Running Bear's July 2023 Coffee Shop

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Good Morning All. Partly cloudy today and a tiny bit cooler at 79°. Ooooh! Now the NWS is saying that it may only get to 99° today and tomorrow there is still a 75% chance of morning thunderstorms and a high of 93°.

An extremely happy anniversary today, eight years ago on July 15 2015 was my last official day at work. Retirement began. I have never looked back! :) Never regretted it at all. Liked my job until the last 18 months when I was shifted aside for the next generation, but then it got boring. Yes it was nice to go to work and do nothing and get paid for it. But it was such a waste of time to commute 100 miles a day to do nothing! :(They ultimately replaced me with five people, although two of them had additional duties that I didn't have. Since I was just 63.5 at the time, I chose to wait out the next 2.5 years before applying for full Social Security, living off one of the retirement accounts that I had. That's why it was there wasn't it???? I dropped the financial advisor and self-managed my accounts and I am happy to say that I did really well since. This year alone, one of my ETF's has gained 35%!

Yesterday's grocery trek went OK, at least the grocery part. Home Depot was still out of the liquid chlorine for the pool, so I had to go up the block to Lowe's to get some. Price is the same and both are cheaper than the same brand at Walmart, which I loathe. I got the last six gallons which will not last long in this summer's conditions.

Only a short time in the train shed yesterday, Just cleaned some more structures for now. This is where I am at right now. View attachment 171650
It is a structure-heavy part of town. I do need a few more vehicles in this area.

Patrick - Balancing out the knee usage after a replacement was a tough thing for my wife. She always knew that both needed to be done and they were done a year apart Then the infection set in on the first one and it had to be removed, a temporary one put in and then replaced again. So just when she was able to match very well, the whole thing had to start over. Good luck to you.
Tom O - That's too bad about your wife's friends husband. In my circle, wakes are never somber affairs. Life celebrations!
Much better that the jets are F35's than MiG-29's. People shouldn't complain.
Sherrel - I have used duct tape on drain lines before, no pressure right? I have seen some last over 20 years, but some did not even make it 12 months!
David - That Vasa story is really something. Maiden voyage of 1400 yards before sinking!
Louis - Glad to read about Tucker.

Everyone have a great day.
If the price of freedom is some noise instead of rockets red glare landing in my yard I will take the F35’s. It always amazes me that people find out living near an airport, especially under a runway is noisy. Madison’s protest community says well it’s a place for low income to live. Don’t they understand it’s going to get loud for few minutes per hour? They have already stopped scheduled take off and landings between midnight and 5:45AM. Basically they just want the Air National Guard to move out, or let them become someone else’s noise issue. People forget it was a Army Air base first before WW2 and then commercial in the 50’s providing the Air Guard could stay
 
Well back from the vet about 9, Sienna got her shots and allergy shot. She is doing good for 12 1/2. Resting now after all the excitement.
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Easy to fall into that hole, eh? Just like the other conversation suddenly changed when the facts became known. No one intended for either to become prohibited conversation.

Moving right along, Rapido announced a Southern Pacific, (Amtrak, Canadian Pacific, Panama Railroad), ¾ length Dome Lounge yesterday, provided enough buyers subscribe to the pre-order. Created quite a stir on the Passenger Car List over at Groups io, when one member emphatically called the CP version a "foobie", and another immediately produced a photo of the CP car, and yet another the back story.

Now that Canadian Pacific has completed it's merger with Kansas City Southern, the CEO of CP wanted a dome car for their Office Car train, [Also available for Charter], so thy found an ex SP dome, already stripped and ideal for a ground up restoration / rebuild.
The car is pretty much complete and ready for the upcoming Calgary to Mexico City Inspection Train. Should be a sight as it runs through the CP territory.

View attachment 171652
Good excuse for Guy to make another road trip, eh?
What a beautiful rail car!

I used to buy what I liked and prototype be damned. Then I retired, picked the year 2005 and started buying WC and CN stuff that actually was correct to prototype. ALMOST impossible! It got to the point if I could find a picture online of the car number that was good enough. Forward to the year 2019 and my free lance Railroad came into being. I buy now for things that fit the industries I have but still looking for the model reporting marks and numbers online. I am not counting the windows in passenger cars or seeing that they should be 16” wide. I now just want the feels right feeling
 
Afternoon All,

Started out hot and humid as usual. Started out visiting at Tom's with several of the group in attendance. After that I drove to the bird store for a 20 lb. bag of parrot food for $58.53. After getting home I did a couple of chores upstairs. We're going to a fondue restaurant (daughter's choice) for supper tonight. Never been to one before. Our upcoming skunk rescue is on the 23rd. Not sure what's on for tomorrow.

Louis- That was one of the photos I used when kitbashing my TOFC's.

David- Is that a royal yacht?

TomO- Great looking gondola's.

Joe- Nice photo (even if it is PC) :D. Don't overdo your rehab.

Willie- Nice scenes.

Karl- Nice looking hopper.

Tom- Nice looking dog and cat.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
LOUIS - How is Tucker doing this morning?
The old dog is doing good!

I watched and counted his respiration throughout the night. It is supposed to be thirty breaths/minute or below when he is sleeping. Thirty-one was the highest. If it goes over thirty-five, I must call so they can increase his medication. They told me to expect it to improve in a few days after taking the medication regularly. I hope to sleep more and count less tonight.

When I got home from work, he was howling like crazy at me! He got himself so worked up he was coughing a little bit. They told me that the coughing should also improve over time. He has only coughed two or three times since being home and only when he gets excited.

Thanks Everyone for your thoughts and prayers. My old rescue Beagle means so much to me. It's so hard to believe somebody would not want this kind soul of a dog. Let alone abuse him.
 


Religion and Politics

Two forbidden topics here, for good reason. I previously spent a lot of time running in the grassroots circles.

My bookshelves are now filled with books on both of those topics and their intersection. My masters degree focussed on how journalism covered the political side.

There's a reason I like not having either discussion on this forum... I was in too long and too deep.

I now subscribe to the Dudeist theology and am a card-carrying (seriously, I have an ordination ID card) minister of such. As long as you respect the other man/woman's beverage, and let the rug tie the room together, it's good.
 
If the price of freedom is some noise instead of rockets red glare landing in my yard I will take the F35’s. It always amazes me that people find out living near an airport, especially under a runway is noisy. Madison’s protest community says well it’s a place for low income to live. Don’t they understand it’s going to get loud for few minutes per hour? They have already stopped scheduled take off and landings between midnight and 5:45AM. Basically they just want the Air National Guard to move out, or let them become someone else’s noise issue. People forget it was a Army Air base first before WW2 and then commercial in the 50’s providing the Air Guard could stay
Suburban Denver's Centennial airport has been there for years before any housing development was planned and built. Place for "low income" to live? Not unless those low income people can afford $million-dollar houses. Even then, the people who bought near the airport had to have known it was there. Centennial is a controlled tower "patch" that can handle B737's...if the FAA would allow it. As it is, it handles everything from Cessna 172's to business jets.

As to the price of freedom being noise instead of terrorists, a few days after 9/11, when the sky was deathly quiet (NO pun intended) due to all aviation being grounded, I was outside my house when I heard the sound of jets! As I looked up, a pair of F-16's from Buckley AFB (now SFB) home to the Colorado ANG 140th Wing, flew over. They were NOT in a tight formation. No, they were in a combat spread, lead being protected by his wingman and visa versa, ready for anything! I had tears in my eyes, and would have cheered if they could have heard me.

If you recall, when another commercial airliner was tracked as being inbound to the Capitol, the flight of fighter jets vectored to intercept had just completed a live-fire exercise, and had no air-to-air weapons available. The flight leader, a colonel, IIRC asked his #2 if she was willing to ram if necessary to stop the inbound airliner. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary, as the passengers took matters into their hands, sacrificing themselves to stop the hijackers, and forcing the plane to crash!

So tell those protesters, if they don't like F-35's or anything else overflying their houses....MOVE! No, Freedom isn't free!
 
Both pets are obviously aware of the camera, you could not pose them that well
That was a rare moment for sure. Teddy is the cat we were feeding all winter (2022) and was able to get him last 4th of July. Someone dumped this lovey boy. Him and Sienna are best friends. He worries about her when she goes out to go potty, he's right at the back door watching till she comes back in.
 
Afternoon all! Hot and humid, what else can I say, Houston in the summer. There is a slight possibility of rain next week. Our pine trees are shedding golden needles like crazy.
Made a run to HD for bug spray and ear plugs. They have a jar of plugs, 50 pairs that have a 30 db rating, and they are pretty comfortable.

Ran some trains awhile ago, mostly just to watch.
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STAY SAFE
LATER
 
Well, howdy there internet peeps, and those with cell phones

it's Troy again.

Not much going on as I await the book from the editor. Now that I've got my 3D printer in, I'm outta things that I need to print.

Weather guessers say rain maybe this evening. So I'm going to try to fire up the kamado and cook some philly cheese steaks for dinner. Need to hit the grocery and get a bell pepper, and onion, and some hoagie rolls.

And, I started painting a second army for Kings of War (miniature game). This is a fantasy tabletop clash of armies game. And I'm leaning into the fantasy aspect. This one is called the Night Stalkers (not the helo force in modern military). The idea is these are beings caught in the rift between worlds, and have become distorted, corrupt shadows of themselves.

I started with some heavy hitters to play with paint schemes. This unit is called "butchers" for fairly obvious reasons.

View attachment 171595
Where my other army is slow, and ponderous... these creatures are fairly fast and hit hard. But, being made of bad dreams they tend to evaporate quickly during battle.

The painting technique is using the new Army Painter Speed Paints®. I used a deep blue, and a red, wet blending them. I'd start with one color on the legs, rinse the brush, then add the second color. Do the blending as the last step. Speed Paints are more of an ink in a paint base, so they're not opaque as normal acrylics. Glop them on, and they'll run into every nook and cranny. Pooling in the recesses like a wash/filter. But be thinner in the highlights. This gives a

the primer coat started with flat black. I then sprayed a light grey over that, but only from the top or sides. I wanted to keep the dark showing in the shadowed parts.

I then dry-brushed a pure white over the raised areas. Putting the speed paints over that basecoat helps make the highlights pop and the shadows mute down.

Here's an in-progress shot. The two colors of speed paint behind the model
View attachment 171596
Those heads are reminiscent of alien from the movie "Alien".
 


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