An extremely hectic work schedule for a couple of months has left very little time for the layout.  I finally got a couple of hours over the weekend to tinker.

I got a little color in the stream bed although it's a mixture I am still not happy with.  Using the tips from earlier posts, I have been trying to work out color combos from photographs. This is a little more difficult because I really don't have a true prototype but rather a mental image.

Thanks to all of the great tips and comments, I'm a lot happier with the 'micro pike' now.  I went back and got a more natural paint color and recoated the top of the layout.  (Now it's a stylish two-tone.) One suggestion was to leave some of the darker brown show through.  That was a good call.  I really like the effect that creates.  I believe that after I apply ground cover this will create a real depth. 

My little beginner project is no longer 'plaster white'.  Now it's brown. Excuse me, 'Chocolate Kiss'.  It seems you can't buy 'brown' paint at the large, chain home improvement store that shall remain nameless.  The paint match computer can accurately and repeatedly duplicate 'Mocha Java Cream' and 'Roman Sandal Leather', but 'brown' is apparently far beyond it's capabilities. So I stared at the giant wall of color sample cards and picked what I thought looked like brown dirt.

I have decided to get back into model railroading after many years.  To be honest though, I probably didn't really give it a just effort back then.  Like many newbies my early attempts weren't much more than a piece of plywood on which I glued an HO set purchased from a toy store. Add a few Matchbox trucks and a tunnel, then try to figure out why it didn't look like the ones in the magazines.  Well, I know better now.