Nothin' but blue skies from now on.. - Irving Berlin

This week I found a way to get the rest of the vinyl flashing up without any help.  I found the bottom deck was easier to do since its lower.  I discovered a heavy duty staple gun I had bought awhile back (forgot I had it) and it was a better alternative to using the air stapler, whose staples were way to long and overkill for what I needed.

Later in the week I made a trip to Home Depot and picked up one quart of Behr Ocean Cruise Blue and two small samplers of Behr Brilliant White, both colors in flat finish.  I tested some backdrop painting on the 8' long top section just off the helix.  I applied full strength blue to the whole backdrop with one sponge brush, and went right back and put a big strip of white at the bottom with another.  I used a third wide sponge brush to blend the darker top with the white to make a lighter horizon.  It came out OK though not real even.  I actually think it looks a little like those clear days when you get those faint, wispy clouds (which I like a lot) so maybe it'll be OK.  If I like my results better on the next few sections I might go back and repaint it.

Top deck with blue sky while the bottom deck is next to get painted.

A closeup view.  Can you see the wispy clouds?  I meant to do that, really I did.  :p

After my last post, I was told about two more notable blogs to check out.  Fellow Ma & Pa Historical Society member (and the society's Time Table Magazine editor) Art Kuperstein is modeling the Ma & Pa in a slightly later era, and it's set mostly in the Maryland Division (where as I'm modeling a portion of the Pennsylvania Division).  Unfortunately Art's blog doesn't have a feed, so I had to add it to the links section instead of the blog roll.  

http://maparr.weebly.com/

Another fairly new blog by noted NYO&W modeler Bill Schneider called Modeling the New York, Ontario & Western:

http://oldandweary.blogspot.com/

Many of you may know Bill from the many articles he's authored and from pictures of his beautiful layout.  You may also know Bill from his association with Rapido Trains and his former employer, Branchline Trains. 

Two more great reads, so check them out. :)