Flights Of Fancy....

All Scattered On The Winds...

Well, Dear Readers, We are deep in the Dog Days of Summer, the temperature is hot and the air is sultry and it is difficult to gather the energy to work at anything requiring effort! But even though very little has been accomplished on any of the building projects this week, I was able to grab my camera and record a few Very Interesting Little Things! To begin with, way back in the Spring I attended the Sturbridge Miniatures Fair, and as is usual, I came home with a wonderful selection of mini items, most of which had Never been on my "list" at all! I guess I just have poor impulse control... but could You have resisted this Tiny flying Fairy Horse? In the above picture you can see that he has found his way to the Cloud Palace.....

He flew right around the sitting area 

where Hamish Harry was telling Lady Lavender a story...

(I think she was momentarily distracted..!)

But the Fairy Horse just flew past and circled around to where 

the Snail-Racing Fairy was calling out to him....

Can you see him down there on the Window ledge? No?

Well, the Snail-Racing Fairy was trying to show off

 the Treasure he had found way up on the Distant Briar Moor...

But so far he hadn't been able to find anyone 

who was excited about his big old Rusty Key....!

But that is not what you are wanting to hear about.....

You are probably wondering, Dear Readers, What has become of 

all the Little Travelers we last saw at the Castle...!

Well, I can tell you that the Little Dreamer had found 

Old Meg in the Castle Kitchen....

And Old Meg had been very clear with her!

"You must return the way you came..." she declared.

"You must go back through the doors you entered and Only Those Doors!"

"You will find your Sister waiting, 

and Guard Ian will return you to the Gates of Time."

"But you Must Remember this..." she warned....

"Do Not Look back!"

The Little Dreamer was properly alarmed... 

and turned to leave the way she came....

But right away she began to worry that she couldn't remember 

Exactly Which doors she had passed through! 

And how far back did she mean...?

But she headed back through the doors to the Stables....

Hoping she would know the right doors when she saw them!

And meanwhile, Marmalade has been watching Father Alban at his easel.

She thought that if she just came closer she could see how it was 

that he mixed the colors to paint so beautifully!

She didn't want to bother him....

She just wanted to see how it was done... 

so Someday she could try to paint things herself!

And then she remembered that she was supposed to be looking for the Wizard...

And she wanted to show Buttercup what she had found!

She turned and headed back into the Great Hall.

"I wonder where everybody is..." she thought 

as she passed through the empty hall!

Well, Buttercup and Tiny Bear were enjoying the Exact Same Great Hall...

But from a different Time!

And the view from the Gallery was Marvelous...

 except for the Dogs down below!

"How will we get past them...?" wondered Tiny Bear nervously.

"Oh that is simple...!" declared Buttercup.

"Hang on Tiny Bear..." she called... and Leaped over the wall....

Well, of course... Fairy Bears can fly so easily! 

Tiny Bear had forgotten that!

They circled around the Hall while deciding which door to try next....

But they had not noticed that they were not alone in the Great Hall!

Lady Athena had seen all the comings and goings through the holes in Time.....

 and the visitors that passed through her rooms without so much as a by-your-leave... 

And she thought the Wizard should be informed!

And she knew where to find him!

 

 

He wasn't far......

He was stuck in a Moment of Frozen Time 

in the Castle Council Chamber.....

But before she can get to him....

Buttercup and Tiny Bear have followed the stairs down to the cellars...

There is a Door at the bottom of the stairs... 

and they decide to have a look inside.... 

just to see if by any chance the Wizard is there....

Only to discover that he is Not!

"Oh help!" said Tiny Bear... in a Tiny voice!

"Oh my!" said Buttercup in a Very Admiring voice!

(She was not at all afraid of Dragons!)

"Hello, I am Buttercup," she said politely.

"We are looking for the Wizard...." she added hopefully.

"Would you know where we can find him?"

"Ahhhhhh...." said Slitherwing.... 

"As it happens I was going to see him myself..."

"I can take you there...." he said, eyeing Tiny Bear slyly.

"Why don't you climb on my back..." he suggested....

"My wings are bigger, we can fly there so much faster that way..." 

and he grinned a Dragonish grin that was not really nice at all!

But Buttercup was not at all deterred..... 

she had always wanted to ride on a Dragon!

And in no time at all it seemed they were off and flying through the night sky!

Soaring high above the Chimneys and roof-tops!

The landscape below was not at all familiar....

 

 

And Buttercup had hardly any time to wonder where the Wizard might be...

When suddenly the Dragon gave a nasty twist to his body....

 

And tossed them into the air....!

Buttercup was able to catch herself and fly.....

 

But Tiny Bear could not fly at all....!

And Buttercup has not yet realized he has fallen off!

"Oh Help!" thinks Tiny Bear as he plummets....

And suddenly, from out of Nowhere.....

A tiny Flying Fairy Horse swoops under Tiny Bear.....

And carries him swiftly away!

It all happened so fast... 

Buttercup did not see it at all!

And before he could even catch his breath, Dear Readers, 

Tiny Bear was being dropped into an empty chair in the Cloud Palace!

Certainly a softer landing than he had expected!

As soon as he could catch his breath, Tiny Bear sat up and looked around.

He recognized the Cloud Palace... he had been here before!

"Thank you for catching me... Whoever you are!" he said.

"My name is 'Thistledown'" replied the Tiny Fairy Horse...

"And it was my pleasure!" he added politely.

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you do not mind too much

if I Leave my Flights of Fancy with you here..... 

and our Little Travelers

All scattered to the Winds!

(To Be Continued....)

Lost In Time.....

Where Does It Go....?

I Hope you will Understand, Dear Readers, when I tell you that I am Lost in Time! It has Completely Escaped my grasp lately, and the more I try to pin it Down... the more Elusive it becomes! So I hope you will remember That when I tell you that The Wizard has been Wrestling with the same Problem.... only magnified by Many Many Years! And at a certain point he says... the Only thing I can do is stand and watch it spin.... and when the right moment comes, I will know where to leap in! Ah he is so Wise! So I take his advice.... and on a Sunny Sunday Morning I survey the Little World that is mine to jump into.... Little moments suspended in Time....

Someday there will be a Garden .... with growing plants.....

but for now there is still just the promise of seeds....

waiting......

And Breakfast on a Sunny Morning.....

And Tea and cupcakes....

With Hamish Harry still wooing Lady Lavender...

And Marmalade still struck speechless with Wonder...!

Have Any of the Travelers found their path....?

 

Not to mention Daphne who has spent Ages 

trying to compose a very difficult letter 

to the Grandparents of her child! 

Has she made Any progress at all?

And will we Ever hear the rest of her Story?

These are the questions that Torment me, Dear Readers, 

as I survey my Small and very Crowded little world!

And in the midst of all the Chaos.... I spot the Moon Maidens.....

 

 

And think wouldn't it be Wonderful to Finish those windows....

so I could attach those walls....

and free up all the chairs that currently hold all the parts....

And Maybe Then there would be Room for Time to shift just a little....

So I jump in....

I will not bore you here with a list of the difficulties with 

assembling the frames for these windows!

Suffice it to say that each frame is made of multiple layers....

Pieces punched from splintering and fragile wood.

Above you can see them all assembled, 

glued together and with the primer coat painted. 

(Hours and Hours Consumed!)

And while the paint is drying, I added the "leading" 

to the exterior of the remaining windows.

And glued them in place!

(More Hours... Evaporating....!)

I only have the last few windows for the 

Parlor bay window that have not been leaded!

Hours and hours and

Three coats of paint later.....

All the trim is going to be the silver color.

The house facade with only the door trim in place....

The window frame propped in place..... 

just testing....

But I Think I am figuring it out Dear Readers!

If you look Carefully....

The Hours can be transformed ....!

Minutes congeal into pieces we can see!

Time doesn't Disappear.....

It Becomes!

But What has Become of all those Other Times?

Where are those Stories Going?

That, Dear Readers,

Only Time will Tell!

Chasing Visions...

More Adventures With Doors and Windows...

I Intended to paint more on the Castle Hall Ceiling, Dear Readers, but then I thought I would just finish the lead outlining for the exterior of the Parlor French doors first so I could see how they would look. And then I wanted to see how the fine black lace would look as curtains on these windows, and realized that I would need to attach these curtain rods and curtains Before I completed the trees in the parlor! And while I was at it, I wanted to see how the added window muntins would look on the outside of the windows, so I started in on the kitchen window first.

Here you can see the muntins have been added to the right hand window, 

and only the cross-pieces on the other two.

And here you can see the window in place with the completed muntins....

I think it adds the right amount of realism for these windows!

And after deciding that I liked the way the black lace curtain looked.... 

I had to take the house apart in order to glue the windows in place....

Because I wanted to add weights to press the windows while gluing.... 

which meant tipping the house on its side....

 

And adding some good solid books for weight!

And since I had to take the house apart to do this, 

I figured I might as well be doing the upstairs windows at the same time....

So I slowly but surely added the exterior leading 

to all the major windows for the parlor and the bedroom...

(Which used a lot of Time!)

And then glued them in place!

And added the curtain rods...

And propped the trees in place... 

which is when I realized I will need to make some adjustments 

for the curtain on the window at the right in the parlor! 

The trees prevent any access to the curtain rod!

But it sure is looking the way I hoped it would!

(And I never got to the painting at all!)

 

But that is not what I am Really wanting to tell you about, Dear Readers!

I am sure there are some of you out there who look at this Blog every week and think 

"But What about the Fairy Bears and the little Dreamers? 

Are they Lost? 

Did they ever make it to the Castle let alone the Cloud Palace?"

Well, I want to reassure you that they Did make it to the Castle... 

although the Cloud Palace is still not on their horizon!

 

 

Because the Castle is where things get VERY Tricky, Dear Readers.....

I am not sure that you have noticed, 

but Time at the Castle is Very Unreliable!

After All, the Castle has been there for maybe a thousand Years, 

give or take a few....

and in all that Time, there is no telling how many stray Hexes or 

Spells of Protection or Transformation have been cast, 

or gone awry or Lingered to trap the unwary!

If you have followed the Tales on this blog you will have met the Wizard 

who mostly inhabits the Caverns deep below the Castle, 

and Old Meg who almost never is seen leaving her spot by the hearth in the Kitchen, 

and has been there for untold Generations, 

and perhaps you have even encountered a Dragon or two 

if you have ventured into the dungeons!

Or Perhaps you have visited with Henry and Belle 

who seem to be forever awaiting the return 

of their Noble Family, the owners of the Castle, 

or waited Forever for Father Alban to pick up his paintbrushes... 

and complete the murals in the Chapel!

Or perhaps you have been to some of the Parties 

that are always catered by the Gracious Host Ken, 

a fellow who is himself a Timeless Hero!

However it is, I hope you have Noticed 

how Strange and Unpredictable Time is while at the Castle!

Alas, our little Travelers know nothing of this!

They have arrived at the Castle thinking it will be 

just like it was the last time they were here!

But it is Not!

 

Tiny Bear is the First to notice that it is different. 

He has been here before, but he never came to the Stables at all.

He entered the Main Door in the Guard Room, 

and was surprised to find hungry Owls 

about to go out looking for their supper....

But this time he sees chickens and a large Rooster!

"Eh, ....Maybe we should just go look in the Front Door..." he said.

"There was a helpful fellow there last time I was here..." he added hopefully.

Buttercup heard him and noticed that he looked a little bit worried...

"Here, Little Tiny Bear, you can ride on my shoulders..." she said.

"There's a much better view of things from up there..." she added.

He didn't need to hear the offer twice! 

Before she knew it he had leaped onto her shoulders!

Just in time too, as the Rooster came strutting closer!

"Maybe we should go look in that other door..." said Buttercup...

But it seemed nobody else was listening!

The Little Dreamers remembered being here before.

But last time the Castle was empty. 

This time they could hear voices 

coming through the doors from the Kitchen...

Beth thought they should at least go have a look....

 

But Amy is not so sure! 

She remembers finding the Wizard 

in the caves beneath the Castle.....

She thinks she could find him there again...

and they could be quickly on their way!

She is Sure she knows where to find the path down the cliffs!

 

 

And Marmalade? What does Marmalade do?

She decides to go join Buttercup and Tiny Bear....

Who have just reached the Main Door 

and stepped into the Guard Room.

There was nobody there.

And it didn't look much like Tiny Bear Remembered...

Although he was relieved to see no Owls hovering about!

 

There was a doorway with some stairs in the corner....

"Let's see where those go..." said Tiny Bear, pointing...

(He was feeling much more Brave from his position on Buttercup's shoulders!)

At the top of the stairs there was a door onto a balcony 

which overlooked the Great Hall...

They had a magnificent view from up there!

And down below there was a whole room full of furniture.....

Old Fashioned furniture!

And dogs. There were several Large dogs!

 

Meanwhile, Marmalade has hurried after Tiny Bear and Buttercup ....

 

 But when she reaches the Guard Room, 

even though she is not aware of it, 

it is as though she is entering an entirely different world!

She spots the owls, and hopes that they did not bother Tiny Bear, 

but she was sure Buttercup would keep him safe!

She crosses the room and looks through some large doors into the Great Hall.

She thinks that if she hurries she will catch up with Buttercup!

She crosses a nearly empty Great Hall....

and peeks through another door....

 

And what she sees nearly takes her Breath away!

It is the most Beautiful place she has Ever seen!

She did not know there were such beautiful paintings anywhere!

She completely forgot about finding the Wizard 

or Buttercup... or even some Tea!

 

And what of the Little Dreamers....?

Beth has indeed peeked into the Kitchen in the Castle...

 

She has met Old Meg before, 

so she is not entirely surprised to see her 

sitting in the corner beckoning to her...

 

"Come here, my Child..." she said.

"Do not worry about them... they cannot see you" she added

as Beth came closer into the room and passed near to Henry and Belle.

"They do not inhabit your Time...."

"It is You who have strayed..." she said.

 

"And now you must go back! 

You cannot travel the same path as your Friends...

They must find their own way" she declared.

"Your task is to collect your Sister and return to help your Brother...."

"He has need of your help, for his Task is not an easy one!"

Beth could only nod and agree... 

but she had no idea where her Brother Perry was to be found...

And she hadn't realized her Sister Amy was lost!

 But what has become of Amy... you wonder....?

She found her way to the Cliff path easily, Dear Readers,

But it was much more overgrown than she remembered....

and she did not expect to find a strange man instead of the Wizard!

She did not remember meeting Guard Ian before.

"You must go back, Little One..." he was saying.

"This is no place or Time for one such as you to be...."

"The Wizard is not here ... and he Cannot help You...!"

Ah, Dear Readers, I must leave you here for now... 

Yes, On This Cliff...!

Because I have run out of Time!

But I hope you have enjoyed this journey 

through so many Doors  (and Windows)

Chasing Visions.... 

aren't we always just chasing Visions?

(To Be Continued...)