Vacation time!

Going to take some time off and chill out for a bit!

:o)

Easy Listening for a Sunday Afternoon

 Al Jarreau

One of the best voices ever - right up there with Mel....

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At the Hop!

Bobby Rydell!!

(You ARE going to remember this one)!  

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Friday Night Steam

What are all those controls for on a steam engine? Grab a cold one and watch!  :o)

Jeff Berrier

Published on Nov 19, 2017

•A video guide that walks through and describes the functions of the various controls in the cab of Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) steam locomotive #491. Big thanks to Mike Spera for heading the restoration on this wonderful piece of American history. •The locomotive seen in the video is Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) mikado (2-8-2) #491, one of the largest narrow gauge locomotives ever created. It now runs at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado. It has ~37,100 pounds of tractive effort, and weighs ~150 tons or ~302,000 pounds. It was built in 1928 by the D&RGW Burnham shops in Denver, Colorado using the boiler off of a standard gauge D&RGW 2-8-0. #491 is a pristine example of a locomotive perfectly suited for rugged, mountain climbing work. •Thanks to Erik Lindgren (@ColoradoRailPhotographer) for the great still images used in this video.
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Denver & Rio Grande Western K-37
D&RGW #491 at Colorado Railroad Museum
Type and origin References:Dimensions are as rebuilt unless noted Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works Build date 1902 Rebuilder D&RGW Burnham Shops Rebuild date 1928–1930 Number rebuilt 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte Original: 2-8-0 Rebuilt: 2-8-2  • UIC 1′D1′ h2 Gauge Original: 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Rebuilt: 3 ft (914 mm) Leading dia. Original: unknown Rebuilt: 28 in (711 mm) Driver dia. Original: 55 in (1,397 mm) Rebuilt: 44 in (1,118 mm) Trailing dia. Original: none Rebuilt: 28 in (711 mm) Wheelbase 29 ft (8.8 m) Length 41.1 ft (12.5 m) Width 10.4 ft (3.2 m) Height Engine: 13.3 ft (4.1 m) Tender: 13.5 ft (4.1 m) Loco weight 183,920 pounds (83,420 kg) Boiler pressure 200 psi (1.38 MPa) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 20 in × 24 in (508 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Loco brake Air Train brakes Air
Performance figures Tractive effort 37,100 lbf (165 kN)
Career
Operators	DRGW, D&SNG, C&TS
Class	D&RG: 190 D&RGW: C-41 after rebuild: K-37
Numbers	490–499
Locale	Colorado and New Mexico
Retired	1955 (#496), 1962-1970
Disposition	Eight preserved; two (#490, 496) scrapped

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Today's funny :o)

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Once upon a midnight....

Our favorite huge raven is back!

The oldest tree in Coopville:

We named it "Old Gnarly":

The sawdust from all the trees taken down last week sure did come in handy:

The gang just loves to scratch in it!

Can't wait until it ripens:

Yummy!!

:o)

Neat furniture......

..... I wouldn't mind having!

 

 I really, really want this clock:

 Now if there is one with a chicken.......

Uncomfortable looking , but pretty cool:

:o)

Today's funny :o)

A Jewish bookie was at the races playing the ponies and losing his shirt.

He noticed a Priest step out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.   Lo and behold, that horse - a long shot won the race.

Next race, as the horses lined up, the Priest stepped onto the track.

Sure enough, he blessed one of the horses.

 The bookie made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse.

 Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse won the race.

He collected his winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the Priest would bless next.

He bet big on it, and it won.

 As the races continued the Priest kept blessing horses, and each one ended up winning.

The bookie was elated. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings,

and waited for the Priest's blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on.

True to his pattern, the Priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was 100/1.

This time the priest blessed the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag.

The bookie knew he had a winner and bet every cent he owned on the old nag.

He watched dumbfounded as the old nag pulled up and couldn't even finish the race.

In a state of shock, the bookie went to the track area where the Priest was.

 Confronting him, he demanded, 'Father! What happened?

 All day long you blessed horses and they all won.

Then in the last race, the horse you blessed never even had a chance.

Now, thanks to you, I've lost every cent of my savings!'

The Priest nodded wisely and with sympathy.

 "You are not Catholic are you my son?"

 "No, I'm Jewish"

  "That's the problem", said the Priest, "you couldn't tell the difference between a blessing, and last rites".

The weather here in Coopville....

......... has been HOT and HUMID!   :o(

Rains like heck for ten minutes and then the sun comes out for five - then rain again!!!

This has been going on for a couple of days now.  Everything is so wet!

I was getting tired of letting the gang in and out of pen!

Oh well, since they are spending so much time in the coop I've been getting three eggs every day!

So I guess it's not all bad!

:o)

Star sand

Would love to have some of this!

Info source: http://jpninfo.com/42797

Okinawa Prefecture is well-known for its gorgeous beaches. On the northern tip of an island called Taketomi-jima is a small beach called Hoshizuna-no-Hama, which is literally translated as ‘Star Sand Beach’. If you happen to look closely at the sand on this beach, you will see that the sand is actually comprised of the special shapes of tiny stars, which is very rare to find in any other part of Japan.

The tiny star-shaped grains are not really sand but exoskeletons of tiny protists called Baclogypsina sphaerulata. They live in the sea grass at the bottom of the sea and belong to the family of Calcalinidae. They measure just barely a millimetre across, which makes them look really tiny. The exoskeletons make them look like stars with their 5 or 6 pointed spines. These allow them to move from one place to another and also serve as storage of diatoms, a major group of algae, which is the food they survive on.
When these protists die, they leave their exoskeletons behind. These wash up on beach in a large number and form the star-shaped sands.

If you want to find a lot of these star creatures and their exoskeletons, it is best to see them pile up after a typhoon. They will have been loosened up from the seabed, and the massive waves caused by strong winds wash them ashore. But if you’re at the nearby Iriomote Island, the second largest island in Okinawa, you can definitely find them everywhere. Look closely and carefully in shallow waters as there are so many of them thriving at this part of the beach. They use the sea algae to try and anchor themselves.

A local legend has it that these tiny star creatures are the offspring of the North Star and Southern Cross. It was said that their children were born in the sea of Okinawa, but a serpent swallowed them all leaving only their skeletons behind. These skeletons on the ocean and they soon reached the shores of Taketomi-jima.
This Star Sand Beach in Okinawa is a definite destination if you literally want to get star-struck (but be aware of the fact that this is not a beach good for swimming).

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Today's funny :o)

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♫ ♫ Oh, What a Beautiful Morning...

... Oh, What a Beautiful Day!  ♫ ♫

Video is a little blurry at he beginning, (as usual) but hang in there!

 

 

 

 Just took my breath away!

 :o)

Easy Listening for a Sunday Afternoon

Always a favorite!

Quando sono solo sogno all'orizzonte
E mancan le parole si lo so che non see'e luce
In una stanza quando manca il sole
Se non ci sei tu con me

Su le finestre
Mostra a tutti il mio cuore
Che hai acceso chiudi dentro me
La luce che hai incontrato per strada

Con te partiro paesi che non ho mai
Veduto e vissuto con te adesso si li vivro
Con te partiro su navei per mari che io lo so
No no non esistono piu con te io li vivro

Quando sei lontana sogno all'orizzonte
E mancan le parole e io si lo so
Che sei con me con me

Tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
Mio sole tu sei qui con me
Con me con me con me

Con te partiro paesi che non ho mai
Veduto e vissuto con te adesso si li vivro
Con te partiro che io lo so
No no non esistono piu con te io li rivivro

Con te partiro su navi per mari
Che io lo so no no
Non esistono piu con te io li rivivro
Con te partiro lo con te

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At the Hop!

Sam Cooke!

You Send Me

Darling, you send me
I know you send me
Darling, you send me
Honest you do, honest you do
Honest you do, whoa

You thrill me
I know you, you, you thrill me
Darling, you, you, you, you thrill me
Honest you do

At first I thought it was infatuation
But, woo, it's lasted so long
Now I find myself wanting
To marry you and take you home, whoa

You, you, you, you send me
I know you send me
I know you send me
Honest you do

Whoa-oh-oh, whenever I'm with you
I know, I know, I know when I'm near you
Mm hmm, mmm hmm, honest you do, honest you do
Whoa-oh-oh, I know-oh-oh-oh

I know, I know, I know, when you hold me
Whoa, whenever you kiss me
Mm hmm, mm hmm, honest you do

At first I thought it was infatuation
But, woo, it's lasted so long
Now I find myself wanting
To marry you and take you home

I know, I know, I know you send me
I know you send me
Whoa, you, you, you, you send me
Honest you do

:o)

Friday Night Steam

Found this wonderful video just filled with steam engines!

This was the information under  the video:
 Kereta Api Jadul Berteknologi Hebat Dari Masa Lampau

Have no idea what it says, but I sure did enjoy watching!

 'Hope you do too!

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Today's funny :o)

A big H/T to Donna for sending!

Some gals are just hard to impress!

(Watch until the end!)

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Coopville's goat

Neighbor and I were wondering what was eating all our flowers. My hydrangea bush was decimated and hers were too.

All my pretty lily plants had their heads missing - turns out the farm down the road had been missing one of their goats for two days.

Neighbor call them to let them know the little feller was here and to come and get him!

We chased it from under her deck and it ran between our rows of firewood that we have in the back.

It took two men to grab the critter and carry him out!

They placed him in a cage in back of their pickup truck!

He was just so darn cute!

The only new critter that I get to keep lives here:

A groundhog!

Sigh.......

Did you ever wonder.....

This always amazes me!

Charlie (May 22, 2011)

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Today's funny :o)

:o)

Just a typical ....

.... day in Coopville:

A beautiful butterfly:

Hubby playing:

  Rose of Sharon trees:

Moss. It really is lovely. And so soft!

India:

Bella:

Hubby STILL playing:

Free Range chickens, LOL:

Mushrooms:

Think  I should put the dang camera down and get some housework done.

Maybe....

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