"Now All I Need Is a Mouse..."

OK. Time to add some color. This is the boring basecoat of Trail Tan. It's pretty much the color of sandstone, but if you look closer, you will see that sandstone varies greatly in shades of gray and brown.

I started doing washes and dry brushing with Territorial Beige, Burnt Sienna, Hippo Gray, Sage green, and Antique white. I mix them together as I go. I seldom use only one color straight. Usually at least two and a lot of colors on top of colors.

I go over it again and again at random. A bit here, and then a bit there to balance it.

Sometimes I notice something missing as I go....Hmmmm...What happened to the hearth?

Back to the egg cartons.


I laid the stones for that and started painting those too....Then I decided it was Dr Pepper time. Remember those commercials from way back?

Anyway, Tessie had been poking about while I was painting and when I got back from the break, there she was...


She threw something across the room to keep me from seeing it....Didn't work. I went and found Zar's hammer and chissel in the corner.

It seems that she decided to add a detail of her own...

"Tessie! There's a hole in the fireplace! What are you doing?" That was me.

She stuck her nose in the air and replied, "My mouse needs a warm place to sleep. The hole is just right for him."

Silly me. I asked, "When did you get a pet mouse?".

She always seems so logical when she answers my questions...

She pulled herself to her full 5 1/4 inches and said. "I am on my way to the back yard right now to find one. I will have one by the time that the chimney is finished!"

Oh goodie! Mice. Just what I need. I am now off to build myself a better mousetrap as they say. It will be a no kill one. Little cage that I can carry far, far away to let them out. Thank goodness, she doesn't like badgers!

See you tomorrow.