Day 3 Part two

By midday we was stopping at Winnemucca and Reno Nevada. The train conductor said to keep your eyes out for wild horses and there was some far off from the road! Coyotes and Jack rabbits was also spotted! Next stop Truckee Ca (Lake Tahoe) from Reno - Truckee was the most beautiful cricks and rocks and trees I had ever seen! That was probably the best thing about the trip so far! During the Truckee quick stop we picked up a lady whom was well put together and maybe my grandmothers age. She was having issue with her cell phone and she asked me for help. I was expecting I could get her going very quickly for it was an Iphone but I was having one heck of a time,  I ended up googling her fix! She had the voiceover on. Don't do that haha! I was about to pull my hair out. She thanked me a few times for fixing her phone. We visited about her destination and where we was traveling from. Before getting off the train she handed me a note and told me to read it when I was alone. 

We arrived into Sacramento a little late it was 7:30. A girl from high school lives out here, so I reached out to her to see if she knew where we could shower and go get a bit to eat! Ended up she fixed us right up! We couldn't have been more happy! She even had a Cherry Coke ready for me when I got off the train! How did she know! ❤️ Nice hot shower and our belly full so we can now sleep well on the train! We leave on the coast starlight at midnight from Sacramento to head north to Seattle and arrive there tomorrow night at 8:30ish! 

What a beautiful train station Sacramento and Denver has had! Tomorrow is California- Oregon- Washington

Thanking god for wonderful people in our lives today! 

Ps. The lady wrote a beautiful note and slipped some cash in for chris and I to celebrate this trip together. I'm very touched by her note! ❤️

Day 3 part one

Good morning from the Salt flats! God gave us a beautiful  view this morning! 

Last night we rolled into Glenwood springs about hour and half late it was dark so we decided to call it a night and try to get some sleep. I found something to put over my eyes so the lights of the train car wouldn't bother me, thought that would help me sleep a little. 

I woke up several times and noted the couple next to us hadn't left yet so I new we wasn't to Salt Lake City Utah. Around 2 o clock I got up and looked into the observation car and noticed a guy laying down under him and his wife's chair. Well I know Chris wasn't small enough so I crawled under our seat with blanket and neck rest and got 3 straight through hours of sleep. I'm glad I put my 8hr hot back wrap on, not that my back was hurting but it kept my from freezing to death! I can't believe how cold they keep it on here. I cant complain cause Im wrapped in my blanket all day. Anyways, I believe we went through Salt Lake around 4ish. We hit a time change so we got up extra early cause I wanted breakfast and watch sun come up. Had to wait another hour before having French toast and hot tea again. 

I would have thought we would be in observation car more often yesterday but it was so packed that we are more comfortable sitting in a recliners and look out our side of the window. 

We got into Nevada with snow on the tops of the mountain. Seen antelope, cows, and horses. No buildings for miles and miles. We are following interstate 80 at a distance running through tunnels now and again. The landscape here is something else, like a seen from a old Wild West movie. Waiting for signs of Indians on the horizon. (Kidding) Id love to stop and be able to take some pictures of the forage.  One thing I did notice in some of the towns we come into there is excess amount of trash next to the tracks. Not all the time but our last stop I could have bought me a pop with the cans I seen on the ground out my window. I'm needing for a cherry coke really bad! And not a Amtrak pop cause it was 3$ a can and think and beer was 6$ a can.

Everyone says closer we get to Reno and into California it will be beautiful again. So I thought while I'm just sitting here I'd do part 1 of day 3

-BP 

Btw chris can sleep anywhere right harry! 

Day 2 - Omaha-Denver 
(I got more pictures on my camera and I have crappy cell service so here's a quick update! 
(8:25 we are still 2 hrs behind) 

Night stay- I think chris slept like a baby while I was up every hour. The seat have great leg room but I don't do well sleeping in a recliner. Started our morning with a foggy 7am breakfast, went to the dinning car and shared French toast and bacon. Sat across from a couple from Chicago who had a busy next couple of weeks! She was a retired school teacher. They had kids spread out all over the US. 

Was to arrive in Denver at 9:30, had a slight delay. Guys I can not make up this story up, warning some animals was harmed in the telling of this story. 

As we was sitting in our seats, the breaks came on tight, you could smell break dust, we thought hm must have another train coming. Little while later the lights and air went off, mean while there is a guy in the same car as us with a radio he is listening to the conductors & engineers. (Next time we will get one) on radio- 

Guy-we are repairing a hose. 

Girl-what did you hit?

Guy-we hit a herd of goats. 

Girl- how many goats 

Guy- probably 20 

Girl- ....pause....20?.....

Guy- hose will be repaired here shortly

Everyone in our car that was not in the observation car was like are you serious. The couple sitting next to us said back a little ways there was some goats next to the road.  

We arrived into Union station and had 3hour layover to look around. By the time train stopped we had couple hours. We walked up 16th Ave to some shopping malls, it was chilly for I was in sandals and shorts,  it was 91 when we left home and walking around Denver was 50degrees and starting to rain. We walked to the front of union station and took a picture. Inside was Gorgeous coffee shops, book store, restaurants! While in there I lost chris for the second time, for the ones wondering on Facebook me looking for him. (He didn't have his phone on roaming so he wasn't getting any texts or calls from me) 

I split a wonderful sandwich at lunch! Can't remember the name but the restaurant was canning pickles also! Was cool to see the kitchen and how they was doing their canning. 

We board the train at noon to leave at 12:30, slow moving rest of the day, we noticed that last week they was detouring the trains around into Wyoming instead of Colorado. We hear today they was repairing the tracks. Glad they got it down cause we got to see more of the mountains and tunnels but we was the first train on the tracks, So we had to only go 30mphish today through the mountains and right now it's 7:30 and we are two and half hours behind to glenwood Colorado. So..... it's been a beautiful day to capture pictures. Sun came out and got to step off the train for a fresh air break for 2 mins somewhere in Colorado.

We have seen Elk, Mule Deer, antelope, fisherman near the cricks and rivers! 

We have reservations for supper at 7:45, didn't plan that well cause in this canyons it's gets dark quick so it will be dark for supper.   
Got more 

PS

I have noticed so far on our trip, there is more grouchy testy people in the world then there needs to be. Customers relations maybe lacking for some people whos job it is to satisfy the customer.  Thank goodness for good neighbors sitting next to us cause I confided in her about a couple of people spats we witness today that was uncalled for. She said to me I wanted my daughter to moved to Iowa cause everyone is so friendly, I can tell your outgoing and you have been so friendly and pleasant to visit with. 

Day 1 part 2
We arrived in ottumwa just after 5:00 to get something to eat before getting to train station. We decided to try the canteen! The best loose meat sandwich ever! Where you can load it up with cheese, pickle, ketchup, mustard and onions and I can't leave out the PIE! It started in 1927 but in 1936 moved to its current location in the alley way now under a parking ramp. They use about 5-8 fifty pound buckets of meat daily. Crazy! The lady next to us said oh last time I ordered 3 sandwiches! I was full after one and a cherry coke. Chris had peach pie. And they even had president   Roosevelt on the wall! Now I really really love this place!

As we was there we found it our train was running 30 mins behind, I had it in my plan to get chris to take me to get my toes painted while we waited! Well it's journal and all so I'll tell ya, I got him to get a pedicure also! He said when I get old I'm just going to come to a place like this so they can trim my nails when I can't bend over anymore!  I knew he would like it! But for some reason he refused to get  a color.

We arrived to the station and got the car unloaded. And we met a 92 year old lady who was leaving her daughter and soninlaw from ottumwa to go back to Colorado where he son would pick her up. He had recently lost her husband of 62 years and this was her first trip alone. A very sweet lady! We was told to go to the second floor of the Amtrak, didn't realize we got to pick our seat so here we are bouncing from seat to seat trying not to get a bar in the middle of our window seat. Finally we took our seats and seated next to a couple probably our age but haven't got to say hello, it's lights out on the train. 10-7am is quite time.  We just rolled chariton Iowa.  I got my blanket and ear buds in listen to some patty loveless bluegrass to help me go to sleep.

Talk to you tomorrow!

-Bp

Ps little bear isn't liking staying at grandma pattys 😲 He asked what direction his house was! ❤️

Day 1 Part 1
I waited till this morning to pack. Was that a good idea or a bad idea?
We couldn't find what we needed along with trying to decided where to save a penny or throw a dollar. Ended up with an extra suitcase so we don't have to pay the over 50#fee for the air plane that we will be coming home on.  The train luggage you can pretty much pack more then you need! But I need to remember the plane trip is different!
Last thing on my list was to water everything and check hogs. Another, was that a good idea or a bad idea? I was wearing the clothes I want to wear on the train and what do you know Brittany has forgot about the rain..there was a pig laying in a puddle upside down and at first I thought oh know he's stuck? I should have known better for he jumped right up like a muddy dog and came over and shock himself right in front of me, MUDD all over my shirt and face! I got little grouchy and when I went into their hut to check feed they rubbed all over my legs and nose up on my shorts! Have you ever tried to take a shower with just sticking your legs into the shower under the water? At this point I should have started my day completely over. I went to the shop and chris said what the heck happened? I said get back out there with me and take a picture cause I want to laugh at this later.
We get into sigourney for lunch and forgot that I hadn't printed any of our tickets or hotel stays.  So I got to visit the sigourney liberty and it's a very nice place! I told Matthew we will come back when we get home!!
Headed to Bloomfield to drop little bear off for we don't board the train till tonight!

Talk later!
Love- Bp

If you want to follow the Amtrak trains we will be on number 5 west. There is 2 number 5 trains that head west!
https://asm.transitdocs.com

Post Day 1

Tomorrows the day! 
We leave for Seattle! 
Today is filled with how much stuff are we forgetting about ...so the shop can run smoothly while we are gone. Nadine and Greg will continue to put in a hard days work, so everything will be fine! 
Matthews schedule is wrote down so we don't have any surprised while we are gone, both my parents and in-laws are helping with the load of getting him to daycare, school, sunday school, and Princess Bailey has to get pampered in there also! Nadine and Karla are on top of that. 
Matthew gets to stay home on this Peiffers Head West trip!  Chris and I haven't been away from him this long EVER! 
We will be gone Sept 23-Oct 2. This our first business trip together. I came home to work with him in the shop May 2017 and I must say what a ride we have had together!
This Peiffer Heads West trip is for the Rottler Open House! Rottler is a company that specializes in machinery for every type of engine builder. Chris and I are interested in learning more about their 5 axis CNC machine. So he can produce more heads a year, But still have that Peiffer* technique. It takes Chris over 40hrs to port and assemble ONE cylinder head for pulling. With a machine like this it would save his arms and wear and tear on his whole body!
Chris learned his tricks for the one and only Joe Mondello back in 2007. Back then Joe offered a class that you could come out to Tennessee for a week and he would teach you the proper way to port cylinder heads. Joe hadn't done much with diesels, so most likely anything you read in a engine building magazine and Joe touched on diesels, the pictures was the heads Chris brought down to him so they could port on and learn things. Joe was full of some much information and knowledge I truly think Chris soaked in every minute of it! 

If you want to stay up on Peiffers Go West! Check out my daily journal.

Lastly,we just thank god for giving us the opportunity to go and enjoy our week together! We pray for all the people dealing with the fires, hurricanes and earthquakes this past month and hope they are waking up every morning with I am grateful for another day, just as we are!

-BP