Running Bear's August 2025 Coffee Shop

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Sometimes I’m a jerk! I in the last 30 minutes I reinforced that.

I have a USPS parcel pick up coming between 10 and 11 supposedly. One of the neighbors is having her kitchen re-done and the workers the last 2 weeks have parked every where they shouldn’t especially in front of the neighborhood mailboxes. A few neighbors have called the local PD who have spoken to the workers to no avail. My mailbox is 100% blocked and I asked the gentleman if he would back up 10’ and he said call the cops.

No need to call the cops. Somehow while I was sitting on my front porch the 2 tires facing the curb deflated, karma with a bit of help. I then went inside had my breakfast, strapped on my ankle hostler and I am sitting out front and will wait for the mail. I can run out and hopefully give them to the parcel carrier. I know because my mailbox and 2 neighbor boxes are blocked our regular great carrier will just drive by. I have turned the security camera on the mailboxes and front curb so I have 100% coverage. No rotation on that camera today and I think for the duration of the re-do
 
Good Morning All. An incredibly cool 66° after a series of thunderstorms passed through between 3:15 and 5:00 am this morning. Looks like 0.8" in the rain gauge, combined with yesterday's 0.6" has caused the pool to overflow! That's through the skimmer, not over the side. Might hit 90° today, never did yesterday and then Summer returns tomorrow.

I accomplished very little yesterday in the way of tasks/duties. Although I did get some stuff into the attic after church. I got a load of laundry done, but absentmindedly forgot to do the second load for the bed linens. So that's on the agenda for today along with leaf removal from the pool. It was a bit windy during the thunderstorms last night.

I was able to spend more time than normal out in the train shed due to the rain. I posted a prelude to my newest project when I added details to the Walther's Interstate Fuel & Oil structure last week. It's part of an overall complex and it's situated on a 12" x 36" unfinished part of the layout.
1754316035611.jpeg

The area on the near side of the tracks is also unfinished, but that is not part of my current target area. It is bounded by Buffalo Industries on the north.
1754316242136.jpeg

And on the south there is a totally unfinished area that represents a small canyon.
Yesterday I did a little painting on the fuel distribution station.
1754316435454.jpeg

And also on the pimp house.
1754316476014.jpeg

One of the things that really bothers me about some kits, is their impractically in the real world. An example on the office/warehouse structure exists on one corner.
1754316620347.jpeg

The side dock has no means of access except for that scale 4' joint, thus making it impractical for any real loading purposes.

Terry - Late response - I would leave the siding as it is, but I would add vegetation in the ballast. How much depends on how long ago it was taken out.
Tom O - I am normally not interrupted when I am in the train shed. I don't take the phone (I don't get many calls anyway) and my wife won't walk that far to get me.
David - Continued prayers and best wishes for your grandson.

Today is the 234th birthday of the US Coast Guard.
Everyone have a great Monday.
 
During a pressure relief activity at 5 am, I noticed the AC was not running. I looked at the outside temperature and it was 69 F !
The first time the temp was below 70 F at night since early May.
I am waiting for my wife to get ready to make a birthday trip to a local winery (50 miles away) that specializes in Muscadine grape wine.
Muscadine vines grow wild in the south and are used in many homemade wines. Local soil conditions will affect the wine flavors.
I am not a wine expert but I know what I like.
On the way back, I hope to stop by the HEART OF DIXIE train museum in Calera, Alabama for a short visit.
 


Hi again. My parcel pick up is complete. The truck pulled past the blocked mailboxes and the driver was coming up to the front door. He laughed at the truck with 2 now flat tires blocking the mailboxes. His comment was basically that this truck blocks mailboxes on every job site in the area. The USPS he said is aware of this guy but until he damages a mailbox with proof they cannot do anything. He did tell me to report the blockage to the USPS so they can log it.

The gun in the ankle hostler did freak out a dog walker already. I told her I’m licensed to carry. She thinks I’m “appalling”. I’m wearing shorts and it’s very obvious which is the point I am trying to make
 
Good Morning All!
62F @ 67% partly. Expected to be 88F later.

Doing medical today, Maria 1st in Libby with our personal doc, then me in Sandpoint with the heart doc. Looks like there will be time to get to Sandpoint with enough time for a quick lunch before. I will plead for my fav burger joint; Zip's, then sit rail side with camera in hand...we will see.

TLOC: Around this neck of the woods, people open carry all of the time. Idaho is pretty much the same. Nobody notices; except for the newbies to the area. And then you get an eye raise until they see the next person carrying. I don't bother around town, but I sometimes do have the .380 in my back pocket.

L8r
 
You had to be tough to play in them old school playgrounds. You either got burned on the 200 degree metal slide, an ass full of splinters from the seesaw, Plinkoed through the jungle gym, or hucked into Neverneverland on the merry go `round if you let your buddy Popeye push.
Ain’t that the truth. My “progressive” elementary school is Arizona had massive fields and a big playground and a long 45min recess.

We had these swings that were a semi circle of steel for the frame and the high point was 10’ or higher and we would swing until we were way high and then launch ourselves out and fly through the air onto the coarse sand.

We also had these things which were like a vertical push buggy thing attached to a spindle so that you pushed yourself around and then went around and around. Kind of like a one man merry go round. We’d home on and get someone to push us a few times and then just hold on and let your body fly vertically out as you held. (Hard to describe).

I never saw an ambulance.
 


. One of the neighbors is having her kitchen re-done and the workers the last 2 weeks have parked every where they shouldn’t especially in front of the neighborhood mailboxes. A few neighbors have called the local PD who have spoken to the workers to no avail. My mailbox is 100% blocked and I asked the gentleman if he would back up 10’ and he said call the cops.
That's just a poor attitude on the part of the contractors employee.

Way to piss off what could be potential future work.

Wonder if the owner of that business knows how his employee is interacting with the public with his business name and phone# plastered to the side of that vehicle.
 
The gun in the ankle hostler did freak out a dog walker already. I told her I’m licensed to carry. She thinks I’m “appalling”. I’m wearing shorts and it’s very obvious which is the point I am trying to make
Per the web, Wisconsin is an open carry state so technically no permit needed for open carry. I realize and assume that telling her you were licensed was just to calm her down.

I also realize that you had a specific purpose in open carry and it’s a good reason. I used to open carry back 30 years ago, a lot. Mainly as a statement. I eventually decided discretion is the better part of valor.
 
That's just a poor attitude on the part of the contractors employee.

Way to piss off what could be potential future work.

Wonder if the owner of that business knows how his employee is interacting with the public with his business name and phone# plastered to the side of that vehicle.
Agreed. Back when we were just getting started with our house — I don’t remember if the hole was dug yet or not but the hole was about 40 ft back so it doesn’t matter. The neighbors were having a ton of landscaping done so that they could sell the house.

The landscapers were dumping excess dirt and gravel on my lot. I came by and saw it and asked them to remove it. I took pics of all the trucks and the skid loader and the dirt and gravel.

They did not remove it despite me asking so I sent a $200 bill for removal to the company listed on the side. The owner actually sent me an apology letter and the $200. Said he didn’t know they were doing that.

If they’d asked I’d probably have been ok with them dumping it.
 
Plinkoed through the jungle gym
I did that, only we called them the monkey bars. I took three quick leaps to the top and called the lady who raised me. No sooner than she looked; down I went. I still have a small notch in my jaw, you can't see it, (I still have a handsome face 😁) but I can feel it with my fingers.

"Plinkoed" perfect description!

On one of the yootoobe channels I watch, the guy that does the narration calls everybody with a name he can't pronounce, "Dave"...
That is a guy I could work with!

When I coached youth baseball, in addition to my team I was consulting other teams. I struggled to remember all the names. I called the kids whatever name came to mind. It was better than hey you. With my booming voice everybody heard me and turned to see if I was calling them. One look and saying, "yes you", did the trick. Unbelievably the kids loved me. More than a few of them still keep in touch with me.

Going back to the hospital shortly
Our prayers are with you.

Word from the hospital:
No baby yet, 31 hours in labor.
I feel for all of you and my prayers are with all of you.

My ex-wife went on at 10am on a Wednesday morning to have labor induced. My daughter was born at 5?11pm on Friday. Nature will take its own course.

The winds off of Lake Michigan can be brutal! They give and they take!

It has to be a real disadvantage to an American league team that doesn't play there often.
"Friendly Confines" my 🫏!

I felt so bad for our new super utility man Jeremiah Jackson playing right field. He played the ball perfectly, even tried to use two hands to make the catch. The wind knocked it down and it glanced off his glove. Just inches short of falling into the pocket. He did what all fielders do when making an error; he looked at his glove after throwing the ball to the cutoff man. "Nope, no hole" To make matters worse the announcers didn't mention the wind. welcome to Baltimore. It is no wonder so many Orioles fans are uninformed. Now they think the poor guy can't catch. Like Brooks or Cal never made an error.

I went to our favorite auction site to leave some feedback a few minutes ago.
Interestingly, after I entered my feedback and a very brief description of why I left that feedback, the site’s AI seems to have taken over and added much more to my feedback than I originally provided. I guess in the future, instead of any text at all, I’ll simply leave a single character or letter in the additional comments area.
Weird…
That is weird!

I asked the gentleman if he would back up 10’ and he said call the cops.
She thinks I’m “appalling”.
One 🫏 after another; you were due to encounter a decent person. The mailman was right on time.

With a crew of workers, the "equalizer" was a good idea.
 
Good morning, all! Yep, still hot and humid in H-Town. Looking at the radar we should get some pretty good storms this afternoon. We had all the local family here to celebrate one of the great granddaughter's birthday. We will probably be hosting another next month. The only folks interested in trains, well model trains, are my two great granddaughters. Yesterday, they asked to see the trains. The youngest, 7, wanted to know how long it took to make the layout, how old was I when I started making it, what were the houses made of, how about the cars, what are they made from. Little hands and fingers explored the track and scenery.

David - Prayers and best thoughts for your grandson. How old is he. (My youngest grandson is in his 30"s)
Terry - Pacing back and forth in an RV must be hard. 3 steps turnaround, 3 steps turnaround. Prayers and best thoughts as well.

As Willie pointed out today is the USCG birthday. This time, 61 years ago, I was two thirds of the way through Coast Guard boot camp. I have often said that being in the CG was the best job I ever had. Not the pay, but the job satisfaction. I spent 3 of my 4 years active duty in Search and Rescue. The feeling of accomplishment and the end of a successful SAR call is just so satisfying. You may have only simply towed a boater back that ran out of fuel, or you may have saved a life or lives. I know the other services must exist for America to be the strong and free country it is.

STAY SAFE
LATER
 
Good Morning All. An incredibly cool 66° after a series of thunderstorms passed through between 3:15 and 5:00 am this morning. Looks like 0.8" in the rain gauge, combined with yesterday's 0.6" has caused the pool to overflow! That's through the skimmer, not over the side. Might hit 90° today, never did yesterday and then Summer returns tomorrow.

I accomplished very little yesterday in the way of tasks/duties. Although I did get some stuff into the attic after church. I got a load of laundry done, but absentmindedly forgot to do the second load for the bed linens. So that's on the agenda for today along with leaf removal from the pool. It was a bit windy during the thunderstorms last night.

I was able to spend more time than normal out in the train shed due to the rain. I posted a prelude to my newest project when I added details to the Walther's Interstate Fuel & Oil structure last week. It's part of an overall complex and it's situated on a 12" x 36" unfinished part of the layout.
View attachment 234439
The area on the near side of the tracks is also unfinished, but that is not part of my current target area. It is bounded by Buffalo Industries on the north.
View attachment 234440
And on the south there is a totally unfinished area that represents a small canyon.
Yesterday I did a little painting on the fuel distribution station.
View attachment 234441
And also on the pimp house.
View attachment 234442
One of the things that really bothers me about some kits, is their impractically in the real world. An example on the office/warehouse structure exists on one corner.
View attachment 234443
The side dock has no means of access except for that scale 4' joint, thus making it impractical for any real loading purposes.

Terry - Late response - I would leave the siding as it is, but I would add vegetation in the ballast. How much depends on how long ago it was taken out.
Tom O - I am normally not interrupted when I am in the train shed. I don't take the phone (I don't get many calls anyway) and my wife won't walk that far to get me.
David - Continued prayers and best wishes for your grandson.

Today is the 234th birthday of the US Coast Guard.
Everyone have a great Monday.
The 4' scale joint only matters to a "nail counter" (similar to a rivet counter).
 


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