The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!!

[Chief Eagles]

Afternoon.  TV Church.  Being lazy.  Wifey cooking pinto beans and corn bread.  Finally got to 44 in the sun.  Very cold this AM on up to 11:00.  Rain tomorrow.

Got my vaccination appointment for Thursday at 12:30 at WakeMed Main.

Have a great week ahead and stay safe.

PS: forgot.  Tom, I have 2 extenders [1 small one in the house and the biggie in the greenhouse] in order to have 5GHZ all over the house and now the Train Box.  My WIFI and both extenders are password protected.  They are "marked" secure when you look at them.  Neighbors' are marked secure so I can't get into theirs.

[jim currie]

hi all . been some time since  (i posted don't know where the day's go ) sorry to see about Pete's passing never met him but we did exchange some e-mail .
don if you might be willing to go 70 miles to get to a hobby shop you might consider a bit more driving and go to Tucson the hobby shop on 22nd street next to the ace hardware , last time i was there it was still train orientated . they also do online shopping and are well stocked.
Jim

[ezdays]

hi all . been some time since  (i posted don't know where the day's go ) sorry to see about Pete's passing never met him but we did exchange some e-mail .
don if you might be willing to go 70 miles to get to a hobby shop you might consider a bit more driving and go to Tucson the hobby shop on 22nd street next to the ace hardware , last time i was there it was still train orientated . they also do online shopping and are well stocked.
Jim

Thanks Jim, it's been a while since I've been in Tucson, but I know someone besides myself that would like to go visit the air museum and take the boneyard tour there, so if we go, I will take the time to stop by that shop. I mentioned that Obie's was the only shop dedicated to trains in the Phoenix area, but there's also Litchfield Station and Coronado. Litchfield does a lot with DCC, Coronado claims mostly narrow gauge, I've never been to either one.

[FiatFan]

Greetings, gang.

Cloudy and 19 headed for snow and 23. Weather prediction is for anywhere from 3 to 10 inches of snow for today and tonight along with 30 mph winds.

Yesterday was very laid back. Did some minor chores but most of the day was spent watching movies and playing solitaire. Last night I was in bed before 11 and slept until almost 6:30 this morning. No cramp dancing during the night either. Feeling really good right now. Things to do this morning. Need to call to get the roll off picked up and also need to cancel the internet service. Try to get in a Walmart run and even a trip to the gym. Big decision for today will be whether to have a rib in the crock pot or a steak for supper tonight.

All stay safe.

Tom

[tompm]

Good morning folks,

It is 27 out there now. High will 37. They are calling for rain and freezing rain this evening and tomorrow morning. There may be some snow mixed but with only an inch of accumulation. The snow does not bother me, but the ice does.

On Thursday, the wife heard some scratching sounds coming from the eave in our master bathroom and closet. I went out to look and sure enough the facia was pulled off. Friday called the pest control company. Just like us he suspected squirrels. He looked and did not see anything in the eave, so he sealed it up.

Saturday slept in late and had to make a run to PetSmart for prescription dog food and to CVS to pick up syringes for the dog. He has diabetes. Sunday was doing laundry and giving the range top and hood a heavy cleaning.

No modeling for show this weekend. Everything was behind the scenes. My son and I went over the track plan for the layout remake. I took an inventory of what track I had and compared it to what we need. I have about 90% of the track but no switches. I spent Saturday evening trying to track down Code 100 #4, #6, and #8 turnouts. I had to make four separate orders for about half of what is needed. After seeing what was available and prices decided to do one track loop with all needed turnouts. This way I can run trains and expand as I get more materials.

I looked over how I am going to expand the width of the layout. I figured out what lumber I need and how much along with pink foam boards. I need to head over the Home Depot this week and buy it.

Several Model Railroader books on trackside industries arrived over the weekend. I read the one titled, “Milk Trains and Traffic.” It was very informative read. We are going to need to change a few things on the new layout. I have the Walthers Brook Hill Dairy and now we know better where to place it. I will need a couple of milk platforms. This also boasts the need for a team track or two in the city section. I now have a possible operations scheme to work with some night.

The other books I got are “Guide to Industries: Livestock & Meatpacking,” “Produce Trains and Traffic,” “Express, Mail & Merchandise Service,” and “The Model Railroaders Guide to Grain.” To help with the construction of the layout I also got “Modeling Cities and Towns,” and “Space-Saving Industries for your Layout.”

Today is putting the last of the Christmas decorations in the attic and continuing the battle with the laundry. I need to stop by the pharmacy and grab a prescription and a few OTC items. I am hoping my daughter can run me over to Home Depot this evening. The lumber I need will not fit in my car.

I hope everybody has a good day.

[ezdays]

Good morning all, wet and cold here. Not a lot of rain, not quite one inch total since it started last week, but more to come. I think the temps dropped about 100 degrees in two minutes yesterday, landed somewhere below sub-freezing, or it seemed that way. They even had hail in parts of the area.

Something about auctions that always amazes me. Folks don't know when to stop. I quit bidding on three different lots of ammo because the current bids are well above retail, especially when you factor in the buyer's premium and possibly shipping. I used to go to local auctions a lot, and found that true back then as well. I think people get carried away, think that if it's worth so much to someone else, it must be worth a bit more for them to get it, or have no idea what the item is really worth. I remember a guy bidding up an item and after he won, he went to the guy he was bidding against and asked him what the item did. He had no clue what he just bought...

Have been working out in the garage, but not today, way too cold and damp. I just built a small stand to hold my tools and things when I'm building something for my layout, just to keep the clutter off my table. I'll wait until it warms up before I go paint it.

[Chief Eagles]

46 and rainy. Now guessers say not as much rain as earlier guessed.


Cooked stuffed sausage butterflied and biscuits. Cleaned kitchen and especially the gas range top. Sat in den with Wifey and watched news and the All Creatures Great and Small DVR's from PBS. Now to get moving and do nothing. Work tomorrow.

On the vaccine side. Now since I have Thursday appointment with WakeMed, State and County are trying to set me up. Interesting. BTW: Friend Fred is not interested in getting it. 

[sir james]

Hello Blue
Winter is here, not bad so far. Pesky snow falls every day or two. The snow melts and then another comes along.
Got my first China virus shot last Friday and the second is on 2/12. No toy train news, we have had a couple Zoom meets though.
S.J.

[ezdays]

Good morning everyone, yeah, winter is indeed here. No only did it rain most of yesterday, but the temps suddenly dropped into the 40's and we got hail. Not a lot here, but the news showed an aerial shot of a golf course covered like it snowed, and that's a possibility as well, snow just to the north edge of the valley. We've got over an inch of rain so far with yet another storm on it's way.

I lost out on my auction bids for two lots of ammo when they both went for higher than retail. The third lot still has over a week to go and it too is already over retail, just that it's about 60 years old and probably will resell as antique ammo at a profit. Not my thing, if I bought it, I'd shoot it. Ammo, like fine wine, doesn't go bad unless it gets wet along the way.

My Walther's order status is still, "picking". I would think that five days is enough time to find four items in their vast warehouse, but I'm sure the picker is really giving it their all....

[Chief Eagles]

43 and light rain which is moving out.  Off to work for the County.

[FiatFan]

Greetings, gang.

16 and light snow at the moment. Got about 8-9 inches of snow overnight. High for today should be not much different from the current temperature. Fortunately at the moment at least there's not much wind.

Walmart trip yesterday morning went well. After that I went to the gym. Not as recovered from the weekend as I thought. Normally I walk 15 laps as a warmup. Then workout and use an elliptical or treadmill. Yesterday I got through the first 7 laps and called it a day. Came home and goofed off the rest of the day. I did get my son's internet cancelled. When I called the service rep wanted to know the name of the funeral home so she could verify his death. Just sad that she had to do that.

Not much on the agenda for today other than shoveling snow.

All stay safe.

Tom

[Charlie B]

Good morning 

       I woke up stiff as a board this morning. I had a heck of a time even getting out of bed. I took some ibprouphen however it's spelled, and a cup of coffee and it is easing.
        Fellow on FB has a Q2 for sale. I want one but not for the price he wants. His is a Paragon 2 and he is asking the price of a Paragon 3 and retail price at that. 

        Tom, something similar to your experience with the cable co.  3 years ago our 48 year old single son was in a motorcycle wreck and we didn't expect him to live. He was in a coma at the trauma unit at a local hospital.  I called to see if his motorcycle payment was current so I could keep it up to date. They would not even talk to me.  I told them that the bike had been totaled and that they could mark the account that the insurance would contact them.  We called the insurance company to let them know what happened and within an hour they were at the shop where the bike was stored, checked it out and totaled it. Then they called us to ask about his helmet and his Kevlar jacket which was also destroyed and told us they would cover them too. The boy made a complete recovery without any brain damage, or need for plastic surgery. I guess different companies have different policies.  

          It's quiet here today, the new furkid is at the vet for the dreaded snip. Usually they come home in the evening but "DUE TO COVID 19" they keep him over night.  (That is a state mandated thing). I realize the virus is dangerous but I am sick of calling places and the machines first words are ue to Covid 19.  What really comes next in most cases is how valued you are so please stay on the line, which translates to "we can blame poor service on covid." How can the covid rate be less than one percent when the poor service rate is about 25 percent? 

         Rain now but it was freezing a little earlier. 
       
         Back to scanning family photos....fun fun
Charlie

[tompm]

Good morning folks,

It is 32 at the moment. High is supposed to be 37. We are still under a winter weather advisory until 1 PM. They were calling for freezing rain, snow, and rain. My wife’s school district called for a two-hour delay in anticipation of slippery roads this morning. We got our firs drops of rain about a half hour ago. Another great call by the weather misforecasters.

The wife and I went to the cemetery to see about getting a Veterans’ medallion added to her father’s grave marker. Once the lady at the office realized we wanted the medallion and not the full-size VA provided marker, which the cemetery would charge $842 to install in a marble base she wanted nothing to do with us. She told my wife since my father-in-law did not buy the marker through them; they wouldn’t even put his death date on the marker. She said we had to contact the company he bought the marker from. She was very unprofessional. First time I have been at a cemetery office or funeral home where the person you are meeting did not walk you to the door on your way out. I don’t even remember her saying “good-bye,” or “have a nice day.”

We hate this cemetery. It is not well maintained. We have had problems in the past with her parents and grandparents’ graves. They broke the marker on her grandparents’ grave and lost the vases that go with the grave markers. People walk their dogs in the cemetery and let them do their business on or near the graves. We witnessed this several times yesterday. Luckily my wife’s parents’ and grandparents’ graves are not near the road.

One very chilling thing we saw as we drove through the cemetery. There were twelve fresh graves and four marked for opening. I have never seen so many at one time in any cemetery.

Sorry for the rant.

I did run some trains last evening. I am hoping to get to Home Depot tonight to get the lumber I need and perhaps the foam board.

I have to make a run to the produce store and the grocery shortly.

I hope everybody has a good day.

[BR60103]

We started to get weather today. It was just beginning the main snow when I went out to bring the bins in. In the afternoon we drove out to get mail (SWMBO didnt want us walking). They had plowed our driveway by then (big piles in middle of street). We did a little tour to get the car warmed up and saw one fellow at the other end of the Village hand re-shovelling his driveway.

[ezdays]

Good morning all, we're taking a few day break from the rain before another storm comes in on Friday. We've postponed our shooting date for a couple of weeks until it dries out since there's yet another storm on it's way for next week. The "road" there is full of ruts and stays muddy for a long time after a rain. Don't know if it snowed anywhere close, it was suppose to, but I'm still not watching the TV news nearly as much as I did just a few months ago so I miss things like that. Finding lots of old TV shows as substitutes, some dating back to the 50's and 60's, many in B&W. Fun to watch and a lot less stressful, especially when you know that the hero will beat up 10 thugs, get out just as the building explodes and winds up with at least one pretty girl on his arm as they sip champagne.

Today I get my vaccine shot, but not where I thought. Got an email from one of my doctor's groups saying I could schedule both shots if I go to my portal. Getting the second shot from the county is proving difficult, so I took them up on it and they had openings starting this morning. People are getting desperate trying to schedule their shots, so this coming up was absolutely amazing. My DIL, a teacher, finally got her second shot scheduled... at 1:00 in the morning....

Have a great day and stay away from snow shovels if you can.....