Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Stealing [catalytic converters] due to their "worth" has now become almost top of the list in crimes here. With a battery powered saw they can be removed in minutes, and folks are losing them even in daylight hours in store/church parking lots!

I believe the airport long-term parking was hit in Portland.

 

The other crime of opportunity seems to be 'smash-and-grabs'. These have long been a problem in Silicon Valley where people would leave laptop bags in cars - even in 'good' neighbourhoods. These were prolific in a busy strip mall with lots of restaurants that I frequented. The property manager even hired a security patrol, but that was insufficient.

 

Local news seems to love these kind of stories. Last night multiple channels had a story of some visiting mountain climbers who left all their gear in a rental car parked on the street overnight while they slept in their hotel room. They were shocked when, making their police report, the police officer did not react like the theft was extraordinary and the rental car company told them it happens a couple of times a week.

 

Easily prevented by not leaving things in cars. The Portland Police Bureau recently tweeted a PSA about leaving guns in cars. Apparently guns stolen from parked cars is serious enough that it has their attention.

 

A little sadder and harder to prevent is the theft of self-rented moving vans or trailers (usually the "U-Haul" brand in the US). While moving, people will park them at a budget hotel on the edge of town only to wake up and find all their worldly possessions have disappeared.

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[PhilJ W]

The vixen and cubs are back in the garden this evening. The cubs are playing but one of them must have misbehaved as mum gave it a swipe. Not going out to the MRC after all, still feeling cream crackered.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

When you're having a bad day - spare a thought for this Guy:

(Warning - it may upset some)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61451469

On a slightly ,lighter, note, and especially for polybear spare a thought for this guy, though again it is Australian so there is a language warning.  I can't believe how much we swear, though this bloke is excused under the circumstances, though the tiger snake sits a lowly 11 on the world's deadliest snake list.

 

Features an Ingenious use of vice grips and interesting to note that the understanding that snakes are protected and so  cannot be harmed is something even this bloke takes into consideration.

In the US he'd have taken out one of his many guns, blown the snake and his leg off, job done.

 

[Coombe Barton]

... And we all thought that H&S meetings lacked interest. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/05/18/back-to-covid-briefings-in-the-usa/

[Ozexpatriate]

21 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

In the US he'd have taken out one of his many guns, blown the snake and his leg off, job done.

I know a hunter who, regularly in rattlesnake country, has a short-barreled scattershot sidearm. Rattlesnakes are not protected. I cannot comment on whether this weapon is entirely legal.

[southern42]

8 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

Good morning Bob,

The modelling mojo does come and go. My folding  H0 layout sat in its box for over two years while I tried to get on with an H0m layout that, having exhibited it once at a Society event in a slighlty wip state  I'd rather lost enthusiasm for. During one of the lockdowns, I just got it out to operate without beating myself up about doing any more work on it. It's a fairly simple five point BLT (or perhaps I should call it a TLS  Terminus du Ligne Sécondaire)  and I found just bringing a mixed train slightly too long for the run round in, exchanging incoming witth outgoing wagons and sending it out again surprisingly enjoyable. There's a lot to be said for a bit of wagon bashing so it now sits on the back of the bench with a loco and some stock ready to be switched on and played with whenever the mood takes me.

Is the layout in your shed in an operable condition- ballast or no ballast?

 

 

I drove back from a friend's in Oxfordshire yesterday evening and it was fair chucking it down though for once the motorised morons seemed to have avoided crashing into things and blocking the motorways. What is fairly terrifying is watching how people drive and knowing that our driving test is one of the most stringent. 

Today is looking sunny and warmish and it looks like the rain will arrive very politely overnight. So, time for walkies I think before the weather gods (aka complex non-determinsitic systems subject to chaotic behaviour)  change their mind and produce thunder and lightning.

Have a nice day!

 

 

My muddling mojo goes awol too often. My recent spell lasted months. Now that it is back and things are moving forward, I am having to wait for some stuff in a can... so it will be next week before I will be able to do anymore by which time I could so easily “lose it” again, but I hope not.

It is ten years since I started this thing and in that time I have learnt that my muddling mojo comes and goes like the seasons - ranging from monsoon (over abundance of enthusiasm and productivity) to drought (zilch) but possibly less predictable!

So, GDB, and anyone else suffering a dry spell, I hope your rainy season soon returns and replaces your dry one. 
 

Polly

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The fox cubs are still around, though its to dark to see them you can hear their cries. No sign of Si Attica or Arthur Itis but I still need to be careful as it doesn't take much to wake them up. No sign of the thunder storms yet but its starting to feel muggy. Now back to Farcebook, be back later.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

The weather has been very kind to me today, it was absolutely glorious, wall to wall sunshine, with a temperature that reached 22C. This meant I was able to crack on with sanding the final shelf. I’m pleased to say that it is now complete and ready for staining and varnishing and is currently in the cellar with the other 2. It was all but complete before dinner, I just wanted to give it a final going over with some fine sand paper, then I was able to tidy up. I’d created an awful lot of dust, which I’ve swept up daily, but after today’s final sweep up, I washed everywhere done with the hose, then afterwards watered the plants. Typically, like the last few evenings, it once again rained. But I’ll bet if I hadn’t watered the plants, it wouldn’t have rained at all. 

 

The plan for tomorrow is to put up the shelf brackets and see how they all look. I can then mark where I need to put the small notch then staining and varnishing can be started. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Barry O]

Cricket.. umpired

 

MRS.. visited 

 

Emails sent..

 

Time for sleep.

 

Baz

Edited May 19, 2022 by Barry O

[monkeysarefun]

16 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

 

Americans are no different than the rest of us (although when Americans do “stoopid” they really do “stoopid”)

 

 

 

Hey they saved our ar5e in WW2 (once they turned up!)

 

 

4 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I know a hunter who, regularly in rattlesnake country, has a short-barreled scattershot sidearm. Rattlesnakes are not protected. I cannot comment on whether this weapon is entirely legal.

 

 

Theres a gun thats illegal?!?

 

I dont know what a short-barreled scattershot sidearm is but to me ironically it sounds closer to the weapons that existed when the second amendment was drawn up than the military assault rifles that today are apparently essential for a well armed militia.

Edited May 19, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[southern42]

‘ night all and nos da.

Polly

[andyram]

Evening all and generic good wishes. It has been a skim read through ER’s today. Things have been very busy despite the day being one where the shop is closed. Part of the day has been spent dealing with the ineptness that is DPD.

 

 Last Friday I was due a delivery from Peco. DPD were due to deliver between 12.45 and 1.45. The arriving soon alert was received just before 2pm. With the shop being sadly quiet, I wandered out to the end of the alleyway to await the delivery whilst enjoying the sun. Ten minutes later I observed the van drive straight through Matlock Bath without stopping or making any attempt to stop. This was followed by the “driver could not locate you” message (he did not try!)

 

Subsequent calls to DPD failed to get the parcel delivered and I was promised it would be sent Sunday. I arrived at the shop on Sunday and then received a message stating that due to a problem the parcel had not left the depot and would be redelivered Monday.

 

Further phone calls resulted in the delivery being rescheduled to Tuesday due to the fact I am closed on Monday. This time the delivery was made before the shop was open and the driver saw fit to leave the parcel on the doorstep and depart. One of my customers discovered it before my parents had arrived for the day!

 

Sadly this is not the first time it had happened. Three previous Peco deliveries have been dumped on the doorstep on mornings prior to the shop opening. Fortunately they have still been there when I arrived a short time later. I was less lucky with a Hornby parcel just before Easter. This was similarly left and one of the boxes had disappeared before I arrived.

 

All of the previous deliveries were made despite me using the App to request a change of delivery date and receiving an email confirming the request. These requests clearly being ignored.

 

What are DPD doing about this? Nothing! It has taken me since Friday to get to speak to the depot manager. A complete waste of time he turned out!

 

Stay safe.

 

 

Andy

[monkeysarefun]

Thats my choice of voting place  sorted then!

 

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I dont know what a short-barreled scattershot sidearm is ...

I can't quote make and model - it was described to me. (I've not seen it.) From what I heard, if used, I don't imagine there would be much snake left.

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[jamie92208]

It sounds very much like a sawn off shotgun to me.  I once met a Sherrif in Wyoming who kept such a weapon under his car seat. The barrell was only 9" long but the theory was that it would deal effectively  to anyone who got stroppy next to the car.  

 

Jamie

[chrisf]

Ah, that's more like it.  The internet is functional again, at least for now.  The landline recovered quite soon after I reported the deafening silence with the aid of the mobile.  It burst back into life with a call from Stalag Surgery.  Someone there has noticed, after five years, that I am prescribed very expensive tablets for calcium deficiency and wants me to be tested at the hospital.  My protestation that this is a matter for the oncologist was rebuffed.  I see no reason for medics to fight over me.  We shall see what the Prof has to say.

 

Area Group lunch yesterday was very pleasant, with eight of us sitting in the pub garden under an awning and munching pub grub delicacies such as lamb shank.   The conversation did not dwell overlong on m*d*l r**lw*ys but who cares?  I brought along a bargain from the bring and buy stall at ExpoEM but no other specimens were produced.  No doubt we will soon get the collective hang of show and tell once more.

 

There is culture for Chris tonight.  Belshazzars Feast, a folkie duo with heavy classical overtones, will be playing at a local venue.  It appears to be a farewell tour but I do hope not.  The latest brochure from The Stables has arrived, containing much to entice me.  I'm not sure that I want to pay £33 for an incomplete Lindisfarne but the visit of Le Vent du Nord is already booked and the Chris Wood and Grace Petrie concerts soon will be!

 

Andyram, the conduct of that delivery driver is reprehensible.  The sooner his alleged managers are involved the better.

 

Chris

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Lots of pollen in the air. Hay-fever tablets deployed but it takes a while for them to make things more liveable. Pah!

 

I need to have my ears lowered today. Having fixed some wiring at the club last night I need to do more wire strangling to my trains etc today. Busy day scheduled!

 

DPD like most delivery companies rely on their drivers. We have been lucky with the ones around us but I understand your frustration @andyram.

 

Stay safe!

 

Enjoy your day.

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Plenty of rain last night with lots of lightning and a few rumbles of thunder but mainly in the distance.

Several shades of grey in the sky at the moment with the chance of some showers but there should be some sunny spells later on.

It's a 3 bin lorry day today but the first one is running late.  Sainsbury's have surprised us by declaring that we will receive everything we ordered with no subs.  I can hardly contain myself.

A walk is scheduled with The Boss provided her knees (and mine) feel up to the task. 

After yesterday's excursion to The Shed I may try and repeat the trip as I actually derived some enjoyment from it. Thank you for the support and encouragement in that.  Thoughts of ripping it all out have been banished.  That would be a stupid waste of not only the time already spent but a considerable amount of tokens.  Thanks Flavio for the comments about how tidy it is, that is the only way I can work and my little Vax vacuum cleaner is always plugged in and used during and at the end of each session.  I do the same when doing any DIY and although it may take me longer I think it's a lot easier in the long run. Helps keep all the models clean too. 

Time to take tea up to Herself.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited May 19, 2022 by grandadbob

[New Haven Neil]

Good morning from a chilly 10c rock, sunny and breezy outside.  Inside not sure yet, but pal H is coming around at 10 for a chinwag, no doubt those transportation devices will be discussed.

 

I too struggle with motivation sometimes, this last winter has been a particularly bleak period for it.  A friend on here (not ER's though) made a superb building for my layout to kick my ar$e into getting going again with it, but inspiration as to how to deal scenically with the corner of the layout where it lives is only slowly coming together.  It's not just modelling, my other hobbies have been in the doldrums too, but the light at the end of the tunnel does seem to be getting brighter with the onset of better weather.  The long wait for surgical opinions on my two orthopaedic issues hasn't helped, but as suddenly things are moving on both fronts this is improving.  Next winter will be mostly spent in plaster by the looks of things, but if it results in improvement then I'll take that.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a quiet house in the Charente where the sun has come out.  We had some rain during the night and early morning.   Beth has departed for Niort and physio, her first solo trip.  I meanwhile have a loaded trailer to take to the tip and probably another load to take after that.   Various things got done yesterday despite the temperature getting up to 32.  I even managed two hours trainspotting as part of a successful shopping expedition whilst Beth went bowling.

 

Arrangements for my jaunt to the land of chocolate and cuckoo clocks are going well.  It look as as if ID may join Andy and I for one afternoon.  I set off on Sunday morning and spent a bit of time last night putting various addresses into the satnav for the French part of the trip.  The Swiss part will be rail based. 

 

As to modelling mojo, it comes and goes  and post Brexit problems with postage for parts does not help.  One company has a minimum order of 150 Euro's if the order is from within the EU.  As a result various small packages tend to accumulate at addresses in the UK.  Thus projects can get stalled till after the next visit.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

4 hours sleep, then----- err, bits of sleep just couldn't get comfortable, joints aching and for some reason just above the left kneecap!? don't ever remember having an injury there..

 

Ben the Bright eyes Collie was wide awake  and wandering around looking for trouble at around 05:00, he must have had a good nights sleep..

 

We appear to have had some precipitation overnight there was about 1/2 in of water in Bens outside bowl this morning.. There wasn't any last night. But it cannot have been heavy or I'd of heard it..

 

Went for a wander on old places I've lived on Facefart... Found an old friend , we were both  in training in the RAF at similar times, then we both worked for GEC but on different sites. I last met him by chance walking down a street in London to an electronics / computer show.. I suspect once I start volunteering at the Radar Museum RAF Neatishead we'll meet again..

 

This is what's happening to the rest of the old RAF Neatishead  site now..

https://fb.watch/d5DAQwqP6t/ as announced a few days ago..

 

Put that man on a charge!!! visible tattoos definitely not allowed..

 

I've about about 5 hours work left on this system, the problem being the Boss has got some of the test equipment, So I can only do two hours of it..

 

Time ..get a measuring.