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"...Ken and Mary Karrels' rambunctious Weimaraner Mystic, occasionally bounds through the miniature
towns at their northeast-side Double K Ranch. During her puppy chewing phase, she maimed one plastic
person and chomped on a horse.
"Having young, active dogs and a garden railway sometimes don't mix," laughed Mary, an artist and dog
trainer. Though family legend has it that one of Ken's first words was "choo-choo" and he's collected train
memorabilia for years, he didn't begin working on a garden railway until about three years ago.
The Karrels' outdoor tracks jog past a gnarled mesquite tree, a towering saguaro and a palm tree. The train
even passes across a bridge raised above a waterfall that cascades into a pool.
"This is our little oasis," said Ken, a psychologist who, along with Mary, runs a bed-and-breakfast that has a
train-themed suite. "We've had people sit there and say their blood pressure drops."
Each scene has special meaning for the Karrels. A schoolhouse is similar to one Mary went to while growing
up in Wisconsin. A church, like the one the Karrels got married in, has a sign bearing the date Nov. 14,_their
wedding day.
The Karrels' scenes are intricate as are the trains. Peek through a train car door, and the detail is amazing,
from the frosted glass on a restroom to miniature lamps lining the aisles."...
By Kristen Cook
The Arizona Daily Star |
