The Pontoniers are FINISHED!!!

Freshly glossed with two coats of Future/Klear acrylic floor finish. . . Ladies and gentlemen? The Corps of Pontoniers! They'll erect bridges and similar structures as and when needed for either the Grand Duchy of Stollen or the Electorate of Zichenau, as the wind blows here east of the sun and west of the moon. At some point, I'll add a company of six large river barges manned by another dozen figures in similar uniforms.

Well, despite colds -- the Young Master and I are just about 100%, the Grand Duchess about 75% -- and all of the usual kinds of last minute Christmas tasks to address, I nevertheless managed to apply the second coat of shiny acrylic varnish to the pontoniers this morning after waking far too early and finally giving up the ghost at about 7:15am. Anyway, it's back to von Bauchschmerzen, the coach, and Uhlans de Saxe escorts when the next painting session rolls around.

Realistically, I will probably not get in any more time at the painting table now until Boxing Day, but I am looking forward to wrapping up the gift-wrapping and listening to the annual A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols live tomorrow morning, December 24th, via BBC Radio 4 at 15:00 GMT. This is something I do every year, made even easier the last decade or so by listening online although I miss tuning in the BBC World Service on shortwave, but they hardly do any broadcasting beamed toward the Americas anymore, and it is nicer to hear music with high quality sound.

So, even here, I have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century although I still switch on my trusty old Sony ICF-7600A portable receiver once in a while to see what I can hear from around the world via the shortwaves. Time and technology march on without relent.

Last of all, thank you to those of you who have sent Christmas and holiday greetings already. Stay tuned right here for a special Christmas message from the Grand Duchy of Stollen. . .

-- Stokes

Another delightful old Father Christmas card from long ago. His blue robes and brown fur are especially nice and a welcome change of pace from the more familiar red and white Coca-Cola Santa Claus that we see almost everywhere in 2014.

Comments

tradgardmastare said…

Great figures ,well done sir!

12:21 PM

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...

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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