I use to live 50 ft from the tracks in the station at Secane. Electric commuter trans, didn't make that much noise. But every morning at 1:20 AM, a diesel work train came through doing about 12.3 mph. Because it had to cross North Ave then pass through station they were required(or just took perverse pleasure in) blowing the air horn steady from a quarter mile before the street/station, til a quarter mile after it.

By the way, did you notice the 2nd car from the right? There's the problem, we gotta build a wall along the border up north.:tinfoil:

I stopped in Torrington, WY, on several occasions and huge coal trains trundled through the town over a level crossing about every twenty minutes.

The air horns weren't too much of a nuisance but I was slightly alarmed that the building shook as trains passed.

I've just looked at Google Earth and the motel is 175 yards from the track! :eek:

Around here the protocol is apparently three short blasts of the horn, followed by three long blasts, followed by three short blasts when approaching a crossing. Every crossing.

Every. single. crossing.

There are seven crossings within 3/4 of a mile of my house.

Attachment 66339

They blow the horn there (nine times), and there (nine times), and there (nine times), and there (nine times), and there (nine times), and there (nine times), and there...nine times.

No matter the time.

There's a major thoroughfare RR crossing a few miles from our house that's right in the path to the kids' school... And more importantly, immediately parallel to the highway. When a train comes through, it backs up traffic a few miles down the road toward our house in one direction, and on the other side it stops all traffic on both the access road and the highway for up to 3 exits back. And the trains routinely come to a dead stop just like that rural one above.

Anyway, they have a major construction plan to fix it that will elevate either the train or the traffic (couldn't tell from the blurry specs in the local paper) to keep them flowing independently, and also somehow involve a roundabout. Plans call for something like 2.5 years of construction, but they assure us they will keep the minimum 2-lanes-in-each-direction open during that time. I'm just going to keep taking the back way home, myself.

Oh ye of little faith... you be smart. :yesnod:

What do ya call these things?

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It's a garage, of sorts, covered with a tarp-like material. I thought it was framed with PVC pipes, but they're steel, I believe. I call 'em fake garages.

Anyway, Asshole Neighbor (the loud one, not the kittehnapper) got one to cover aaalllll the vehicles they have to have.

He's had it about two months. As you can see, the wind took issue with the structure. Actually, what you can see left of it, left with the most recent stiff breeze. I'm not sure that Beemer has any paint left on the passenger side. What was left of the roof flapped and beat against it in the wind for about two weeks. He don't know where the first bunch of wall/roof went, and he don't know where what was left went when it left, either. All that's left is the skeleton.

I damn near danced when I saw it tore to hell that morning. I don't usually revel in others' misfortune, because Karma, but this is a special situation.

Got any idea what those things cost?

My buddy has two small one car jobs, they were under $500.

Harbor Freight sells those garages pretty cheap and there are plenty of Youtube videos on how to mod them to make them more "windproof".

I'm hoping he got it at Lowe's. Theirs, that size, is about $1800.

From put up to blown away wasn't quite two months, btw.

That feeling, it's called epicaricacy.

Own it.

Use ten times and it's yours. #readersdigestwordpower

Two unrelated pics:

Max zoom, moving target, handheld not well lit. Over-sharpened in post:

Attachment 66692

And some Bambis:

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'Nother Bambi...Maybe Aunt Ena.

Attachment 66726

Wonder why Bambi's mother is just 'Bambi's Mother', and the other characters have names? Reminds me of 'Epstein's Mother' on Welcome Back Kotter...

Bootsy (not Fargon's, this one's mine, kinda):

Attachment 66731

Neat mailbox:

Attachment 66732

Laws of Photography

612. If the Sun is out, it's in the wrong place.

287. If your camera takes interchangeable lenses, you have the wrong one on the camera for any given pic.

1. Cats rarely cooperate for photo ops.

A young buck, ya can see the pedicle between his ear and eye.

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He went across the road and up the ridge. He took three full-length strides dang near straight up.

Thanks for those pics, Grav.

Reminds me of my US trips when seeing wildlife was at the top of my list.
I remember visiting the Railroad Interpretive Centre in Douglas WY, walking around a mighty locomotive and coming face to face with a White Tail(ed) Deer.
We stood and looked at one another for what seemed like an eternity and eventually he bounded off across some nearby open land.

Happy memories!

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The deer just inside the wood line is the buck from the above post (#136).

I didn't see him when I took the pic.

Most people don't take such pleasant memories from their trip to the U.S. I'm glad you enjoyed us.

And these pics.:D

I've never met anyone who has been to the US and didn't enjoy their visit.
Air travel and the associated buggeration factor at both departure and arrival airports is a bit of a pain, but you know what you're signing up for. :D
I was fortunate enough to have visited four times but sadly I don't think that I shall be able to make a fifth trip.

Maybe I shouldn't have said 'most'... Maybe I should have said 'a lot', or 'some'.

We, the people, don't make a great impression sometimes.

Squrl peter?

Attachment 66769

Squrl peter.

Dis a different squrl:

Attachment 66770

Hmm...

I didn't give it to him :headshake, he had it when I met him.

Fess up, those are paid models aren't they. :eyebrow:

I was thinking the same thing! They probably work for peanuts though.

They're high as shit all the time!

How about some Wild Turk--I mean--wild turkey?

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Nice,

I like your pictures, Grav.

I'm glad you do.:D

Gobble Gobble!

You're getting pretty good at this, and obviously serious about it if you take your camera to the mailbox with you. I'm closing my curtains. :unsure:

Heh, I coulda worded that better, couldn't I?

I saw it (the DreamLifter) on the way back from the mailbox. I wasn't armed at the time...:)

We have another one!!

The others were named some form of Willie Whistlepig, II, III...

Ima call this one Big Bad Bill. I mean look at him...He's all "Bro, do you even lift?"

Attachment 67662

This motherfucker did not skip leg day!

Watch for signs of roid rage!

Yeet.

Big Bad Bill again:

Attachment 68113

Better stay away from that boys left hook.

Not really a good pic, but it's the one he/she let me get:

Attachment 68644

I don't think he liked the giant eye (telephoto lens) ogling him/her. Every time I pointed the camera at him/her he/she took off for parts unknown.

He/she really likes that perch, it's just a few feet from the feeder.

Such a cool shot

I guess mature male ruby throat.

That's a great shot! I love taking pictures of birds. I think I've taken a total of 0 pictures this year. I need to get back out there!!

I have a great old Rollei and two good 35mm SLRS.
I use them for doorstops.

I have an old workhorse Asahi/Pentax K1000SE.

I use it for collecting dust in the top of the closet.





Sidenote:

I recently found six rolls of 35mm film. I'd use it up if I didn't think it would a PITA to get developed...

Yet another pig pic:

Attachment 68715

Pig cute.

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Way over-processed...

I, too, shot a heron today.

Attachment 68900

Careful, they're a protected species.

Yes, and well camouflaged.

I'll have to take your word for it.

I can't see for shit now.

Fall.

It begins.

Attachment 68940

That's peak right there

We are at 70% right now up heah

Aminals in m'backyard:

I first thought this was a downy woodpecker, but, due to the length of it's bill, I now think it's a hairy woodpecker. Anyway, ya can see his pecker in this pic:

Attachment 69135

Mr. Squrl:

Attachment 69136

This pic wasn't worth keeping, so I played with it. And then I worked on the pic.:

Attachment 69881

Caught Rocky The Vampire Squrl at the front yard feeder:

Attachment 69882

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So...Seems we have a cat...

Cellar, meet Monster(<--:D):

Attachment 70769

I guess we belong to her now. She's adopted us in full it seems. She shows up in the yard one morning, been here ever since.

And, for the first time this century, at least...

I bought a car:

Attachment 70770

I've known the car for several years. About 7-8 yrs ago, the woman put a new top on it, and the next year she had it painted, and . She'd had the car for years and years. Then she sold it about 18 months ago to a mutual friend, who'd done most of any mechanical work she'd ever had done. A coupla months ago he hit a Cadillac in the door, and tore off the right front of the bumper cover, tweaking the actual bumper underneath. He knew I liked the little car, and gave me first shot at it.

I call her Cherry Bomb. Cherry red on the outside, and sorta bombed out on the inside. Interior looks like what it is, a 27 year old 90's Chevrolet. Motor/trans run like a champ, a/c blows cold, power top works well. There's something weird with the rear brakes, it needs struts, and only one window rolls down (driver's, thank God).

93 Chevy Cavalier RS, btw.

Neat car.