Wanting to join in the family celebration of our friend's life, we did a road trip to Yuba City.

We pre-celebrated with our friends, Lee and Margaret, who came from their home in Benicia.
Lunch was at the über cool restaurant Sierra Butte Brewing.

When we arrived at St. Andrew's, we delighted in learning even more about Dick at a table decorated with memorabilia of a life well lived.
And what was the poem read that made me think of you? The Train of Life.

At birth, we boarded the train of life and met our parents, and we believed that they would always travel by our side. However, at some station, our parents would step down from the train, leaving us on life's journey alone.

As time goes by, some significant people will board the train: siblings, other children, friends, and even the love of our life.

Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum.  Others will go so unnoticed that we won't realize that they vacated their seats! This train ride has been a mixture of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells.

A successful journey consists of having a good relationship with all passengers, requiring that we give the best of ourselves. The mystery that prevails is that we do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. Thus, we must try to travel along the track of life in the best possible way -- loving, forgiving, giving, and sharing.

When the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty -- we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who continue to travel on the train of life.

I close by thanking you for being one of the passengers on my train!
Grandson Casey made our eyes tear with Amazing Grace.

I took over 100 photos as the 'official' photographer. Most were of people we didn't know so I'm sharing this one, which Steve described as the Sadie Hawkins Dance.
I had to include images of the amazing sunset. These are views out my back window, hence the defrost lines. It seemed the fitting end to our day.