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

[BR60103]

Our furnace has been rather loud lately. I had a look at the filter and it had a lot of stuff on it -- I think I'm past the due date, but it said 6-12 months. I went to the bigger hardware store (Canadian chain) in town but they didn't have the size. Another branch was listed as having it 0-- we had just been nea them for a car wash!
Anyway, they had the right size. We need 16x25x4 but it needs to be under those measurements. (15 5/8 x 24 3/8 x 3 5/8) There is another variation that is just over those dimensions and won't slide into the space. The furnace is now inaudible.

Don: about the water restrictions. Is it being restricted to farmers or are farmers being limited in their supply?
Could they build the new developments with no water pipes?

[tompm]

Good morning, folks

It is a crisp 34 this morning. High will be 43.

I did not get much done this weekend. My back and knees were giving me pain issues and as a result my mobility was limited as well as picking up anything heavy. We will have to start on the decorations during the week. Even moving laundry baskets around was on the difficult side.

I did get some more hoppers checked and tuned up as needed. I still have about 15 to 20 to go before all the open hoppers are done.

Friday I am scheduled to get an injection in my back which I am hopeful will less the pain and mobility issues I have been experiencing lately.

Today I need to return a key to the local hardware store. They cut three new keys for us. Two work and one does not. I also need to return a couple of Christmas items that did not fit.

I hope everybody has a good day.

[FiatFan]

Greetings, gang.

Cloudy and 27 now headed for maybe 40 later this afternoon.

Yesterday was pretty quiet except for some interesting news I got from my daughter. Her son will be completing his advanced army training next week after which he will be shipped to Hawaii. Looks like there's a road trip in my future.

All stay safe.

Tom

[ezdays]

Good morning, folks

It is a crisp 34 this morning. High will be 43.

I did not get much done this weekend. My back and knees were giving me pain issues and as a result my mobility was limited as well as picking up anything heavy. We will have to start on the decorations during the week. Even moving laundry baskets around was on the difficult side.

I did get some more hoppers checked and tuned up as needed. I still have about 15 to 20 to go before all the open hoppers are done.

Friday I am scheduled to get an injection in my back which I am hopeful will less the pain and mobility issues I have been experiencing lately.

Today I need to return a key to the local hardware store. They cut three new keys for us. Two work and one does not. I also need to return a couple of Christmas items that did not fit.

I hope everybody has a good day.

 Good luck with that injection, I've opted for ablation which they're suppose to do on Wednesday. I don't know too many people that don't have back issues. Chiropractic doesn't always work and surgery is out of the question. Got a number of friends that regret doing that. The older you get, the worse your issues become, I think it should be the other way, they should improve with age, but like so many other things, it's just a pity that's not how it works.

[FiatFan]

Greetings, gang.

24 now and maybe the mid 30s later under partly sunny skies. Long range forecasts (for what they're worth) are looking good for travel next week. Fingers crossed.

Otherwise a pretty quiet day yesterday. This morning I need to head to some stores to stock up for the week. This afternoon a technician will be stopping by to do a site survey for the addition of fiber optic to the house. I'm finally giving up on the DSL line I've had for over 20 years. When we first got it it was the fastest thing in town. Nowadays, not so much.

Tom - hope all goes well for you on Friday.

Gas was down to $3.12 yesterday.

All stay safe.

Tom

[ezdays]

Good morning, it's getting light out and all I can hear are F35's taking off, bunches of them. I really don't mind, it's if they ever stop, when it's time to be concerned.

I'm hoping to get my truck back, it's going on six weeks in the shop and the last part was suppose to be here yesterday. I do not like driving a rental, and I'm sure Geico doesn't like paying for it either.

Slowly working on my wood engine, up to step 15 now, have little hope that it will actually run, it has to be put together like a precision watch, yet many of the gears are wobbly and don't mesh correctly. Maybe some glue, but the instructions say, "no glue", so now what? Maybe something in step 38 or 40 might correct all this.  

Temps still around 70, heavy rains in California coming our way by this weekend. Way short, not sure if or when they're going to hold back on farmer's water access, just doesn't make sense. Right now there's one subdivision that has to have their water trucked in and they stand a chance of losing that. A water bottling plant wanted to build a factory here, but good senses prevailed and was turned down. Now if we could only do something about that Budweiser beer brewery.

Today I have a few house chores so I'd better get going. Everyone have a great day today...

[Charlie B]

Good morning all. 
         31 degrees and warming in southeast Ohio this morning but a little cloudy. 

         Tom, I had DSL here when we first moved in and if was pretty fast. ATT offered me a faster service at no additional charge so I signed up for it. Next thing I knew there was a technician knocking on the door. He said I had to have a new gateway for the new service. I asked how much and it was only going to add 10 bucks a month to the bill so much for the "no additional cost"  I told him forget it and bit the bullet and had cable installed but I did leave the ATT in place just in case, and I use that every time my contract expires so when I call for a new rate that they insist isn't available except to new customers I tell them the next time I call I would be a new customer because I want to discontinue the service. It has worked for the last 9 years and I get the old rate. I get speeds up to 600mb but when I check it is usually only 300+, still plenty fast for my wife and I both to stream different shows.  Of course last week ATT had crews out taking down their wires so the ATT threat won't work anymore but T-Mobile has offered us service for 50 bucks a month but I am leery of their advertised speeds.  

        Don, my opinion on the water crisis is there are too many people moving where there is no water along with poor management of the water resources that are available.  Good management does not wait for a crisis to solve a problem. The first thing they should have cut was generating. When this first started we had coal and nuclear plants that could have taken up the slack without increasing power rates. The drop in the head at Lake Mead has cut the power output from the same amount of water by at least 20 percent.  There are no alternatives for the food that irrigation has allowed to be grown. I seldom see mention of Lake Powell which is in the same shape.  I know we have had a few years without snow accumulating in the mountains which when melting supplies water for a longer time in spring and summer.  Isn't it interesting how this year it looks like we are going to develop that snow pack once again but that is cause for doom and gloom from the weather forecasters. 

         I worked on a couple models last night. I got the SW7 running and now need to make the decals for it, and I also installed KayDee couples on several modern hoppers for a future Conrail train.

        Tom, stay safe on your upcoming trip and enjoy your much faster internet.  Look into Acorn and Britbox streaming service. We love the British Mysteries on these 2 services, And especially the Brokenwood Murder Mysteries from New Zealand.

Charlie

[ezdays]

Good morning all, We hit 70 yesterday, a little lower today. According to the weather gal on TV we should have gotten some rain last night but it was a no show. I guess California is getting it all right now. We should get that storm this weekend, we desperately need it. You are right Charlie, too much housing going up and not enough water supply. The city sends out building permit lists the first of every month. A few months ago I checked the list and there was close to 3000 single housing permits pending. This month there is around 250. They are still going ahead with some new sub-divisions and large apartments using ground water I'm assuming.

Gas is going up, Costco now at $3.27, just a few pennies more at the Fry's a block from my house. I was going to fill up my rental to give it back, but the body shop says they got my part in Monday, but it was for the wrong door. Who knows when I see my truck again.

Today I get my lower back ablation, cutting a nerve. I'm hoping after 65 years, my lower back pain will go away. It's an office procedure and I'll drive myself home, so no biggie, unless it works...

Tom, I hope they have a way to deal with your pain as well, I'm sure that it's debilitating at time and can screw your day up.

That's it for now, I hope everyone has a great day, stay safe, stay warm and stay dry..

[FiatFan]

Greetings, gang.

24 headed for 35. Winds pick up tonight and much colder tomorrow.

I actually had a pretty good day yesterday. I found everything I needed very quickly at Walmart and was almost the first one through the checkout. Some guy beat me but he only had a few items. Got through that very quickly for a change. Then a good workout at the gym. After lunch the young lad showed up very promptly at the appointed time and explained what was going to happen. I won't really get fiber until spring or early summer. The city is building the entire network so it's going to take a little time. Nothing major on the agenda for today.

Charlie - yes, when I first got DSL it was the king of the road. Now I tell people I need to upgrade to pony express to get faster internet. Interestingly enough the last two tv's I bought came with some streaming channels. Unfortunately there's no guide so I have no idea what's on. In addition I don't think you can record the things I want to watch - F1 and Nebraska football. I did find streaming services that carry the networks I need but again I can't record (that I know of) so I'll stick with cable for now.

All stay safe.

Tom

[tompm]

Good morning, folks

It is 33 on its way up to 43. It was 28 when I visited the project site early this morning.

The last two days have been a not-so-subtle reminder why I am getting the back injection on Friday. Yesterday in particular was bad. We had a concrete pour which meant I had to be onsite for the pour. I was onsite at 7:30 AM for the pre-pour inspection. First truck arrived a little after eight. The contractor poured 88 yards which meant 9 trucks. Last truck left the site at 12:45 PM. I was basically standing for the entire time except for two trips to the car to get warm. Temperatures started at 34 went to 38 by 10 AM and then dropped to 32 by noon. I don’t think they ever reached the predicated high of 44. By the time I got back to the trailer my back and legs were stiff and the back pain was a 9. Some heat and ice helped a little at home. Standing and sitting for long periods of time cause the pain. Even though I did walk around yesterday there were long periods where I stood still. I also think the cold caused some of the issues yesterday.

Later in the evening I was able to check and tune up the last of the hoppers. Now I need to organize them for storage.

Today on the way home I have to stop at the hospital for my pre-procedure COVID test.

I hope everybody has a good day.

[Charlie B]

Good Morning
        Don and Tompm I sympathize with you and the back pain. Mine is very very mild caused by arthritis but I did have an incident several years ago when I got severe back pain and could hardly move. It involved a trip to the ER and with all the tests and an MRI nothing could be found. They gave me a shot of morphine and sent me home and told me to have physical therapy.  That was no help but I went to my chiropractor and she recommended having her masseuse work me over. 2 times with her and adjustments afterword and the pain was gone. I feel I was very lucky.  I get upset because the pain medicines that grant relief to many folks that truly need it are now off limits because of junkies mis-using them.  

       I tried to print a decal sheet yesterday and found my new Canon printer has ink that runs when sprayed with clear coat. I never had that problem with HP or Epson printers so I see a new Epson Eco-tank printer is in my future. I am one of the few folks that has no luck with Canon products. 

       It is still cloudy here and it is almost 11 AM as I write this. It is currently 36 with a predicted high of 48. Tomorrow will be raining they say. I need to go to my home town to pick up a few things from my brothers store (freebies) but I just can't get in the mood. It is only 14 miles but the town has become such a wasteland that it is upsetting to see it. When I was growing up there were over 25,000 people, now down to less than 15,000 and the old homes are vacant and falling down from lack of maintenance. My grandparents home (built in 1949) was torn down 2 years ago, My uncles new home, built in 1957 has been gone for 12 years now  and the house my parents built in 1947 has been condemned and slated to be torn down.  These were all built by my family members, not by hired contractors and were well built. The folks that bought them just let the roofs get bad and that is all it takes.  A flyover the area on Google Earth shows many of the remaining downtown buildings have bad roofs so they will be on the hit list soon.    

       In the 50's they tore down a couple historic buildings to make parking lots because the parking was hard to find in town. Now it seems the whole town is one massive parking lot. 

        There is a silver lining though. It is called Big Blue   and my model of the SW7 I painted in 1992 is now DCC equipped and running well. 

Charlie

[ezdays]

Good morning, good morning. Got my ablation yesterday, big difference this morning. The procedure wasn't bad, pricks of needles and a probe, but my pain level is down appreciatively this morning. Only problem is that I woke up at 1:00 and got up at 2:30. Nappy nappy later today. I hope Tom has as much success with his shot tomorrow.

Went to Denny's for breakfast yesterday, there were five police cars in front of the Verizon store next door at 6:00. The waitress said that when she got there at 5:30, there were eleven cars and all the cops had their guns drawn facing the store. Apparently, someone broke down the front door and set off the alarm. They were gone by the time the cops got there. It is unnerving why we have such an increase in crime lately, but I don't want to get into the reasons why without getting into politics...

Temps today should hit 74, good chance of rain on Sunday-Tuesday for those storms hitting California right now.

I hope everyone has a fun day today, I'm bouncing around between my wood engine and my gun stock. Just finished step 16, but need to get to the spring before I go any further. As I feared, it is not secure on the inside end and it won't be easy to get to since it was step 1 and 2. The gun stock is going a lot better.

[tompm]

Good morning, folks

It is 36 going up to 51. We had a light rain overnight and they say we will get heavier rain this afternoon.

Don, I hope the shot helps. This week has been one the worst for pain since the accident. When I got home the pain was at a 9 getting ready to flip to a 10. At this moment it is 5.

We have a concrete pour this morning. It is small, only 16 yards for two piers. It is scheduled to start at 8 AM and should only be two trucks. We should be done by 10.

I had to stop at the hospital yesterday on the way home to get my pre-procedure COVID test. Then it was on the Kohl’s to make a couple of returns.

I did change the McHenry couplers on 5 Athearn and Roundhouse boxcars. I also finished an Accurail boxcar kit. The brake wheel was giving me fits. It would not stay on until yesterday. I organized the open hoppers. While doing so I discovered 3 hoppers that I had missed. I also realized I had just received two Anthracite Railroads Historical Society Atlas hoppers. I checked the five hoppers and put them in the correct pile. The two ARHS I will need to add numbers. They come with decal sheets for the numbers.

Today I would like to get the bins out of the attic for the Christmas decorations. There are a couple of small chores I would like to do depending on my back.

I have more rolling stock to change couplers on. This time it is a bunch of Bowser boxcars.

I was hoping to go to the Greenberg Train Show this weekend but it is going to depend on how I feel after the shot on Friday.

I hope everybody has a good day.

[ezdays]

Good morning everyone, ready for another weekend? Can't believe it, but we're almost halfway through January. More storms hitting California, some heading our way, snow up in the high country travel on I-40 going to take a hit with snow, rain down this way starting Sunday. High temps yesterday and today in the mid-70's dropping to the 50's as soon as the rains come. Golly, some of those weathercasters get really big bucks for doing what I just did. I'd settle for just one day getting paid to be on the air. Either that, or just one play at a NFL game, just as long as I didn't have to go long for a pass....

Tom, I got a shot for Sacroiliitis a few weeks ago and that worked fine. What I got this time was an ablation, where they sever nerves that transmit the pain signals. They stick a RF probe around the spine, track it with a fluoroscope then zip the nerve. One day out and I'm doing a whole lot better. The best of luck with your procedure today.

Got to Step 20 on my wooden engine, now comes the hard part, wheels, boiler, pipes, stack. Pat says that he found similar engines where folks say they need an octopus to help them assemble it. I said, four hands and two feet, either aptly define the assembly process. And yeah, "No Glue" on the box doesn't mean it doesn't mean it. Rotate the engine and find parts falling off because they fit too loose.

Gas is holding steady for a few days, $3.35 is normal. Go 10 miles south of Phoenix (Casa Grande), and it's $2.66. Trucking a load of gas 10 miles to Phoenix or 30 to where I live has to be expensive. Who gets the difference?

Have a good day, stay out of the bad weather, there's lots of it around, stay safe.

[FiatFan]

Greetings, gang.

Partly cloudy and a little cool this morning at 9 degrees. Supposed to get to the mid 20s later on. Mid 40s by Sunday.

Pretty quiet around here. Next week activities will pick up. Monday I go to Ames for a followup exam after the ear surgery. Also Monday my daughter, her husband, and my grandson's girlfriend arrive. Tuesday we will all travel to Missouri for my grandson's graduation from army training. We'll spend a couple days there and then head to St. Louis for a day before returning here on Saturday. Daughter and company head home on Sunday.

I really hope starting off the year with a Friday the 13th in the first month is not a bad omen for the year.

All stay safe.

Tom