Come on back to the caboose and get a cup of coffee [or sweet ice tea] - Part VII

4th day that we have had rain, but this is the "rainey season".
Clearing off at the moment,however, still looks as we will get more rain later on today. Most that I have seen in a year. We welcome all we can get.
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Rest of Today
Widespread showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce small hail. Highs 49 to 55. Winds southwest 15 to 25 mph. Gusts to 35 mph in the afternoon.
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Tonight
Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the evening...then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers overnight. Lows 36 to 42. Winds west 15 mph. Chance of measurable precipitation 50 percent.
 
Good evening, 30s today but 50s next two days, thats like spring for Michigan in Feburary. Grocery shopping this morning, not much else some small repairs on a transformer....S.J.
 
Good morning.

It's 64 and cloudy. The high should be in the mid 70's and there's a chance of thunderstorms.

Didn't get much done on the layout yesterday due to life getting in the way. I've finally gotten tired of the breakdowns in the sewage system here so yesterday was spent gathering all the things needed to put in a new one. Now I have to wait for the weather to cooperate. I'm expecting a dump truck load of gravel today. Half of it will be dropped at my niece's driveway (she paid for half of it) and the other half will be split between my father and myself. There should be more than enough for the drain field.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA 71446-6114 2/10/2009

Wind Chill: 64°F
Humidity: 94%
Dew Point: 63°F

So Far Today
High: 65°F
Low: 64°F
Rain: 0.00"
Rain Rate: 0.00"/h
Gust: 9mph S

Lake wind advisory in effect from 11 AM this morning to 6 pm cst this afternoon.

Today High: 75 Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 70s. South winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 35 mph.

Tonight Low: 58 A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening...then showers and thunderstorms likely after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

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BRRRRRR !! No rain today, but turned cold after the rain. Finally getting our winter as it is 28 outside this morning and 62 inside. Won't get anything done today except trying to stay warm. Furnace blower decided to quit working Sunday night - so have someone supposedly coming today to work on it. Electric heater wont keep up - really don't want to purchase another. Even have the electric oven on with the door open.
Don't envy your septic problem Jeffrey, been there done that - now too old to do the shoveling. Good luck. Nice touch with the L&A on the loco. I remember that one.
Today
Partly cloudy in the morning...becoming mostly sunny. Highs 51 to 58. Light winds.
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Tonight
Mostly clear in the evening...becoming partly cloudy. Lows 32 to 40. Light winds.

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30.3 °F / 0 °C
Clear
Windchill:28 °F / -2 °C Humidity:89%Dew Point:25 °F / -4 °C Wind:0.0 mph / 0 km/h
Wind Gust:0.0 mph / 0 km/hPressure:28.59 in / 968.1 hPa(Rising) Visibility:10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers UV:0 out of 16Clouds:Clear -
(Above Ground Level)
 
Sirfoldalot said:
Don't envy your septic problem Jeffrey, been there done that - now too old to do the shoveling. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Digging? Shovel? Not me! There's gonna be a backhoe out here doing that job.

Sirfoldalot said:
Nice touch with the L&A on the loco. I remember that one.
Click to expand...
The L&A is for Louisiana and Arkansas, a fallen flag that was absorbed by the KCS.
 
Good Evening, New record high of 59 today. About the same for tomorrow but rainy. Winter's not over but a break sure helps lift the spirits. You begin to think, maybe I can make it after all. No trains today...S.J.
 
Good morning.

It's 52 and cloudy. the high today will be around 70 and there's a slight chance of thunderstorms.

The guy who's going to be doing the backhoe work on my property came around yesterday to look at the area he'll be working in. He had some reservations about some wires crossing the site but I assured him that they can be easily moved out of the way. The gravel that will be needed was delivered. As for any layout work, there was none. I was extremely tired due to some medical problems and spent most of the day in bed. We were under a tornado watch until 6 this morning. While it was quite windy it was nothing dangerous. Today there's nothing on the schedule so I'll tackle whatever comes along.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA 71446-6114 2/11/2009

Wind Chill: 51°F
Humidity: 87%
Dew Point: 48°F

So Far Today
High: 69°F
Low: 52°F
Rain: 0.19"
Rain Rate: 0.00"/h
Gust: 31mph WNW

Today High: 70 Partly cloudy with isolated showers early in the morning...then mostly sunny in the late morning and afternoon. Highs around 70. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight Low: 42 Mostly clear. Colder. Lows in the lower 40s. Northwest winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming northeast after midnight.

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Good Morning ...
The heating/a/c man came yesterday afternoon. Discovers that the blower motor was the trouble. This motor was replaced last August with a new one- the house is only a year old this month. My previous house had the same motor for 17 years with never a problem. Kind of has me scratching my head as to why this new motor will be the third one to be installed. Seems to me that there may be other electrical problems to deal with. The "new" motor will have to be ordered and it is expected sometime today. Of course it just happenes to be the coldest of the winter and about as cold as it ever gets around here.
Hopefully they will get it up and running today.

Frost advisory in effect until 9 am PST this morning...

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Today

Partly cloudy. Areas of frost in colder...wind sheltered locations in the morning. Highs 56 to 62. Light winds.
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Tonight
Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers. Lows 38 to 45. Light winds. Chance of measurable precipitation 20 percent

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29.8 °F / -1 °C
Clear
Windchill:28 °F / -2 °C
 
It's obvious that they don't make things as good as they used to. Plus many 'new' motors are just old ones that were rebuilt and therefore don't meet the mark of 'new, but you're charged for a new one anyway even though you're buying somebody's rebuilt junk.
 
It seems to be that things made today are only expected to last until the warranty runs out. Three furnace blowers in one year, I think I would be telling the guy to find me a different brand. I've had three TVs in eight years, the repairman looks and says not worth fixing, and these were name brands. no trains yet today maybe later..S.J.
 
All your comments are correct .. we have become a "throw-away" society. Nothing lasts like it used too. Except maybe Lionel trains (the 46-59 type), a few models of auto's that have been maintained, and old airplanes that have been maintained. Opps, some steam locos as well.

I have been looking at a gaggle of websites on On30. It's small enough that I can have a "tiny" deco layout, and large enough that I can see it still. And the track will not have to be hand laid. Can't have much as have to HIDE it from the three grandsons all under age 4. That is why I was tring to revive the Lionel bit. Right now even that is a little advanced for them, but if they drop a car at least I don't see 100's of hrs of work laying in 1000 pieces. But I need a little more than just watching a train go around a circle. I like to scratch build - so - converting/kitbashing an HO car to On30 would be kind of fun. Anyway, going to give it a shot.

Jeffrey - The L&A used to run to McNeil, Arkansas to connect with the SSW. I remember seeing the trains in McNeil and Magnolia when I was a kid there late 40's and early 50's. There was also an interchange from Shreveport to Lewisville, Arkansas - but I cannot remember who owned that branch? Can you tell me?


Hope you are feeling better today.
 
I don't know a lot about that area. I can see the area of McNeil, Magnolia, Haynesville and all the rest of it. I don't see that branch to Lewisville on the map. It could have belonged to another road. What you were seeing back in the 40's and 50's were trains that had L&A on them but they were owned lock, stock and barrel by the KCS. That was a strange thing. The L&A bought the KCS back in the 30's, merged the two companies and made the KCS the survivor with the L&A being subserviant. It was the L&A that owned and operated all the passenger trains on the KCS lines. The last passenger train to run on the former L&A service was the Southern Belle on November 2nd, 1969. In 1992 the KCS officially disolved the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway.
 
The guys who were contracted to put the new septic system in arrived to do it today as all their other work sites were too wet. Mine is on a hilltop so it's reasonably dry. They got the new tank in, dug out the ditches and put in the pipes. Now I have to get the gravel into the ditches. I moved two trailer loads myself. That's about 10 cubit feet per load. The ground is fairly wet despite being on a hilltop so I can't move full loads which would be about 16 cubic feet per load. Something is gonna have to change though. I can't keep moving that gravel by myself. I ripped my foot open again, and it was healing so well. Depending on what the foot looks like in the morning I may not do anything tomorrow. I'm gonna have to rewrap it here in a few minutes. Man, I hate working with bloody dressings.
 
Good evening, not much today. I used to like model building but my old eyes get tired and it takes the fun out of building model things. I do miss it though. S.J.
 
Good Morning all. Heating/ac people got the furnance blower installed yesterday afternoon. Sure feel good to not wake up to a freezing house again. Got the low-down on the motor. First one quit because the small flimsly bracket that attaches the motor broke loose. Very poorly designed. Bracket attached to motor case with two little spot welds of which neither, to me, seems strong enough to support the starting tourq of the motor. Second failed due to the installer leaving a lead wire to the motor vibrating and it finally rubbed thru and shorted out the motor. This guy said that he tied up all loose wires so that would not happen again. At least I did not have to pay the repair bill as house is still under warrenty from the builder. It's not quite as cold today, but rain is in the forcast for next several days.
Sorry about the foot Jeffrey. You had said that you would not be doing that gravel moving. Dammit, pay attention to yourself.
Sir James .. I know what you mean about the eyes. Not only are mine not as good, but my hands are not as steady either. To tell you the truth I have not found anything good about getting older.

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Today
Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers. Highs 52 to 60. Light winds. Chance of measurable precipitation 20 percent.
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Tonight
Partly cloudy. Lows 37 to 42. Light winds.

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Friday
Slight chance of showers in the morning...then showers likely in the afternoon. Highs 50 to 56. Light winds becoming southwest 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of measurable precipitation 70


34.8 °F / 1 °C
Fog
Windchill:35 °F / 2 °C Humidity:86%Dew Point:30 °F / -1 °C Wind:0.0 mph / 0 km/h
 
Sir James .. I know what you mean about the eyes. Not only are mine not as good, but my hands are not as steady either. To tell you the truth I have not found anything good about getting older.

There is a good thing about getting older, it's better than the alternitive.

Lynn
 
I'm getting a bit of a break today. The tractor wouldn't start. Dead battery. It worked OK yesterday. I've got the charger going on it so now I'm just waiting on it to charge. Wanna know what's hilarious? My mother suggested I use their new tractor. It's battery is deader than a door nail!
 
Well, I took it easy today. I moved 4 loads of gravel (40 - 50 cubic feet) from the pile to the ditch. Getting the gravel into the ditch is what's dicey. I have to back the trailer up to the ditch, nothing difficult in that, but the brakes on the old tractor aren't all that great. I have to back up very slowly or the weight of the load will keep the trailer moving while I'm trying to stop. There is a way to stop it of course. I can kill the engine with it still in gear and the engine compression will hold it in place as I dump the load. The only other way to unload the trailer is to shovel the gravel out. I try to keep that to an absolute minimum as it puts a high load on my feet with the twisting and turning. I think I've done all I'm going to for today. About 1/3 of the ditch is graveled. Between last night and this morning I've moved 65 cubic feet. That doesn't sound like much but consider this. The interior space of the average microwave oven is 1 cubic foot. Multiply that by 65 and suddenly it does seem like a lot. Just to keep this on topic I have to detour around the G Scale static display in the front yard. Don't want to run over the old 4-6-0 Baldwin. I may get something done on the layout later today. For now I'm resting my back which feels as though it's going to snap in two.
 
Hi guys, eyes, hands, time will get us. spent some time at my favorite train store today, some of the regulars stopped in, kinda like the old days at the barber shop. a table with catalogs, coffee and cookies and just good old train talk. Happy friday the 13th....S.J.
 
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