"Big Boy" - UP No. 4014, Snowy Mtns drive through and fresh veggies.

Union Pacific's No. 4014 - Big Boy

The other day the famous Union Pacific "Big Boy" engine made it's appearance in Greeley, Colorado, about an hour away, and Ed decided to make his way down the canyon and over to check it out. Ed's maternal Grandad, after serving in WWI, was a railroad man his whole career so there was some early exposure and instant fascination for trains during Ed's pre-teen days, and even now.

In case you don't know about it, here's a snippet from the Union Pacific website:

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Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive. The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyo.

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What an impressive beast! There was quite a crowd of enthusiasts present.

The next day I encouraged Ed to take a long exploratory drive up to Wyoming to check out the Snowy Mountains area. I had plans to continue with the deep cleaning chores I had started the day before in preparation for our winterization/departure later in the month.

Trusty Steed

Snowy Mntns view

Another view

Chillin' out after dinner (had to use the flash, boo).

It was a very enjoyable day for us both. Again, it was quite hazy so you may be better served by googling the Snowy Mountains for better pics.

It's been a great weekend for fresh produce as my neighbors on both sides shared some of their garden goodies with us. Cherry tomatoes, luscious orange tomatoes, bell peppers and a cucumber! Yum!

I *love* my neighbors!

Getting started making stuffed bell peppers. Onions, zucchini, 
celery, cherry tom's and orange tom's chopped up, then fried up with
 the italian sausage, add the black beans and green salsa, taco
seasoning,  garlic & herbs powder, and onion powder prior to
adding the rice and stuffing the parboiled bell peppers. Topped
with sharp cheddar and bake for 30 minutes @ 325.

Finished product with a scatter of fresh sweet onion and
cilantro and a squeeze of sour cream - YUM!

That's how the last week or 2 shaped-up for us, thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment!