Good Morning still. It's already 73° and clear. Bright sun as a matter of fact. Expecting temperatures in the 80°+ range for the rest of the week. Off to a late visit here because of the new server introduction. I don't mind.
I am moving into the 21st century later today. The technician from the phone company is coming out this afternoon to hook up the fiber optic cable that was laid through my yard about two months ago. Since I have always maintained my land line, the government grant that brought this service to my rural area stipulates that they cannot charge an installation fee or raise my rates. Neighbors who dropped land lines over the past few years do not get this and will have to pay if they want it. Satellite service can be sometimes sporadic out here in stormy weather and forget about it if the power goes out. Of course if the power goes out, the computer won't work anyway but the phone will.
It's late this morning Flo, let me just have a BLT sandwich and some french fries.
Thanks for all of the likes and comments yesterday regarding the locomotive project;
Garry, Jerome, Karl, Phil, Joe, Sherrel, Justin, James, Bob, Hughie, Patrick, Chad, Curt, Tom, Ken, Johnny. And also thanks to the nine folks who liked the curling video.
Made a good bit of progress in the train shed yesterday, I completed the posts, strung the wire, painted and installed the barbed-wire fence around the cow pasture.
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The cows helped by adding a few cow patties to the scene. Next step is to make all of the wires taut and drooping; and to add the corner post bracing. I'll be painting the horizon part of the backdrop soon as well. Everything is currently removable so that won't be any issue.
I finished up the first of the two locomotives that had the funky handrails. While the old patched holes are visible in the photo, they cannot be seen in normal circumstances.
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I redid the first four stanchions, but the fifth would have required a hole too close to the old one, hard to do when I have to freehand them.
Bob (admin) - Keep up the good work on the site. You posted something the other day regarding a gardening site. Care to divulge the URL? I'm hoping to start posting pictures in the photo gallery at some time. It's just that between modeling and gardening I just don't take the time.
Garry - It is unfortunate about the handrails, but I always knew it was coming. They got that way over ten years ago and I just kept deferring it. I was able to brush off some skills that I haven't used in a while.
Guy - Brrrh! That garage is really coming along nicely. I see that the website is still offering the plans for free.
Karl - Here's the paint that I used. Funny that I have had it for nearly 20 years and never thought to match it. Athearn's ATSF yellow isn't available from anyone past or present.
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Joe - I thankfully don't fit into any "over 60" stereotypes! That is with the exception of my hearing aids which I should have gotten in my 40's.
James - The company that I retired from is considered "essential". They make windows that are deemed necessary to keep construction going.
Mike - Wow! 28 additional feet. Aren't you in N scale? That's a lot of room for N scale.
Mikey - Your gas station is coming along nicely. Reminds me that I still need to do the interior of mine, just as soon as I find some suitable interior shots for the garage area to download.
Sherrel - Sorry to read that you weren't feeling well. Get better soon.
Still not too much panic here locally regarding the Covid-19 crisis. Forget about toilet paper and hand sanitizer even at stores opening early for seniors. I found about 30-18 packs of eggs at my locally owned grocery store this morning, but they were limiting purchases to 1@. I actually only went because I still forgot to get the dishwasher soap pods last week. So far there have been zero cases confirmed in the county that I live in and if some of the medical experts are correct, the warm temperatures here will help things a bit. In the county south of here where I do most of my business, there have been 36 cases. Most of them have been close to the Dallas county line. I am continuing to be cautious but not panicked. Not too hard for us since we are normally quite isolated to begin with. Social distancing and common sense should be used everywhere except in certain areas where lockdown is necessary. Locking down entire states because of a few cases doesn't make sense. But neither did the Spring Breakers either.
Everyone have a great day.