Slowly but surely it's coming together.Willie, your new large buildings look much more at home with the grass area done
That particular peninsula and the one under it are the only ones that I have. They are 66" across. I can barely but comfortably reach the centers and of course need a stepstool for the upper one. I only need to reach the center to do scenery and later for cleaning; all railroading activity is within 16" of the edge. I do not put any tall scenery, structures or details between the layout edge and any ground throws or uncoupling points, thus avoiding disasters. Additionally, none of my structures are anchored so they may be easily removed if needed. I do have "locating posts", very short pieces of toothpicks inserted in holes, to assist in stabilizing and consistent locating of all large structures.Willie - How wide are your peninsulas? Can you reach the middle from each side?
The more I see of the 90s, the less I like them. My MIL is also in her 90s (96), and is very much like Mom. The physical deterioration doesn't bother me so much as the slow-motion mental breakdowns I've been witnessing. I'm not necessarily talking something like Alzheimers, but things like raging paranoia and... Well, for example, Mom has become convinced that the Measles vaccine caused my grandson's autism and her sister's mental retardation (forget that there was no measles vaccine in the early 1930s). Then, when I showed her a 17th-century Spanish coin I bought on our last cruise, she launched into a story of how it could have been captured by my pirate great-great grandfather (you don't have to be a math wiz to figure it out). MIL, meanwhile, is convinced that "They" want to evict her from her rent-controlled Senior apartment so that "They" can charge more rent, and refuses to spend money to hire the home's medical assistance staff even though she's wheelchair-bound. I keep trying to figure out a way to avoid getting to that point, myself; I value logic and critical thinking, and the idea of losing that is abhorrent. Overt suicide isn't an option, I'm more the type to intentionally place myself out of reach of any kind of assistance or hope of recovery. Oh well, there's a lot of time before I have to actually consider it. Meanwhile, there's trains, maple syrup, pizza, travel, outrageous spending on absolute frivolities, Legos, playing Cowboy... For now, Life is pretty good.Another cloudy/foggy Morning to start with at 60 degrees - going to 78 - last year 86 - record of 97 in 2016.
CURT/ Beady - Best wishes for your Moms! Sorry to hear of their aging problems; it all gives us thought for our own mortality.
CHET - Great looking photos - //that really makes a nice scene - it all really catches your eye.
Willie - The stripes on the parking lot look weathered - nice!
Justin - good to see you poking your head around the holler again!
Dave (LASM) - nice shot of the sawmill. I remember a couple just like that growing up with 4-5 foot sawblades and driven via belt drive with an AllisChalmers engine.
LOIS - nice to see you here this morning. NOT going to get in the ring with you! Even in your condition I imagine that you could still pound me to a pulp! Hang in there, buddy.
TERRY - It's to the point of surrender out here with the license fees. I waited until the last minute to pay the tag on the RV - It's the least driven vehicle, but a whopping $630.00 a year! With the other vehicles I have now - total is $1000 a year. A couple toll roads out here are about $1.00 a mile - I try and stay away from them except the one to Newport - daughters home - which would require added milage and time to go around. Really hate to think about it, but since we bought the RV and making the few trips that we have - my outflow is exceeding my inflow by a little over $1000 a month ...not good!
Where I live I have never heard of a property tax bill for vehicles?Good evening. It's sunny and 78.
The Post Office delivered all our mail from last week, today. Among the items was my property tax bill for my truck. A truck, y'all might remember, that's approaching two years old. Imagine my surprise when I saw my property tax had increased by nearly $150 for this year, even though the truck's tax value had decreased by nearly $6000. The property tax had gone up $3.50 for the trailer, even though its value had dropped to $500 this year from $1200 last year.
I'm also appealing the car's property tax value, which is stated at $10,000, even though I only paid $6500 for it from a licensed dealer. The way that works here is, you pay the tax, then file an appeal. If they decide they overcharged you, they'll send you a check for the overcharge. Not surprisingly, there are very few refund checks sent out.
Sorry about the storms. My parents always taught us to share, so I was just doing my part to help the farmers to the east.From the sound of things, we all seem to be getting a lot more rain than normal. Yesterday, we had a full 12 hours of thunderstorms roll through, heading from Wisconsin to Ohio. Otherwise, I think we've had at least a shower every 24 hours for the last month. It's going to be hell for mosquitoes, as soon as they begin hatching (when temps finally hit 80°+).
PS: The thunderstorms caused a power surge at one point late last night which, in turn, tripped the dam break/evacuation alarm in the city. Today, local Facebook groups are full of people asking what it was, or saying they hadn't heard it. Think about that.
Remember, the people in your photo slept in the bed you’re going to sleep in at the motel.The more I see of the 90s, the less I like them. My MIL is also in her 90s (96), and is very much like Mom. The physical deterioration doesn't bother me so much as the slow-motion mental breakdowns I've been witnessing. I'm not necessarily talking something like Alzheimers, but things like raging paranoia and... Well, for example, Mom has become convinced that the Measles vaccine caused my grandson's autism and her sister's mental retardation (forget that there was no measles vaccine in the early 1930s). Then, when I showed her a 17th-century Spanish coin I bought on our last cruise, she launched into a story of how it could have been captured by my pirate great-great grandfather (you don't have to be a math wiz to figure it out). MIL, meanwhile, is convinced that "They" want to evict her from her rent-controlled Senior apartment so that "They" can charge more rent, and refuses to spend money to hire the home's medical assistance staff even though she's wheelchair-bound. I keep trying to figure out a way to avoid getting to that point, myself; I value logic and critical thinking, and the idea of losing that is abhorrent. Overt suicide isn't an option, I'm more the type to intentionally place myself out of reach of any kind of assistance or hope of recovery. Oh well, there's a lot of time before I have to actually consider it. Meanwhile, there's trains, maple syrup, pizza, travel, outrageous spending on absolute frivolities, Legos, playing Cowboy... For now, Life is pretty good.
Gregg, be sure to get a walker with a storage area under the seat. Plenty of room for locomotives.
What is it with these states that charge property tax on cars? I've lived "permanently" in three states (Michigan, Alaska and Vermont) and none of them has charged more than the initial sales tax and annual license renewal (Michigan nowadays is ~$145).
BTW, regarding vacation travel, we stay in motels. Pro-rated, they're much, much cheaper than the purchase price, maintenance and fuel for an RV, plus they're more comfortable and convenient (no storage fees, etc). True, there's the daily packing and unpacking to consider, but that's hardly an inconvenience, especially when measured against other considerations.
Oops! I almost forgot:
View attachment 37064
Yup, that's what Mom and MIL use.Sherrel and Beady: Here's one that similar that I am looking at....my wife found one that is stripped down for under $70 at Costco. No hand brakes or front bag for me.
View attachment 37065
Beady: Seat storage for locomotives or beer.
I have a portable chair that works, but is very heavy and uncomfortable to sit on. I also considered a Ice Fishing stool that I could carry.
Greg
Greg