Not exactly Illinois, but Bergen, Norway! My favorite place in all of Norway. It's located on the western coast and suffers from typically English weather most of the year. I spent quite a bit of time there ten years or so ago.When the rain comes, I run and hide my head. . . Well, not exactly, but since what was Hurricane Ike passed over Central Illinois early this morning -- leaving torrential rain in its wake -- Zum Stollenkeller is a bit damp. And the computer/internet connection is unplugged. :-( Hell and damnation!
No standing water, nothing in danger, and no water damage. But it's a bit, shall we say, humid around the edges. Although we had a wet spring and periods of rain this summer, it didn't do anything like this. I imagine we had several inches of rain through the night and into the early morning. I feel relatively safe in assuming that this has been unusual. So, while the dehumidifier does its work in the basement, I've retreated here to my office at school to do a bit of translating work and add a post here to the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog.
Another slow week here in Stollen Central. Too much real life and not enough free time I'm afraid. I did manage to begin painting the horses of the 11th (Prinz Albrecht's) Hussars yesterday evening. I read somewhere that hussars typically had a mix of horse colors, so I've been using several different browns by Games Workshop, Humbrol, and Ral Partha to get a nice mix of chestnuts, bays, and the odd dun-colored horse. Thanks to a suggestion by Greg Horne two weeks or so ago, I've given the trumpeter a skewbald horse to set him apart, which is the first time I've tried painting a horse with that type of coat. Nothing worth photographing just yet, but I will post a few once there is a bit more to look at.
As usual, I'll handle these in squadron-sized batches, painting roughly nine figures to completion at a time. The first batch will also include the three extra figures that make up the regimental staff -- colonel, trumpeter, and guidon bearer.
The guidon bearer will be kind of an interesting exercise in minor conversion. I'll add a sewing needle, of appropriate size, and a paper guidon glued carefully around it to his right hand. I carved away the sword he held in that same hand some weeks ago and drilled a tiny hole through it. In addition, I trimmed away the musket that was slung at his lower back, just over the right hip. He now looks less like a common trooper and somewhat more like a junior officer assigned to carry the regimental guidon into action. So far, so good.
Finally, I have been following several new discussion thrads over at the Old School Wargaming Yahoo group this last week, reading them early in the morning as I wake up with a mug of coffee and some toast. Lots of neat things are under discussion currently, which is very good to see. A number of new, unfamiliar members are participating too, which is equally satisfying. It may have to do with the fact that summer is ending for the northern hemisphere and more people are naturally less "distracted" that they were during June, July, and August. But I'd like to think that maybe at least some OSW'ers have picked up the gauntlet and are having a go themselves. Well, the important thing is that people are talking about their hobby and enjoying it.
Ok, back to the saltmines! The book won't translate itself!
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