Good afternoon Spike Drivers and Ballast Tampers,
The weather is most definitely cooling off as earlier it was 70* earlier when I got up which a bit late, about 10:00 Am so it's a pleasant change from the heat which was getting real Old Fast!
Per WU [Weather Underground]
71 F, Feels like 71°. The high will be 77° with a low 57° tonight. A very welcome change especially in the night time temps as there were a couple of nights with temps around 85°! Welcome to Hell!!
Sunny, Wind 4mph WNW, Gusts up to 5.0 mph
Fall is definitely here as the Oaks are starting to shed their leaves as well as starting to drop acorns which is a sure sign of the wet weather and winter. Three days ago we had our first little rain of the season, I measured a whopping .02 of an inch! Hey, it's a start.
I've been feeling fairly well, my Left knee and leg seem to give me a bit of a fit at times, I thing it muscle problems but it seems to want too give out on me now and then but fortunately I'm able to catch myself so I don't fall but it a sharp pain for a moment. Maybe I should see the Chiropracter? Other than that and having a bit of a cough the Dr. said was due to allergies [What, I've never had allergies] I've been feeling fine.
As Sherrel mentioned earlier I've called him on occasion but not as of late as my cell phone battery died and the only place I can get one is from the Manufacturer or possibly from where I bought it in China. Without my cell phone I can't make any long distance calls or access the web with any speed. It's the a rusty Spike alright!
I also noticed that the Tarr weeds are growing profusly and producing little Yellow blossoms. fI hat the stuff, thank God I have my tractor fixed as I'll mow the junk down to keep it in check. Otherwise it spreads like crazy and produces stalks as large as 1/4" Dia. The interesting thing is most everything else is dying from lack of water and this stuff is sprouting like crazy! ?? The Mullen plants are also sprouting.
Afternoon All,
Did some chores inside today (thankfully) because it's a scorcher outside today. The heat index is 98 F with a clear sky and no breeze. I really feel for those still without power. I finally got hold of Jon today, he just got power back but his AC isn't working. He mainly had pool screen damage and a lot of debris in his yard.
I did a test of the bisque color today. It's really close and I did some weathering experiments on it. I took a picture but it just looks white whereas my eye can see the added color so no picture. I redid the pattern for the floor. This time I did it all in one piece, so tomorrow I hope to cut out the styrene I will actually be using. I also ordered all the things I need to make the facility. For the overhead lighting I plan on using copper tape instead of wire for most of it. I have seen several projects that have used this technique, and they have looked nice without all the wire for multiple lights.
CA Dave- I'm glad you're smart enough to find relief (that sounds bad but no insult is intended). Sounds like you are lucky having the casino so close.
I hope everyone has a good night.
Curt: Thanks, yes, I and a bunch of other locals would head over in the afternoon or early evening to beat the heat. Ironically, after being inside the Casino for a couple of hours you find yourself wonder out side to warm up a bit before heading back inside again. It's also great they offer free Pepsi, Lemonade and coffee.
I'm sure glad to hear you and Phil exscaped suffering any major damage. Some areas I saw on the news suffered major damage and loss of life I would imagine, not that I want that to be the case.
Good Morning: 61 degrees here at home. Ran into a snag yesterday and finally ready to leave this morning.
Glad to see Trussrod posting again.
The somewhat cooler weather is nice, but reminds me that Winter is on the way again.
Sherrel: Thanks, it does feel good to be posting again as does the cooler Fall weather. Heck if I keep checking in every couple of days I might become a regular again? As the weather cools off l'm sure I will. I still have plenty to do around the place though but I'll feel more like getting back to working on my layout with the cooler weather. It was way too hot before.
Good morning ...
David Trussrod .... Great to see you again !... Sounds like a bad fire, but it is good to know the railroad there is okay.
I worked on the layout yesterday. I am just beginning to fill a corner with track, structures, and scenery ... First step is a bridge I worked on yesterday.
Garry: Thanks, I appreciate your comment. It's also good to hear your doing more work on your layout. I'll get back on mine too shortly.
Good morning. Looks like
fall is on its way up here. Started off at
51 degrees but the high may get up to only 60. Yesterday afternoon we finally got some showers. Had a few downpours with more rain and even the possibility of snow in the higher elevations. Tomorrows high is only expected to be in the mid
40's.
Trussrod - Was wondering how you were doing. It has been a while. We have been putting up with fires up here for a couple of months. Over a million acres have burned here in Montana alone.
Here's my rails picture for the day.
View attachment 63146
Later
Chet: Thanks too for your concern, basically I feeling fine and all is well as the major fire that started at the Yosemite Mtn. Sugar Pine Railroad and quickly spread North toward Yosemite National Park was fairly well to the North of me by about 17 miles as the crow flys. Interestingly enough though, one evening about 9:00 when I was out front watering the grass I felt a blast of hot air that felt like it was about 115 degrees for about 5 seconds. Welcome to Hell!!
Good Morning again. A bit of a late start today. The local school bus broke down about 500' down the road and I headed down to be nosy! Stayed to watch the wrecker hook up and begin the journey back. A different bus driven by the principal came to get the kids and driver. Giving up on the fall garden this year. The current lack of rain is taking it's toll. No more than I have planted is not worth the effort to irrigate, as the adjoining ground just sucks the moisture away anyway. Not too much worry, as I preserved so much in the spring and early summer that I will have a surplus when things start producing next spring. My usual Thursday morning grocery/beer trip has been postponed until tomorrow since my wife wants to go but has a dental appointment this morning.
Out in the train shed, I planted the remaining stash of trees that I made recently. I have lots of material to make more, but that is my least favorite aspect of modeling. Hope that I remember to take pictures today.
David - Great to see that all is well. That's good news regarding the Yoemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad property. It's also good that you seem to be out of range. Too many of these fires seem to be caused by human intervention.
Everybody have a great day.
Willie
Willie: Thanks for your good thoughts. Yes fortunately everything in my area is ok. Yes it is good to know that the YMSP-RR property is Ok for the most part.
> An excerpt from the Fresno Bee [Fresno is a city approximately 57 miles South of the YMSPRR] and largest city in Central Calif.
The 1928 steam locomotive used to give most train rides, No. 10, was unharmed, along seven other passenger cars, two other locomotives, and the railroad’s buildings. It’s a relief to Blackwell, but he knows danger is still at their doorstep.
The following evening, on Wednesday, the wildfire burned an old locomotive that wasn’t being used, along with a passenger car, snowplow, side dump car and refrigerator car that were attached to it, and more than 200 wooden railroad ties.
Read more here:
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article170972587.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here:
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article170972587.html#storylink=cpy <
Hopefully one of the other locomotives was an older wood cab Shay, I'm not sure of it's number.
In reading through the articles about the YMSPRR I learned that Max Stauffer, who's family owned and operated the Short Line passed away in 2008 which sadden me as I think I had met him when I offered to Oil the universal couplings and oil cups before a train ride which had me do before a train ride around 2003 I think it was?
I don't remember an old Refer on the property when I was there but they had an old stock car if I remember correctly but they could have acquired other equipment since my last visit as 2003 was quite awhile ago.
Continued >