We had our own personal guide for three days. We got to see grizzlys right up close and personal, like within 60 ft of a momma bear! Dianne was freaking out![(-D][(-D] I was absolutely thrilled!!! We had Orcas swim right underneath our boat! They were so close I could have stepped over the side of the boat and stood on their backs! We got to see whales breaching and dozens of other marine wildlife.
The lodge can only accomodate 10 guests or so, so it is a really personal experience. There are several other lodges that offer grizzly bear viewing but none of them will get you up so close and so intimate with the wildlife. As a bonus, we got to fly in a fully restored vintage Dehavilland Beaver float plane from Campbell River on Vancouver Island into Minstrel Island where the lodge is located. Sorry, no trains in the area.
Not cheap. Worth every penny. Experience of a lifetime!!! I have no association with the lodge other than being a totally satisfied customer!
After a longer absence from model railroading, my friend in Japan is back in business! It was good to hear from him! Japan has seemingly overcome the COVID-19 crisis, so life is normal there. My friend has been working on a small trolley layout, set in Edwardian Britain. Here are some pictures!
The Governor of Florida just announced that effective at Midnight all travel within the State will be restricted, and all non-essential workers cannot report to their jobs.
Brasstrains dot com, which is headquartered in Ocala, Florida just announced a big sale today. If there is anything you have an eye on, you better order it right now.
Just to give you some insight, I wouldn’t really worry about it Kevin[swg] They did a state shut down in Minnesota a week ago.
Monday it was 62 degrees up here. I took the Stang out for a romp in the Bush Lake Park area. There were lots of regular cars, Classic Cars and Harleys all over the place. People by the hundreds walking the paths enjoying the beautiful day.
The cops were about but they were not bothering anyone, they looked just as happy as everybody else. I think they realize everyone has had just about enough stress already to go ruin their bright sunny day.
I think they can suggest something like this and hope everyone follows suit but when it all comes down to it, technically they cannot take your constitutional rights away from you, … At least I would hope not!!!
The Golden Wok in Bloomington is still delivering even after the shutdown[dinner]
All the restaurants up here are allowed to do delivery or curbside pick up only.
A lot of them had to close up completely because they are paying their employees more than they are making. I must not be the only one that thinks Golden Wok’s food is so good because they’re still delivering.
It’s by credit card over the phone, then they ring your doorbell and leave it in front of your door. Give em a call, maybe your Chinese restaurant is still delivering too.
I went to the grocery store again this morning. It was normal. With the exception of TP and Paper Towels, everything else is in the normally good supply.
The shelves are completely bare. The store manager told me they ordered a bunch, but there was none on the last delivery truck. I did get one pack yesterday morning, it was the second to the last pack there. It will give us another couple of weeks.
Last week the governor had OK’d bars to give curbside 'sealed" drinks like beer, but yesterday gave the OK for bars to give curbside mixed drinks. We’re becoming New Orleans!
I guess living in Florida, with the Drive-Through Beverage Castles, has hardened me to the alchohol deliver thing. When you could drive through a building and get a 32 ounce draft beer in a styrofoam cup, what difference does anything else make?
One of my nieces manages a sports bar in downtown Fort Myers. They are delivering beer, mixed drinks, and bar food to the curbside. Sales are way down, but they are able to make payroll.
Nice afternoon in SE WI. Sunshine, and 58 degrees. I forgot all the steps involved to do the little degree circle. [%-)]
Cops are closing down Hobby Lobby. They couldn’t convince the authorities that they were essential. [(-D] Just as well. I’ve never shopped for train stuff in any of them.
Working on my office purge. What a collection over the years! [:O] Hopefully the hydraulic arm on the garbage truck won’t overload and blow a hose, picking up the can. [(-D] The room even feels “lighter” .
Nice again tomorrow, I WILL be outside. I have such a start on yard work, why stop now. That frees up my time later on when spring actually does get to WI [(-D]
I can’t wait to get back to work on our place in northern WI. I should finish it up this year. Still snow up there.
When lousy weather does return, I’ll be back down in the train room, working on projects, cleaning up, and getting ready for the summer railroad shut down. I know some of you don’t get that, but that’s the way I’ve model railroaded since the mid 80"s Too much work to do outside, where I had rather be. Of course any super hot days, I’ll be back down in the cool basement. [swg]
Bars in WI., most anyway, also offer drinks to go. Mosr in my town have elected to just close. Not enough to keep expenses going with just a few drinks to go.
I have my own stash. [swg] I don’t need a bar. [B] [D] [:-,]
Remember to watch your step when leaving the diner, you might end up in Brent’s yard. [(-D]
Cool, … I wish they would do that in Minnesota Mike, I kind of miss my buddies.
They should make it so you can park six feet away from each other in the parking lot and socialize. You can enjoy your ice cold beverage and talk in the bar so what’s the difference[(-D]
Maybe that way they’d have a chance to stay in business. They could put the gals on roller skates like the old A&W’s to bring them out to you[(-D]
There are a lot of foods I’ve tried to recreate here, but it’s not the same. Last time we went back to NO, I spent more on food than lodging or gas. And I was happy to spend it. I still remembered some neighborhood dives that had the best food you’d ever want.
The Diner is 2 pages already, I guess people like BC.
I keep looking at he coronavirus numbers and I’ve given up on making sense of the data. It takes a couple days for the Maryland deaths to make it to Worldometer. Virginia reports the number of people tested, Maryland says they don’t have that data. There terms masks, respirators and C-Pap machines are used interchangeably.
On the MR front, I bought a TCS decoder for an old Atlas, custom painted S2. If I want to figure out how to install a LED in the cab, for a reverse light, I am going to need to figure out what to do with hand rails attached to the back of the cab and the deck.
Yes John, I would have to agree the food in NO is phenomenal. It’s just my kind of food, quite spicy but not over-the-top.
Neighborhood dive also called hole in the wall. No one in their right mind would pick one at random and go in and eat but when you hear from someone how good it is. Those seem to be the best places. I have a handful of them I return to up here.
There were a lot of them in the 1980s, but hardly any are left now. What is the real advantage of grabbing a beer at a drive through vs. picking up a six pack at 7-11 on the way home?
There is still a Beverage Castle on US 301 in Tampa. That is the only one I am 100% sure is still in operation. I have heard there are others.
Flo, give the gang and I a [B] Ed a Crown Royal and Dirk half a dog treat.
Sort of Work Front Well in 3 days I saw one person that wanted a Pillow Top Queen set for around $300.00. That was it, so why our we open? Around 6:30 PM I started feeling a little [+o(] so I called the main store and said I was out of there! I did feel warm (might be low blood surgar) and got home temp was 97.2 which seem’s my normal. Be eating antacid’s like candy.
Ed [bow] [bow] Got the GG1 and so far I love it! I will say the couplers but me off, they looked way to high! Ran it for about a hour solo just because I did not feel like playing the big hook if there was a problem. Just hooked up a PRR Reffer to it say 20 minutes ago, seems my worriers where unfouned. From the weight of the engine I am sure it will pull all of my PRR Heavy Weight passangers cars. This engine is heavy!
Personaly I think BLI would have been better off if the stayed with QSI decoders!
Later, Ken and Dirk say’s Daddy, can I run the GG1 please Woof, Woof!
