A dinner train

A couple of days after our anniversary, we celebrated our 48th by going to Abilene to ride the Abilene and Smoky Valley dinner steam train.  It is the only operating steam railroad in Kansas.  It runs on historical railroad tracks.

It was about an hour away by car.  I love driving in the country!  There were some storm clouds in the distance.  It looked like we might drive into it.

The old and the new.  We prefer the old.  There are many reasons we don't care for these new windmills.  Don't get Allen started!

It was getting dark.

We got to Abilene just before the rain started.

This steam engine, Santa Fe 3415, is a century-old Baldwin “Pacific” locomotive.  It was rebuilt after it sat in Abilene’s Eisenhower Park for 40 years. 

Our town also has an old steam locomotive at the park!

The engineer invited Allen to come on up.

Time to board!  "All aboard!"

I recall the Japanese conductors saying "Oh rai!"

"All right!" I think?

For dinner, we were served Kansas BBQ.  It was really good!  You can also ride on a dinner train that serves Brookville Fried Chicken!  That would be good too!

We were surprised that the train only crawled along at 5 mph.  

 

It was NOT the Shinkansen Bullet train - it runs 223mph these days.

Back when we went on it in 1986, it probably ran between 150-200.

I really like the sound of the "choo-choo"!

We crossed the Smokey Hill River

I wish they still had cabooses!

I loved reading this book to the children when they were little!

We stopped in this little town, population about 700, founded in 1868.  It was named for the enterprising qualities of the pioneer settlers.

A little fun fact:  In 1901, the followers of the temperance movement, along with the leader Carrie Nation, wrecked a saloon in this town!

This fella ground some wheat for us.

You could purchase wheat at the shop connected to the mill.

We talked with a couple who lived in this town.  They were riding the train along with one of their mothers who was visiting from out of state.  They told us that the train has derailed a few times, but they are working on updating the track lines.  That's good!

They took our picture.

There were public restrooms we could use.

A pretty curtain gives one privacy.

Many people chose to sit in 2 open carriage cars on the way back to Abilene.  We sat inside, however.  

Sometime we should go visit Abilene's Old Town.  They closed at 4pm and the train didn't leave until 6.  Too bad the timing didn't coincide.  

1858 log cabin!

The history of the town of Abilene is really interesting!  Abilene has a LOT to see!

We got home as the sun was setting.  The storm clouds were south of us.  In fact, according to our weather map, it was headed toward our town!

There were several poles between Hillsboro and Lehigh that had been knocked down by high winds.  

The lightning was flashing and gave us quite a show!

We didn't see any damage around our property for which we were thankful.  

An enjoyable - although slow - train ride!

Differences and similarities

This past week, we celebrated our 48th anniversary.  I was thinking about our differences.

I grew up in southern Japan in a harbour town.

By the beach.

Allen grew up in middle USA, in Kansas on a farm.

On the plains.

He is a farmer at heart.

Professionally he is a pharmacist.

We joke that he went to school thinking it was spelled "Farmacy".

I was a stay-at-home mom and homemaker.  I loved that role!  Every year on our anniversary, I would put on my wedding dress and we'd take a snapshot.

I rode a train to school.

He rode a school bus.

Here is Allen with his sister and brother, waiting for the bus.

I went to a one-room school.

His class had more kids than my entire school!

My mother and I made several photo albums of our family.

Allen had only enough pictures to fill 2 small albums.

As I was going through his albums recently, I came across only one photo of their entire family together.

And then I did find this one when we got married too.

Our family took professional family pictures every year.  Missionary duty, you know.  We have one full album dedicated to our "sit-down pretty" family photos.

Other differences:

I like oatmeal, he likes cream of wheat.

I like Verona, he likes French roast.

I like rice, he likes potatoes.

I made him his favorites on our anniversary 💓

He's good at investments and budgets. 

I don't understand finances or money, but I like to spend it!

I like to take pictures and go bird watching.

He likes to study. 

He does help me with the birds though.  Yay!

We do have similarities. 

He has been a leader in the church and a great teacher.

I love teaching also -  the young moms and little children at church.

We both enjoy helping out at the Manor each month taking people to chapel for hymn sing.

We both enjoy being host/hostess to our friends and family.

Raising our family was such a joy!

We complemented eachother as parents I believe.

And one of our favorite roles is being grandparents!!

We both LOVE that!!

 We both love adventure!

Our marriage has been a BIG adventure!

Happy 48th sweetheart!!

I will always love you, Allen, even though we have our differences,

 because the best thing we have alike is that we love the Lord Jesus!  

On our wedding cake we had the verse from Psalm 34:3.  "Let us praise the Lord together and exalt His Name."  We have done this, as best as we can.  He has been the "glue" that has kept us together.  The closer we have drawn to God, the closer and stronger our marriage has been.