Refillable Marker

 I accidentally broke my favorite marker when it got caught in the desk drawer. But I found a replacement that's even better. I found out that refillable markers exist and aren't that expensive. This type of marker is typically used as a paint pen for art. I filled mine with diluted inkjet printer ink. It has a reversible tip (either rounded or straight). It has a valve that opens by pressing on the tip, just like paint pens. There's also a tiny ball for mixing paint by shaking. I decided not to use the mixing ball because my ink is thin and uniform. 

After testing the first new marker, I filled a bunch more. I did add a mixing ball to the orange ink because it seems to separate more than the other colors. The black ink isn't printer ink, it's from the broken marker.

Lemon Watermelon Rind Pickles

Last summer, we grew a watermelon in the garden. We were so worried that the raccoons would get it that I made a welded cage to protect it. We kept checking to see if it was time to pick. The leaves on the plant turned yellow, so we thought it was ready. 

We cut the watermelon open- and it wasn't ripe. It didn't taste bad, just kind of bland and less sweet than a good watermelon. The seeds looked mature, so it must have been very close. But after you open a watermelon it's too late. 

The watermelon had a larger white layer near the rind (not the tougher greenish part). It tasted crisp and very similar to cucumber. That gave us the idea of making pickles. We decided to keep it simple and make quick refrigerator lemon pickled watermelon rind. We added just lemon juice, sugar, and salt, and didn't cook it. I don't have an exact recipe, but I read a few online. Enough lemon juice and sugar to make a syrupy solution to cover the chopped watermelon, and a pinch of salt but not enough to affect the flavor. If you add too much sugar, it would be more like candied watermelon rind. It wasn't pickled enough to keep very long in the fridge. Regular pickles with vinegar might last longer. 

Railroad Sightseeing

 I recently took some trips on Amtrak, with plenty of time for sightseeing. It was a great opportunity to try to spot some of the things I've seen in Youtube videos about trains. I learned about "Fallen Flag" logos that are from train companies that no longer exist or were changed after mergers.

Amtrak engine with Kansas City Southern Fallen Flag in the background.

The Dynamic Tamping Express could only be seen from the train. 

Maintenance of way equipment on a flatcar.

"DO NOT HUMP"

Flange lubricator

Canadian Pacific (Fallen flag)

Old BNSF logo.

I was moving too fast to take a good photo, but if you know the logo it is recognizable.

Blue tanker.

I took some photos of the train museum at the Amtrak station in Temple.

Steam locomotive not a real panoramic photo, just two photos stuck together)