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Spring & summer I spend a great deal of my "extra" time maintaining my garden, trees, shrubbery and lawn. A lot of general "fix up" duties as well.
Train operating time is great diminished during these seasons.
Bob
It's is called life J.C.
I agree with you 100% K.C
My trains motivate me to get the other things done so I can play in peace without feeling guilty!
I spend lots o time in Spring and Summer doing the daily grind of maintenance on everything outside. Garden, house, and helping neighbors is status quo for summer so trains take a back seat until the dog days. When the temps hit 90s with high humidity then its time to hit the coolness of the basement for some train time. I pick up with intensity after Labor day.
I'm okay with it: model trains are a passion with me but one must keep things in perspective.
I spent most of the last two weeks building a 72 foot long, 32 inch wide stone walkway around the house - form our backdeck to the front, just where and of a type my wife wanted . It did take me away - a lot - from the trains. But frankly I got into the project and it was a lot of fun in its own way, from planning to "engineering" (I had to build a drainage culvert) to doing the work. Only thing I did not like was, these tired old bones never used to ache this much at the end of a day working hard outside.
I'm back temporarily to working on trains until the household budget accumulates enough working capital for Outside Improvements, the Sequel - in two or three weeks. And Winter, with is limited hours of sun, cold and nasty weather, will be here soon enough. Oo I'm okay with honey-do lists - plus, honey does plenty for me!
No list. We mutually decide what's got to be done, get it out of the way, so that WE can work on the layout. Works for us.
Because I'm single I don't get handed a "honey doo" list but I believe my own "get er' done" list is as long anyway. It is especially long this time of year with yard work and house improvement items. My trains usually slow down this time of year to get this work out of the way before late fall and winter arrives.
But I have too many hobbies. I've tried to cut back only to find interest in something else. I just can't help it. I am addicted to hobbies and such.
Steve, Lady and Tex
My scratchbuilt buildings take all my time. I don't even qualify as a model railroader. I should be called a reductionist reverse architect.....
Not much time for trains this time of year. I've got 4 acres that need mowing, trimming, etc. each week.
The yard work is heavier that usual this time of year with having to mow twice a week and etc. But I no longer have to shovel twice a week so it evens out. I think the cool basement might be more inviting in the hot, humid summer than it is in the winter. I know it's a lot more pleasant working with wood for the layout in the summer than the winter. I guess I enjoy all the seasons and have fun with the layout year around.
Art
At least you guys back east get a break in the colder months to do things. Being in the southwest, the weather allows for projects all year long. Right now I have to install a dishwasher in my house, that never had one to begin with. Hopefully it won't cost me an arm and a leg for an electrician to install an outlet to plug it into. I need to finish hanging up a bunch of shelves throughout the house. The future train room still needs to be painted top to bottom and tile laid. Unfortunately, it became the moving box room and now catch all room since moving in, so I have to now figure out where to put all the stuff that is in the room so I can finish the room. Plus there is lots of yard work and fix it up stuff for this 60ish year old house.
Real life always seems to interfere with trains and other hobbies. I only have so much time and money and when real life eats those up, there's nothing left but a few quick laps of the trains around the layout before bed! LOL
Yup, this weekend was Mowing lawn, stopping the squeak in the porch swing and some time at a Rocket Launch.
Mowing required getting the mower to run. That took 4 hours and some parts.....
'Train' season for me is Mid October to Mid April. Warmer weather brings outdoor necessities keeping up the yard, outside house maintenance etc. I have an antique car that never made it out last year that's crying for attention.
I have two teenage daughters that are experimenting with scenery, and I like to work on some electronic projects for the layout, but other than that, railroading is quiet during the spring/summer.
The secret may be to work in at least some time every day for the layout instead of only waiting for larger blocks of time? Maybe watch one less TV program everyday and use that time for trains?
Art
My heavy train season is the same as CJ Oct to April. That's the same time the honey do list is being made by my other half.
Larry
OK. As Michael said, welcome to life.
Yes, I've got grass to cut this afternoon. A pile of pine slabs that need to me moved out of the front yard. Plus a list of items to fix from my wife and the Diaconate at Church. Yesterday, I uncovered the boat and turned the engine over for the first time this year. Friday I had a wonderful round of golf. Next week I'll be demolishing the master bathroom down to the wall studs and floor joists.
I've got more irons in the fire than Carter's got little Liver pills! Sometimes trains just have to take a number and wait.
Gilly
Back to work....
Easy,summer: POOL-BOAT, fall,winter and spring are for the trains.Band,year around.You guys are right,this is life.
If you have a "Honey Do" list consider yourself fortunate. My lovely wife dropped the "Honey" a long time ago.
I'm kidding of course. Before I retired I used to say the job got in the way of my hobbies and now the "Honey Do" list does the same thing but if I want to play with the trains that list does keep me steppin'.
At least you guys back east get a break in the colder months to do things. Being in the southwest, the weather allows for projects all year long. Right now I have to install a dishwasher in my house, that never had one to begin with. Hopefully it won't cost me an arm and a leg for an electrician to install an outlet to plug it into. I need to finish hanging up a bunch of shelves throughout the house. The future train room still needs to be painted top to bottom and tile laid. Unfortunately, it became the moving box room and now catch all room since moving in, so I have to now figure out where to put all the stuff that is in the room so I can finish the room. Plus there is lots of yard work and fix it up stuff for this 60ish year old house.
Be sure to run a water line to the DW. When I put mine in during the great kitchen remodel, I forgot to run a water line, and wondered why the DW didn't fill up!
If I had a layout, I'd be in the same boat as most who posted, with a list of projects longer then King Kong's arms, and limited funding. I do have plans to build an O gauge RR in the yard at some point, since interior space is non existent.
Don
I've been scuba diving/filming with GoPro at least three times a week. Because of it I've been putting off framing my mining section of the layout. Everything is there except my labor. Don
hmmm... right now its only for not waking the kids, if my son hears a whistle in the basement, he will jump out of Mom's arms and try to head for the basement.
And no I cannot run trains w/o sound!
J Daddy, enjoy these times.
Don
As Joe Biden said, it is a three letter word " J-O-B-S!"
Ray Marion
I rarely RUN trains. Since my layout is in my bedroom, I get to visit it twice a day. Now that the weather is nice, I'm in the backyard with my bow and arrows almost every day. 2-3 books a week, garden chores, and the beach also keep me busy. I love retirement!
Family matters always take priority, but there are times where the home projects must be done while other times the trains get attention, primarily in the cold winter months. Between taking care of the outdoor chores, renovating our 33 yr old home, attending to my small business and splitting the hobby time with classic cars, firearms and trains; things are always busy around here. I make up my own things to do list. Nobody tells me what to do, how to feel, what I should believe in or how to run my life.
J Daddy:
I hear you.
Right now all I have is a loop with passing siding on carpet in the den.
Last night My latest grand-daughter (4 months old) was fussy and her mom could not get her to settle down.
I fired up the train (4-8-2 with a crane MOW train w lighted crane tender and caboose).
The baby heard it and she looked over, stopped crying and watched. so we put a blanket on the floor and let her lay there just out of reach of the track.
The women went and played cards. I read a book and hit the whistle every couple laps.
The baby coo'd and jabbered at the train for nearly half an hour before falling asleep right there on the floor.
I just let it run and let her sleep. The Train Solution worked for all of us.
Ya well the quicker I get that dang list finished she or my daughter come up with a new one. GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
So I ignor the list till I dang feel like picking at something to belly acke about for future reference. War is H-ll!!
Trains first, chores maybe around fiftith or so.
J Daddy:
I hear you.
Right now all I have is a loop with passing siding on carpet in the den.
Last night My latest grand-daughter (4 months old) was fussy and her mom could not get her to settle down.
I fired up the train (4-8-2 with a crane MOW train w lighted crane tender and caboose).
The baby heard it and she looked over, stopped crying and watched. so we put a blanket on the floor and let her lay there just out of reach of the track.
The women went and played cards. I read a book and hit the whistle every couple laps.
The baby coo'd and jabbered at the train for nearly half an hour before falling asleep right there on the floor.
I just let it run and let her sleep. The Train Solution worked for all of us.
LOL, that's great, beats the lady I talked to at Trainfest 2009. She had triplets, the only way she could get them all to sleep at once was to turn on a vacuum cleaner outside in the hallway!
My son will get a second wind every time he comes down to "play trains"
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