Running Bear's June 2020 Coffee Shop


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Good morning....Happy birthday Phil
The rain that we were supposed to get (1" plus) turn out to be not much at all. Could've used it it's dry.
Spent the day yesterday repairing a water main break that the contractor putting in the new main hit.
 
Good Morning Everybody. Mostly cloudy and 74°. Same old forecast for a while, warm, windy and dry. Partial chance of thunderstorms Sunday afternoon. Staying in the low 90's until Thursday, maybe.
Dropped my wife off at my daughter's house yesterday for her trip this morning to South Padre Island to meet up with my other daughter and her family. I picked up the granddog and brought her home with me. She will be roughing it as I forgot to bring her bed back with me and she'll have to sleep on the carpet or wood floor!

A couple of spicy breakfast burritos for me this morning Francine. Hope that your salsa is as good as the batch that I made yesterday.

Thanks for the likes and comments regarding the boxcar repair and the background pictures yesterday; Phil, Guy, Garry, Chad, Patrick, Jerome, Louis, Curt, Dave, David, Tom.

In lieu of the train shed yesterday, I went to the LHS near my daughters home for a resupply run. Hadn't been there since January before any knowledge of the impending pandemic apocalypse happened. I had 16 items on my list, three were unavailable.:( One I special-ordered and the other two I will take my chance on since I have to go back to Dallas on July 8, to retrieve my wife and return the granddog. I purchased some other stuff while I browsed around. I picked up some more ballast and ground foam, a couple of bottles of paint, several packages of DPM modular wall components, some Walther's Goo to replace the tube that I cannot locate (I'll find it now that I have a replacement), several vehicles, styrene sidewalk material, two plastic structures, some detail stuff and a caboose. I left them with more than two Ben Franklins.
Not all pictured here.
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I did run a train for a bit when I got done with all else around the house. Mostly I just fondled my new train booty.

Phil - Happy Birthday and many more to come. I'll toss back a few cold ones in your honor. Let's see here, you're 84 and your MIL was 88?;)
Joe - Climbing stairs already, that's great. Other than the two small steps to the back porch, my wife didn't even try stairs for two months. I am sure that she could have done them, but there was no need (or desire) to do so. She has scheduled an orthopedic doctor and a cardiologist appointment for the other one sometime after she returns from vacation.
My wife was also very hesitant about ditching the walker (nicknamed Hershel Walker), for the cane. I tried to encourage her but she wouldn't try. She is a bit overweight and that scared her the most. At two weeks or so, we were at the doctors for a follow up and he personally came to the waiting room door to escort her back and made her lift the walker off the ground and he observed. He told her to stop using it and use the cane instead. The cane by the way, used to belong to my grandfather. She always kidded me about getting it after he passed away but now it came in very handy.
That's great that you have an in-home therapist, we didn't. We started going to the clinic (eleven miles away) at four days though.
Guy - Module looks good so far. I am a fan of angling the track a bit, as I just think that track parallel to the edge can be a bit boring. That's not to say that I don't have some myself, just not a lot. Sometimes it cannot be avoided.

Everyone have a great day and the usual awesome weekend. Nothing special about today except that it is still Phil's birthday.
 
I am a fan of angling the track a bit, as I just think that track parallel to the edge can be a bit boring.

One guy on a FB group was starting a biggish layout, dead flat U shape and with the tracks all laid straight along the outside edges all the way around. I said if he looked at layout plans he would probably find the tracks angled and curved. I was told in no uncertain terms to mind my own business. So I have.
 
Good morning America, how are ya? Just another quickie! Been to Wallyworld, took the doors off of a big refrigerator we are giving away tomorrow and several other things so far. Getting ready to put up shelves in the laundry room and have more to do after that and I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel yet! Hopefully, things will be normal again (well as close as this year will allow) by the second week of August. I hate to wish my life away, but I can't wait!

Have a happy birthday, Phil!

Everyone stay safe and remember, six feet apart!
 
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Happy Birthday Phil, and many more. Sorry to hear about your M-I-L.

I have been AWOL again. Been really busy with outdoor activities. Went up into the Bob Marshall Wilderness which is not far from us on horseback for a couple of days camping over night, went shooting and let a friend talk me into playing a game of golf which I haven done since we moved from Florida in 1977. I won't mention the score. Working in the yard and finally got the lawn mowed between showers. Haven't been near the computer in days.

Willie
- Looks like you needed a boat in a few of the photos. Those items that you had in a photo should keep you busy for a while. Nice photos. Love the small details you've added.

Garry
- I don't want to leave you out when liking photos. Excellent as usual.

Joe - Nice to see that you've finally taken care of the knee. Sure looks ugly for now. Hope you're back to normal soon.

Curt - Glad to see that you're moving right along with the bench work. Progress is progress.

Louis
- Lotsa great B&O photos. Like that E unit the best.

Greg - Like the photos. Wish there were a way to MU locomotives and then run an additional locomotive on one throttle.

Got to head down to the train room (if it's still there) and get some freight cars and the NP F-7's together to run at the club tonight. The layout won't be open to the public but we will run some trains just to keep the tracks clean and make sure that everything is running properly. Have no idea when the museum will open. They are really worried about the virus.

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Later
 
Good Afternoon All,

Spent the morning at my Orlando train friends layout. I ran the new F3 Genesis ABA set for about 45 minutes and they ran great. After lunch I headed home. The grandkids are spending the night so no framework work today. I need about 30 minutes to finish the peninsula then I need to figure out what to buy (wood) for the last end module. I did order a set of the Ribbon Rail track laying tools for curved track.

I left a message on Phil's phone wishing him a Happy Birthday since he didn't pick up.

Willie- Nice haul.

Chet- Thank you. Nice club shot.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
I posted my experiences with the new, improved MRC Prodigy Express in the DCC section, if anybody wants to read it. It's sad my 20 year old Digitrax Zephyr was a much better system...
 
After 101 years my grandfather my dad's dad passed away in his sleep. Born in 1919. He served in 3 wars WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He was one of 12 siblings. 3 girls and 8 brothers. He was 20 when he went in WWII and served under General Patton. He was in Normandy, Okinawa, and Germany. The most amazing thing is that all of the brothers went to war and all came back! I thought that was incredible. I have many of his keepsakes from all of the wars including some firearms, medals, and helmets. My grandfather at the time of his death was the oldest living Freemason. 33rd degree was the last known info I know of. He was awarded a 75 year plaque and a sword few years ago. He served in the US Post Office 20 years then he started building homes as a builder and started his own glass company installing windows and doors etc. Called Spa Glass then retired like 4 times he was never idle. He was very coherent up until his passing. He told me a story when he was memorizing the writs for the Masons he would be plowing the fields up at the family farm after each pass with the plow horse he would read the writs until he had it memorized. He had a lot of amazing stories. He didn't speak much of the wars or his time in service neither did my uncles. I know Uncle Hank was in Panama and came back with malaria after being shot a few times down there. My grandfather was never shot or wounded. He has quite a few medals. We are actually waiting to hear back from the VA to find out what all of them mean and what they were meant for from each war. I have to say he was a man's man. Hard and as tough as they come. Everyone in my family served our country including my dad. I wanted to serve but due to being born with a hearing deficit I was not able to. At my age now I only have 17% hearing in both ears. Well I had to get his off my chest feeling the loss but I am proud of my grandfather and I am celebrating his life. He is survived by one sister Aunt Ruth who is 97 and one brother Uncle Hank 95. I see them often. Men like him and his brothers are far and few in between. History lessons are abundant but there are those who want to ignore it and erase it in doing so showing their ignorance and foolish hearts. I pray that some of us will always remember those who served and truly understand the sacrifices they made with their life and families. With all the craziness going on now I am furious with these people destroying federal tax dollar properties of momuments and other depictions of history. Many of them not replaceable or easly repaired. They were placed there to teach us and remind us of these lessons hard learned. I feel like our school systems are failing to teach these things and the parents of these fools are failing them too. Off my soap box. Peace.
 
My wife was also very hesitant about ditching the walker (nicknamed Hershel Walker),
Willie- Funny that your wife's walker is named Hershel Walker.
Had a friend that called his walker JOHNIE WALKER RED, until he could ditch the walker and take up drinking whiskey again.

You have an impressive display of train booty in your photo!
 
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Howdy ....

James ... Condolences for your grandfather passing away. From what you said, I can tell he was a good man

Chet ..... Good to see you. Good to hear you were having fun.

Willie .... Good to see you purchased some goodies for your layout ...

.....


Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha pasenger trains operated from Chicago to the Twin Cities via Milwaukee. They were fast trains. The 1935 Hiawatha had streamlined 4-4-2 locomotives.



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In the 1950's the Hiawatha had "Super Dome" cars and "Sky Top Lounge" observation cars.

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I recall ridimg on the Hiawatha as a kid from Chicago to and from the Wisconsin Dells. I did ride in the Super Dome, and it was very nice.

Everybody ..... Have a nice evening.
 
Phil: Happy Birthday!

Today, they had me outside walking around the yard, and driveway, and getting into and out of the Passenger side of the truck...using the cane exclusively, along with some short walks with no support at all. Like learning how to walk again. No...if I could only .p**p :rolleyes:. Yes, I'm takig stuff it's just a matter of time. and quite common with Oxy. I'm already down to 2 / per day with that, from 5. progress!
 
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