Now, let's get back to painting. . .

Ha. . . I submitted my final grades for the May Term film course I taught this morning, and now the summer is mine, mine, all mine (cue diabolical laughter)!!!

Well, the long Memorial Day holiday weekend here in the United States has been and gone without any painting done here in Zum Stollenkeller, but the Grand Duchess and I are finished with our students until late August now, so I hope to rectify things beginning this evening after dinner, when I'll fire up the paint brushes and get things moving again.

First up, finishing that 60+ figure battalion of Huzzah musketeers that's been the object of much sporadic work this spring. Then, it's onto another battery of artillery, which I'm going to paint in Shaumburg-Lippe-Buekeburg uniforms, that is, primarily light blue with white waistecoats and black facings. Afterwards, the object of my painterly attention will be that 30-figure regiment of Holger Eriksson Dragoons, as I've mentioned before, which were sent to Berlin last summer and brought home in my carry-on baggage via Air France when the Grand Duchess and I returned from Germany last July. Somewhere in there, I'll paint another couple of mounted generals and their ADC's too. And if everything progresses well, I might even be able to get started on another 60-strong unit of RSM Prussian musketeers before the end of summer and preparing for the start of a new fall term in late August. We'll see how things go.

In and amongst everything else, there is writing to be done, both on the languishing wargaming book and a new project, plus a solo game or two. For the latter, I plan to use two or three recent Table Top Teasers presented in recent issue of Battlegames, which start with small reconnaissance forces bumping into each other, leading to a larger set-piece engagement, and etc. I'd hoped to do this in June, but the Grand Duchess will need the three folding tables that form the foundation of my gaming table later in the month, so I've decided to set up everything here in Zum Stollenkeller closer to July 1st. Still, there's lots to occupy my available free time and thoughts until then. . .

For instance, those new Prussian hussars recently introduced by Frank Hammond, the man behind Minden Miniatures. Now, so far I've been able to resist the sirens' song of this range of these figures, so lovingly crafted for Frank by Richard Ansell. To be honest, while they are wonderful castings in every respect, until now I've found the pricing a bit steep, particularly in view of the easy availability and reasonable pricing of RSM95 figures here in the United States. But Frank's new hussars make it awfully hard to maintain my self-control, so I fear that I'll have to place an order for 30 of them very shortly. Sigh!

For now, though, it's on to the backyard where the Grand Duchess awaits. We have some gardening and yard work to complete there before the forecast thunderstorms arrive this evening. Chaaaaaarge!