Yesterday we attended a Train and Toy Show. I enjoyed it but not as much as Far Guy. After I was done shopping I went out to the lobby and found a comfy chair to people watch and wait for the shopping to be done. Seems like I was the Biggest Shopper of the day.
I thought for sure that this would be coming home with us…I suppose because it was a reproduction…it stayed there.
I like looking at the tin toys.
This is a plate used from 1940-1969 the pattern is Great Northern Mountains and Flowers. I thought this guy was way overpriced…oh well if I ever see any at a garage sale I will snap them right up!
So what did I buy? A comic book to read in my comfy chair in the lobby and a gift for Far Guy.
Now he has more little people to paint. The box is probably worth as much as the people inside.
A long time ago I gave up my office space so that Far Guy could spread out…he was stuck in the back room upstairs. I no longer needed a large office space.
I encouraged him to build the shelf storage area on the wall…it is great for display and keeps the dust off some of the train cars.
This replica of the water tower in Park Rapids is a new addition. I walked by it one day with an armload of “stuff” and realized it is not fastened down. I think it is a little tall, but he researched the height and width and made it to scale. He carved it on the wood lathe.
Here is the engine coming out the covered bridge, a few hoboes are resting near the green caboose. The water tank he built many years ago… candle wax made great blue water.
Prisoners and cows occupy one corner of the layout….note the cop car!
The wall cabinet should have been larger.
His work station…I see an ambulance still in its package and another water tower still in a box.
He has lots of “stuff” to dust.
The Drive In Theater had so many cars it finally got its own table.
Far Guy collects Lionel Trains and Cars O Scale, he received a used train set for Christmas when he was about ten years old…he played “trains” often and finally all that remained was the engine and the tender when he began to collect all of the missing cars that had been blown up or started on fire…you know typical “boy” stuff. ( FYI he can still recall the hole in the side of the tanker car after it started on fire.)
I think there may be just a few extra train cars under the table…just a hunch.
We went to the Train/Toy Show over in Fargo. We usually go every year. It was a great day for a drive and when I got nice and cozy warm I had about 20 cat naps several naps along the way. (Far Guy was driving and Chance was back seat driving!)
If you have ever taken the train you have watched a conductor put one of these down for you to disembark the train.
I like to look at all the toys…well except the tractors…and there was lots of those.
The old calendars were impressive.
I had a nice conversation with a young man about 11 years old who just began to collect Lionel Trains…it is his birthday soon and he was hoping to get an engine that gives out smoke…fun to see a new collector…he wanted to know what I had purchased I showed him…people to paint and a Post Office…I was just holding the bag for Far Guy! (The little boy’s parents informed me that he was indeed getting an engine for his birthday.)
Just for the record I have no idea where Far Guy will find space for the Post Office.
Had company ( Sue and Charlie) from Indiana and low and behold they brought Far Guy another Carnival Ride for his train set!
I am not sure where it will end up on the train layout…but finding a place and rearranging will take a few afternoons keep someone busy.
I fixed a Minnesota Hotdish for supper with crusty bread, peaches and a slice of almond bread for dessert. I used the good plates…again. The Hotdish is layered in a 9 x 13 pan, tator tots, hamburger, mixed vegetables (frozen), one can of cream of something soup diluted with about a can of water (I like Cream of Chicken the best)…then top it with a cheese (cojack) of your choice and bake it at 350 for about an hour. Other parts of the country may call this a Casserole…but it is really a Hotdish!
Good to see old friends that you haven’t seen in two years!
Every time grandson Adam visits he checks out the train set upstairs. The last time he was here he said “Grandpa I am not sure you have room for anything else.”
The weather is grey and gloomy. We took off for Menards in Detroit Lakes.
Someone is expanding his train area. He needed another table. Table shopping is boring, but I had a blast in the Christmas aisle!
Of course I cannot resist ornaments.
We heard from neighbor Edie that there were some Lionel Ornaments at Menards. They seemed to be the perfect holiday decoration for the train set. Far Guy agreed with me especially since they were on sale.
I plunked one down in the back of a truck at the drive in theater.
Later I came back and found them all over the train set.
The Train show is slowly becoming a tractor show. We walked around and found a few goodies….I bought a Year 2000 Lionel Hallmark Christmas Ornament. Far Guy bought some O Scale people and a transformer and some decals. It was a fun outing on a very nice day…it was about 70 F…great weather for October!
I had fun looking at the old toys but there were fewer of them than last year.
Then there is retro.
We have gone to this show for the past three years…many vendors stay the same…and their “wares” stay the same too. I saw one item that I was interested in only because I have never seen it before….and I don’t need to start collecting train cars…so I left it there.
After the Train Show we headed to Petco…Chance loves going in there…he was a gentleman and got a new collar…red and reflective and a few treats. I had to walk down some aisles looking only at the floor. (I wish they didn’t have snakes.)
Buhl Minnesota is way north of us..up on the Iron Range. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive if you don’t lollygag.
We saw several Eagles out hunting and a few deer.
A Tin Man resting on a huge lawn chair in Grand Rapids. Home of Judy Garland ya you betcha!
Mountains of waste rock from the Iron Ore Mining. Yes, trees are growing on piles of rock.
Near Hibbing Minnesota.
Buhl claims to have the finest water in America. Far Guy picked up his “stuff” while I walked Chance, a small friendly dog ran up to us about the same time that the Sheriff came out of the building I asked him “Lose your Police Dog?” No he didn’t but at least he smiled, the small friendly unleashed dog belonged to some other people that were unloading. Chance was on lead…as he should be in a strange area.
The box of “train stuff” is still being evaluated.
This box should keep him occupied for awhile. It was a quick trip we only stopped twice.
Far Guy is feeling better, I am trying my best to fight off what he had…I finally got it…after six weeks of being exposed to the nasty virus it finally got me. The sore throat was replaced by head and chest congestion and body aches all over..even my toe nails and teeth ache. At least I couldn’t overdo spending the day in the car.
My husband loves to carve flowers. All woodcarvers find their niche, that perfect spot where they carve the best.
We can carve inside the house in the winter. We invested in a dust collector. It does exactly that collects dust and is much quieter than a vacuum cleaner. The motor runs a fan that sucks the dust particles into a collection bag.
Here he is power carving some leaves for a different project…prototypes are being worked on. R and D is rampant in our dining room.
Recently he has been working on a sunflower.
He needed some help choosing colors and painting. We stood in Ben Franklin for a long time discussing yellow and it’s particular shades. He had an idea in his brain how it should look…I tried my best.
I took it over near the window so it would catch some sunny sunlight.
I was not sold on the black in the center..seeds they are seeds he says..okay.
The back is a work of art too…let me tell you this was not easy to paint and if he ever carves another I will paint before it has been put together. As it was Far Guy wrapped Saran Wrap around the entire yellow head so I could paint the green. We worked the Saran Wrap in-between the yellow and the green. Yellow and green make blue and that would have been bad.
It is a very tall sunflower. It took most of an afternoon to paint.
It still needs to be sealed and have a proper base…I think Far Guy has an idea to use a piece of black walnut…when it gets warmer out and he can work out in his woodshop.
For now it joins some other carvings and the lovely peacock feathers on the mantle.
Sunflower carving by Far Guy, Black Walnut Lady Slipper by Far Guy, Peacock Feathers, little house carvings from our first attempt at Bark Carving and the Lady Slipper I carved for myself. Don’t mind the nails on the edge of the mantle…they are for stockings at Christmas. They don’t bother me except when I dust..then I try to smile and recall the grands excitement on Christmas mornings over the years.
Don’t tell anyone but I still have a few Christmas “things” up..and it is March 7th oh my the Christmas Police will certainly be after me.
A few weeks ago we went to a Train Show. It actually had lots of old toys and tractors and some trains. I have a blast looking at all the old tin toys. The art work is wonderful.
I did see a Lionel Train that was interesting.
The boxes were there and everything. I was tempted. Instead I bought some dice and some marbles. My jars are full again..guess I need more jars.
I started collecting dice and marbles because they were small and would hardly take up any space at all…anyways that is not working so well anymore. I guess I must be a dice/marble hoarder.
I made two rounds of all the exhibitors in the Crystal Ballroom. Then I headed to the hallway to people watch.
Every little kid that came by had to play in the water. Can you imagine how germy that water is? I watched two sisters about 7 years old lounge on the edge…I was certain that one or both would be going for a dip. One Mom gave her kids pennies to throw in the fountain and told them to “Make a Wish.”
I played around with my camera.
Far Guy made about six trips around the exhibit hall. He was happy…he said he had seen it all. What did he buy? A red truck, a figurine and an airplane..not a train car in the bunch:)
