Archive through August 03, 2012

[wshytle]

Kraig-

That bridge is something else. Does it amplify the sound of the trains when they cross?

It's sort of funny you having to lift a cat up too. I've always heard they have nine lives and a climbing gear.

Jeff-

I guess that would be a "Cat" crane since it was posted here.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Wayne, Selah appeared to be getting winded. It was a fairly warm day and he was breathing hard to keep cool. The bluff was very steep where we climbed back up with several spots that were hard for Selah to jump up. It was easier to just lift him up to the next "step" in the limestone. When we got home he laid on the tile floor in the kitchen breathing hard for quite some time before he cooled down. No more hikes down the bluff for him. He had us scared for a bit before he cooled down.

 

[mgwin]

Kraig,

I take it there are no ticks in your neck of the woods! And from the looks of it, no snakes either.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Marty, oh we have ticks, plenty of them. There are Timber Rattlers in Wisconsin but the closest they are to me is about 20 miles south. We have Bull Snakes and other snakes but no other poisonous snakes.

 

[wshytle]

Kraig-

It sounds like the times I use to have with aging dogs. The older they got the longer they would sleep when we returned home. Ya'll must have gone a good distance too.

Glad to hear he got back and rested up.

 

[cmcleod]

Kraig Selah had quite an adventure

with you and your wife Guess he hadn't been doing any rock wall climbing to prepare for this trek, huh? Poor little guy. Glad to hear he cooled down and recovered when you got home.

The last pic one you posted, looking up under the trellis, actually made me dizzy. WOW..! Beauty surrounds you, for sure. Thanks for sharing the pics of your trek.

Kraig, it was a CAT crane, maybe it was yellow and a CATapillar that Fancy saw and why he had such huge

for the CRANE when it came to rescue him? lol ( must have been delusional from sitting back there all alone for who knows how long? hehehe.. he didnt dare holla for help. Waiting to be rescued was his best bet cuz then we would be glad to have found him. But Marlin was proud of his buddy that he had taken a stab at picking, even if it was beginner steps by going through the stuff behind the bar and he pretty much got stuck in a tight spot and couldnt go anywhere..hehehe.. he learned what NOT to do, or guess that's why Cats have nine lives because they will do the same thing again and again with the same results..? oh no, thats us and the laws of insanity as written by Einstien.!!

what to say about the dance pic?

 

[cmcleod]

Kraig, ahhh, how can you be so sure those timber rattlers have stayed 20 miles from you all? seems to be your neck of the woods looks like prime habitate for them, what with the canopy and the limestone? Surely they could slither their way 20 miles? I wouldnt feel so secure that they aren't there...no sireee.

 

[mgwin]

Kraig,

Do trains still use that bridge? If not, do you know about when they stopped, and why?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Wayne, I forgot to answer your other query, yes it does amplify the noise and vibration when trains are on the bridge. Watch the last two YouTube videos below.

Cathleen, if the Timber Rattlers ever do find their way up here I'm sure I'll hear about it. I have seen them in the wild at the location I was referring to and even took photos of one of them. After I took the photos I looked around and saw several others sunning themselves and decided it would be a good idea to leave.

Here's the photos I took. No telephoto lens used I was that close. It was early spring and cool. The snake was sluggish and never rattled.

Marty, bridge is still in use on a daily basis. It is well maintained. Here's some info on it:

Arcola High Bridge article

More bridge info


Here are some YouTube videos of the bridge taken from a remote controlled airplane fitted with a video camera:

Video 1

In the above video, my property (just a tad over 5 acres) shows up several times. Most notably at the 57 second mark dead center in the video. Note my piles of firewood under the silver tarps. And you can plainly see the trails I mow on the property lines and through my property with my Cub Cadet.

Video 2

Here's a couple of videos of trains crossing the bridge:

Train crossing

Train crossing 2

Oops, I'm getting behind in posting cat photos. I don't want this to happen:

 

[wshytle]

Kraig-

That is an impressive landmark and I could tell from the video how the sound really travels. Wouldn't it be neat to ride on the outside of one of those engines while crossing.

Cathleen (since that's your name here)-

Timber rattlers are a rather small snake anyway and remember ALL snakes will try and get away from you long before you even know they're there. They can't see very well at all but when they detect heat way beyond what a small rodent/animal puts out they mind their own business, lay low, book, or strike, (simply defending themselves).

 

[mgwin]

The cats are quiet today. A sad day here, my brother in law passed away today around 12:10PM. He was 41 years young. He loved tractors of all sizes.
It makes me appreciate each day I am given a little more.

 

[cmcleod]

Marty I am so sorry to hear about your brother-in-law passing. Marlin and I send our prayers and thoughts your way...

Kraig..great pics of the timbers and the videos of the trains were cool! Wayne, yes I see the timbers are smaller then the rattlers I was thinking of. Its a good thing, ins't it, that snakers are more afraid of us then we are of them? lol.

I had to call 911 at 2:24am this morning for Marlin. He woke me up at 2am with chills, sweating profusely, nausea and extremely dizzy and and blurred vision. We went around about if we should go into ER or call 911. Finally I was getting dressed to take him into ER when he said to call 911. Then I knew he felt really BAD, cuz he wouldn't say that otherwise. So I did and they were here within 4 minutes or so. There were a total of 9EMTS..5 in the house, 4 outside and then 2 ambulance people came. Full house~~ EMT's checked him over. His blood pressure was 190/120. I was really worried when I heard that. The nurse, Mylie talked him into going in the ambulance, and said they figure its cardiac until proven otherwise. So they scooted him off to ER and I got the kitties taken care of and headed into town..6 miles away. When I got there he was of course hooked up to EKG. He had his color back, but he had been whiter then a sheet.! The ER Dr. saw him and he and the nurse thought it might be vertigo but they were going to wait on blood tests. Well the gave him an IV and the blood work came back clean, so the Dr. said he thought a bit of a calcium deposit broke lose off of his inner ear and created all of this! good grief!! So, after the IV they gave him a shot of valium and sent us home. He's sleeping in his recliner and little buddy Fancy is laying on the couch but being ever vigilent and watching over his daddy. Little Fancy looked so worried and concerned before we called 911..its amazing how the furkids KNOW when things are wrong. So we were relieved to know it didnt appear to be heart related. The ER Dr. said to get to our Dr. and have him give a scipt to PT and they can work with him to relocate/settle down that calcium deposit back to where it was, then the dizziness will go away. Sounds all strange to me, but oh well...!!
A friend of his was really sick for a couple of days and thought he had the flu but when he didnt get any better he went to ER and found out the upper part of his heart wasn't beating in sync with the botten part. And Marlin had the same symptons as his friend had, so one doesnt want to mess around with ' wondering'..specially when you get to be our age. Safe rather then sorry.!

Marlin was going to put a new muffler on the Dakota 4x4 but looks like that won't be today..lol.

Hannah has had couple of bad days missing Stinker. She is trying to play again, which picks my heart up, but so hurts me to see her so so sad, so am giving her lots of loving.. just takes time. She hasn't been back out and laid where she took over Stinkers spot now for 3 days, but hopefully she'll turn the corner here soon and start feeling better..
Little Annie is being super nice to her which normally annie is giving her butt swipes at every opportunity so I keep telling Annie what a good girl, what a big girl she is being and she loves to hear that, so its a good motivator and the kindness helps Hannah too. Hannah is laying beside Fancy right now..so sweet. Fancy just gave her a little kiss..**smiles**

Wayne, seems odd to be called Cathleen here, but I'm going with it..haha.. I know when someone from the forum would stop by the house for the first time and call me Angel, it would be like why are they calling me that, and then I realized that Marlin was calling me that on the boards..haha. I thought he only did that at home, but no, I'm always Angel, to whom ever he talks to. Now, after all these years, I almost forget what my real name is, as everyone calls me

take care

 

[ralbert]

Cathleen / Angel....thanks for giving us a report on one of our treasured members....seems you are both family here and always glad to hear from you both....Please make sure he follows up with the Dr....can't take any chances....we need his morning greetings to get our days started.

Will say a prayer for you both.....

 

[cmcleod]

Thanks Rick A. and I'll let him know you are thinking about him, and thanks for saying I'm part of the family here...((smiles))

I'm going to rest abit now, got a headache going on due to the stress and early hours this morning..

take care

 

[jbaker]

We are sad to report that Zoe has not been seen for two days now, her and Brooklyne are our outside barn cats.

My girls have been looking around the farm and niehbors farm but nothing yet....

 

[kmcconaughey]

Marty, sorry to hear about your brother in law. My condolences.

 

[cmcleod]

Jeff.. so sorry to hear that Zoe has been missing for a few days now. Marlin and I will be keeping you all in our thoughts and hopefully little Zoe will be home very very soon. Its so hurtful and worrisome when they go missing, but we are hopeful she's return safely.

Angel, Marlin and the Kitties

 

[jbaker]

Still no Zoe, we have not seen her since Friday.
Her and Brooklyne are barn cats that we do lock inside the barn at night.
But it's been so hot so we leave the upper door open to the goats pen. The cats like to get out and hunt,so we hope she was not caught by another animal.

After or county fair next week we may look for another one to keep brooklyne company.

 

[cmcleod]

Jeff. I've been so concerned about Zoe, and I know that poor Little Ms. Brooklyn has been missing her big time. gosh darn it all. I am still a hoping she'll be coming home.. keeping you and her in our thoughts ((big sighs))

Angel, Marlin and the Kitties

 

[mhomrighausen]

Marty G. I'm on break right now and trying to catch up on readings. I am so very sorry to hear of your brother in law's passing on Saturday. Yes. He was taken at too young of an age. Angel and I shall be keeping your family in our thoughts and prayers.