That looks GREAT Sean!
Spring? You sure it’s not summer? After a dozen days of 90+ temps, I’m ready for fall!
Bone dry, nary a lick of moisture in the air, my staining is on hold, of course it’s across the bridge site, so in the Spirit of Spring cleaning, I pulled a plank, recut the end and set it correctly.
1 Plank pulled out and far end cut to match shelf it sits on.
- Used a thinner cleat to set plank flat.
Now curve through the switch is flat and on the far rising track I cut a 2’ taper to lift the inner rail and flatten the track as it climbs.
- Track retains water and wood can swell under it. There were 2 rough spots I cleaned up with hammer and chisel, then sanded.
After such hearty exercise I was sitting barefoot on my stoop, tossing shelled peanuts to my goober’ds (quail, thrashers and cardinals).
My pants are rolled up and 2 neon white calves are cooling in the breeze. First sighting of my rattle snakes! I know there are a pair that live here. The big-one with the 2" wide head is 3’ below me, checking out the scents.
Shoes on later, a camera peers over the railing, click;
10 feet on he picks up an escort, a half a dozen clucking quail let me know where it is as goes up the hill, trucks through the bushes, touches base at the corner of the house before crossing the drive and disappearing under the layout. No big deal.
I’m still tossing goobers to the birds > gooberds when I see a lucky Dove mating, derisively I suggest they get a room, when I see the truth, she has that far away look. A twitch or two later, her stud slips away hoping nobody saw …
Within 5 minutes, my 2nd snake, a smaller 1’ wide head, comes into view and goes right to the dove. They can unhinge their heads and stretch to swallow huge meals. The light was poor, but yes it did too happen;
Keep your eyes open and have fun.
John
She wasn’t interested in procreation, and ended up becoming lunch. Oh, um, ah…well…
Cool!
Years ago I was hiking along a dirt road. My approach startled a lizard, who sped off ahead of me. As the lizard passed a fence post, a snake that was behind the post suddenly takes off after the lizard and catches it in mid-run! The whole scene played out right in front of me, in just a matter of seconds. I don’t remember what kind of snake it was, but not a rattler.
4 inches of rain yesterday. 50 degrees (that’s 10C) today. You sure this is spring?
That gawl durn Rattler would be a deal breaker for me. After seeing one of those suckers at my feet, this city slicker would high-tail the hell outta there and take a month long hiatus from workin’ on the railroad!
Killed one with a lump of firewood a couple years ago. He was where we definitely did not want him. Of course I was barefoot.
Yea, it rained a bit yesterday, and it was chilly, so I stayed inside and worked on some artwork in MS Paint, for one of my Devoning projects.
I killed a rat in my bedroom once, with my shoe. I think the first hit probably killed him, but in my anger I hit him 2 more times. Each time I hit him, his limp body rebounded a foot or so off the floor. How dare he invade my house?
'cept it was a copperhead, not a rattler.
Oh. And now we’ve brought the thread back to trains as “rattler” was a slang term for freight train.
Tom, my artwork that I am working on is train related. That’s why its a Devoning project. I am working on it, instead of the multitude of railroad related projects that I should be working on.
Well, our choices in New Jersey have been 60s and rainy, or 90s and humid. So I braved it all today and finally got the buildings out of storage.
First we found a good location for Brunt Junction.
Yeah, you look close you might recognize that guy.
Here’s a better shot of Main Street to show he is across the tracks from BCs Ice Cream Parlor (now open for the season).
Oh look, Ric’s out of the hospital and is helping Jan make pretzels!
A shot of Main Street looking from the overpass.
And a shot from under the overpass. (Do not remind yourself of Lt Ober and Cpt Dunn from “Airplane”)
Yes, the Stationmaster is looking for the first train.
Out trimming the boxwoods (myrtles) today.
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Todd,
Hey that’s pretty cute! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Overview from the south end 2 weeks ago.
Spectacular Todd! And I love your “boxwoods”.