Safety Measures at Mount St. Helens

Workday Wednesday - July 28

A few of the lads gathered today to work on the railroad and to help keep everything in spickity-span shape. 

Of prime importance on this day was the installation of a handrail and a warning board across the entrance to the area in back of Mount St. Helens indicated the lip and rise in elevation.

When I first arrived the property, Pat was hard at work.

This could be a pose for a well-known painting!

Lawrence was kept busy across a number of projects.

Paul then arrived to assist the crew.

Doug was running his sweeper car and assisting with rolling stock.

Here is the lad who cuts Fred's lawn out front...cutting the neighbour's lawn on the property next door to the east.

Skipper Fred!

It's a giraffe out near the interchange yard!

No it's not...

...why it's our good friend Paul...trimming back some nature on behalf of the railroad.

Now we know the reason why we had seen the Tyvek material on the two houses out back.

I'm caught in the act of hammering down a few of those small white nails holding the name tags in Mount St. Helens.  Yes, I left a slight lip for a claw to pull them up if needbe.

Down to work on the safety warning board.

Some of my mentors.

The handrail is in tight.

She won't budge.

Just the right height as well.

We'll have to get some black and white electrical or hockey tape to create the striped look on the handrail that you see on the footboard as Lawrence tells me you cannot paint the aluminum.

Looks good, lads!

This should assist both visitors and the regular crew when walking around this area of the railroad.

It's a good indicator that there is a lip where the elevation changes here.

The bi-coloured lillies are in bloom.

It is fitting to have their rust colour...

...in the rust garden!

Across the street.

Oh...look in the distance...

...a kitty cat guarding the rails.

Let's zoom in on that picture shall we.

When I got home it was time to fry up some Lobster Mushrooms I got at my bass player's farm recently.

They are safe to eat...and yummy too!

Then it was on to the task of repairing the "wear" on my guitar...just like the Willie Nelson effect.

After using wood filler to build up the area, I glued on a pick guard for the guitar.

This model of guitar does not come with a pick guard and it was time to apply one.  A paper outline from one of my other guitars comes in handy here when selecting the correct size and shape.

After twenty years of wear and tear...a pick guard was needed.  Here you see the wood filler applied and sanded.

And voila...looks like new.  It's been a busy day for me!

And...speaking of guitars...here is a short video segment of my Hamer guitar that Lisa bought for me a few years back!  Imagine having your name appear on the headstock of your guitar.  "It's not a Fender, it's not a Gibson...why, it's a Hamer!"

Hope to see many of you out on Saturday!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada