It's Easter Weekend in the Grand Duchy. . .

"You mean a clue to the new direction?" Extra points if you recognize which 1964 film that line comes from.

Well, things have ground to a standstill the last few weeks here in the Grand Duchy of Stollen what with a conference out of town two weeks ago, foot surgery for the Grand Duchess last Friday, her envisioned six-week recovery on the chaise in the library, plus the usual end-of-semester song and dance.

There is also the matter of several academic projects with colleagues that have recently fallen into my lap. Should've thought a bit more about those before jumping into the deep end of the pool with all the other kids. What was I thinking? No rest for the wicked as the saying goes.

But, it's sunny outside this weekend, I plan to begin leaf and stick clean-up with an inaugural mow for the 2023 mowing season to suck up smaller debris, and we have a nice dinner to look forward to for Easter Sunday, prepared (purchased) by yours truly at the supermarket yesterday (Friday) evening.

We've also got some eggs to dye later today. And of course, the Easter Bunny -- one Ernst P. Haase. Have you met? -- may drop by late tonight after everyone is in bed asleep, with baskets full of goodies.

Otherwise, painting plans for the 135-140 or so soldiers, outlined in late December or January right here, continue just as soon as I can return to the painting table. But after that, it's back to a large unit of infantry, I think. And we can thank/blame David of the wonderfully long running Not by Appointment blog for providing the inspiration, indeed urgency behind the envisioned unit.

Yes, it's another regiment of the Reichsarmee, which wears pretty typical Prussian-style uniforms with red facings and turnbacks. This time, the Kreisinfanterieregiment Pfalz-Zweibrücken. A pretty poor body of troops by all accounts (E Class morale). But the flags!

This particular unit has long been on my radar screen for years and added to the (planned) painting list. So, while I will stay the course and forge ahead with the existing plans for 2023 (independent companies of generic jaegers, frei-corps, croats, and etc), this particular infantry regiment will be next in the queue. Probably not before Fall 2023, or possibly December and into 2024. Then, it will be time to get back to the cavalry for a bit (Ha, ha!) I think, since there is more than enough of it in the drawer of lead to my immediate left.

But in the meantime, The Grand Duchess awaits and yard work outdoors beckons. Ladies and gentlemen, to the rakes and lawn & leaf bags!

-- Stokes

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...

Simon said…

A Hard Days Night

2:23 PM

David Morfitt said…

You sound very busy indeed! But I will enjoy seeing those flags with your troops later in the year/beginning of the next perhaps. And there are yet more attractive Reichsarmee flags still to come... :-)

Hope all goes well; good luck!

All the best,

David.

7:53 PM

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said…

Thank you, men! And we have a winner. A very funny scene, although the sequence with Ringo and the unnamed boy walking through the park talking about life and people is priceless.

Kind Regards,

Stokes

7:39 AM

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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