A Great January Weekend, Mid Winter Run, 13-16, 2017

The weatherman from Cupertino said it would rain all Friday Afternoon. Allan went out early Thursday and was enjoying the rain, it rained 13 hours, an even soaking rain that the desert needed. The only runoff had been from the hard packed roads. Areas have been getting little tufts of green starting to sprout up on clear warmer days. The desert is coming back from a drought, soaking up as much as it can, not letting much run away.
 Shelli and I left the big city around 2 and it started sprinkling about UCR and it was intermittents all the way to Beaumont when I had to go to slow on the wipers. The Morongo's and the Great Spirit hadn't made a deal to where the clouds disappeared at the Casino like usual. It just rained a little heavier and it rained as we came up the grades into Yucca Valley. A store stop for the essentials and up to the tracks. As we hit the dirt road, the rain ceased, there would be but a few sprinkles from then on. What a great beginning to an enjoyable weekend. You missed it.
 The fire barrel got a work out as Colette Gordon, Greg and Becky Ratliff, Allan and Shelli and I made for a great turnout. The Tolan Family, Kevin, Lori Jeff, Tiphani and Sully, rolled in Saturday morning for a day of adventure, they were not disappointed.

 Saturday was a good day to enjoy the day. The morning saw the last of the clouds vanish as they do out there. As I was just about fired up Jeff came down to the steaming bays and I handed of the operation of the 4-4-0 to him for the day. It was nice to see it from a different perspective, alongside track instead of on it. I know he had a good time as well. We did spend some time in the car barn investigating the vermin problem, we rolled the rolling stock out of the way and made sure we could see into the corners and cracks to find the nest. We discovered the entries and made arrangements for a quick turn around the next weekend to finish and secure the car barn from future infestations. We had a problem with rodents in the Tedder shed and did not want this to become another problem like that had become before we got the upper hand. Jerry McPheeters ran the Motor car around as did Greg on #7, Allan's GE made it's first run since last Spring and it didn't take long to get the bugs ran out of it. John Griffin had been busy during the off days and the switches and roadbed were superb.
In the afternoon the adventurous made a trek up the high line to do a little survey work. An eye opening afternoon with all the numbers openly displayed for what would be needed for a grade to where we would like to be. Jeff' and Tiphani's schooling is paying off for the railroad.

 Saturday night Steak Night was a well attended event as a culmination of a great day at the railroad.
Sunday morning dawned much warmer than Saturday. Back to the steaming bays to fire up the American, this day I would be running. It warmed up to t-shirt weather quickly and as per some unwritten plan, it is always nicest on the day you have to leave. A small group but we got a few things accomplished that needed to be done. Allan spent Monday and cleaned up the rodent issues at the patio area. It is looking nice. As the only dry spot around the wrong folks were trying to move in.
Coming up next month in February is the Standard Gauge Meet, the 17-19 of the month. It is also President Weekend so those might have an extra day on Monday if the employer so states. Plan on making it a weekend, now is the time out in the High Desert, things are going to green up early this year as they are trying to now. So you then. A link to some picture from the weekend here at:  https://goo.gl/photos/VFD9ukV8QQjjFoGr5 Hope you enjoy them. See you next time.