The Grand Duchy of Stollen

  A few images "borrowed" (Ahem!) from the online world for artistic inspiration, cheif among them the Project Seven Years War (Kronoskaf) website.  Not sure where I stumbled across the digitized version of the Knoetel print, but I could hardly leave it out of this post. A veritable feast for the eyes it is. The dark brown and blue uniform apparently worn by the Slavonisch-Brooder Grenzer during the latter part of the SYW has always struck me as highly attractive, but I plan to add a few splashes of other colors here and there to provide a bit of visual (and plausible) interest.  After all, one-time irregular troops in the field and all that. . . Ok, following lunch and the current mug of coffee, it is time to begin.  As a non-fan of NFL football, I can't think of a nicer way to spend Superbowl Sunday afternoon and possibly evening.  I know, I know. . .  I plead much needed self-preservation given the current state of the world. -- Stokes

  A fter a few weeks away due to skiing, work related stuff, and a maddeningly dried out tube of super glue gel, it's back to the painting table to begin tackling the third and final company of Minden and RSM95 Croats.  They've been knocking around my spares box for years now.  Time to do something about that.  When finished, they will join two other companies painted way back in 2010 or 2011.   This particular company will carry, the eagle-eyed among you might notice, a semi-fictitious swallow-tailed flag, of which more anon.  But it's a beaut courtesy of David of Not by Appointment fame.   Tomorrow (Sunday), flesh tone, blacks, and possibly another area or two of color.  Somehow, I have managed to free up the entire day, so who knows where things might end up.    Perhaps even more exciting, from a photographic point of view, I have also upgraded the ol' iPhone after quite a few years of using an iPhone 7.  That mea...