Saturday

The day of the week I least look forward to is Saturday.
That’s because the classical-music radio-station I listen to, WXXI-FM, switches to airing programs I can’t stand.
They are “The Score,” about movie-music, “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” locally produced, about songs from the ‘20s through recently, and worst-of-all, a complete opera.
I used to enjoy “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” but after a few years tired of it.
I can’t stand opera at all. Stringy-haired 350-pound blondes screaming “Ride of the Valkyries” at the top of their lungs.
And do you ever hear sung dialog in the real world?
And all operas seem to end with stabbings and murder. The heroine jumps to her death out of a castle tower.
Every time a soprano belts out a “high-C,” I say “they goosed her again.”
So every Saturday morning come 10 a.m. when “The Score” starts, I switch off my radio, and fire up this laptop.
I fire up my Station-Inn website in Cresson, PA — I have it tabbed. They broadcast the railroad’s radio over the Internet.
I’m a railfan, and have been since age-2. I’ve been to Station-Inn many times.
Station-Inn also has a streaming webcam, and I try that.
It’s aimed right at the railroad across the street, so I can view passing trains.
With railroad-radio on at the same time I know if I’ll see a train.
Engineers call out signal-aspects, and defect-detectors fire. I know where they are.
“Norfolk Southern milepost 253.1, Track One; no defects.” I’ll soon see that train on the webcam.
The webcam works until the gamers up the street get on the cable, and bolix my Internet.
Both are somewhat interesting, but ain’t classical music.
It’s fascinating to know what horrible faux pas are entertaining the railroad down there: stalls, failed locomotives, brakes in emergency, frozen switches.
It’s the old Pennsylvania Railroad main over Allegheny Mountain, now Norfolk Southern. Incredibly busy.
Defect-detectors fail, and trains have to limit to 30 mph to the next detector, with “roll-by” inspection by railroad employees not running the train.
But not much happens. Train-engineers call out signals as they pass, and defect-detectors usually work.
Listening to railroad-radio is interesting, but boring compared to classical-music.
Watching the webcam is interesting, but I only do it in the background. I’ll look at it only if I hear a train.
I’ve taken to taking my dog to the Petco pet-supply in Canandaigua. They allow leashed dogs, and my dog loves Petco.
All kinds of interesting smells and treats to steal.
People shower the dog with attention, and say how beautiful she is.
They also give her treats. “Hey, gotta steak? I can eat that!”
They also are amazed at how energetic she is at 11 years old.
Gray in the face. “So what are ya feedin’ her?”
“I mix meat in her dog-food,” I say; “cooked chicken. Dogs love meat.”
“You can’t have that! Put it back you monster.”

• My current dog is “Scarlett” (two “Ts,” as in Scarlett O’Hara), a rescue Irish-Setter. She’s my sixth Irish-Setter, a high-energy dog. (A “rescue Irish Setter” is an Irish Setter rescued from a bad home; e.g. abusive or a puppy-mill. [Scarlett was from a failed backyard breeder.] By getting a rescue-dog, we avoid puppydom, but the dog is often messed up. —Scarlett isn't bad. She’s my fourth rescue.)