The educated eye

[selector]

I remarked on it last year about this time, but I am in the process of scenicking my new layout and find that it has begun again. Due to my subconscious thinking of what I am going to do in an area of the layout, my eye keeps seeing details in nature that starts the creative juices flowing.

Two weeks ago, while camping on the Pacific Rim at Tofino, I was able to gather lots of the tree-beard moss so that I could place it between rows of nicer fabricated trees as Joe Fugate suggests we do. Then, yesterday, I was doing errands with my wife in downtown Courtenay when we got hungry. I went to a nearby SubWay to get us a 6"er each, and while I was entering the store I noticed flower residue along the curb, but from a large tree overhead that I did not recognize. The material is like chopped sphagnum moss, but it is yellow, and was of course dry. I gathered a whole bunch of it because it seemed that it would be useful in scenicking the forested area for tones, texture, and colour.

Do you find yourselves looking around for things to gather? Do you find yourselves staring at tree bark to imprint images of it on your brain? When you move by rock outcroppings, do you stare at it as long as possible to remember the details, the colour variations, and the shadowing?

I can't get enough of it!!

-Crandell

[SilverSpike]

Yep! Everyday I drive to and from work on Hwy 98 between the RTP in Durham and my house in Wake Forest, NC. Portions of the highway cross over Falls Lake and the view is spectacular, I am always thinking such as

"...hey, that dirt road going up that hill would make a nice scene on the layout..." or

"...that fallen tree on the edge of the lake would be cool to model...." or

"...those guys mowing the ROW would be neat to have on the layout..." or

"....that small electrical substation would be an excellent prototype for any RR layout..." and on and on.....

[Anonymous]

I always study nature, certain rock cuts,the way vines and small trees grow out of some,especially shale, debris and rocks in creeks, and vegetation along rights of way. There's always some thing gained when outdoors. An off topic question, Selector, do you watch Divincis Inquest up there?

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BXCARMIKE

I always study nature, certain rock cuts,the way vines and small trees grow out of some,especially shale, debris and rocks in creeks, and vegetation along rights of way. There's always some thing gained when outdoors. An off topic question, Selector, do you watch Divincis Inquest up there?

No, I don't, BXCARMIKE. I used to watch a lot of TV, oddly, but since I retired a couple of years ago, TV seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth!! Of course, I watch the news, Two and a Half Men, and reruns of Home Improvement now and then, but the computer is where I am most often, or outdoors moving hoses, etc.

The program seems to be very popular, but I won't even sit and watch all the Without a Trace, CSI, and other off-shoots because they don't appeal to me...too predictable.

I get a huge belly laugh out of Two and a Half Men. It is the modern Odd Couple.

Regards,

-Crandell

[mlehman]

Crandell,
I'll bet there are some great mosses, etc to collect in BC. Beautiful country, I hope to get out that way some time.

I do collect "stuff", but probably not as much as I should. My latest find was from the fence in my backyard. Part of it is real cheesy, with thin boards made from what must have been some relatively small trees. As the fence has weathered, a bunch of small knotholes shrunk and are now loose. The thing about them is that the plugs that have loosened from the knotholes are just the right size to represent stumps in HO. And all nicely pre-weathered! I collected a couple of dozen and plan to get some more.

I am going to Colorado in a couple of weeks, so I'll keep my eyes open for bits of stuff. One thing to remember is that gathering materials on government land without a permit is usually restricted in some way, so those planning to collect should make plans accordingly to "stay legal".
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mlehman

Crandell,
I'll bet there are some great mosses, etc to collect in BC. Beautiful country, I hope to get out that way some time.

I do collect "stuff", but probably not as much as I should. My latest find was from the fence in my backyard. Part of it is real cheesy, with thin boards made from what must have been some relatively small trees. As the fence has weathered, a bunch of small knotholes shrunk and are now loose. The thing about them is that the plugs that have loosened from the knotholes are just the right size to represent stumps in HO. And all nicely pre-weathered! I collected a couple of dozen and plan to get some more.

I am going to Colorado in a couple of weeks, so I'll keep my eyes open for bits of stuff. One thing to remember is that gathering materials on government land without a permit is usually restricted in some way, so those planning to collect should make plans accordingly to "stay legal".
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL

Your last point is quite appropriate, Mike. I was a bit apprehensive about taking the moss, so I made sure I didn't disturb large sections of branches, nor did I denude them entirely. I hope I can be forgiven by the Forest Gods for sneaking away with a bit of their moss for the Sentinel Coal Ry.

Your tree-trunk knots sound like a wonderful discovery. Good for you for seeing it!

-Crandell

[selector]

Silver Spike, getting a good water scene is very demanding. I spend a great deal of time trying to get good images at water's edge. The variations are overwhelming; some lakes are dark and deep with steep Great Canadian Shield-type smooth rocky shores, others are shallow and pebbled with clear water that you can wade in for many yards outward, there are the lily pads (would dabs of green acrylic paint work on the top layer of the envirotex or epoxy?), and so on. Adding a fallen log would by a nice touch, but tricky because you would have to indundate much of it so that the onlooker sees the "depth" and the greenish silting that covers the log below the surface...on most lakes.

[SpaceMouse]

Remember when collecting mosses, molds and fungi, some can start growing on your layout.

[Anonymous]

in the fall after the frost, I start collecting certain weeds and stuff as they dry some ,(mustard weed I think ) ,make great tree armitures. I gather shale to mix with my ceiling tile shale.

[scubaterry]

I am not ready to scenic yet but I do find myself doing the same thing when I am at Home Depot. I wander around sometimes just looking at different items. Once in a while I will see something that triggers an idea. My wife walks along with me thinking that I have gone off the deep end. Great idea place.
Terry

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

Remember when collecting mosses, molds and fungi, some can start growing on your layout.

I have two dehumidifiers that say they won't. [:D]

[PennsyHoosier]

I watch for this stuff constantly. A few weeks ago in western Iowa I collected a bunch of dirt. It seemed to be unique and the right consistency for my layout. So...

I do this kind of thing all the time. It drives my kids NUTS!

[river_eagle]

There are many greatt items out there, but be sure to put "Natures Harvest" in the freezer for a couple of days, to kill off any "EXTRA" guests that might be inside.

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by river_eagle

There are many greatt items out there, but be sure to put "Natures Harvest" in the freezer for a couple of days, to kill off any "EXTRA" guests that might be inside.

That's a good idea. Strangely, I was looking for variations on recipes for ceviche today, and found that some fishes carry parasites that may cause problems for some people. The advice was to cool the carcass to 7 def F for 5 days, or to 0 deg for 3. They also warned that some home freezers may not be up to the job.