"Widow Morley's Bluebird Cafe and Bakery"....

 So I continue on my building spree to work on my Western buildings, and as luck would have it, I have completed another one. 

I actually started the idea for this building back in 2016, and during the 2017 Super bowl halftime show, I had a drawing of names of my female friends that volunteered. My friend Sarah Morley won "the honor" *ahem* of having a café and backstory.

Originally I had called it "The Mockingbird", but I didn't like how the sign looked, so I redid it, and changed it to "The Bluebird". Very little modification was done to the building, (one of the older TCL laser cut buildings that Knuckleduster used to carry back in the day), and just added "window glass", and a wooden frame around the sign. 

Coloring was also done by Apple barrel, and Folk-art Craft Paints, "(Victorian Blue), and weathered with Burnt Sienna and Antique White.

This building adds a bit of color to my town. It makes for two blue buildings, (this one and the barber shop), and now it will be back to the tired worn brown ones that are more common. 

Here are some pics of the completed building, (and some other pics also).

Please click on them for larger pics.

(A frontal view of The Bluebird. Good lunches and suppers, fresh pies, and hot coffee; All served by the charming Widow Morley. This one is showing the weathering and wear on the buildings and boardwalks. These buildings drybrush very nicely.)

(A side shot showing the weathering.)

(Rear Oblique pic showing the weathering and wear on the building. Paint was expensive in the Old West, and painted building were exposed to harsh elements, and weathered quite quickly.)

(A comparison of The Bluebird with the still under construction Newspaper and Printing Shop. Both kits are the same one by TCL. I just modified the windows of the Newspaper Office by making them two BIG glass windows. That way the Newspaper Editor can see what is going on, (just like everyone else), and then write about it in the paper and sell the paper to folks for a nickel each telling them exactly what it was they saw...)

(Playing around with some figures and stuff. Henry Plunkitt, Ollie Olaffson And Winston Sinclair, (with his hands behind his back), hold a casual conversation outside of The Bluebird Café before it opens for lunch...)

(The conversation continues and meanders between "What kind of pie will Widow Morley be serving today?" and "Do you think she is looking for a suitor?" )

(A comparison shot of The Bluebird, and Wun Hung Lo's Chinese Laundry. The laundry and boardwalks are from the Arnica Montana line, the fence, barrels, and barricade items are from Acheson. The figures are a mixture of Pulp Figures and Dixons.)

And now for the "Backstory"....

As promised....

For your viewing enjoyment is "Mrs. Morley's Bluebird Café and Bakery", also known simply as "The Bluebird".

It is owned by Mrs. Sarah Morley also known in quieter circles as "The Widow Morley".  

The story around these parts is that she came out west and opened it up to make a living after losing four husbands during the war.  

Husband #1 was Alvin and he died of fever right before First Manassas (Bull Run to you Yankees).

Husband #2 was James, and he was run over by a runaway supply wagon during the frenzied, chaotic, Union retreat from Second Manassas, and was mashed into a pulp in the Virginia mud. 

Husband #3: was named Robert and died of diarrhea during the battle of Gettysburg. 

The fourth (and final) Husband was Thomas, and he used the top of his skull to catch the business end of a double canister round, courtesy of R.E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia during The Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864.

After the war, Sarah didn't marry again, although she had various suitors and gentleman callers and at least three of them also mysteriously disappeared...

After the sudden disappearance of the last one, a series of ugly rumors started going around the town back East where she lived, and people were whispering that "foul things were going on", etc.. So in order to prevent a scandal, and/or arrest and trial for "murder most foul" (even though there was no direct proof, but rumors are nasty things aren't they?), and to protect her good name, she quickly headed out west and settled in Rimfire.

She is quite the accomplished cook, and along with her cook/helper ( a fellow named "John Smith", that is real quiet and keeps to himself), her small café provides delicious lunches, and suppers as well as fresh pies, and hot coffee for hungry paying cowboys and townsfolk alike. She is well known for her fresh, delicious pies and freshly made powdered sugar almond cookies that she cheerfully bakes for special customers.

The Bluebird is always clean, bright and cozy, and is freshly painted. It is closed on Sundays and Saturday nights supper is always beefsteak, beans, bacon, and biscuits night.  Buttermilk and fresh milk, as well as coffee is an option, and occasionally she will have fresh lemonade.  No smoking, liquor, or tobacco chewing (or spitting), is allowed in The Bluebird.

Rumor is out that "The Widow Morley" may be looking for a feller, sometime in the near future, so all available and eager bachelors should apply.... The lucky guy could be "Husband #5"!!!!

Blog Update: The Missing June Post....

 So it seems dear reader that somehow or someway I seemed to have missed putting in a June update to what is going on around House O' Murphy.

So please consider this a late June submission, and some other stuff also....

D&D Game....

Yikes! Where do I go with this one?

Well...we continued our D&D game and the June adventure was one of frustration for everyone. The summer season, and "real life" has cut into our gaming tremendously, and that being said, we were only able to get one game in for the month of June. We are also taking an August break so we have 2 games for this month planned.

The game was also frustrating, because I knew due to the players previous actions, not only were the bad guys going to be waiting for them for some hard fighting combat. I also told them to be prepared "as this will probably be the hardest fight in this part of the scenario that you will encounter." 

And so it began. 

And it took almost three hours of real time to finish one major combat. 

The two big bads for the scenario were reinforced by some low level NPC assistants, and the PC's not only had bad dice rolling, but the rolling was horrible, and the fumbles were many.

The ranger had three fumbles in a row, (breaking bowstring, slipping, and mishandling weapon), while trying to get one up on the evil cleric.

(Click on pics for larger version)....

(Snacks this game included fresh stollen, chips, salsa, queso, pastries, jerky, and fresh lemonade and tea...)

(Meanwhile the fridge was ready with backup munchies and drinks!)

(Mr. Fridge is well stocked. BTW...the Mezzo Mix is MINE! NO ONE ELSE gets it!)

(The party prepares for the adventure! Treasure, XP's and Glory await!!!!....or errr....something like that....)

(The PC's burst through the trapdoor ("X"), into the room, to be greeted by the bad guy in armor (BGIA),  the evil priestess in the back and a couple of flunkies! Battle is joined!)

(The evil priestess steps through the doorway into the other room to prepare a spell as the BGIA, and the flunkies hold a defensive line in the room. Meanwhile the ranger tries to get off a shot with her bow.)

(Realizing that the battle is "not going the way they want it to", some of the players huddle and start to plot and scheme...Is it against the BGIA, the flunkies, and the evil priestess? Or is it against the DM???....oh dear....)

(The struggle continues as bad rolls hamper the PC's and they take damage. Meanwhile the evil priestess returns back to the room, to cast a spell....)

(Only to luckily be taken down by a critical hit as two of the PC's go at her. Another flunky from behind appears and drags her body back into the room. Meanwhile the rest of the group is seriously stuck in a problem with BGIA as yet MORE flunkies come to join in the fun....)

(The ranger player after her third fumble in a row... Things were not good for the party...)

(Eventually the party succeeded in beating BGIA, and the flunkies, but the priestess and her flunky had vanished! Following a small blood trail, they were now moving to the stairs of the second floor of the temple. Here they take a well deserved Chinese Dinner Break, and while eating a delicious Chinese dinner, listen as the ranger players speaks with them on "Needing to fight smarter and NOT harder"....   Meanwhile, behind my screen, orange-cola mix, dice, note stickers, egg rolls and crab rangoon....)

So the party starts this weekend going into the second floor to find out and hopefully end this part of the scenario. TBH, I wasn't happy with the battle, and neither were they, but as I explained to them, this was indeed going to be difficult.

Meanwhile, some folks asked me about Mezzo Mix.

It's a German Cola-Orange drink that I fell in love with, and am only NOW being able to find it (somewhat) in Indy when I get down there once a week.

(Mezzo Mix goodness....mmmmmm.....)

PAINTING:

Meanwhile for the month of June, I was able to get some figures painted up. These are mostly from Reapers Bones IV and V KS line. 

(Everyone needs a bear figure at some time in their gaming life. This one was easy to paint up, and the groundwork was fun, however, the gloss effect is what throws me off. I did a base coat of gloss spray for protection with two overcoats of flat and the gloss still came out.  I'm going to go back and try some brush on flat to take out the shiny effect.)

(A Reaper figure that came out pretty good. Painting on him was quick and easy. I really like the skin detail that was highlighted on this guy.)

(Tessa, a village maiden. Each village has that "one gal" that you don't know whose side, or which side she is on, or if she is just playing both sides, and looking for a husband in the process. This one has the look on her face of "I've got a secret."  Another Reaper Bones Villager figure.)

(Ed, the Villager. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he works hard and does what he is told. Unfortunately I expect him to be killed by either a monster or a group of wandering murder hobos in the future...)

(Ella, an angry woman villager. Her emotions are running just as hot as that torch she is carrying and with her fierce yell, she is ready to use the rolling pin to dispense justice and vengeance upon drunken husbands, tax collectors, murder hobo characters, elected politicians and French Aristocrats as the need requires....)

Meanwhile, on one of my trips to Indy, I stopped by my favorite Middle Eastern market....

(Nice to see you can get this here if needed....)

However it was the tea that confused me....

("Green Gunpowder"???....)

(From Morocco...)

Meanwhile the Chinese refuse to be done over by the Moroccans....

("Special Gunpowder Tea"

So after my store visit, I got back onto the Old West project that I was working on years ago and stalled.

I decided to delve into my Arnica Montana resins.

(The Hotel, Shop, and Boardwalks all drying after being thoroughly cleaned...)

(Base colors for the boardwalks went on easy. Some TCL building parts are also painted up. I found out that I use A LOT of "Burnt Umber" in my Western building painting, so Apple Barrel Craft Paints for this color happens to be my friend.)

I got the hotel assembled and base colored. There are a few design issues with it that I am not happy with, but being the creative sort I am, I can get around it. "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome."

(Not a bad kit....)

(A cowboy on his way to being "The Rawhide Kid", with the base colored shop building in the back, that would soon become "Wun Hung Lo's Chinese Laundry".... Figure from Pulp Figures.)

The building was also an easy assembly and open to customizing and modification, (which I did somewhat). Of concern was an issue with the roof support which I easily addressed with two pieces of plastic supports.

(The main work is done....)

(The inside of the shop. I have added ceiling supports to the front angles, (marked here in pencil), and added a floor to help strengthen the walls. Soon it will be painted up and smelling of bleach, hot water, and lye soap....as dirty drawers and stinky socks get cleaned. All for a fair price....)

Other fun things....

Things in life continue to go on even as I and others continue to try to game and I keep trying to decrease my little lead mountain and pile o' stuff.

Some of the other things we have had happen.

1: I got the replacement flex shaft for my Dremel 4300, so it's up and running again. A good 30 buck purchase. Glad it was the flex shaft and not the Dremel itself.

2: I got our property tax assessment lowered by 24K.

3: We had storm damage at the end of May and are currently waiting on the insurance adjuster to call us about filing the claim.  The roof tiles are the original roof tiles to the house, (from October 10th, 1916), and we have to find tiles of a style and color that is close to what the house had as it's historically registered.

4: I've gotten my A1C down to 7.0 and have lost over 40 lbs.

5: I'm planning on going to Little Wars next year.

So that's it for now with me, and June's post here (posted in July), is submitted for your approval.  As usual, there is more to come and things that will be happening, so stay tuned, and enjoy!

Comments are appreciated!

Thanks for reading!

"The Chinese Laundry"

 So as I have said in my last post, I have gotten back onto my project of my Western Town of Rimfire, (Arizona Territory), and have been busily getting back into building some of the buildings and structures needed.

I was finally able to get one finished today.

So for your enjoyment, may I present to you, Rimfire's only "Genuine Chinese Laundry" run by none other than Mr. Wun Hung Lo himself!

(The weathered front of Wun Hung Lo's Chinese Laundry. He'll get your clothes clean one way or another....)

(A side view of the shop, showing one of their business signs. "You get what you pay for. You pay for what you get."  The boardwalks are separate from the building as is the miscellaneous stuff on the side of the building. You can easily see the weathering and the fading and worn paint.)

(A front view of the shop. Boardwalks are from the Arnica Montana line, produced by Hawgleg. Fence, barrels, and the pile of stuff on the side (not seen here), are from Acheson Creations. I have to touch up the white edges of the signs...)

(Lars Larsen (recently from Norway, via Minnesota, speaks with Mr. Wun Hung Lo about his "laundry bill", while Lo's nephew, Wang Chung speaks to a couple of gentleman that are "looking for a Chinese girl with green eyes...." Figures are by Pulp Figures and Dixon. Don't ask about the duck...)

The building is resin and from the Arnica Montana Line produced in limited quantities by Hawgleg.

The boardwalks are separate and are from the same line.

Fencing, barrels, and baggage on the side, are from Acheson Creations. 

Assembly was quick and easy, with a slight modification needed for the roof. 

Paints were a primer of black spray from Krylon, and then Apple Barrel Craft Paints of Burnt Umber, Primary Red, Cherry Red, and Cadmium Yellow with a drybrush of Burnt Sienna, and then another of Antique White for weathering. 

This can show that you really don't need expensive eye dropper paints to be able to achieve a good effect. 

I still need to weather the boardwalks, and do a little interior work, but for the most part this is done.

I'm happy with how it turned out, and it will add a bit of color and flavor to my Western Town. 

More to come, so stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!