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.