Pontonier Update #6: The Pontoons. . .

A leisurely stroll with the paintbrush today, finishing the two pontoons manned by my David Soul look-alike in 1/56 scale and his three companions.

One of those truly delightful (and all too rare) totally relaxed Saturday afternoons here today. A dark, chilly winter's day outside, a quiet and yet festive atmosphere inside. The Grand Duchess and I submitted our final grades yesterday afternoon and are now well and truly finished with school work and students until after the first of the year. We sent out the last of our Christmas cards this morning, the house is decorated, and the shopping finished. Whew!

The Young Master, while suffering from a small cold, is currently ensconced on the loveseat in the TV room watching episodes of Daniel Tiger online, and yours truly has enjoyed an extremely pleasant few hours down here in Zum Stollenkeller with the cats today, listening to Christmas Jazz as well as traditional English Christmas carols online. The Christmas Festival can come along any time now.

And here is a photograph of the now finished pontoons, commanded by David Soul's great, great, great, great, great grand something-or-other at right. The outside of the pontoons have three coats of Citadel copper while the insides were coated first in a dark red and then boards were carefully picked out with a brighter red. I've tried to made the figure bases fairly inconspicuous. Ok, let the glossing of the 24 pontoniers, four oarsmen, and two spare pontoons begin!

Life has its stresses and frustrations, yes, but at this moment, I feel more relaxed, happy, and extremely fortunate than I have felt since, well, last summer before the fall term began. Clearly, the key is having enough time to slow down, reflect quietly, and, as a result, be able to hear oneself think. Know what I mean?

-- Stokes

Another vintage Swedish Christmas greeting today, depicting Tomte, the Swedish cousin of the Norwegian Julenissen, lighting the candles on a snow-covered Fir or Spruce.

P.S.
As far as rules for the use of pontoniers on the tabletop and bridge construction, I'll dig around and see what Charles S. Grant suggests. I'll also see what he has suggested in various books and Table Top Teasers from the past as far as scenarios are concerned. It will be nice to wrap these figures up and move onto something else. I realize that I've spent all of 2014, where rare and precious free time has been available, assembling and painting the now rather large generic mid-18th century pontoon and supply train. Great fun and a welcomed change of pace, but it's time to get back to some officer vignettes and the fighting end of things. Finally, the officer in charge of the pontoniers will be an Englishman, General Cadfael Huffington-Blather, on loan to Stollen from the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a.k.a. Hanover. To represent him and his to subordinate officers, I will paint up the Duke of Cumberland figure et al sold by Crann Tara Miniatures.

The Eventual Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. . .

The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment musters in the drill square to sort themselves into platoons and companies during the coming weeks Fall maneuvers if you will. A large dose of real life the last few days with the start of classes next Monday, various preparatory meetings, and finishing up a few other things this week. But, I managed to sort out 60 or so Minden Austrian infantry from the pile and get 'em stuck to temporary painting bases. Must carefully drill out the hands of several NCOs for flagpoles and pole arms this weekend before the usual basecoat. I'm thinking of mixing the usual white gesso with the usual light gray to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Applying both base- and undercoat in one fell swoop as my grandmother used to say. In the meantime, the recently finished squadron of Saxon cuirassiers has been placed carefully in one of the clear acrylic boxes on my shelves until I have the suitable flag to affix. -- Sto...

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!

And It's the End of September!!!

Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November. With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important, I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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