Nantahala

Did you know?

2009-10-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

I changed things.http://hibiki-echo.blogspot.com/

I hate Dell

2009-07-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

I've been working with computers for a few years. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I've now seen the abomination.I'm visiting my in laws. My father in law bought a Dell 305 All in one printer. He is not a heavy user. So I noticed the "low ink message."With his other printer he bought a Universal Refill kit on the advice of a friend. I decided to be a nice son in law. I checked the net

Hot and humid

2009-06-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last winter we would have liked a day like today. Today I might enjoy a day like some we had last winter. Funny what a difference a few months can make in the weather.But with HVAC life is tolerable. I had a chance this week to drop a few pounds since I wasn't cooking meals every night. I didn't. As far as I know I didn't gain any weight so that's good.The choir party that was scheduled for

Today I lost it

2009-06-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

I decided that I needed to get another sand valve constructed. Well, the first thing to do is examine the two I'd built and get inspiration. I would also double check my method and madness.They were gone!I knew they were on the work bench two days ago. I knew that I was the only one who'd been near my work bench. Maybe "ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night" had snuck in. I

Does anyone have the time?

2009-06-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

There are times that Monk Ki goes off the ranch. One can’t sit around in total silence and know what they might be missing unless they experience what they are missing. That’s the problem with people today- they don’t know what they are missing.“Back in the good old days the trains ran on time.” The woman on the station platform spoke to Monk Ki since he was the only person standing there with

Over the edge

2009-06-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

It would be easy to blame it on the weather. It's not. Maybe it's my diet. I doubt it.Last night I was congratulating myself on some fairly nice domes on my N scale steam locomotive. I'd found plans for a locomotive that were published in 1956. Most of the locomotives of this class were razor blades long before I needed to shave. I took the plans ran them through Photoshop and then started

Thursday update

2009-06-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Even Shine on you crazy diamond – changes.Subtle differences can be heard between the various recordings. The song always seems to make me pause in thought if just for a second. I think it is because deep down the song expresses loss. For me loss is a hard thing to acknowledge and an even harder thing to express. The word stoic comes to mind.I just smiled. It’s hard to understand why we dip so

Choices

2009-06-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

One must make choices. I was editing an article for a newsletter. There is no need to wonder why I made the choice to help someone with a newsletter related to model railroading. I did. I made a choice.For the last "issue" I tried to make choices that would make someone else's writing intelligible. I made choices to correct spelling and grammar. I made choices to allow the reading audience a

Two questions

2009-06-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

There are two statements that I happened upon today. One is that all good narrative is suspense and that the goal must be forward motion.It would be easy to get bogged down in a detailed examination of these statements but then that would probably (no probably about it) negate the two statements.I went to a meeting of a historical society yesterday- that is historical information. Perhaps I

How to kill time- fast

2009-06-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

HBO was a freebie this weekend. So we went into "free movie" over drive. It's a good thing we don't get it. I'd be a zombie in about three weeks. But I did manage to go to a meeting for a historical society (or should that be an historical). Part of me suggested I join. I don't see a ROI yet. I got home and had an article to edit for a railroad group. So the first red flag I threw was can we use

Time

2009-06-13T09:19:00.001-07:00

Some folks have better things to do than write blogs. I probably do. My life just kind of bounces.This AM I rewired a wall switch. I even attacked the box with a Dremel Moto-Tool so the cover plate would sit on it better. I'm also turning a model of a steam dome for a model railroad locomotive. Talk about a time killer. First, locate scale drawings so that I can get dimensions. Dig out digital

Ashes to ashes

2009-06-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

Master Ho Ha leans back, “Harumph.” He then returns to his precise upright sitting position.Monk Ki thinks that perhaps this is a clever zen shortcut to enlightenment. He leans back, “Harumph.” He returns to his as good as it gets sitting position.Twenty minutes later, not that anyone except the timekeeper is counting and he only does it by the destruction of a lit stick of incense, the bell

Ancient history-

2009-06-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. Maybe I'll just toss a few thoughts. But first a plug for Pandora.com. OK the "flash" login is a pain. Hint: doesn't work with LastPass. But it provides music.I've been blogging on railroad stuff at Railnuts.com. The site name is a good indicator of the target audience. And now- a story with Monk Ki:It doesn’t matter how mindful one is; there are times the rice burns.In a

Will the real Milepost 131 Please stand up?

2009-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

This is what Norfolk Southern uses for their mileposts these days. I guess it is cheaper. I guess it is easier to replace. Doesn't have the "look of endurance" the old cast iron ones had.

Sunday- been a bit

2009-04-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

The sun passes overhead without a sound. Monk Ki looks at his shadow and thinks that to move that much mass so quietly is a pretty neat trick. He can’t even sit still without the sound of his breathing catching his attention.Weeds start growing and they don’t make a sound. Later they might rattle their seed husks to denote their demise. It’s a talent to go through life without making a sound. I

Test

2008-11-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

This isn't much AND the caboose came loose (Now I need to inspect track) but I wanted to see how the attached video might look in a blog.So here is the Bushnell area.

Beginning to look better

2008-11-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to get Bushell to look like the Bushnell I'd hoped to see. Here is a shot taken a few minutes ago.

Looks a bit better

2008-11-13T17:17:00.001-08:00

Still have work to do but this photo shows Bushnell in better shape.

Not all holes are in the head

2008-11-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

Well, on a ship they might be.Since the one photo I have of this complex shows no electricity my guess is there was no running water unless there was a pump. So other facilities were most likely outside.Those darn hinges are a bit large. So I'll be trimming them before the paint.

Progress? I guess

2008-11-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Next time someone wonders whether I can volunteer my time for a "church" related project (in this case attempting to recover a system and "maybe" some photographs) I need to remember my new motto "Nope."Yep, that chopped more than twelve hours out of my life. Good quality "veg in front of the tv" time.Been working on my hotel. Let me assure you that 4*4 support posts are really small in N

Guilty as charged

2008-10-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm building a model of a hotel/general store that stood in Bushnell, NC back in the 1930s-40s. When they built Fontana Dam Bushnell was covered by a couple of hundred feet of water. The hotel is long gone. I've seen one picture of the hotel. I liked it. My model railroad was designed just so I could consider building a model of this structure.I'm a bit daft. Guilty as charged.In the past few

A rather stylish lady

2008-10-13T20:14:00.001-07:00

As I understand it fashion is very important in Europe. Maybe she is over dressed.

Railroads - maybe

2008-09-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll see a few railroads in UK and France. We're not planning on it but I always seem to see them as we're zipping down the roads.If nothing more we are going to ride on the Chunnel! As I understand it there are lights on but after I've seen a few hundred feet of concrete walls I'm sure I'll bury my head in a book.I'm the designated "camera man" so between

When does the cartoon start?

2008-09-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

I understand. It is theater. Last week the Democrats put on their show. Their audience was other Democrats. This week the Republicans are putting on their show. Their audience is Republicans. Both groups preach to the choir. I get that.But I’m not a member of either group. Maybe I have a bad habit of asking questions and looking at facts. Facts are often hard to uncover. I don’t doubt that Mr.

A good foundation

2008-09-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

OK it's not built on sand but I'd have concerns about these footings. The recent six inches of rain roared down the hill and exposed this section. With Hanna out in the Atlantic I'm wondering what the builders, sub contractors, and others are considering. An engineer I talked to said that they might have to cut out this section and re-dig and re-pour. When we got the big storm a couple of years

What sound?

2008-08-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

In the last several days I can tell you a bit about the sound trees make when they fall in a forest. Today the sound isn't quite as loud because the ground has been churned up by machinery into a dry powder fluff (no rain in weeks) to the ground muffles the sounds a bit.This AM while waking up over a cup of cofee I heard the words, "you'll never guess." She's right I never do. Seems that one of

Today

2008-08-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Tree falls- BOOM.No rain falls. Boo.Another tree falls. BOOM.Dust rises. Heat rises.What's the stock market doing?

North Wind

2008-08-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

The North wind will be a bit stronger this year. In 1948 they timbered the neighborhood. I’m not sure what they cut down and what they left at that time. I just know that near our cul-de-sac there was a rough cut milling operation. The neighborhood started about fifteen or so years later. Houses, roads, children riding bicycles. Three lots sat there. They are all behind our house. WE knew last

Dearly beloved

2008-08-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

In our fast paced lives I think we’ve (some of us) lost a sense of community. We reclaim it for special occasions. Birth, graduation, marriage, and yes, death come to mind. We gather at these times each seeking a moment of connection. For a brief moment we feel in touch with something greater than our lives. Maybe we really feel a connection with something-outside- our selves.Technology

Little things

2008-07-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

In my limited experience if something is going to cause problems it will be located in a location that isn't ideal for remedy. I'm not sure how inanimate objects manage to do this but in my world they do.I have a turnout (switch) on the RR that passed inspection with flying colors multiple times when an E8 diesel went through multiple times. It's on the "upper" level near the doorway. So it was

waste not

2008-07-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a pack rat. I don't save everything but if I think it might be useful it gets buried in some place that I often forget.This week I was adding some bi-color LEDS to my railroad. I kept forgetting which way a switch was set (a turnout and the DC power gets reversed depending on the tracks entering the area) so I decided to add the LEDs. If it's green the power is one way and if it's red the

Over

2008-07-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ghosts stand watch on Mount Mitchell. They too are beginning to get old. For years they’ve been standing but decay wins. Red Spruce and fir have faltered. American Chestnuts left long ago. Shadows of what once was cast dim shadows under the noon day sun.Monk Ki looks around. Is he early or is he late? What time line is he supposed to follow? He looks west and chest takes a deep breath holding it

Beauty is in the I of the beholder

2008-07-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

I got up early this morning. I just couldn't sleep. So I tip-toed out and got the morning newspaper. Yes, we still get it. It's a habit. I'm not sure why I read it. It's not that informative, I disagree with the editorial page and the news is about 12 hours old. But having little to do except another cup of coffee I was looking at sections I normally would recycle without a second thought.I

In preparation for the feast of St. Ann

2008-06-29T07:31:00.000-07:00