And Now for Something Completely Different. . .

Almost forgot! Just to give all of you Grand Duchy of Stollen visitors a good laugh. . . Here’s a photograph of yours truly and the Grand Duchess Sonja just before starting the first day of the annual Hilly Hundred over in Bloomington, Indiana last weekend. Two days of riding 100 miles through beautiful rural farmland with some of the most monstrous hills you’ve set eyes on.

A few hills were quite steep and over three miles in length by the time we reached the top. The Grand Duchess was amazing and charged up each hill with reckless abandon. Unfortunately, by the end, my tired old legs gave out, and I had to walk the bike up the last few “gentle rises”. As Hans and Franz might say, “Vat a little girly man!"

Still, it was great fun with lovely, cool fall weather. I also had the chance to tour the university campus where Sonja did her undergraduate degree. Indiana University is beautiful! And of course, the Afghani dinner we enjoyed with a few fellow cycling club members, who were also there, on the first evening in campus town was pretty amazing too. The best part about a big ride is that you can eat as much as you want and then burn off all of the calories the next day. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Keepin' an Eye on the World Going By My Window . .

'The Nap at the Palace' by Jose Triado Mayol N ot much in the way of hobby-related activity happening here in the Grand Duchy lately. Sigh. And no surprise there really since there are only so many hours in the day, only so much mental and physical energy to spare, and you sometimes simply just have to give in and know when to say, um, "When!" A glass of wine and/or evening yoga by the hearth with the Grand Duchess (who has practiced for over 20 years), and then off into la-la land. Zzzzzzzzz. More immediately, I'm recovering, mentally speaking, from a grueling Friday in which I was involved with three (online) conference sessions, one right after the other, followed by a 90-minute meeting at the end of the day. Also virtual. My brain has been mush ever since, so an easy, completely unproductive Saturday watching intermittent snow fall outside (no accumulation however) and drinking coffee while the visiting handymen completed some repair work down h...

Having a "No Day". . .

F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day." A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day. I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers. These have stood waiting untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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