Maple Valley Manufacturing is a large facility just outside of town. Three Tower Bridge stands between the small town of Maple Valley and the factory. Close-up views of the inside of the factory provide detailed scenes on the HO scale model railroad. To create the illusion of depth and detail in the facade, I built …
Continue reading Detail Scenes of the Maple Valley Short Line HO Scale Model Railroad
It's difficult to say what has become of our happy little community in Maple Valley. Gossip has always been one of our strongest characteristics, but it's getting ridiculous. Last week, Vee Burthrap was convinced Shorty Cloverton was having an "uncommon relationship," as she called it, with Wilomena Shermer, the good reverend's wife. Vee Burthrap doesn't …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 30: The Bones Investigation
Sixteen months doesn't really seem like a long time. One summer, one Halloween, one Thanksgiving, one Christmas. The new year is not so new and will soon join the list of forgotten others. For close friends of Sylvia Meisner, months have been years. One day Maple Valley folks were happy, greeting each other, opening their …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 29: Bones
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
Sheriff Pete Terkinberry is determined to find out what happened to Sylvia Meisner. She disappeared several months ago. Her car was found under Three Tower Bridge, completely destroyed by fire. No evidence of any use was found in, on, or near the car. In December, while a crew of volunteers was hanging Christmas lights on …
Christmas in Maple Valley has come and gone. Intense anticipation in the weeks before Christmas keeps everyone in good moods and actions with lots of "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" greetings in the streets and shops. Hundreds of visitors came to town on The Old General just to take in the sights and sounds …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 20: The Bat Suit
I really hate to say this, but life has moved on in Maple Valley. Sylvia Meisner has been missing for five months. All the arguing has stopped, thankfully. The summer tourist season everyone looked forward to has ended. The Founders Day Celebration now seems forgotten. The Old General is being prepared to take visitors to …
Continue reading Scandal At Maple Valley – Episode 17: Death in Maple Valley
Stories are swirling in Maple Valley. This isn't new to anyone who lives here. News in Maple Valley means people are talking about things that other people wouldn't consider to be news at all. But because Maple Valley is such an important tourist destination for thousands every year, we tend to think things that happen …
This is just what the quiet little tourist town of Maple Valley needed. First, Sylvia Meisner disappears without a trace. Folks here are still in stir about it. Sheriff Pete Terkinberry is almost at his wits end, not to mention he's still healing from a bad fall in Sylvia's basement. There have been rumblings of …
A real miracle happened in Maple Valley! A miracle to the folks who live here at least. Do you remember Randy Herbdahl? Of course not. Probably no one outside of Maple Valley knows who Randy Herbdahl is, but everyone here knows him. Six weeks ago, Randy Herbahl was the least favorite person in town. He …
A Coffee State of Mind 