Variety is the Spice of Life

I can't remember who said that, but it's surely true for a day like today at Afton Station.  But before I get to that, I just have to do a little bragging about my adopted home town, Tulsa.   Even though it was announced today that Tulsa has the lowest gasoline prices in the country, two stations on 11th St. (Route 66) decided it was a good time to have a little gas war on their unleaded.  So, I took advantage of it and filled my tank with $2.99 fuel this morning.  Every little bit helps for a person who drives about 40,000 miles a year!

 Meanwhile, back to the variety of interesting visitors we were lucky enough to meet today at the Station.  Ron M. and I worked all day, and Betty came in for a while, having recuperated from baking all that tasty stuff we consumed yesterday.  Betty is a gem of a person and I'm always cheered up when she walks in the door.

There were 24 visitors today, which was a nice, manageable number and not a crowd scene like yesterday.  The first travelers were six young ladies from Kansas City on a "girl's weekend out".  Here they are -- grandmother, two of her daughters, and three of her granddaughters.  I dare you to figure out which one is the grandma!  Such a pretty and enthusiastic group, doing Oklahoma Route 66 and enjoying it.

Here they are again, giving the pressed penny machine a work over.

Next came a fascinating couple in a motor home.  Their main home is Brazil, but they also spend time in Kissimmee, Florida in the winter.  They are on what they called their "dream trip", and have fashioned a blog to preserve the memories.   Check it out at www.rvdreamtrip.com.  (It is in both English and Spanish, and as soon as they catch up with it, some Afton Station photos will be included.)  Their dream trip was by land all the way north from the southmost tip of Argentina to Canada, with many stops along the way.  Here they are:

He is a vintage car lover and collector and was very proud (and rightly so) of his most recent acquisition, this amazing hood ornament from a '51 Chevy.  

I've never seen one like it, and I'd like to have one of those myself!

A nice surprise was a visit from my Tulsa friend Susan Yates who brought with her her sister and three other friends.  They stopped in on their way to see the Osage Ballet at the gorgeous Coleman Theater in Miami.  Susan is a Route 66 fan, but even more so a Disney fan who makes multiple trips to Disneyland and Disney World.  Great to see her today and meet her entourage.

We also had visitors from Barcelona, Spain, Bonaparte IA, Wichita KS, and Disney and Miami, OK.  The Wichita gentleman is a collector and seller of automobilia and also coordinates a 1000-car car show in Wichita each summer.  He owns a '36 Packard, among other cars. 

For those who were curious about the Route 66 Cologne I gave to Ron yesterday for his birthday, here's a photo of it.  I would love to know if anyone else has ever seen this.

It was a fine, relaxing day, and now I'm going to settle back and enjoy the rain that may (or may not) arrive this evening.  We can use it.