The Winding River Project

[mrbisonm]

Hey Thanks guys, glad you liked it.

Just as a point of realism: usually there are more trees over the top of a grow. Cops have long since learned that to hit a grow, a helicopter is one of the best tools out there, and they are very good at it.

Well frostwolf, you're most probably right on this.

Well, I don't know much about plantations like this, so I did a lot of research one evening, as a matter of fact, I have visited several forums and gathered information, just so I could create something realistic in my MD. Now, that there's more trees on a grow like this is true,a good cover-up for helicopters is a must nowadays, but......that's today and maybe since 15 years or so, the police flies regularily over forests to find these spots. All true or at least what I heard of and learned (imagine I am learning about marihuana plantations now....lol...never would have believed this a couple of weeks ago.) Hm....maybe I should start my own now....lol

Anyways, as I asked about these fields in a forum and what they looked like in the sixties, people told me that usually in very clean areas they were planted because the plant itself needs a lot sun to thrive, the more the better and tthe police did not yet have regular helicopter or plane operations at that time. They also mentioned that a lot of plants were seeded or planted in rows in between farmer's crops, such as corn which is just about ideal to hide the plants.

Since this is kinda hard to do in the game, I have chosen what you saw above, and I think for the sixties, which we are in this story, it doesn't look too bad.

Most probably when we get to the nineties and up, and still Johnny is around or someone else I will improve the plantations to look as realistic as possible.

So is it more or less what I heard and read about it?

As for Badger, he is already a little further away from the town, right now he is renting an old farm on Sterling Island in the Phlox County, remember?Btw, he will be in the second next update with some good news about his ambitions



Let's see what I can come up with next now......hm

Fred

[mrbisonm]

Ok, I did some fine-tuning on the waterpump station, giving it different textures each for the airvents, some greenish painted metal. I also added some more details like a power entry, one more pipe, changed numbers on walls, made a gridgate for the fan etc....
Since there are no windows, there's no need for nightlights, except a lamppost or two on the lot to light the exterior. Looking better?
Could it use something more or less?
All kinds of ideas are welcome, not meaning that I will except them all....

Fred

[mightygoose]

the pumping station looks crisper now, and i thought as much about the plantations.

[soulchaser]

Coming across this MD once again.....great stuff, very inspiring.....

one word on the pump station: it's better now, but I'd see these colored roof parts (red green blue & yellow) less saturated, more greyish...looks less like a (extreme overstatement following!) candy shop then

[mrbisonm]

Coming across this MD once again.....great stuff, very inspiring.....

one word on the pump station: it's better now, but I'd see these colored roof parts (red green blue & yellow) less saturated, more greyish...looks less like a (extreme overstatement following!) candy shop then

lol......maybe you're right, I will change the blue ventilator to the same green as the others and the greenish round fan to more of a greylike colour, maybe like the the box where the 3 dark and red pipes enter on top of the roof. That should do the trick. Your comment was useful.

Well here it is , the second last update before christmas.

Update 64


                            Friday, September 2nd, 1966
                           Today at this date... then:
                                               
                                              -  1666 – The Great Fire of London breaks out and
                                                 burns for three days,
                                                 destroying 10,000 buildings including St Paul's
                                                 Cathedral.
                                              -  1859 – A solar super storm affects electrical
                                                  telegraph service.
                                              -  1945 – Vietnam declares its independence,
                                                 forming the Democratic
                                                 Republic of Vietnam.


The long summerdays are gone again for another 7 months. Highway 35 reached the Ganoga Marshlands and Alex Puto will be busy again building two bridges over the marshland's outlet. It will be easier to do so this time then the last time when the soil was very unstable in the Stoke swamps. John Gabber and his company's responsables are feeling better now, less stressed, although the highway was delayed for almost thirty days, last month, the job is back ontime again.

It was a beautiful day to fly, so John called up Steve Gibson, the bushpilot, in the morning and asked him for a ride over the West River area, including where he, his father and Allheimer have some lands they bought back in the fifties and of course if possible close to the West River area, where the army is. As Steve voluntarily accepted, both met at the grasslake small gravel airstrip where Gibson keeps his airplane since the airport in Access Center has been torn down.

pic64.01


«" So how was the trip to the marshlands with these government officials last week", John asked while greeting Steve with a handshake on the gravel airstrip. " Do you know what they have been up to there?" Steve, preparing the plane for take-off, checking if everything's in order replied,
"Well, they have been there before , at least four times in the last month. I think they have found a possibility for an oilrig there, small quantities for the moment I heard them saying, but they're still looking if it is worth for some drilling."
" Don't tell me that they said that there is oil in our counties, wow, that would be great, perfect for the region's economy. Makes me think of buying some more land for my "old days", John said with a smile and climbed into the plane, attaching himself and looking sadly at the airplanes commands. " You know Steve", he continued," It has been almost 8 years that my Rusty Rover sank in the Valmore lake, sniff."
" What's a rusty Rover John?" Steve asked  all curious and settled himself into his seat also.
With a little laugh John replied, "Rusty Old Rover was my old hydroplane that I used to own back in the fifties, I went down during a storm trying to land on Valmore lake, but I strongly underestimated the waves and they took me by surprise when I landed. It drowned my plane to a depth of 120 feet, impossible to recover they said. I was lucky, it was only 200 feet to the shore and the water was warm."
"So it's true what I heard about it, the plane is still there?", Gibson asking all curiously.
" Oh yeah", John mumbled while attaching his seatbelts.
" Hey", Steve said all exited to have this idea and turns to John with big eyes," I know someone in Frampton who's brother had to stormland like this and his plane sunk also in deep waters last year, but they went to
get it right after. He's back flying it ever since."
"How deep was it, do you know?"
"Oooh, must have been something like 300 or even 350 feet deep, I think, because the Marble lake is very deep where he sank." Steve replied.
"What's this fellow's name, maybe I'll ask him if it possible to get mine out of the lake?" John couldn't help to ask, missing his plane so much. "I haven't bought another hydroplane since I bought my little jet to go to work, but hey, I would love to have my Rusty Rover back, no matter the costs. You know, I can't find ones like this anymore, unless I go to Russia, which is impossible with the cold war between the States and them. Even the Simlanders aren't welcomed there."
" The guy's name is Vito Scaletta, some guy from Italy or Sicily, he's into airplanes like me, but more like an Aviation Engineer architect. Besides I think he is moving to Access later this winter, being a close friend of Alex and having been offered a job at the new airport.  If you find him, just ask him about his brother's retrieval buissness."
"What?....Alex Puto, my bridge engineer?"
"Yes, Alex whatever his last name is." Steve said with a smile.
"Why did this son of gun never mention that he knows someone to recover my plane?" John looked ahead at the takeoff strip checking for the windflag.
"Probably because you never asked," Steve replied and started the engine with a smile.»»

pic64.02


So they took off into the direction to West River, or at least where Steve is allowed to fly over because of the army's flight-over restrictions. But first they made a circle above the Grasslake village and Gabber's weekend home.

pic64.03


After grasslake they took the direction of the mighty Winding River and then upstream towards the lands that Gabber and Allheimer bought more than 10 years ago, checking everything there. Things seem to be quiet there. Being not far the West River County, John asked if it was possible to get as close as possible to the army's base without getting shot down, and it wasn't too long that they were contacted and asked for identity and then asked to leave the area immediatly. Excusing himself and saying that his instruments weren't working properly, Steve took a sharp turn to the right, opposite as the army ordered and headed back to the Winding River while turning right over West River's army base center. This was naturally causing the army to be more agressive and authoritary and ordering him to bend off as fast as possible before they will take more serious actions to be understood....Steve put the plane into full gaz, heading straight out of there while excusing himself again, repeting that his instruments are telling him so wrong.
««"So, did you have time enough to get some good pictures?", Steve asked with a steaming forehead.
"You got it son," John said, "this was terrific, I have done a good dozen of excellent shots. Let's get out of here, we have done enough stirring up. Say, they have been busy down there it looks, they even got an airstrip as it seems ."

pic64.04


pic64.05


"Yeah I know, Slye told me that he sees at least one trainload full of materials going there every week. Most of it is in big boxes." Gibson said knocking on his compass as if it wasn't working properly.
"I have seen a train like this 3 weeks ago, you know the last time when we met at Barby's, and it made me think if Mike isn't right after all," and John looked at  Steve still hitting the compass with his index and asking, "What's the matter, something's wrong?"
"I'm pretty sure that Mike is right or at least it is worth inspecting." Steve hit the compass with his fist," Dam thing doesn't seem to work, funny....lol....that's what I just said to the army," looking up at John , as if asking for answer.
John started laughing and said jokingly, "There must be a UFO somewhere, those things happen when they're close, the instruments go crazy," and he similated to look for it in the horizons." Steve didn't say a word about his remark, except giving him a crooked smile for his sarcasm and totally unreal like remark.
"Could you make a detour to Ganoga outlet see where they are with the highway construction in the marshland's outlet? After we head home, I still got some things to do before the end of the afternoon and I won't have the time to drive there to see how they're doing. Are you coming to the meeting at Barby's later today?" John said while looking at the sparkling waters on the winding river below.
" Sure, no problem." Steve replied, I will be at Barby's later on also, only have one more trip to do in the early afternoon, bringing 3 guys to a hunting camp in Brokentree, after that I'll be off for the day, I think."»»

And so they headed to the marshlands and visited the construction site of the Highway.

pic64.06


Arriving near the Ganoga Marshlands, John asked:
««" Could you pull down a little and circle twice over the construction site, so I can see what they have been doing this week."
"You must be getting tired of this project," Steve couldn't resist to take notice, "I mean you being on this for almost 10 years now, must be glad when this is over, hey?"
"Ten years, darn it," cried out John, "Geez, I almost forgot, tomorrow is the tenth anniversary party of the highway in Access. Will you come Steve?"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss getting drunk on a day like this", and he looked at Johns face to see his reaction. "Drunk?, hell you better not, there will be a lot of folks there, many important ones, make sure you don't make a fool out of you, like Mike always does, and John returned that look to Steve with a grin, knowing that Steve wouldn't get drunk in public like this. Then he continued, " Let's get closer now and have a look at the bridge they're building on the ganoga."»»
And Steve pulled down his controls for a deep plunge into the clouds of the Ganoga marshland.

pic64.7


Steve noticed that the water was darker near the construction site and was told that it was because of the boulders and rocks being pushed into the river to serve as a n excellent foundation for the bridge's first "foot", as John calls the bases. The river's bed get stirred up and of course the water gets dirty. Then John realized that not one person seems to be around the site, although it is friday. All the machinery seemed to be parked
««"Oh my" mumbled John, " Try to get even closer, I think no one's on the site, darn it, where's everyone?" Steve so told, so it was done and it wasn't long they were almost hovering over the bridge's construction site. John continued to mention the absence of workers on the site.
"Damn it now, what's happening again? I'm gonna kill that Mike this time," he mumbled to himself, seemingly not understanding the situation. Then Steve looked at John while getting closer and almost seem to wanting to land .
"Hey John, having problems with Alzheimer disease?" Steve said looking at John with wide open eyes.
"What do you mean?" John all surprized and still looking around the site to find a living soul somewhere.
"Remember last friday you told Mike to end the week on thursday night because of the preparation of the party tomorrow?"
All relieved from the stress John was living at the moment, he relaxed and answered that with a smile and not so loud. "Ah, you're right......I forgot. Let's go back to Grasslake, I've gotta buy a bottle of wine for my wife tonight.", trying to change the subject quickly»»

pic64.08


So Steve pulled up the plane so sudden that John couldn't resist to make a remark on that, but Gibson not even moving an eyebrow took the direction of Grasslake heading over the Stoke Mountains, the shortcut.
Back in Grasslake John thanked Steve for the ride and told him to send the bill to Gabber Inc. then he went to his favourite store all around in the village of Grasslake, the Co-op store on Kingstreet where they sell everything from socks to strawberries and drillbits, bought a couple of things, especially not fogetting his wife's wine and some new rubberboots to wear on the construction sites when it's wet. Gabber loves this store, it is so big and with its extension in the back that it holds more stuff of all kinds of things than the shopping mall in Access. Everytime he comes here he finds something new and interesting. At the counter there was a little ceramic church with a slot on top. He couldn't resist and ask the clerk what it was for. He was told that it was to finance to build a church in Grasslake. The location was already being worked on, just 2 houses further up the street. Being a believer , John pulled out his last 20 § bill from his pockets and slid it into the little church before leaving the store.

pic64.09


Now we're going to do some cityhopping, I mean we will jump from one tile to another for the rest of the update. First let's have a look at the new zones for the residential suburbs that they are planning in Access. Just south of the Fingerlake and on top of the hills, some lots are being sold to Residents of Access and surroundings only. People like Wellington, Slye, Truex and Bartlett have bought some terrains here already.
We can also see clearly see the pollution of the used waters from town that are emptied into the little river just below the dam. And then there's that garbage lack of space problem again, which has been put aside for awhile now. Bartlett has ordered to cut as much of the forest that is in the town's posession to widen the disposal site. He says that this will keep the problem under control for a couple of years and give him time enough to find a real solution.

pic64.10


Let's go to the Stoke mountains again where Sterling has build a road to the top of the mountain. Here some preparations are being made for a possible construction of something. Maybe he decided to go ahead with his castle project that he's been dreaming of for years. As we know, Rundi Sterling is a vivid collector and fanatic of european castles. Sofar he bought three of them from 3 different countries, had them torn down piece by piece, numbered every single stone and piece of the castle and have them shipped to Simland by sea. It is here on his huge terrain that he will reconstruct these oldies most probably for his own pleasure. Maybe this place is for the first castle that is waiting in pieces on the docks of Frampton.

pic64.11


Then back to Access, where the tenth anniversary party of the highway has started. The site chosen was the construction site of the Gabber Park that has been transformed to accomodate several hundred of people. All the materials and machinery were tossed onto the side. The party is about the biggest one Access has ever seen, people like the whole Gabber family, including John's father Henry and brother Gary, the governor of Lakestead, the mayors from the surrounding towns and cities such as Sandom and Bluebay, many government officials, notaries and lawyers, buissness owners, highway workers and even the loggers that took part of the project in the last ten years. Three speeches will be held, one by John Gabber the responsable of the construction Company, Steve Bartlett, the mayor of Access and the Governor Herbert Wilkonson from Lakefield, the capitol. After there will be a baloon ride for some V.I.P's, a carousel for the kids and drinks of all kinds for everyone, food for the hungry and an orchestra will play later on in the evening right into the night or maybe morning. The streets were closed for the afternoon and evening, the police took care of that being just on the other side of the street (left).

pic64.12


Not all the people didn't come here by car of course, because there's not enough room to park all those cars, but the organization party planned a busrun with Kohler buslines that offers a free ride from and back to their cars which are parked in a big field out of town. The temporary parking was created, with the farmer's permission of course, just outside the town near Highway 35. This will also prevent the town from blocking with traffic. The busses leave at 5 minute intervals, no waiting for our precious guests, they said.

pic64.13


Coming along slowly and surley is the Access Airport with its construction. For now only the devastation and delogging of the forest has been active, but some bulldozers have already arrived and are working to level the terrains. It is a company from Bluebay, a competitor of Gabber Inc, who has been chosen for the construction of the airport. Gabber was offered to make an official estimation of the job, but refused, giving as excuse that he has not enough manpower left for this job, while most of his hired hands are working either to repave roads and streets somewhere in Simland and the rest is on the Winding River's highway project. Bluebay Building Enterprises (BBE) who got the job, has a breakthrough in favour for them, not being known as much as Gabber Inc at the moment. This job will surely put them on the map.
The airport is supposed to be functional by november 1967 they say, still a little over a year to go. It is true when they say in the town that this is the biggest project ever done in Access. Some Powerpylons have already been built, meaning soon the electricity will be available there.

pic64.14


Since a lot of workers come from Bluebay, some temporary housings have been constructed to accomodate them. Workers will eat and sleep here for several months to come and only go back home every two weekends.
90 % of the timber cut in this area is shipped to the TS Slye Sawmill down in Phlox, filling up his yards. The lumber is good here, excellent quality and lots of it, just sufficient to keep Slye and his workers busy for some time. Since Slye signed a contract with the Donovan Enterprises, the wood cut and sawed will all go to Donovan's building supply extension in Access Center. Building material like this is in high demand in the region, constructions sites of all sorts, residential, commercial, industrial as others. The other 10% of the lumber goes to Lakefield, being picked up by trucks. These are the exceptional high quality logs, mostly walnut and cherry, which will be used for special furniture, music instruments and other fine products.

pic64.15


That's enough for this week's update. We will be back with another visit of those roads/streets of the Winding River Region next time. Again you will have some reading to do to keep up with the story. I will make sure to be less generous with words next time, making more pictures and less bla bla..... ok?
In the second next update we will have a look at what Alex Puto has been up to lately, some news about the Donovan Enterprises, why Jordan Meadon was arrested by the police, why Badger is getting out of the army, the prep and Michael Truex is invading the region with his Mr Burger canteens, and of course more..... See you then.......

Fred

[mrbisonm]

I worked the textures again, so they don't look like a "candy-type" building. Now, this will be the final, I hope, unless there's more to do???
Anyways, now I have to figure out how to do the tweaking of the lot, get the stats right etc. I would like to have it about 25% more pumping capacity as the big Maxis waterpump and maybe 5 or more jobs. Let's do some learning and find a tutorial how to do this.

What do you think, ready and good looking enough to put on a lot now?

Fred

[Battlecat]

Wow, busy times in the region!  I really like how you're maintaining the character of the swampland shore even with the heavy development pushing up to the edges! 

[nbvc]

Nice construction scenes.

[MattyFo]

Thats on fantastic update Fred! Looking forward to more.

[soulchaser]

I'd say just fine...looking forward to the lot

and very nice story...especially the "get out of the military restricted area" part

[jmyers2043]

What do you think, ready and good looking enough to put on a lot now?

Yepper doodle ...

[canyonjumper]

Oi! My character got arrested!? Better have a good explanation for this

lol, jk Anyways, great update, hope the people of access have a great party (what's the demonym for Access? Accessite? )

                 Your friend,
                                Jordan

[NASCAR_Guy]

Really enjoyed that update Mr B.

[Cyclone1001]

Goodness...
I leave for 2 weeks and all this happens? Very good looking, gets better every time.

[KoV Liberty]

Very nice work, that is surely a great region!

Alex

[mrbisonm]

Hey, Merry Christmas everyone.

Thanks for having left a comment. I will not be back for a few says. With all the festivities and family re-unions going on at this time o' year, I don't think that I will have the time to spend some hours on SC4.
So, I wish you all a Merry Christmas meantime and I will surely see you before "next year".



Fred

[figui]

merry Christmas to you, Fred!

mauricio.

[mightygoose]

merry christmas to you to fred.

[lynncanox]

Yess, merry christmas, chéri.

lynn

[metarvo]

Merry Christmas, Fred!  I hope you're having a good time!