Not technically new, but returning after a long absence!

[Rail Man]

Greetings everyone! I joined this forum back in 2007 when I was in the process of learning about pipes and the wonderful members got me off to a great start. I was really into the hobby at the time, had a nice collection of pipes, and started cellaring a stash of tobacco. Then around 2010 I just sort of stopped, moving on to cigars and eventually some other bad habits that were easy to fall into with the on call, no sleep job I was working. The pipe just didn't really do it for me for a long time, most likely out of laziness on my part. Fast forward to about a month ago, some big changes at my workplace came along over the winter, and I "rediscovered" my wonderful pipes carefully wrapped up and packed away and decided it was time to bring them back to life and get back into this hobby. They came out of the closet, got a thorough cleaning, and have once again been put to work, and it's great, I can't believe I ever stopped!

The long absence has had an unintended bonus in that all those tins I put in a cellar so long ago have been quietly aging and I ended up with around 7 pounds worth of tobacco, most of it with 10+ years of age on it now, and numerous tins of blends that are either no longer available, have changed blending houses, or are difficult to find.

I also remember the pitfalls that came along with this hobby, like PAD, which in the short time I've been back has already hit me!

Glad to be back, and glad to see this forum is still alive and well (and glad I could remember my log in information).

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Welcome back! :cheers:

 

[Brewdude]

Good to have you back to the forum and pipes. Many of us have taken a long hiatus, myself included.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Falcon Puffer]

Welcome back!

 

[DrT999]

Welcome back! :cheers:

 

[Corncobcon]

Welcome back to BoB. I like your SOO LINE avatar. I have two "vices", pipes and model trains! Well, maybe I have more... :lol:

 

[Stick]

Welcome back RM, good to hear you're back on track. Well done for having the foresight to hang onto your piping paraphernalia. Time to reinstate them to their full glory!

 

[daveinlax]

Not many of the old guard post here anymore. I assume you came to BoB from the Knox Board. I have a long history with ND my family basically got off the boat from Norway and got on a train bound for ND. We still own our large homestead out by Watford City.

My Gpa was an engineer on the Great Northern from Minot to Williston. He made the switch from steam to diesel. I've seen a picture of us when I was very young standing in the door of what I thought looked like a F3. I remember traveling on the GN's Empire Builder from St Paul to Williston every month (non revenue).:shock:

 

[Puffy]

:lol: Welcome Back

 

[Rail Man]

Thanks everyone for the welcome back!

Corncobcon, glad you like my photo, I took it almost 10 years ago in Wisconsin, turned out good for a grab shot.

daveinlax, small world, my great-grandparents also came off the boat and came by train to ND to homestead in the same area, though on the north side of the Missouri River, and another set of great-grandparents came from Iowa to homestead not far west of Watford City near the ghost town of Charbonneau. Also pretty neat about your grandpa being an engineer on the GN, pretty familiar with that area. Would've been interesting to have worked both steam and diesel.

 

[Blackhorse]

Welcome home. Another prodigal son. Pleased you found us again.


One of my uncles (my favorite) was a “carman” on the Great Northern most of his life. After he retired he continued to ride until his passing.

His wife, (least favorite aunt of six) was one of the girls (along with my mom) that grew up on “the farm”...an 80 acre dairy farm in Northern Minnesota. Their folks were first gen US immigrants from Norway. Eight total kids and QUITE a buncha characters. I had the one uncle that stayed on and ran the farm into his 90’s...was still buying cows almost to his last days. No “entitlement kids” in that family.

A little nostalgia going on here this morning, I guess. I think many of us here are grandkids of folks that came over from “the old country” to become family farmers somewhere. Their kids (our parents) were likely the generation that went off to WWII. Those two generations are the backbone that made this country. Were they special? Well, to us, certainly. But not in the greater scheme of things. It’s just that their values and the lives they lived - and those of all the others with similar stories - are the foundation and backbone of who we are.

 

[huffelpuff]

Always glad to see folks return to the brotherhood. Welcome back!

Jim