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Fr. Fred
Anytime we are awake is a good sign i.e. we are still with it. It’s the waking up dead in the morning that is more of a concern. :lol:
I leave it at that, otherwise there will be a reminder about “conciseness” and I will have to put it succinctly. 
I was asleep at that ungodly hour…
maybe still am…
…so Ken, now you can see what you are missing. Lucky some of us occasionaly post reports from wherever we are, or are they called “Dispatches” ?
Wherever we are is always in doubt, but we always seem to find orselves in some place we hadn’t expected. That’s the fun of staying up until some unholy hour; and we can do it because we are retired…or is it retarded ?
At the moment I have nothing to report other than I’m alive and doing fine! Although at this some-what godly hour it is raining and I have been making some progress on a trail car for my 2-4-2T engine.
Ken;
I have found that some of us can be most productive at these"Ungodly/unholy" hours.
Here I am up again at almost 02:00 on a Wednesday morning. I’m just up from a nap that started around 19:00 on Tuesday. I guess the old bod just needed the rest, and I’m not about to argue.
I’m just finished the project on the second Connie, which I put off way too long, in hindsight; and am staring at a pair of Dizzies, that appear to be staring back with great delight.
Is this a sign, that I should attack their innards as enthusiastically as I did with the Connies’ ??
I guess I should do a little probing, and discover the delights of the inner workings of a side-rodded Diesel, produced by our friends at B’mann, for myself…
The other project that could catch my fancy, is to convert the three 10 wheelers back to coal firing. After building the coal load extensions for the Connies; it seems only right to do the same for the 10 wheelers. The one that remained coal fired looks sick with it’s as produced coal load, in my eyes.
The engine facilities at Craigleigh, are getting a start tomorrow, or that should be today…I purchased a pt 2x8, to replace a 2x6 that left a bit to be desired. The plywood for the base of the enginehouse is ready for cutting.
All is well…even at this so called hour of disrepute…
Sir, the time on deck is seven bells on the First Watch. (It is called the First Watch because it is first after the Dog Watches. Some, OK all, in todays Navy think that the First Watch is the 0800 - 1200 {Noon} Watch because it is the first watch they have to stand after starting their Day of Duty. They could not be more wrong).
The glass will soon be turned at eight bells on the First Watch and the Mid Watch will begin. The Mid Watch was my favorite time to be in the pilot house at sea. Things were less formal as we knew that the skipper was asleep. We made up drills to keep ourselves entertained, and to try to keep our friends down in the Combat Information Center awake. They did the same for us.
One question that I liked to use was: “In what way was the Captain of the Starship Enterprise on Startrek TNG similar to the navigator who first accurately described the circumference of the earth?” The answer is found in Bowditch. Any takers? Answer tomorrow evening.
I would go out on the bridge wings and look at the stars. For a city boy, my first view of the milky way was almost scary. I had no idea. I had heard tales of it, but I really never believed them. WOW!
As I became more experienced, I could pick out different stars and planets. One night, I could even see the moons of Jupiter with the naked eye, it was that clear. No one else could, but I could.
I used to drive the lookouts crazy by asking them to tell me about that contact at 020 relative. They would look, and see nothing. I would say, “I see it’s masthead light, surely you can see something.” “Doc,” they would say, “you are making this up.” “Nope,” says I, “cause there she is,” as the ship came up over the horizon. I was accused many times of being a space alien with non-human eyes. What I was looking at was the reflection of the masthead light on the low lying clouds on the horizon, a trick that my Scoutmaster taught me many years before. I let them wonder for a week or so before telling them the trick. They caught on fast and it became a contest to see who could report the light first.
Hmmmm, I kinda rambled there, didn’t I?
madwolf
Keep on ramblin’, Steve… it makes these early hours so much more enjoyable.
Who said that the time after 00:01 was wasted, and only good for sleep ?
I get more pleasure in the early hours, when the noise of normal day life is not heard; the skys are not disruppted by wasted city lights, and most human souls are lost to slumber.
Some of my most enjoyable times are spent the few hours before sunrise, and before 10:00 in the morning.
It’s nice to see others with the same values, as we are few in numbers, it seems.
Steve Featherkile said:
Sir, the time on deck is seven bells on the First Watch. (It is called the First Watch because it is first after the Dog Watches. Some, OK all, in todays Navy think that the First Watch is the 0800 - 1200 {Noon} Watch because it is the first watch they have to stand after starting their Day of Duty. They could not be more wrong).The glass will soon be turned at eight bells on the First Watch and the Mid Watch will begin. The Mid Watch was my favorite time to be in the pilot house at sea. Things were less formal as we knew that the skipper was asleep. We made up drills to keep ourselves entertained, and to try to keep our friends down in the Combat Information Center awake. They did the same for us.
One question that I liked to use was: “In what way was the Captain of the Starship Enterprise on Startrek TNG similar to the navigator who first accurately described the circumference of the earth?” The answer is found in Bowditch. Any takers? Answer tomorrow evening.
I would go out on the bridge wings and look at the stars. For a city boy, my first view of the milky way was almost scary. I had no idea. I had heard tales of it, but I really never believed them. WOW!
As I became more experienced, I could pick out different stars and planets. One night, I could even see the moons of Jupiter with the naked eye, it was that clear. No one else could, but I could.
I used to drive the lookouts crazy by asking them to tell me about that contact at 020 relative. They would look, and see nothing. I would say, “I see it’s masthead light, surely you can see something.” “Doc,” they would say, “you are making this up.” “Nope,” says I, “cause there she is,” as the ship came up over the horizon. I was accused many times of being a space alien with non-human eyes. What I was looking at was the reflection of the masthead light on the low lying clouds on the horizon, a trick that my Scoutmaster taught me many years before. I let them wonder for a week or so before telling them the trick. They caught on fast and it became a contest to see who could report the light first.
Hmmmm, I kinda rambled there, didn’t I?
madwolf
Your ramblings about enjoying the First Watch brought to mind a novel I just read entitled “The Haverfield Incident” where the protaganist of the story enjoyed that watch for the same reasons you stated. My dad lent me the book as he served on the Haverfield during WWII. It also brought to mind my own experiances pulling guard duty while out in the field in “Nam”, sitting in the teacup atop the track just gazing up at the night sky. Coming from a suburb of Philly I was amazed at all the stars up there. It was also the first time I encountered what they call “a false dawn” where everything is quiet and still about an hour or 2 before sun-up. Very peaceful feeling in a war torn country…
Fred,
You said - “Some of my most enjoyable times are spent the few hours before sunrise, and before 10:00 in the morning.”
Like others, this is by far my favorite time of the day. Always have been an early riser and l enjoy planning the attack of the new day. Whether hot or cold, it is always the freshest time as all is quiet and the noises of the day have not yet started.
A hot cup in hand on the bridge of a river bouy tender watching the World come alive is a great personal experience. You could feel the history of the water as it flowed past.
I’m here in the wee hours of the morning also. Up at 4:30 and in no hurry to do anything but enjoy the peace. I spent many years going to work at 2:00am. As I was out in the weather…or at least out in my car I could also enjoy the beginning of each new day. Once everyone else was up and on their way to work, I was back home and tucked quietly in bed.
Why is the Starship Enterprise like a roll of toilet paper?
This an old one…
I’ll fall for it. Why?
Steve Featherkile said:
Sir, the time on deck is seven bells on the First Watch. (It is called the First Watch because it is first after the Dog Watches. Some, OK all, in todays Navy think that the First Watch is the 0800 - 1200 {Noon} Watch because it is the first watch they have to stand after starting their Day of Duty. They could not be more wrong).The glass will soon be turned at eight bells on the First Watch and the Mid Watch will begin. The Mid Watch was my favorite time to be in the pilot house at sea. Things were less formal as we knew that the skipper was asleep. We made up drills to keep ourselves entertained, and to try to keep our friends down in the Combat Information Center awake. They did the same for us.
One question that I liked to use was: “In what way was the Captain of the Starship Enterprise on Startrek TNG similar to the navigator who first accurately described the circumference of the earth?” The answer is found in Bowditch. Any takers? Answer tomorrow evening.
I would go out on the bridge wings and look at the stars. For a city boy, my first view of the milky way was almost scary. I had no idea. I had heard tales of it, but I really never believed them. WOW!
As I became more experienced, I could pick out different stars and planets. One night, I could even see the moons of Jupiter with the naked eye, it was that clear. No one else could, but I could.
I used to drive the lookouts crazy by asking them to tell me about that contact at 020 relative. They would look, and see nothing. I would say, “I see it’s masthead light, surely you can see something.” “Doc,” they would say, “you are making this up.” “Nope,” says I, “cause there she is,” as the ship came up over the horizon. I was accused many times of being a space alien with non-human eyes. What I was looking at was the reflection of the masthead light on the low lying clouds on the horizon, a trick that my Scoutmaster taught me many years before. I let them wonder for a week or so before telling them the trick. They caught on fast and it became a contest to see who could report the light first.
Hmmmm, I kinda rambled there, didn’t I?
madwolf
Milky Way scary?
90 days on patrol, coming into Charleston on the surface, you bring coffee up for the guys on the bridge, take a look around, and the moon pops up astern in the clouds, and you’re waiting for the trumpet to sound.
Doug Arnold said:Both orbit uranus looking for Klingons.
I'll fall for it. Why?
Steve Featherkile said:They were both named Captain Jean Luc Picard
One question that I liked to use was: [b]"In what way was the Captain of the Starship Enterprise on Startrek TNG similar to the navigator who first accurately described the circumference of the earth?"[/b] The answer is found in Bowditch. Any takers? Answer tomorrow evening.
Curmudgeon said:Dave, I can see where after 90 days of being under the surface, boring holes through the water, then surfacing and watching a Charleston moonrise could make one think of Gideon's trumpet.
Milky Way scary? 90 days on patrol, coming into Charleston on the surface, you bring coffee up for the guys on the bridge, take a look around, and the moon pops up astern in the clouds, and you're waiting for the trumpet to sound.
Ahh, Charleston, where the Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean. Lovely place.
Steve Featherkile said:and home to the carrier Yorktown...............;)
Ahh, Charleston, where the Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean. Lovely place.
Steve Featherkile said:Ya know that was deliberate right? They wanted the Captian to be named after a notable seafarer but one that wouldn't be so well known to be obnoxious........I think Drake was one of the choices put forth too...Steve Featherkile said:They were both named Captain Jean Luc Picard
One question that I liked to use was: [b]"In what way was the Captain of the Starship Enterprise on Startrek TNG similar to the navigator who first accurately described the circumference of the earth?"[/b] The answer is found in Bowditch. Any takers? Answer tomorrow evening.
Bart Salmons said:Of Course. They could have chosen Bering, Puget, Cook, Magellan, Hudson, Halsey, Burke, Bainbridge, Blukley(that would be a great one) and so on. But, they chose a Frog.Steve Featherkile said:Ya know that was deliberate right? They wanted the Captian to be named after a notable seafarer but one that wouldn't be so well known to be obnoxious........I think Drake was one of the choices put forth too...Steve Featherkile said:They were both named Captain Jean Luc Picard
One question that I liked to use was: [b]"In what way was the Captain of the Starship Enterprise on Startrek TNG similar to the navigator who first accurately described the circumference of the earth?"[/b] The answer is found in Bowditch. Any takers? Answer tomorrow evening.