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Sunday, October 4, 2020

Austrian IR#20 and an Anniversary

Off the painting desk today is a single battalion of Austrian IR#20 for the 1799 project.  A single battalion of thirteen figures may seem somewhat underwhelming but this unit manages to clear out the remaining AB Miniatures' Austrians in helmet.  So, a small victory in clearing out a small bin in the vastness of The Lead Pile.  One must take small victories when presented, right? 

Plenty of Austrians in helmet remain to receive a slap of paint.  Several bags of the slightly smaller Battle Honors infantry plus a couple of packs of Campaign Game Miniatures (CGM) figures await their turn at the workbench.  The Battle Honors figures will remain untapped, for now, but the CGM figures are actively in work.  For good measure, I added into the production line two packs of CGM grenz.  
With the recent change in the season, my painting plans are seeing a shift too.  In the last quarter of a very trying 2020, I intend to shift painting focus from 28mm projects to a few of the 15-18mm projects.  This means more 1799, 1859, and SYW troops hitting the painting desk between now and year end.  We will see if this plan survives contact with The Lead Pile and my fleeting motivations and interests.  Expect 25mm Biblicals to remain in the painting mix including work on augmenting the Hittites.

On the cycling front, September was another good month put into the legs.  While I did not hit the 1,000 miles seen in August, I did exceed 800 miles.  I lay some of the blame squarely upon the shoulders of the September fires when I was confined to the indoor trainer for nearly two weeks.  A September cycling wrap up will be upcoming showing photos from a few recent rides.  I passed a young moose out on the trail yesterday.  Have not seen a moose on the loose in a few years.  Last time I encountered one, she was wandering through our housing development looking for a quick exit.  I was looking to avoid trouble.  A moose is a very unpredictable beast.  If you have never encountered one, be warned, give it a wide berth.

Next time, I expect another installment of analyzing the Great Wargaming Survey when I examine the popularity of various wargaming periods and some of the attributes driving those preferences. 
On a final note, Palouse Wargaming Journal reached Year 8 at the end of September.  I struck out on this venture eight years ago at the encouragement of a couple of my regular gaming friends not knowing what to expect.  They both maintained wargaming blogs (MacPhee's Miniature Men and Dartfrog's Adventures in 6mm) and suggested I ought to get with the times and create one for myself.  That I did.  Hard to believe I have been doing this for eight years.  1,200+ posts later, I enjoy this facet of the hobby more than ever.  Thank you to all who stop by for a visit and a special thanks to those leaving comments. 

48 comments:

  1. That's a lovey looking unit Jonathan and I must say the helmets are great, but wouldn't want to wear one as they look damned heavy to me. I'm trying to focus on a few projects but currently lack motivation and focus at present. Horrible wet and windy weather combined with the ongoing Covid situation is largely to blame.

    I'm gald to see you're keeping up good distances on your bike and seeing a moose loose is pretty cool, but as you say, something to give a wide berth.

    Looking forward to the next wargaming survery instalment and to what it contains and reveals about our hobby.

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    1. Thank you, Steve! I agree that the combed helmet would seem a bit unwieldy to wear. Perhaps less unwieldy than the Austrian grenadier bearskin.

      Weather in this part of the world has been glorious with temperatures hovering in the mid 70s F. Won't last much longer, I suspect.

      Hopefully, you (and others) will not get too bored with a steady stream of analysis derived from the GWS. I find this stuff fascinating but, I know, not all do.

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  2. The AB Austrians are lovely and the crested helmet is a star attraction of these troops.

    Congratulations on the 8 year blog landmark and more to the point, your unstinting support of other peoples blogs.

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    1. Thanks, Norm! The Austrian crested helmet is a classic look.

      As for supporting others' blogs, I find everyone's writing and reporting encouraging, engaging, and informative. Supporting the blogging efforts of others is rewarding exercise for me too and I want my colleagues to know that their efforts are appreciated.

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  3. Congratulations on 8 years Jon.

    Seeing a moose has got to be a cue for this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wioh5qUj7fM&feature=share

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    1. Thank you!

      Very impressive feat to come up with your topical musical selection. Well done!

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  4. A lovely unit indeed, Jon; I am certainly partial to Austrians in any headgear, but the helmets are especially evocative. Bears have become commonplace in Southern New England. but a moose is an extremer rarity. They are big and ornery, and best appreciated from a distance!

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    1. Thank you, Peter! You are spot on regarding moose. They are cantankerous, big, awkward, and deadly if not given a very wide berth.

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  5. Oh, and congratulations on the 8 year anniversary as well! My 10 year blogging anniversary is but a few months off!

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    1. Thank you! Yes, on blogging, you were trailblazer for me.

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  6. Congratulations Jonathan!
    Really love your works full of passion!
    best

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  7. Congratulations on reaching 8 years as a blogger - well done Jonathan. Good to see another unit roll off the painting line.

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  8. Well done on 8 years of blogging, and it is always a good feeling completing one part of the lead pile.

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    1. Thank you, Peter! My problem is emptying one area of The Lead Pile is that there is so much more to tackle. That, and I tend replenish bins that are emptied.

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  9. Another great addition to your collection, and congratulations on the blog milestone too!

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  10. Nice work Jonathan, and well done on having completed a range of figures. 8 years of blogging is quite an achievement, so congratulations on that too. My wife lived in Banff for six months and still tells the story of how she was followed home one night by a moose, only ten or so paces behind. When she stopped, it stopped, and when she walked it followed. She was a little worried at first, but it was quit friendly and she believes it must have been become quite accustomed to people.

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    1. Thank you, Lawrence! Great moose story. Animals can be quite curious. I wonder what motivated the moose in this situation?

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    2. It was probably just looking for food, although it was apparently after closing time so must have been late at night. This was back in the early 80's just before we met, but I can recall Banff being a popular destination back then so it was no doubt a moose that was used to people and had learned to equate them with food.

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    3. Prospects for a free meal motivate me too!

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  11. A nice little Austrian addition Jonathan and congratulations on making it to eight years - I agree, the blogging side of the hobby adds another enjoyable dimension - keep up the good work!

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    1. Yes, a little addition to the project, for sure, but it cleaned out a bin!

      Thanks for your support of the blog, Keith!

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  12. Excellent work Jonathan, good to see the helmeted Kaiserlicks! :) Thank for all your blogging too, a regular source of how to and things to think about, when doing battle reports especially! Looking forward to your next article.

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    1. Thank you, Mark!

      I really appreciate your support and encouragements for the blog!

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  13. Austrians in helmets, what is not like. These look great and a result against the Lead Mountain is a result however small.

    Keep on blogging!

    Cheers, Ross

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    1. Thanks, Ross!

      I always enjoy your 30 Figures in 30 Days challenges.

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  14. Good looking unit Jonathan , and congrats on the 8 years👍

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  15. Congratulations on your 8 years blogging! Lovely looking helmeted Austrians, funnily enough I'm prepping lots of 28mm plastic Austrians in helmets at the moment, it's a classic look!
    Best Iain

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    1. Iain, your (and everyone's) comments of encouragement provide motivation to both keep blogging and maintain a steady pace of at the workbench.

      Thank you!

      I look forward to seeing your helmeted Austrians soon.

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  16. That's a lovely unit. I hope to see them fighting at Meßkirch, Hohenlinden or Salzburg. Did you recognized Michael's Meßkirch-scenario on the CCN-HP?

    I changed my plans slightly too, hoping to finish all those boring horse holders (for staff).

    Did you found the report of my latest trip?

    Cheers,

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    1. Thank you, Andre'! Please refresh my memory on CCN-HP. It may be one of the German fora you sent earlier but the acronym meaning escapes me. Yes, I read your recent walking post but failed comment. This oversight has been corrected.

      I still plan to work up my impression of Bassagnana but other projects keep distracting me.

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    2. To Keep it simple: https://www.commandsandcolors.net/napoleonics/maps/second-coalition-1798-1802/321-md17-messkirch-5-may-1800.html

      Besides: congratulations for your anniversary.

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    3. Nice CCN scenario. I sure wish I had FRW Bavarians. I know of one manufacturer in 15mm but have yet to see any.

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  17. Very nice Jonathan, looking forward to your next survey report.

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    1. Thank you! Very good to see that you look forward to the survey analyses. That is encouraging!

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  18. Congratulations on 8 years! That’s quite a long time. And you post so much!
    And I want to echo Norm and also thank you for being supportive of the blogging of others. I always appreciate your comments on mine and sure everyone else does as well. These two things combined make you a super star blogger in my book. 😀

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  19. Replies
    1. You are very kind! Compared to your shipbuilding skills, my work is nothing.

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  20. Great looking troops Jonathan and congrats on the 8 years of blogging! Here's yo another 8 years!!!

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  21. Happy anniversary, and well done on the Austrians!

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  22. Bravo, the battle against the lead mountain is seldom won in huge engagements, it's these small actions that will eventually lead to domination :)
    Congrats on 8 years too.

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