Welcome to Ratwater

From Preacher

And from Deadwood:

Is born my new town:

The proprietors of the General Store are named after two of my favourite poets (and also my sons' middle names). 

The posters are a mishmash of real posters from the period; one for land in Idaho, one of Stetson hats, one for the funeral parlour in Tombstone... The signage was a bit of poser. I did fancy doing something quite ornate and then reconsidered. The town of Ratwater is currently a tiny little outpost and, when and if it grows, these will become sidestreet buildings. So it seemed a little more fitting to go with the rough and ready frontier look of the towns in The Outlaw Josey Wales. 

The signs were done following the lovely simple method suggested by the marvellous Mason of Lead Adventure fame.

And Friday will see the christening of Ratwater when I play my first game of the good Baron's Fistful of Lead rules. I have Morricone cued up and I've broken out my old Deadlands deck. I am ready. 

"Skin it. Skin that smokewagon and see what happens."

****sucker

This might be a record. When we were expecting our first child, the Good Lady Er Indoors spent a lot of time upstairs in bed; I spent my evenings downstairs watching Deadwood. Not only did this lead to the name of our eldest son, but it led to me buying a miniature of the purveyor of fine drinks and female companionship, Mister A Swearengen. 

It was base-coated and shaded but then the little bundle of joy arrived and all the painting gear was put away. 

As related in my last post, I found some things thought lost in the move amongst which was the unfinished Al: 

So, as a little break from my wars of the roses chaps, tonight's little project was to finish him. Better photos will follow but here he is in all his pinstriped and mud-spattered glory:

A paint job three years in the making!