So much has happened in Maple Valley it’s difficult to know where to start. Here we are in the dog days of summer, and Maple Valley School is already preparing for the first day of the new year. Students can’t wait to get back in the class room. We are obviously well into the tourist …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 27: The Pancake-Off Fiasco
There's good and weird news coming out of Maple Valley. Folks have been waiting for months to hear about the suit that was brought against Shorty Cloverton and several members of the town council including Sheriff Pete Terkinberry and Mayor Alvin Thrashborn. For those who may not know, which, not ever wandering very far from …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 26: Events Turn
One of the beautiful things about model railroading, and scenery in particular, is that beauty is in the eye of the creator. If you think it's incredible, then it is. We all like to be told our work is terrific, but the truth is you are the only one to please. I pondered backdrops for …
Continue reading Painting Beautiful Backdrops for Your Model Railroad
I wonder if kids still get excited about going to stay for a few days at their aunt and uncle’s farm. I wonder if they like the smell of manure. I wonder if they recognize the scent of freshly cut hay. I wonder if kids still build tunnels in the hay mow. I wonder why …
Everyone loves a parade, and the good folks in Maple Valley are no exception. When news quickly reached everyone that Sheriff Pete Terkinberry would soon patrol the three streets of town in a new squad car, excited anticipation of a parade swept like a wind-blown grass fire. From one end of town to the other, …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 25: Finding Sylvia Meisner
Sheriff Pete couldn't drag the phrase from his mind. "Don't Stop Looking!" Vee Burthrap had told him. "What does that even mean?" he thought, walking toward the cafe. After the horrible dream Pete had a few nights ago, he was hesitant about going back to the Ya'll Sit, but he needed a cup of coffee …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 24: Don’t Stop Looking
In a previous post, I wrote about scratch-building small cabins with balsa wood. By trial and error, sometimes resulting in more error than success, I filled in the window frames without actually making windows. I simply framed the space and added some trim. I decided to try my hand at building paned windows that I …
Sheriff Pete walked into the Ya'll Sit Cafe on Monday morning, just like he does every week. Something felt different. He didn't know what it was, but he had the eerie sense he should sit by the door instead of taking his usual seat at the counter. "Good morning, Hannah!" he said. Hannah Cloverton looked …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 23: Ya’ll Sit Breakfast
Poor Sylvia Meisner. Sylvia disappeared from Maple Valley almost a year ago. Poor Sylvia Meisner. She has missed so much in her little home town. Folks still talk about her. There are a few who believe they know what happened to her. Most don't pay any attention to them, which makes the believers even more …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 22: Quintin and Vee
My Maple Valley Short Line Model Railroad is looking really good, if I do say so myself. In previous posts I wrote about making printed buildings with cardstock and balsa. I have many of them. I decided to try scratch building. The first thing required is a dedicated work space. Mine is a lap-desk and …
Continue reading Using Balsa Wood to Scratch Build Structures for Model Railroads
A Coffee State of Mind 