Granddaughters' Visit

 Well, two granddaughters visited to join us in a banquet but we just HAD to check out possibilities for additional scenicking with the Fathers Day gifts they had gifted!  The older granddaughter, rising senior in college, was most interested in being a train engineer.  Although I KNOW she's a very smart young lady, we had a hard time ensuring the long-long-short-long horn was sounded befor the crossing.  You'd think that with the layout named "Blacktop CROSSING", knowing the proper crossing signal would be important.

The younger granddaughter, rising senior in high school, did seem to approve of earlier work with scenicking from the gifts.  She also thought another dog should be placed in the park near Mill Hill.  She picked out an appropriate canine.  We forgot to name him, but for the time being we'll call him Bernie the St. Benard.

You might note that Mr. Terry has loaned one of his canons to the park -- if Mayberry can have a city canon, so can our Mill Village!

Spoils of a Father's Day

Frankly, I have just about everything a guy could want, but I do get spoiled on Father's Day and other gift-giving occasions.  This year for Father's Day, some of my son's family made a stop or TWO at New Brookland RR & Hobby shop in Columbia, SC.  The spoils of those stops became apparent June 18.  There are plenty of figures and a good bit of bushes inventory yet to be used, but here's a start!

Several garbage cans were picked from the Woodland Scenics "Junk" selection.  This could improve the sanitation on Mill Hill.  The retired couple put a can neatly in the back corner of their neatly trimmed hedge, of course.  The family with kids is trying to be neat but evidently one of the kids used the top of the can as a shield playing knights of the round table.  She didn't do a very good job of putting the top back on.. . .

The Greaser's (maybe I'll do a little searching on this blog to come up with their names, but for the moment they are all forgotten -- later:  someone needs to index these posts, still don't know individual names but the family is the MILLners) have a new junk frame and flathead engine to deal with.  Maybe they should move the chassis out of the walkway/path!  Manana. . . .

Over at The Cotton Factory, a couple of workers at the loading dock are straightening things up for the next rail delivery.

And, it looks like we're about to have a fracas back over at the Greaser's.  OMG.  Uncle Joe Bob (or whatever his name is) looks a bit perturbed with  Allie the alley cat on the white top of his favorite pick 'em up. Rufous the Bassette Hound is hoping he'll hear Joe Bob say, "Sic em, Rufous, you ole hound dog!!"

One of the granddaughters who may have been partially responsible for the excellent Father's Day gifts has suggested that I write a book.  I figure when I retire I can; in the meantime I'll have to refer her to my Blacktop Crossing Blog!