am feeling rather, uninspired

Bring some rain our way, we need some of it! I looks like it might rain, but usually it likes to tease us

[Willy2]

I hope Mookie comes back soon. There's no need to hide.

Quiet weather today with highs in the 70s, then severe storms and heavy rain Thursday through Friday. Up to two inches of rain are possible, so it's going to get exciting.

[Modelcar]

....Chris:  From my nonprofessonal photogapher eyes, I like the composition and "color" tones and clarity of your Winter rural scene.

[Modelcar]

.....A bit of off and on rain here in central Indiana this morning.  Yesterday we had a beautiful day....more like it would be in May or June. 

Reached 80 here and lots of sunshine.  After our tractor was serviced yesterday morning I did the honors of my first mowing for the season.  Really looks nice and green and thick.

Spring is a beautiful time of the year, and my favorite.  Leaves and some blossoms adding to the beauty now.

Everyone have a good day.

[CopCarSS]

Ed,

I think you're right about it being Mike and Erik's hobby, and that they choose to share it with us bi-weekly. Still, coming from a photographer's perspective, I also can understand the efforts that go into making a photograph, rather than taking a snapshot.

I guess part of me automatically rallies to Erik's defense since I had a similar experience recently. I posted this shot on one of my photographic forums:

and got the following post:

"Ordinary. Dull B/W conversion. Should've been done in color."

That bugged me a little bit for several reasons:

1. Maybe it is ordinary. It was taken at Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is one of the few trails that has virtually no vertical relief, so it sees a lot of visitors. Still, I tried to change it up a little bit by wading into the creek to add the tree limbs as a foreground to add interest to the shot.
2. This was taken before the sun was even up (it's an 8 second exposure). So that means I was up way before dawn with a wind chill around 15ºF or so. I had to carry my equipment in. While this isn't a huge deal, since it was my digital stuff, it would have irked me mroe had I taken my new Large Format gear out with me.
3. I spent a lot of time on the B&W conversion on this one. Generally speaking, I really dislike the look of B&W images converted from digital shots. Every once in awhile I do like one. This is one of those examples. I guess the image does lack a little "punch," which is probably the reason that he called it "dull." Still, I think it does well as a B&W shot. There's a good full range of tones (all the way from the blacks of the shadows in the water to the white of the snow on the peaks with a lot of variety in the grey tones between them).
4. When I took the time to process and post the color version, he didn't bother to comment on it.

Still, while his comment did bug me, at least it did contain some information why he didn't like it. Had I received "yawn.." as a comment, I'm pretty sure I would have been much more bothered. While it is a hobby (and one that I enjoy tremendously), it is a little frustrating to know that one's hard work garners nothing more than a "yawn."

I guess one has to be somewhat thick-skinned in order to post stuff for critique. Quite honestly, I doubt I could do the Trackside competition every other week. It annoys me to no end that virtually half of the responses are "I voted for Mike/Erik because I like Railroad X." I don't think this is supposed to be a popularity competition, but rather a competition on the aesthetics of the photos presented. At least Mookie voiced her displeasure with the aesthetics of the shots, rather than the railroads involved.

I guess it's all just a matter of perspective. Just my again. Back into the closet.

[JoeKoh]

morning

alot cooler here than it has been this morning.not sure what matt and I will be up to today.he is still sleeping in.here is mokies coffee mug for when she comes in.

stay safe

Joe

[cherokee woman]

Good Wednesday morning, all!  Well, woke up to a thunderstorm at 6.  So waited until now to go online.  Didn't want any more computer DSL modem problems!!  They have reported a few rain related accidents this morning, two of them, each with a fatality.  As a matter of fact, one of the accidents has I-65 shut down on a good stretch of the interstate.  Traffic isn't going anywhere for awhile, since it's so backed up, they can't back up and get off on a side street.

Coffee is on, juice is freshly made, and there is also hot chocolate and hot and iced tea available this morning.

On the warmer bar, you will find the usual breakfast items, so help yourself to whatever you want on it.

Sure to hope we see Mookie back in today.  Really did miss her in here yesterday.  Everyone take care, and have a good day, and try to stay dry and cool, if you can.

Message From:
The Cook

[edblysard]

Joe,

Typical Gulf Coast weather today...thunderstorms at 6am, then blazing sunlight by 8...got to 83 by 11am.

Around 10, it was raining, with the sun out!

Every other cloud had rain in it...too hot to wear our rain  gear, you sweated inside that and got more wet than just letting it rain on you.

Like working in a steam room, air so think you could cut it with a knife.

Tonight, its a cool 70, dried out with a north breeze...we dont really listen to the weather forcasters down here, after all, they do the same thing we do, just before they go on the air...they poke their head out the window, take a look at the sky, then just tell us what it looks like, right now!

Duff can tell you about how fast a gulf born thunderstorm can show up, and how fast they vanish.

[JoeKoh]

hope everyone is enjoying the popcorn tonight. matt is tuckered out and went right to sleep when we came home. mother nature was putting on a light show to our north so we will see what tommorrow brings.

stay safe

Joe

[NightrainAFD1987]

Chris,

While I see you point, I don't think Erik or Mike go trackside exclusively for the forums benefit...the other way around seems more like it, in that we benefit from their hobby.

Both are avid photographers, Mike has quite a neat train photo website, Erik has a cool blog on his new "old home" and the trials of fixing up a 100 year old home.

They share their train photography hobby with us through the "Trackside" section.

Both photos posted this time around were "dug" up from leftovers, not purpose shot for the contest.

As for Bergie's response...isn't he supposed to be impartial?

After all, he is the moderator here, so his likes and dislikes shouldn't have any bearing on things, yet...

 

Had I found myself in his position, where I was asking for feedback, and someone posted "yawn"...I hope I would refrain from biting that person, and instead would post something along the lines of questioning them as to why it elicited a yawn.

 

Frankly, I expected a much better reply from him.

I think I will just write it off to a hard week of house repair on his part.

Knowing Mookie, I'm sure she didn't. I'm just saying that I can completely see Bergie's perspective, and I don't think his reaction was out of line at all.

Edit: BTW, Chad, forgot to mention your shots. Looking good! I especially liked the first two UP shots.

So are you starting to figure out that bugger? I love my Pentax, and especially the lenses I've collected for it so far. Still, I miss the "look" that the D60 gave me. Canon has made some nice improvements in that line of bodies over the past few years, but if I were a Canon owner, the only way I'd upgrade the body is if the price of a full frame body dropped below $2K.

Anyways, looking forward to see what else you post with that thing.

 

Agreed he could have been a little more dignified in his response, but at the same time I can see where he is coming from. I would want to know why I got a “Yawn” for  feedback, but I would possibly ask why in fact this person would have yawned. More explanation would have been appreciated. At the same time I would understand that he may have had other things on his mind, and that remark kind made him defensive, in a sort..

Just saying I understand Bergie’s point of view in his response, but he again could have been a little civil about the delivery
 

[edblysard]

Chris,

While I see you point, I don't think Erik or Mike go trackside exclusively for the forums benefit...the other way around seems more like it, in that we benefit from their hobby.

Both are avid photographers, Mike has quite a neat train photo website, Erik has a cool blog on his new "old home" and the trials of fixing up a 100 year old home.

They share their train photography hobby with us through the "Trackside" section.

Both photos posted this time around were "dug" up from leftovers, not purpose shot for the contest.

As for Bergie's response...isn't he supposed to be impartial?

After all, he is the moderator here, so his likes and dislikes shouldn't have any bearing on things, yet...

 

Had I found myself in his position, where I was asking for feedback, and someone posted "yawn"...I hope I would refrain from biting that person, and instead would post something along the lines of questioning them as to why it elicited a yawn.

 

Frankly, I expected a much better reply from him.

I think I will just write it off to a hard week of house repair on his part.

Knowing Mookie, I'm sure she didn't. I'm just saying that I can completely see Bergie's perspective, and I don't think his reaction was out of line at all.

Edit: BTW, Chad, forgot to mention your shots. Looking good! I especially liked the first two UP shots.

So are you starting to figure out that bugger? I love my Pentax, and especially the lenses I've collected for it so far. Still, I miss the "look" that the D60 gave me. Canon has made some nice improvements in that line of bodies over the past few years, but if I were a Canon owner, the only way I'd upgrade the body is if the price of a full frame body dropped below $2K.

Anyways, looking forward to see what else you post with that thing.

[NightrainAFD1987]

<p>Duff</p><p>did I ever mention the first one comes when it wants the rest take 9 months??? didnt know if I did or not.</p><p>CW thanks for the supper.matt says thanks for the chocolate milk.the rain stopped this afternoon so we were able to go outside and fix up the deck.I hinged up a new piece of lattace and put hooks on the bottom so now in the fall i can just lift it up and use the leaf blower to blow out all the stuff underneath.Matt and i are going to go swimming later.as for tommorow we will see what happens.we will have popcorn and lemonade ready about 9:30 for late night snackers.</p><p>stay safe</p><p>joe</p>

LOL I was wondering how that worked….*debates on having another one later*

Dinner sounds great! I will have mine with cranberry juice this time

[Railfan1]

[cherokee woman]

Joe, you're welcome!! 

I've got more roast, taters & carrots on the warmer bar, along with corn, cornbread & beef gravy.

Also have three apple pies and two apple crisps for dessert tonight.  And there's plenty of ice cream, to have with the pie or the crisp.

Fill your plates, and, if you'd like, head on out to the patio, and enjoy the trains going by while you eat.  Looks like another perfect evening, to do that!!

They're now saying that the rain will begin here somewhere around 5 a.m.  It was supposed to arrive in the early afternoon, but is holding off, apparently.  And that suits me just fine, for the time being, anyway.

Anybody heard from Ray today?!?!  Haven't seen him around today, since he posted on  "This Day in Railroad History" this morning.

Message From:
The Cook

 

[JoeKoh]

Duff

did I ever mention the first one comes when it wants the rest take 9 months??? didnt know if I did or not.

CW thanks for the supper.matt says thanks for the chocolate milk.the rain stopped this afternoon so we were able to go outside and fix up the deck.I hinged up a new piece of lattace and put hooks on the bottom so now in the fall i can just lift it up and use the leaf blower to blow out all the stuff underneath.Matt and i are going to go swimming later.as for tommorow we will see what happens.we will have popcorn and lemonade ready about 9:30 for late night snackers.

stay safe

joe

[NightrainAFD1987]

Not to be mean or start any riots here, but I do agree with what Bergie’s response was…That’s just my two cents worth

Bacon, Cheddar melt with lots of fries for now, that sounds great. With a large glass of sweet tea. Sorry no one came in last night CW, My excuse….I had a breastfeeding class last night. I have classes every Monday night for either childbirth, child safety, post pardon child care, and breastfeeding, and I only have two more left. I will try to make at least an effort to stop by tonight though. Possibly pitch in if I am needed.

It’s a nice muggy warm Florida spring day. Great time for me and my husband to go outside and cut down some trees….thin out the backyard. Hey I am supposed to exercise right?…Don’t worry I don’t pick anything up, just use a handsaw to cut small limbs off of them. I promise I won’t hurt Sadie. I have to admit I am a workaholic and it’s driving me nuts that I can’t work now…under the advice of my husband when we found out originally I was pregnant. Next kid I have I will stay at work though, since I can handle it better than most women I have seen.

[CopCarSS]

Knowing Mookie, I'm sure she didn't. I'm just saying that I can completely see Bergie's perspective, and I don't think his reaction was out of line at all.

Edit: BTW, Chad, forgot to mention your shots. Looking good! I especially liked the first two UP shots.

So are you starting to figure out that bugger? I love my Pentax, and especially the lenses I've collected for it so far. Still, I miss the "look" that the D60 gave me. Canon has made some nice improvements in that line of bodies over the past few years, but if I were a Canon owner, the only way I'd upgrade the body is if the price of a full frame body dropped below $2K.

Anyways, looking forward to see what else you post with that thing.

[Willy2]

After taking a quick look at the Trackside thread, it appears that Bergie is a tad touchy today...

I don't think he was touchy. I think it was an honest reaction and well-founded. Bergie and Mike take time from their schedules to go trackside, take pictures, and post them for all of us to comment on. I don't think he's arguing with Mook's disapproval. I think it's more about the fact that she didn't elaborate why she didn't like it.

Considering the work that goes into a shot, I think it would've been fair to offer a little more constructive criticism rather than just posting "Yawn." Even non-photographers can offer thoughts on the aesthetics of a shot. Maybe it's the inability to post emotions effectively on a forum, but "Yawn" seems more than a little rude to me.

If it had been my shot, I think I would've packed up and headed off to other realms where I could at least get some insight as to why a viewer didn't like it. It's probably good that it was Bergie that posted it.

Just my 1/50th of a dollar. I'll be headed back into the closet, or wherever it was I came from.

Fair enough... Thinking about it, I probably would have had the same reaction. Still though, I don't think Mookie meant any harm.

[CopCarSS]

After taking a quick look at the Trackside thread, it appears that Bergie is a tad touchy today...

I don't think he was touchy. I think it was an honest reaction and well-founded. Bergie and Mike take time from their schedules to go trackside, take pictures, and post them for all of us to comment on. I don't think he's arguing with Mook's disapproval. I think it's more about the fact that she didn't elaborate why she didn't like it.

Considering the work that goes into a shot, I think it would've been fair to offer a little more constructive criticism rather than just posting "Yawn." Even non-photographers can offer thoughts on the aesthetics of a shot. Maybe it's the inability to post emotions effectively on a forum, but "Yawn" seems more than a little rude to me.

If it had been my shot, I think I would've packed up and headed off to other realms where I could at least get some insight as to why a viewer didn't like it. It's probably good that it was Bergie that posted it.

Just my 1/50th of a dollar. I'll be headed back into the closet, or wherever it was I came from.

[Willy2]

After taking a quick look at the Trackside thread, it appears that Bergie is a tad touchy today...

Not exactly a beautiful day here. Clouds, cool, and showers moving in a little later. Not all days can be like the past few.