All Aboard!!

Birds, Orchids, Rail Fanning....and Model Trains. I am starting to lose track of all of Dave's varied hobbies. There seems to be no pattern...no rhyme or reason...but they all make him terribly happy so that is all that matters.

Last year (2009), this is what the model train display set up in our house looked like. Notice the small card table, the 1 train with just a handful of cars, the 1 track, the sparse landscaping, the minimal selection of buildings. Also...take note that this went up at Thanksgiving and as agreed upon, came down on Ash Wednesday. Now....skip ahead to this year....

Hmmmmm. I can't quite put my finger on it but I'm sensing that there have been major changes!
The first change would be the 6 foot...yes...6 foot banquet table. Dave went to Ace Hardware back in October for their "20% off anything you can fit in a brown grocery bag" sale and came home with a 6 foot banquet table. I was quick to point out that this table did not fit in a grocery bag. The second change would be that there was a "Pre-Season"....something that occurred and was not agreed upon. Hmmmm. The agreed upon date for setting up the trains was to be Thanksgiving Day....but I learned that the "Pre-Season" started 3 weeks earlier and was for testing and designing of new landscapes, etc. Hmmmmm. Which leads us to the fourth change....adding to the landscape of his display. He made all of the mountains and hills seen in the picture above using insulation, plaster of paris, paint, and modeling files. To be honest....I'm rather impressed.

The fifth change would be the addition of a second track....and subsequently...a second train. Because 1 track and 1 train just isn't enough! :) Dave was gifted the second track...and a passenger train matching his already acquired cargo train...by my dad last year. My dad also gave him a Switch Station and this fancy Train Depot. It rather reminds me of the train depot in Flagstaff, AZ.

The sixth change...as mentioned earlier...are the addition of several new buildings. In addition to the ones my dad gave him...Dave took it upon himself to build this General Store...

and this Church....

and fix this Cow Pen that my dad gave him. He was thrilled to get this building as he had been looking for something with cows.

The seventh change would be the addition of several new cars to the cargo train he had last year. And I mean several new cars!!! The whole train now almost stretches the entire length of the front track.

The eighth and final change is that if you know your liturgical calendar...we are WELL past Ash Wednesday at this point...and yet....these pictures were taken today. Hmmmm. Last year, when we agreed upon Ash Wednesday being the date to take down the trains...I had completely forgotten that Ash Wednesday is a MOVABLE date. And then this year...Dave pulled out an Ace Card. Not only was Ash Wednesday almost as late as you could possibly have it occur, but...in an attempt to get me to stop biting my fingernails (a horrid habit I have)...he declared that for every Sunday that passed that did not see any growth on my nails...he got to keep his trains up 1 week further into Lent. We got to the 4th Sunday of Lent before I put a stop to this by proving that my nails had grown.
And if that isn't bad enough...he is now informing me that there will be a "Post-Season". Ahhhh!!!! By the time all is said and done, these trains will have been up in my house for over 6 months. And I would REALLY like my living room back. :)

My dad hopes that Dave realizes how lucky he is. My dad puts his trains up on Thanksgiving as well (no pre-season at the Harris House) and takes them down right around New Years. I am deciding to look at it from the view point that there are a LOT worse things that Dave could be interested in and if he finds happiness with model trains and birds and orchids...then I really shouldn't complain! :) But...if we get to July and the arrival of Oggie...and these trains are still up because of some "Post Season"....I might have to be admitted to a psych ward!!! :)