Drexel Street Looking North

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS  TO ALL!     This may be my last post before Christmas.  I have a group of new townspeople wrapped and under my Christmas tree, and I’ll photograph it when it is added to the town.   It is Woodland Scenics, not Preiser, and I had to do a little tweaking to make it fit into the vintage theme.  However, it’s a very interesting vignette, and I’m excited to welcome it to Oak Valley.  Soooo….check back after Christmas for that addition.

I’m also seriously considering creating a choir/caroling group.  Preiser has a large men’s chorus, but it is far larger and more modern than I can use.  I have an idea of pulling something together using the Preiser 1900′s series.   I  wish Preiser would create new winter figures for that series! 

After Christmas, I plan to wreak havoc in the town, lighting the remaining buildings and doing general clean up and rearranging.  At that point, I may roll the table out into the middle of the room to photograph it from a different perspective.

I’ve continued to think about a background for the long side that is against the wall, but can’t come up with anything that looks right.  I don’t want to detract from the town, and the HO scale backgrounds from photographs are too realistic to be compatible.  I’ve thought about painting a simple background in watercolor, or using mirrors to make the town look like it goes on forever.

Going To See Santa

Grandma promised, and tonight’s the night!

Delivery Wagon on Main Street

The English Teacher

All of the girls have a crush on the English teacher!

View from Cemetery Hill

This gives a little different view from  Cemetery Hill behind the Belmont Street church.  I shot this without flash or supplemental lighting, and, unfortunately, directly toward a wall of windows.  I like the natural light, but had to retouch the very reflective plexiglass wall.  The other day I saw a TV movie called “Snow Globe” in which a young woman transported into a snow globe to experience a perfect Christmas.  That’s somewhat the way I feel about Oak Valley.  I don’t want to be transported, but love viewing it from above.

Weary Shoppers Take a Rest

When I first placed this family on the park bench, I couldn’t see that they have their eyes closed and they are slumping a little to the side.  I assume that they were  designed as sleeping passengers on a train.  

I’m going to use every early 1900′s Preiser figure, so in the Oak Valley Christmas season, they decided to take a break from shopping and other festivities  and watch the ice skaters in the park.  Unfortunately, they could not keep their eyes open, and I caught them in the middle of a cat nap. Thank goodness it’s a mild winter day in Oak Valley!

Don’t miss earlier posts of Oak Valley.  I just started this blog in October to share photographs of my Christmas town, and I’ll be posting a new vignette almost every day until I run out of scenes.

Delivery Wagon on Pine Street

Doctor Stanton Rushing to a House Call

Below is another photo to demonstrate the model train HO scale. I have long fingers, so you can see how small this adult man is.  With his dress and attitude, I guess he’s what they would have called a ”Dandy”! 

Neighbors On Drexel Street

Mrs. Howard greeting Mr. Gates in front of the Drexel Street school

The Cunninghams Passing The Hotel