An Independence day to remember!

Today we hosted our 2nd Independence Day Open House for our Garden Railroad. We have been preparing all week for this, including hiring our neighbor to pull weeds and trim everything. I printed and delivered fliers to all of the local garden nurseries and also to some of the independent living retirement homes in town. Kida and I also hand delivered fliers to the houses in our surrounding neighborhood. By the time is was all said and done, we figure close to 200 people came through our garden, some more than once. We had one little boy who came with his parents, then came later with his grandparents, and showed up again with his Dad again! By the time he showed up the third time, he was a real pro at handling the remote and he had a ball "running" the train. Many of our church friends and some colleagues also came, including a couple I work with who came the first time, then went to get their son, his wife and their kids to bring. In the 30 years I have known John, (I have known him since I was a little kid), I don't think I have ever seen him so giddy about anything. It was fun to watch him holding his granddaughter and watching the train go around the loop multiple times. We had a great time, and hopefully, we sparked some interest in this hobby. We are only one of two layouts in Salina, so maybe, just maybe, there might soon be more!