John was due home at the end of the day.  I had no expectation of talking to anyone, if you don’t count the written chat that goes with blogging.  When neighbor Shawn texted that I could visit her, I jumped at the chance.  It had been almost two weeks since her knee was replaced, and I wanted to see how she was getting along.  I thought she was moving quite well, and her scar was much prettier than either of mine.  I’ll tell you at the outset that I never go home when I should.  I usually offer to set a timer so that I don’t outstay my welcome, but no one has yet taken me up on that offer.  One of these days they will!  Shawn and I talked until she suggested we sit on the porch in the sun.  I should have left then, but I was having too much fun.  I finally relinquished my seat when her husband Bob and young Logan came home.

Before I reached my porch, Amy hailed me from her steps.  Would I have time to look at her new telephone?  I had been a living advertisement for my Republic Wireless cell phone since we moved here.  It was my first smart phone, and Amy rather envied my no-contract plan for $10 a month.  She was able to migrate most of her contacts and some of her photos from her old phone.  I wanted to be sure she saved other precious pictures that existed only on the old phone.  We managed it using one of my favorite apps, Dropbox.  I was still with Amy when John called to say he’d be home within the hour.  I had been out of our house from about 10 in the morning until 6 that evening without leaving the neighborhood.  This might not qualify for the Guinness World Records, but it would surely stand as a record for the resident pest.

John brought friend Dennis home with him, a visit that had been planned for some time.  The two had worked together for years in the Long Island Live Steamers train club.  They were coming here after several days at Eagle Point, a live steam club near Chattanooga, TN.  Dennis had John’s train from NY in his truck, and the two of them spent a whole day making a platform to store the cars in our garage and another for transporting them in our car.  I stayed out of the way.  My job was to put three meals on the table to fortify them for all that work.  I enjoyed visiting with them as they took their breaks.  We all watched and heard a good thunderstorm echo its way through our mountains.

The neighborhood got involved when John’s saw didn’t work.  Neighbor Bob kindly brought over his saw and a marvelous gizmo to guide the saw in making a straight cut.  By setting the little clamps on marks at both ends, Bob quickly made two cuts so that the board would fit in the car.

Dennis and John attached three pairs of 2x4s which function as rails on the board..

Another small section of plywood went on top of the flatcar so that the gondola could ride there.

Both cars were moved together up a ramp and into the Odyssey.

I took a victory picture of the fellows leaning into the car after the whole train was loaded.

You’ll give them high marks for vacuuming the sawdust from the garage before they left, heading for a big meet at Columbia, Tennessee near Nashville.  A third old friend from NY, who moved to TN 20 years ago, will be there.