Reminiscing

On Mother's Day, Nancy and I (and Milo) packed up the car and began our 450-mile road trip to meet two of my sisters in Manzanita, Oregon for a week on the coast.  Curiously, a few days before the trip, the photo above popped up on my PC as Bing wallpaper.  Coincidence or not?  Anyway, the photo in the wallpaper shows Ecola State Park.  In the background can be seen famous Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach.  Cannon Beach is a small resort town eleven miles north of where we stayed in Manzanita.  We visited Cannon Beach a couple of times during our stay.

Ecola State Park looking north from Cannon Beach

Nancy and Milo in front of Haystack Rock
(a very windy day!)

When I was young, the Oregon Coast was a much-requested destination for a summer family vacation.  Mom especially loved the coast, and Cannon Beach was at the top of her list of places to visit.  With mom's passing in January, we figured it fitting to return to the place she treasured as we thought about her and her impact on our lives on Mother's Day.

Haystack Rock and Cannon Beach looking to the north.

I could tell many tales about those early adventures exploring Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, and the always fascinating tidal pools from more than 50 years ago.  The place has changed quite a bit in those intervening years.  What was once a quiet town is now a bustling tourist magnet.  The magnificent Haystack Rock, however, remains the same.  Returning brought back many happy memories of my time as a young lad.

For now, a selection of photos from our latest adventure.

Manzanita Beach and Neahkahnie Mountain.
View from our AirBnB.

Sunset over Manzanita Beach.

Dogs exploring (Milo in the middle).

Arcadia Beach

Back home, we enjoyed the flowering crabapple trees in full bloom before we left for the coast.  Blooms were a week or two early this year.

Although hobby time has been much constrained this month with travel and the arrival of house guests the next two weeks, perhaps some painted figures will roll out from the painting desk soon.  We will see.

Hiking, Biking, and Gaming

Weather has been very pleasant on the Palouse of late.  Mother's Day this past Sunday was no exception.  As if on cue, the pair of flowering crabapples in the backyard were in full bloom on Mother's Day.

Flowering crabapple trees in bloom.

The festivities started off with a bang as Kevin hosted a massive Waterloo game in 10mm on Saturday.  The game saw six players gathering to refight Waterloo and celebrate our host Kevin's birthday.  More 10mm WoFun figures than I could count were jam-packed onto a 12' x 6' foot table.  The battle began mid-morning, saw a break for a bratwurst lunch, and then a conclusion to the game by mid-afternoon.  My French came away with a convincing victory as the Allied center was broken and their right turned.  Good fun!

Kevin setting the table.

I commanded Reille in the French Center.

Generals pondering their next moves.

After putting 30 miles into the legs Sunday morning, including a pass over Spokane Falls, Nancy and I headed out for an afternoon hike to the Rocks of Sharon.

Lower Spokane Falls.

South channel of Upper Spokane Falls.

With temperatures approaching 80F, the hike up to the massive rock formations about the valley floor was breath taking.  After catching our breaths from the hard climb, the views from the top were equally breath taking but in a very different manner.  Stunning views.  From the top of the mountain, the Palouse stretches out below.  Perhaps too many photos of mammoth granite monoliths but why not? 

Rocks of Sharon "Big Rock"

With the end to the long series of Fornovo Italian Wars' battles (let's not forget Sanguetta too!), the gaming table has been cleared and a new battle set in its place.  Later this week sees the first of possibly multiple playing of the 1745 Battle of Bassignana.  Thursday's game is expecting six players.

Battle of Bassignana 1745

Bit of a mixed bag today...

Next time, maybe some freshly painted figures?  Sumerians, anyone?

A First Look at First Manassas

One of the rationales I offer for walking battlefields is to get a sense of the lay of the land.  While I can read a topo map and wield a compass, being on the ground provides a unique perspective.  With my eye surveying the battlefield, battle accounts take on more depth.  Walking the ground can provide insight into why a battle was fought in the way that it was.

My recent walk around the First Manassas battlefield was no exception.  With a notion of refighting this battle in miniature, I tramped the ground to gain a better understanding of the battle and the relationship between time and distance.

Following are a few photos from my recent walk in May. 

Looking north toward Henry House from Visitor Center.

Jackson, out standing in his field.

Confederate position on Henry House Hill
with Robinson House in background.

Looking west toward Henry House
from Confederate lines.

The hills are not flat!

Stone House and Matthews Hill beyond
as seen from Robinson House.

How do I use this information when I return home?  I build a stylized battlefield in miniature for an upcoming series of games to refight this battle.

Young's Branch Battlefield
on a grid

Yes, this will be another grid-based game.  Battle Briefings have been dispatched. 

Busy But No Painting

These past seven days have been an active one but not at the painting desk.  The paintbrush has been idle for almost an entire week.  Hopefully, I pick up the brush today.  There are plenty of items needing attention.

With friends in town from Seattle for the long weekend, Nancy and I were busy entertaining our guests.  No time for a meaningful painting session over the weekend.  I did offer a tour of my library, show off the game room, explain the concept of remote gaming, and point out the current situation of the Solferino battle that still raged on across the table.

The defense of San Cassiano

On Saturday we climbed Mount Spokane and took a few photos from the top.  At nearly 6,000 feet. Mount Spokane is the highest point in the county.  It juts 3,500 feet above the valley below. Quite a climb and quite spectacular views.

View from top of Mount Spokane

View from top of Mount Spokane

On Sunday, we made the loop around downtown including walks along both banks of the falls and a gondola ride across and below the lower falls.  The falls look much different in fall than they did earlier this summer.

Lower Spokane Falls

Lower Spokane Falls

Monday saw the conclusion of the Attack on San Cassiano as the finale in a three-part remote session with the Rejects.  By the conclusion, I reckon we put in about thirteen hours of playing time.  Battle reports are on my To Do list.  With such a large and lengthy battle, I expect battle reports will make their appearance in a series to breakdown the action and not overwhelm readers (and me!).

The battle from behind Austrian lines.

Tuesday saw Richard host the 1424 HYW Battle of Verneuil in a hybrid game where some players were F2F and others were remote.  In a bit of luck, history actually repeated itself!  For Graham's account of the battle, please visit, A Second Agincourt.

Battle of Verneuil

With the Solferino fought to a conclusion on Monday, Wednesday saw the table cleared and a new battle setup in its place.  Which battle?  Stay tuned! 

Thursday witnessed a second moose encounter on the bike for me.  This time, it was the female that was blocking my path.  While the images are dark from the shadows, the following photos show her on the path if you look really hard.

Another moose encounter.

Another Moose encounter.

Next time, either some figures mustering out from the painting desk, a sneak peek of next Tuesday's game, the first in a series of reports on the action at Solferino, or maybe something completely different!

Thanks for the robust engagement on the GWS Preferred Materials analyses.  Another topic is in work.

National Museum of the Pacific War

Nancy and I have been Deep in the Heart of Texas this week visiting family, hiking, and concert-going.  While our base camp was in Round Rock, we did make a foray into Austin for a concert.  No, we were not there to see Willie and the Boys. 

One day we made the two-hour drive through Texas Hill Country to Fredericksburg to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War and the Admiral Nimitz Gallery.  Fredericksburg was settled by German immigrants of which Nimitz' family was one.  There is even a Freitag's Backyard Cafe in nearby Stonewall.  Including a lunch break, we spent a little over six hours in the two museums with most of that time consumed by the Pacific War museum.  So much to see and read.  With travel time, it was a long ten-hour day. 

The museum accomplishes the difficult task of actually educating the visitor about the history of the Pacific War including the causes leading up to the campaign and its aftermath. The War in the Pacific is told through numerous displays with videos, interactive media, battle narratives, firsthand accounts,static displays, and more.  I walked away with a much better understanding of the war from both political and military viewpoints.  Fascinating.  For me, definitely worthy of a return visit for more focused study.  Nancy even enjoyed it and came away with a broad understanding of this theater of the war.

Highly recommended.

Below is a selection of photos from some of the static equipment displays.  The lead photo to this post shows an eerie display of a downed, Japanese Val airplane.

Japanese Type I Dual-mounted MG.

Bofors 40mm gun.

Japanese 37mm gun.

Browning Automatic Rifle.

Willy's Jeep
My dad still has one of these!

Japanese triple-barrelled AA Gun

Japanese gun.

Bren gun.

Knocked out Stuart tank
commanded by Australians.

Does this visit motivate me to ponder a new wargaming period?  Well, that is a silly question.  We all know the answer to that!

While I may not dive into gaming this period in miniature, tackling these campaigns and battles via hex and counter boardgames certainly sees a renewed interest.

If this looks interesting, the website for the National Museum of the Pacific War is 

Home | National Museum of the Pacific War (pacificwarmuseum.org)

As a reminder, keep those Haikus coming if you want an entry in the 10-year anniversary contest.  Many great poems so far.  I hope to see more.