Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[fuzzi]

Friends arrived last evening... we went to supper. Going to go get them at the motel mile away.... and we will go check some cattle, feed grain to the "13" and going to leave to go to eat and then go on the Scenic train ride around noon. Ride is at 2-230 lasts about 3+ hours. It is a completely restored steam engine ; The 611 built in Roanoke Va.... both DS and her husband are "real" train enthusiasts.... since her mom did not come with them, I am going tomorrow morning with them on the train they had originally planned to ride.... the "611" tickets were a "surprise" treat I got because they are the ones that "come south" to visit much more often than I go north to visit...
Gotta get going... It's cloudy but sun is supposed to start showing better in a bit and actually be nice and warmer this afternoon.

Love this! My dh was a big train enthusiast, and when we drove to visit family I tried to route us close to train museums. There's a big museum in eastern PA, in Stroudsburg I think. A few years ago we stopped there, and I let us splurge on a wood fired engine train ride. It was so much fun.

 

[SageHill]

Sounds like a fun day!! Enjoy.

 

[drstratton]

Friends arrived last evening... we went to supper. Going to go get them at the motel mile away.... and we will go check some cattle, feed grain to the "13" and going to leave to go to eat and then go on the Scenic train ride around noon. Ride is at 2-230 lasts about 3+ hours. It is a completely restored steam engine ; The 611 built in Roanoke Va.... both DS and her husband are "real" train enthusiasts.... since her mom did not come with them, I am going tomorrow morning with them on the train they had originally planned to ride.... the "611" tickets were a "surprise" treat I got because they are the ones that "come south" to visit much more often than I go north to visit...
Gotta get going... It's cloudy but sun is supposed to start showing better in a bit and actually be nice and warmer this afternoon.

I would love to do this! Have an amazing day!

 

[farmerjan]

Had a really nice time... weather was PERFECT... sun, some color although leaves are not at their peak yet... Really enjoyed it... looking forward to tomorrow morning to spend with them again... then they leave for PA and home late Monday eve...

 

[fuzzi]

Had a really nice time... weather was PERFECT... sun, some color although leaves are not at their peak yet... Really enjoyed it... looking forward to tomorrow morning to spend with them again... then they leave for PA and home late Monday eve...

So glad you enjoyed it.

 

[SageHill]

Well deserved! Enjoy

 

[drstratton]

Had a really nice time... weather was PERFECT... sun, some color although leaves are not at their peak yet... Really enjoyed it... looking forward to tomorrow morning to spend with them again... then they leave for PA and home late Monday eve...

Glad you had a nice time!

 

[fuzzi]

Looks like you're getting rain, @farmerjan !!

 

[farmerjan]

Had a really INTERESTING day... Started out mostly sun with a few clouds... met the friends at 9 to go to town as they were riding a different train today... It was the one they originally planned to ride.... and I could not get tickets as it was full... then the deal with the 611 steam train worked... so we did that and then they were going to still do this morning, then go on to PA for an overnight and then home tomorrow afternoon... BUT.... her mom didn't come from falling and cracking the ribs... and so rather then turning in the ticket for a gift card... they had asked me to use her ticket and go instead... SO, I did... We drove separate since there was no point in them backtracking to bring me back... then going right back that direction to go to PA.
We had hoped to spend a little time in gift shopping... but that didn't work... Seems that the scenic railway has been sharing the actual Amtrack space, and there is nothing in the way of souvenirs or anything; there at that boarding place... So, I will have to make a trip back to where we got on the 611, next weekend, to shop... it is only about 30+ minutes south so not that big a deal... because there was a train book DS liked and I thought it might make a good Christmas gift...
Anyway, the train came and we left about 10:30.... there was mostly sun and some clouds... it was supposed to cloud up late afternoon and rain by 4 or so... but it was quite breezy. Train went through a tunnel that was built through the mountain in the 1850's.... it originally was to allow train travel for ag stuff to travel from the Shenandoah valley, where I am, to the eastern markets... plus the added passenger traffic... There was a good commentary that would come on and off as we passed several areas and such... it was a nice ride... not as scenic as the steam engine.... but the info on the tunnel, and different aspects of the train line and such, were interesting. Coming back, we went back through the tunnel, and then got nearly back... maybe 10 miles... and the train stopped... they said that the one sensor went red and the train has to stop to see what was what. They did not find any of the normal things. Finally they made an announcement that the engine was DEAD... and they were going to have to get the other engine to come and get this train... they figured 2 hours total... because don't forget,,, although it was only 10 miles. between starting up the other engine, coming, getting us and all that it doesn't happen in a minute....
We were just right near the intersection of 2 main roads... and several younger people decided to get off and get an uber back to the station to get their vehicles... they had to climb/slide a rather steep bank to get to the store there, where they all were on their cell phones getting an uber ordered... I said that IF I got ahold of DS it would be 45 minutes before he could get there to get us, IF we were willing to go down the bank... and it would be near 2 hours overall, anyway... and we weren't PUSHED to be anywhere... there were about 15 of us in the coach class that STAYED... so many were real unpleasant about the break down... and left.... several all got together to "pool" the rides back to the depot 10+ miles away... The one group in another car was a charter bus group of SENIOR citizens...so the other engine did get there... it pushed the train back a few hundred feet to where there was a couple "siding rails"... unhooked the dead engine from the train, moved it forward then back onto a siding, rehooked to the train, and we went on to the station... it was just about 2 hours like they said...
It had gotten windy and very cloudy. Very glad we were in "climate controlled cars" so not exposed to the cold wind, or anything... It wasn't really all that bad temp wise, but with the clouds you could feel the rain and dampness..and felt chilly. By the time we got off there were some very fine sprinkles...
So, the funny thing is the "steward" of our car said he has NEVER had anything like this happen... there have been a few times they got a stop signal, and had to check for things and it always reset fine... sometimes one of the cables for the air lines or something hit something under the train, things like that, that trigger the safety system...
Seems like this was s diesel powered engine... but it powers a generator to make electricity, and the train is actually "electric"... the diesel was still burning, you could see the exhaust... but the electric was shut completely off... Could be something as simple as a ground wire,,, might be the electric engine just went KAPOOT...
It was kinda funny after all.... and we did not have to be anywhere at a certain time... and 2 hours later was not going to break anyone unless they had to be at a wedding or funeral if you ask me.... but some of them just had NO PATIENCE to wait... I mean they were ready to get off before they were even sure what it was or how long it might be.
I am sure there will be some really bad reviews... but come on.....

Took DS nearly half an hour before he saw or answered my text... about what we were looking at... and he said... guess they need to get a steam engine... "LOL"....
He was cleaning up the rock that the guy had come on Friday and broke several big sections of ledge and stuff in the fields, so he could then spread dirt back and drill the seed in the corn field... said he got the one big 12-14 acre field all cleaned up and dirt spread and was seeding it... He said it was 2 full dump truck loads of rock he got and loaded on the dump truck... So he really worked at it. He could have been doing it Sat when we went, but never complained about he "should've" been doing that... of course it was last minute that the guy said on Thursday that he could come do it on Friday... DS figured sometime later this fall/winter... so he took advantage of it, and got the one field all cleaned up and hoping he got it planted.
The sprinkles stopped for a bit, and the ground was barely damp, so I am really hoping he got that done... It sprinkled again about 5-5:30 for a few minutes.. not much... then we got a good shower/lt rain about 6:30-7... supposed to have some more off and on through the evening... but clearing off by tomorrow and cooler and dry for the rest of the week again... So, I rather hope we get a decent amount this eve/night... then in a day or so, he will be able to get into the other field and get that cleaned up and drill the seed in there.
Hopefully by getting some of these ledges gone, we will not tear up so much stuff when you come upon it suddenly... when he is planting, he can see them... but when we have a cover crop that he mows, like wheat or something that is 3 ft high or more, it is so easy to not remember EXACTLY where the rocks/ledges are, and hit them... and some of what he got the guy to break up, was some rock in one hay field section too... it will be sooooo nice to not have to try to mow around and then rake and bale around those spots. Plus less equipment damage hopefully...

So, hoping this rain will amount to something... hope he got at least the one field planted... and then start over again this week. Dr appt on Monday, I have to test Tues and Wed aft...

AND now we aren't really sure what we are going to do about these weaned heifers since the market prices dropped after Trumps announcement of "working magic" to make the price of beef drop in the stores... our futures markets on calves dropped the limit the next day... you know that some of this commodity trading is all the paper/pencil pushers on the stock market... but it showed in prices on Friday I heard... So... we will see about what we will do about the heifers later this week. Last time it dropped, it was back up in 3 days... so got a few days to just see how the winds blow...

Going to get a shower and head to bed. See what the plans are in the morning... I think he has to be there at 1... so leaving here at 11:30 the latest....