Hello Blue
Sun and 39 degrees.
Had a couple of zoom meets with train friends over the weekend. It's a nice app when we are not able to be together.
Not much else except a lot of cookie baking in the kitchen, no not me I have trouble frying an egg.
No Christmas snow this year and that's ok with me.
S.J.

Good afternoon folks

It is 35 heading up to 38. This is the coldest day of the season thus far.

The wife has been getting better. She is trying to do more things around the house that she has done in a quite some time. She ran the vacuum cleaner on the throw rugs on the first floor. She has been sweeping the floors. It is strange to realize how many normal chores that she has been unable to do for so long.

I finally got a chance to clear the dead plants out of the front garden and the flower bed under the rear living room windows.

I did not get much done on the layout. I did clear some stuff off the layout that had accumulated during the latest construction phase. I spent time on organizing my collection of kits and unweathered RTR cars. I began to enter them into my inventory program.

I need to run out the grocery store, pets supply store, and the pharmacy.

I hope everybody has a good day.

Good morning all and a happy Winter Solstice to you all. It came quick this year, seems like just a few weeks ago that the sun was out before 6:00AM and still light out at 9:00PM. Fear not, it will come even faster next year.

Tom, glad to see your wife is improving. She is still in our prayers.

I've been working on my DPM kit, in the assembly stage. It's the first kit I've ever done where the roof was not molded, but an oversized piece of smooth plastic, "cut to fit".. I used a different piece, one with a bit of texture to it. I know what I want the structure to be, I just don't have a name for it yet. It will be fitting whatever it will be.

Had some spattering of mud drops all over the truck, must have had a very short shower the other night along with some wind. And speaking of rain, it looks like rain coming up starting Thursday, really good chance on Christmas Eve, same goes for Christmas Day and on into next week. Lots of the white stuff up north too. We need it, they're talking right now about rationing the Colorado River water, mostly to farmers. We have  large corporations buying up farm land, then selling off the water rights. Anything for a buck, and I guess it's legal.

Take care, have a great day and stay dry....

Greetings, gang.

Settling in for routine winter temperatures a round here. Lows in the teens and highs in the 20s and low 30s with a couple of 40s thrown in later in the week.

The gym was, um, visually entertaining yesterday. A young lady in very orange spray paint was on an elliptical machine when I got there. Hair tied very neatly in a pony tail, jewelry, makeup, and when she got off the elliptical she wasn't even close to breaking a sweat. I just smiled to myself and did my workout. Oh, and the dime she had in her pocket was heads!

This morning I need to run to Walmart and the grocery store. Still waiting for a Menards rebate so I can pick up a few things there. Gas price down to $2.86 yesterday.

All stay safe.

Tom

Good morning all, been really overcast but still might get over 70 today. They had rain in the forecast for tomorrow, but moved it to Christmas Eve, like over 90% chance, then rain every day for the next two weeks, kinda putting a damper on the holidays, but we really need the rain, Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam is down to the lowest it's been since they filled it up, it's just that rain will spoil it for a lot of kids trying out their new bike, scooter or remote control car.

Heard a big  BOOM-BOOM-BOOM outside the other night and a pickup truck came by pulling a trailer. The whole truck was decked out in lights and the trailer decorated with lights for Christmas. On the side, in lights of course, was the name of the family who was on the trailer. Really neat they pulled that trailer through the neighborhood, probably for hours with their sound system blasting away. Then I realized, there was the annual Christmas Electric Light Parade in Phoenix on Saturday night, and they had to have been in it. It's a parade where everything and everybody in it is decked out in miniature lights. Lots of fun, lots of effort to do what they did.

Take care and be good, Santa is watching you....

Greetings, gang.

19 at the moment headed for 40 and a little breezy this afternoon. Weather people are trying to cheer people up by sneaking in a 20% chance of snow on Christmas Eve.

Shopping was routine and 100% successful yesterday. Fully stocked now for Christmas. Gym this morning and not much else.

All stay safe.

Tom

Good afternoon folks

It is 41 going to 47. Feels colder.

Wife had a rough night and was up several times. As result we slept late. Wife felt well enough that she drove to the produce store and pharmacy. Another step in the right direction.

I continued inventoried my kits and unweathered rolling stock. Will do some more tonight.

I hope everybody has a good evening.

Good morning everyone, getting closer to Christmas. It should be a wet one here, tomorrow I see forecasts between 91 and 100% chance of rain. It's rare that anyone every calls 100% chance of rain, gutsy call. High chance on Christmas day as well, lots of snow up in the high country.

Need to get gas, went to Costco yesterday morning and the lines were almost out to the street. Going to get there right after breakfast, usually no lines at that time. Don't know though, Costco and Sam's Club are down to $3.29 while just about everyone else is still at $3.79 here in Surprise, a bit lower in central Phoenix. Lowest price in Arizona is $2.98 in Bullhead City, that still boggles my mind since they're out in the middle of nowhere.

Just about finished with my DPM kit, spent time to detail the inside and paint drapes and shades on all the windows, it's kinda sorta a hotel, so all windows are the same. You'll see what "kinda sorta' means when I post photos.

Tom, sounds like your wife is on the mend, that should be a great Christmas present.

Have a great day everyone and stay safe...

Greetings, gang.

Clear and 31 headed for sunny and the upper 40s. Got to 40 yesterday. Only a 20% chance of rain/snow on Friday night and Saturday.

After the gentle (50+ mph) breezes we've had recently there were a few leaves imported from other yards that needed to be cleaned up. With today's lack of wind there may (or may not) be a slightly illegal fire in the driveway this afternoon.

Tom - glad to hear your wife i improving.

All stay safe.

Tom

Hello Blue
It's 33 degrees and snowing. Won't stick will be 37 later this afternoon. And 47 for Christmas day.
Well a gathering with a few of my wife's HS classmates this week, we had a nice lunch and lots of gab.
Nothing special going on except it can be noted that we will slowly regain more daylight now. Sunset here is 5:03 today.
S.J.

hi all . sun is shining 76 going out  to layout need to relay about 10 feet of track  4 wheel locos can travers it in both directions but 6 coupled cant traverse it going clock wise need to re do slope  but standing any length of time rases hob with leg with blood clot .
lim

Happy Christmas Eve, gang.

Dense fog and 40 degrees greeted my this morning. Fog should be gone by noonish and the temperature is supposed to go up by about 10 degrees.

Had to run to the grocery store for milk and bread before going to the gym yesterday. Ran into a long time friend and spent 20 minutes chatting with her. Consequently I missed my window of opportunity at the gym. Oh, well. Friendship is more important. I'll head to the gym later this morning. Also on the agenda is making a pie. Only other plan is to fire up the space heater when I get back so I can sit on the porch for most of the afternoon and evening. Last night with the mild weather I was able to sit out there until about 10 PM.

All stay safe.

Tom

Good morning to you all on this Christmas Eve. A soggy one for us, 'tis raining as we speak. Temps yesterday in the mid-70's, today we might not get to 60. I'm sure those folks up in the high country are deep in snow. Did I hear the new right that there was 8 foot of snow somewhere? I'm glad I had Pat bring the presents over to his house yesterday, I didn't want them to get all wet, plus with this bad foot, I'm not a steady as I would like. Today we have lunch and exchange presents since one granddaughter is spending Christmas day at her in-laws, typical for married folks, one year with his, next year with hers.

Finally got my Christmas tree lit again. All the built-in lights are out, and Walmart got a new shipment of LED light strings so it looks decent. Not great, but I was never good at decorating a Christmas tree.

Everyone have a great day today whatever you do, and don't forget to put out the milk and cookies....

I saw the doctor yesterday and was told to get an ultrasound on my leg. Ultrasound communicated with Dr. and I was told to get to emergency. Seems I have a blood clot or thrombosis in my leg. Net result is I am now on blood thinners. Time today from the 11:45 appointment to prescription at 4:41. I was alone for most of (restricted by Covid) and missed a lot of routine, like lunch. And didn't take any reading material.

Had a happy birthday wish from Zealot earlier this week. I can't find my way around over there anymore.

Merry Christmas to all.

Merry Christmas, gang.

Partly cloudy and 27 outside my window this snowless Christmas morning headed for sunny and 40 this afternoon.

Pretty quiet day yesterday. Gym in the morning and a 3 mile walk in the afternoon. I did get to sit on the porch again until about 10 last night.

David - sorry to hear about your challenge. It's good to know that the medical profession can move quickly when needed.

All stay safe.

Tom