My apologies to the folks wanting to see what I cooked up using the Scenic Express Super Tree kit!  I have been busy with other projects, but rest assured, I will get them finished off this week.

  With the fiasco of the big meet canceled last month, clam digging with my Dad and a few honey-dos popping up.  I just haven't gotten in the mood to finish the rest of the trees and get some pictures.  A few of them are still hanging on the clothesline waiting to get some sort of leafy coating.

  Model Rail Radio is running a layout contest.  The first phase of the contest - design - is over, and the build phase is begun.  I submitted 2 designs for the contest, and both got picked in the final group of 5 winners!!  almost didn't enter, now I am really glad I did - each of my winning entries was awarded a $50 prize - Whoo Hoo!

   We had a great time (well, I did - the rest will have to chime in here).  Folks that brought modules - Mark, Bert, Eric, Adam and myself - Doug came without, :) plus we had two more folks come by to see just what it was all
about (I am sooo bad with names!) I think it was Brian and Allen.

  I got there early at 9:00 to open the room and set up a couple tables and chairs, measure and lay out the space for the Meet-N-March.  The PUD community room is 43' x 34', just in case you're curious.

  My first wireframe tree turned out "OK", but not really having the airiness that I wanted for an Alder.  Plus I made it too wide with the canopy.  It looks more like an Oak to me.  Maybe an Oak with a skinny trunk...

  I was also limited with my color selection of leafy material, but I can probably correct some of that with an airbrush.

  Since I am intending these trees for my FreemoN module, I think that they should all be of the "foreground" quality.  I also intend on modeling at least one section of the module to include a woodsy hill.  The edges of the module will "slice" through the woods and spectators will be able to see a fully modeled understory.  At least that is what I am planning, reality and my skills my have other things in store for me.

  As I get farther along with my modular project, I get a bit overwhelmed as to how much I need to learn and experience.  Since I switched to N scale several years ago, even though I got trackwork completed on a layout, I haven't done any scenery or structure building.  All my (limited) experience in those area were from my earliest days doing HO.  Time to flex the mental muscles and get my head thinking smaller!