Sunday Adventures

The Long Rifle meeting went well today, even though we were small enough to meet around two 8 foot tables. I got to play with Anna for most of the afternoon. She has learned to blow raspberries (spit bubbles) and has a great time doing it. She also likes to grab FH's hair... which he didn't care for too much.

I did some thinking out loud with a friend about the dioramas featuring trades and ways of life during the time period we portray. I know I want to show a black-smithing set up for sure. But I keep wavering on the others. Fiber art and cooking I can show in the roombox of a one room cabin easily. But what do I show besides smithing? Technically a Rendezvous is a recreation of a fur trading camp from the 1770's to 1850's. There are so many things I could show. Gardening, sheep sheering, butchering either livestock or wild game, carpentry, bow carving, leather-working. I just don't know what to choose.

When I ordered Patch for the Greenleaf, I also ordered the divided roombox to put different small scenes in. He and I put it together for a dry fit so I could see how much room I have to work with.

As you can see from Patch as a scale (and Confetti's head), I have good sized rooms to work in. The kit is very well made and I'm quite happy with how it goes together. It won't be difficult at all to get together once I am ready to work on it. I disassembled it and put it back in the box after the pictures.

I need to get the Greenleaf finished, FH's cabin at least mostly done, and Ezzie's house built before I start really working on this. Besides it gives me more time to ponder the scenes for each section. I also need to figure out how to keep the rooms simple, yet historically accurate and have enough details in place to teach from. I will probably be carrying the piece to Rendezvous and maybe even schools to talk about the history and every day life for lower to middle class people.

Yes I know I'm supposed to be a paleontologist, but I did earn a minor degree in American History and I enjoy "living history" activities. If a museum ever asked me to build them a scale piece depicting the Pleistocene, I'd jump at it even faster than working on this mini. ;-)

Oh, I think Patch is disgusted with me since I have yet to 1) finish his home and 2) sculpt his owner. The contest deadline is the 25th and I'm really behind. I told him he's lucky I brought him into this at all. I could have tried sculpting a dog instead. He's lucky I loved his sweet face and felt lazy. ;-)