# An audition today....(I'm kinda nervous!)



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

On July 4th we had our annual 4th of July Open House for our railroad here in Salina, KS. Due to a reporter from the Salina Journal having her first front page article (complete with color pictures) the attendance more than doubled to around 350 people which is about as much as our layout can handle in four hours! We thanked everybody for coming and told them to come back for the Halloween Open House and that should have been that. 

Last week we received a call from the Salina Master Gardener's (this is an organization that you can apply to join, it's a branch of the Kansas State Research and Extension Office, they have classes that you must attend, they work with the Salina Parks & Rec. Dept. for the beautification of the city etc...) Every year they have a tour of the area's best gardens (usually 60 or so gardens are considered and about 10 are selected.) Just so everyone knows, we are _not_ members of this organization! I have never even gone on the tour! So why am I talking about them?

Apparently, among our visitors on July 4th were some SMG members and they had never seen a garden railroad (imagine that!) They asked me if I had ever considered being on the tour. I told them that it was flattering that they would ask but no, my little railroad is _no_ master garden! (Heck, I use rubber mulch in places!!) I thought that was that but, apparently, I was mistaken again. My wife, Patsy, was also asked if they could nominate our garden railroad for the tour. She said pretty much the same thing as me but didn't say they couldn't.

Last week we got a call from SMG asking if we could call them back and schedule a time for their selection comittee to come out and see our garden (with trains) as none of the executive comittee had been to our Open House(!) Again, I was flattered but I didn't really think much of it....until this morning! They are coming at 11:00am. Patsy has been weeding the garden all week in preparation but I haven't been able to spend any time out there this week and I have to work this morning until around 10:00am leaving me less than about an hour to get all of the trains out and running and to make sure the garden looks it's best. (*Sigh!* Here we go again!...)

I am a regular member of the Salina Community Theatre and have peformed in many musicals and plays there. This whole experience feels like an audition and I feel like I haven't taken it seriously enough....or should I? My railroad is what it is; a nice garden with trains running through it. The only reason it's being considered is that it's unique in Salina. Still, I'm actually a tad bit nervous about the whole thing. I hate auditions!!

P.S. My wife just read this posting and said," You've been sitting on your *ss all week long and _NOW_ your nervous?!! (I suppose I deserved that...)


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## BerninaBob (Aug 1, 2009)

Looks to me as if your underating your efforts, 

They obviously think it looks very good, go for it


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Mt wife and I have been asked to be on our community garden tour and we felt exactly as you do. But we decided not to be on it, because we kind of like the idea of the garden being just a local, neighborhood thing. I would do it but my wife is probably more reluctant


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm going to look at it as a chance to promote the hobby. If they like it enough to put us on the tour then great! If not...oh well, it was just another excuse to go out and run trains on a cleaned up layout!









Here's some pics of the layout that they will evaluate:


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Just brush up on the botanical names of any unusual plants you may have because they'll be sure to ask about them. Otherwise no worries! 

-Brian


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Although we are not in the local garden club, _and they will not even admit us because they limit it to just 50 families with a big waiting list_, we allow them to include us on their garden tours. Even though these tours may feature lavous gardens at multi-million dollar homes, we are always the biggest hit and the attendance of males dramatically increases with the inclusion of a garden railroad on the tour. Often the wives who attend these events (90+% of all participants) will ask if they can bring their husbands back.

We feel that this gets garden railroading into the gardening mainstream and can only help the hobby. Your garden is very nice and I know that you won't let us down.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Dang Brian, you were right! The first lady asked me if that groundcover in the back was aju...ajug....aw heck! I can't even remember the blasted name! I just call it "green and leafy stuff with little blue flowers in the spring that spreads like crazy!!" Fortunately my wife covered for me by saying, "He does the trains." All the ladies gave that polite little "knowing" smile...

3:00pm update: I just found out that we are going to be on the tour's schedule for next year! They really liked the idea of a train running through the garden and were actually more impressed with the fact that Patsy and I did it ourselves rather than have some professional come out and landscape it for us! (Apparently, most of the "master" gardens that were on the tour last year were contracted ones! Go figure...) I'm looking at this as an opportunity to promote our hobby into other areas. According to the SMG group, the tour usually has 800+ people that attend and it's an all day event! (What have I gotten myself into?) It should be quite a day!


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## R Snyder (May 12, 2009)

Steve, 
I think your layout looks great! I would like to try and see it the next time I come to Salina. 
Richard Snyder


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By altterrain on 01 Aug 2009 10:16 AM 
Just brush up on the botanical names of any unusual plants you may have because they'll be sure to ask about them. Otherwise no worries! 

-Brian 
Steve,

I agree with the above. Also you can impress them with your knowledge of botanical RR names such as *boxcar extraordinarius *and *locomotus reluctus *not to mention *caboosus rearendicus. *Gardeners like that kind of stuff you know. *;-)*


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Steve Stockham on 01 Aug 2009 11:44 AM 
Dang Brian, you were right! The first lady asked me if that groundcover in the back was aju...ajug....aw heck! I can't even remember the blasted name! I just call it "green and leafy stuff with little blue flowers in the spring that spreads like crazy!!" Fortunately my wife covered for me by saying, "He does the trains." All the ladies gave that polite little "knowing" smile...

3:00pm update: I just found out that we are going to be on the tour's schedule for next year! They really liked the idea of a train running through the garden and were actually more impressed with the fact that Patsy and I did it ourselves rather than have some professional come out and landscape it for us! (Apparently, most of the "master" gardens that were on the tour last year were contracted ones! Go figure...) I'm looking at this as an opportunity to promote our hobby into other areas. According to the SMG group, the tour usually has 800+ people that attend and it's an all day event! (What have I gotten myself into?) It should be quite a day!










We got ~700 at our last garden club tour. As I said, these garden tours really promote the hobby. You'll do great.


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## reeveha (Jan 2, 2008)

Congrats Patsy & Steve on being selected. Your garden railroad is beautiful and an inspiration to everyone. I'll be adding the news to the WAGRS newsletter for August. You never know but you could be adding members to the northern branch of WAGRS. Please let me know when the tour will be. 

Herb Reeves


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## sheepdog (Jan 2, 2008)

LOL!!!! I love it! 

Dug yourself a real big hole............ Now you are gonna have to fill it.









Have fun! LOL!!!!









Craig


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## Al McEvoy (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve - Congratulations to you and your wife on having your garden RR included in the tour. It is no surprise, judging by the pictures you posted. You are terrific ambassadors for our hobby.
Al


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

That's neat Steve, you have a nice layout there, should have had no worries. We were on the local tour once here, did not produce anyone 
to inquire about building one of their own though.


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## bvdrr (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve,I really feel for you as I am recovering from yesterday. Don't get me wrong as I hope all the best for you and do have fun.Our club / Central Iowa Garden RR Society/ CIGRS decided the have an open house tour of seven layouts n Des Moines Iowa. Oh well I thought whats 50 or 60 people It won't be too bad, the old man can do this for the club.We charged $5.00 a car load to pay for the printing.Started at 9:00AM Aug 1st . By 5::00 PM we were still having people show and allready had right at 1000 people thru the gate. The good side is we made right at $3000.00 for our club minus the printing costs.What a long day but still the high lite of my summer. Like I said be fore good luck and do have fun
Fred


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Looks great!! We should have stopped on the way back from the convention. Best we did was get a bag full (tiny burgers) at the Cozy Inn.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Darn! It's too bad you didn't stop by! Oh well, if you're ever again in the area give us a call!


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

BEAUTIFUL, Steve, just beautiful!


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