Gobble, gobble!!!

Well, I’ve baked two pies, put together a sweet potato casserole that gets baked tomorrow, and am working on a congealed salad right now (waiting for the jello to set up), and washed a sink full of dishes and assorted things, so I’m bushed. But I think the meal tomorrow will be lovely. We’ve got some really blustery winter weather that’s blown into the Midwest, so it’s suitably Thanksgiving-like too, and December isn’t far off.

On a bizarre and humorous note, I heard a news item early this morning about a minor accident involving a truck (lorry) full of live turkeys somewhere here in the United States (I can’t recall which city). Many of the turkey’s escaped and occupied a nearby cemetery, where they have terrorized pedestrians and bicyclists all week long, running after, pecking, and flapping their wings at passers-by. All attempts by police and animal control officers to entice the birds onto another trailer, or otherwise corral them, have failed, and city leaders are beside themselves about what action to take next. And the best part is that this is apparently all true! Steven Spielberg should make a film out of this!

Elsewhere, Plastic Soldier Review posted a review of the new Italeri Austrian Infantry 1800-1805 set today. They are lovely figures, slender and tall (over 25mm), but unfortunately the coats are cut too briefly to work for the mid-18^th century. That and there are so few of each pose included per set that I’d have to amass something like 20 boxes to have enough marching grenadiers, for example, to put into a 60 figure unit. I think I’ll pass, but others might really like this set. Have a look at: www.plasticsoldierreview.com.

However, I’ve determined that I now have slightly more than enough Revell 1/72 plastic figures to complete the Grand Duchy of Stollen project. Several days ago, I managed to win another box of Prussian hussars on Ebay for a reasonable price (less than I’ve seen elsewhere), which will enable me to field two full regiments of 30 figures in fairly similar poses.

Thanks to a final box of Prussian infantry purchased from Jonathan Broadus last week and Bill McHenry’s generous draft of Austrian and Prussian figures that arrived several weeks ago, the coffers are full. Sorting through everything, I think that I’ve actually got enough here to keep me busy for another couple of years. At the end of that time, the eventual armies will comprise:

Grand Duchy of Stollen

Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja’s Own) Grenadiers (60+)

2^nd (Von Laurenz) Musketeers (60+)

Von Flickenhoffer’s Fusiliers (60+)

Von Hildebeitel’s Infantry Regiment (60+)

Jäger zu Fuβ (30+)

4^th Sappers (30+)

Princess Waltraud’s Loyal Artillery Battery (13)

Turducken Hussars (30)

11^th (Von Meckern’s) Dragoons (30)

Von Hanzelwicz’s Cuirassiers (30)

Electorate of Zichenau

Ermland Garde (80)

9^th (Prinz Wilhelm’s) Infantry (80)

Principalities’ Provisional Regiment (80)

Von Auflauf Frei Battalion (30+)

Wolmar-Bock Infantry (Independent Company – 22)

Von Hassenpflug’s Engineer Battalion (30+)

7^th Artillery (13)

Von Götterfunken’s Hussars (30)

Von Schlachtenbummler’s Dragoons (30)

2^nd Regiment zu Pferd (30)

Garde zu Pferd (30)

These forces will be very similar in strength to those featured in that wonderful book that began all this madness back in 1994 when I read it for the first time -- Charge!

Finally, there are also enough extra Revell Prussian and Austrian figures to paint up a few additional independent companies of infantry or squadrons of cavalry too as time permits. I’ll also add some RSM95 Generals and mounted officers over time to beef up the command for each army, but this is thinking in the longer term. The RSM figures, though a bit larger, and the Revell plastics work well together, in much the same way as Charles Grant Sr’s use of Willie generals along side his Spencer Smith regiments

Hmmmm. . . It’s a nice feeling to know that one has enough to complete the project envisioned. No more feverish scrounging around for these out-of-production figures. That’s done. I’ve got what I need, and I’m more than satisfied with it. All that’s required now is time to clean, prepare, and paint all these little beauties. And hopefully get in a battle now and then too. Keep your eyes open for turkeys on the loose, men. They’re bad news!