Louella's Cantina

Back when I was program director at a Scout camp in the Lockwood Valley, we invented a western-themed evening program called "Louella's Cantina." We decorated a picnic shade structure with western-style decorations and a sign that I made, and served kid-appropriate beverages, a few snacks, and played cards and board games. Some years, staff members played live music.

The Cantina was named for Louella Plush Lee. Her father, Lou Plush, donated the land that the original camp was built on. She worked at the camp a couple of summers, married a staff member named Bert Lee, and one of their sons served as camp ranger for much of the time I was there.

Anyway, I always wanted to include Louella's Cantina on one of my layouts. Browsing O scale buildings a while back, I came across Wild West Models Earl Lee Store, a small log building with a false front, and it just felt right. I bought the kit a couple of weeks ago, and now that the mine is done-ish, I'm thinking I might start construction this week.

I have the artwork I created for the sign years ago, so it will be relatively easy to make a sign.