So Many Steps....

So Little Time....

I Left you last week, Dear Readers, with a partially painted first floor of the Guard Tower for the Cloud Palace. And even though I need to complete the painting of All those egg carton "stones" on the interior of the Guard Tower Entry before I can attach the floor for the Bunk Room and build the next level with the beds for the Fairy Beary Guys, it was such a busy week that I had no Time for painting! But that did not stop me from starting to build the structure for the upper part of the Guard Tower, in particular the Steps needed to get to the Top of the Tower, which must run up the outside of the structure! (I apologize for the dark pictures, it has been raining heavily here for the past two days and the light is positively dismal, making it difficult to photograph anything.)

Here above you can (sort of) see 

the interior of the Tower Bunk Room area,

 with the exit to the steps on the right side...

And here you can see the Tower with most of the steps attached.

(The Tower has been removed to the work table)

And a different angle showing the steps going around the corners.

(I still need to build the buttresses that will support the stairs at the corners.)

Here you can see I have marked where there will be a window....

(and changed my mind and lowered the location...!)

And here you can see I have cut the openings!

(Foamcore makes it so easy!)

Here you can see the window placement from the interior.

There will be a window at each bed level....

Here you can see the temporary placement of the stair wall and the loft floor.

There will be two bunks below the loft, 

and one bed in the loft itself.

 I have not put the divider between the lower beds yet.

The loft will be Brother Beorn's area 

and will have places for him to store dried plants 

and keep his plant records.

Once again, here is the Tower with the Cloud Palace.

(Sorry it is so dark...)

I will try not to think about how many MORE egg carton "stones" 

I am going to have to make!

And paint!

So Many many steps!

I hope I have not Bored you, Dear Readers, with all those Steps...

 when I know that you Really want to learn more 

about the Travels of Buttercup and Marmalade

as they try to find their way to the Cloud Palace!

Well, when we saw them last, they had just arrived in the Year 1852

and were visiting with Beatrice.

Beatrice had no idea where the Cloud Palace was.... 

or even that there Was a Cloud Palace...

but she thought her brother Tommy might know,

and was trying to think of how to ask him without alarming him.

(Her family didn't like it when she said she was talking with animals!)

But before she could think of anything to say 

there was a sudden loud noise outside the door....

"What is That?" demanded Marmalade.

"Uh oh," said Beatrice...

"Here comes Snowy..."

It sounded like a loud scratching and growling noise....

"What is a 'Snowy'?" asked Buttercup...

(she was only a Little bit alarmed...)

"'Snowy' is our dog" said Beatrice, sounding worried...

"Maybe you should....."

But before she could even finish her sentence....

Buttercup and Marmalade disappeared!

Beatrice blinked, a little confused...

but then Snowy rushed through the door....

He was barking and growling!

Beatrice almost thought she had "imagined" the two Fairy Bearys...

but then Snowy stopped right where they had been sitting 

and snufffled around and whined and scratched at the rug....

Before he jumped up onto the bed and looked at Beatrice....

as if to say "I saved you from them, didn't I...!"

But Beatrice just stared into the distance.....

wondering if she would Ever see the Cloud Palace...

and wondering if she would see the Fairy Bearys ever again.

Well, Dear Readers, I am sure you must be wondering 

where they went To in such a hurry?

Well, I can assure you that Buttercup and Marmalade 

had no idea where they were going, 

just that it was a good idea to Go!

And so they found themselves landing at the nearest dollhouse...

 at Rose Thorne Cottage on Distant Briar Moor!

A Place that is neither Here nor There,

In a Time that is neither Now nor Then....

Where every Lost Traveler is Found....

and every Weary Voyager can find comfort...

It only took them a moment to realize they were not alone!

"Who are you?" asked Beth. 

(She had never seen Fairy Bearys before!)

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you will Bear with me while I leave you here...

Once again hanging on a cliff..... with no end of questions!

It's just that  there are still so many Steps to this Journey...

And I have run out of Time!