A day with Thomas

My friend Marvin volunteers at the Orange Empire Railroad Museum and told us Thomas was back for five days. What better way to spend Veterans Day than with grandsons riding and viewing old railroad trains. Click on any pix to enlarge it.

First stop was at an old flatcar with a crane on board. Micah was delighted when I hoisted them up top. Seth was a little less sure-footed and looked for something to hang on to.



Then we wandered up to "Grizzly Flat." Sound like Disney's California Adventure? It should. There is a ¾ scale train engine there made for an early Disney Exec to take his grandkids around his back yard, which has now been donated to the museum. Here OUR grandkids are in front of Baldwin Locomotive #2, a full size locomotive. The ¾ scale engine is out of view.



Next, to the Trolley ride around the park. Compared to a modern amusement park the rides are tame. The trolley pitched and rolled like trolleys do when tracks are uneven. Here the boys are disembarking on their own. Seth is getting taller and becoming the master of the "Big Steps."



First glimpse of Thomas as the little engine backed the passenger cars up to the loading platform. Don't get too excited Jayden!



Gammie and the boys with what Seth calls, "The blue train."



Our heroes riding high in the caboose train. This was Seth's favorite. When we asked which he liked best he said, "The yellow train." I couldn't figure it out at first, until I realized this caboose was yellow. He seems to take his cues form colors. If Seth was color blind I don't think he could explain the day.



Last stop was the fully functional old steam engine which they still use to pull visitors around the museum grounds on occasion. Seth wasn't too sure about standing on the tall step alone, so Micah gingerly sidestepped over and put a reassuring arm in front of him. Way to go Micah.

The grandsons were very well behaved for us. At one point they sat down on the trolley in the first available empty seats. The next empty seats for us grandparents were about five rows behind. I thought about switching with Seth, sending him back to Gammie, but decided to leave the two alone up there. The conductor said everyone had to stay seated while the trolley was in motion. They were perfect gentlemen.

Being Veterans Day, on the way home I asked Micah if he would like to see where my parents are buried, fully prepared for a no answer. This was a bit confusing to him and he said they were in Heaven. What followed was a simple discourse of how we die when our spirit leaves the body. The spirit goes with Jesus, and body stays here and gets buried until Jesus comes.I suspect the concept was a bit much for him to comprehend, but he acknowledged with an, "Oh." Once we found the grave site we explained again this is where my parents bodies are buried, but they are in Heaven with Jesus, took this picture, pointed out all the flags decorating the cemetery and explained Vets day. I also showed Micah how to find his great-grandparents grave sites. Which tree Micah?