Terraforming Tradgardland or the guns of August

Much work has been done over the summer in the Duchy.This is a picture of the work in progress and below is the spoil heap/mess left by the builders.It will have to wait weeks until I can attempt to deal with it-

They covered the path in debris but made a good job of the area extending from the kitchen to the garden room as depicted in the photo below-

The patio/place for garden chairs&table/troughs/alpine pans will also serve excellently as an "all weather" pitch for FLW games. Astro turf for lead armies I guess. The photo was taken on the last day of August with gun/guns hence the post title.

Anyway the other day I drew the layout in my moleskin and mentally batted around some plans.Please click below on the photo to have a better look-

Basically the paved area will be a disputed pass or valley between the countries of Army Red/White and Army White.The steps will be the mountains on either side of the pass/valley.terrain will be added to be lifted between games.A flower border will be planted which will soften the edge of things too.I am most excited by this project and also feel "Winter Quarters" will give a chance to plan and paint in preparation for gaming next summer.

Finally with reference to my last post I may have found  a source of some potentially Spenkuch/Alte Deutsche/Heyde  reproduction/style of type figures in 54mm. More anon when samples arrive and are painted...

Morning musings or the Spenkuch look

I rose this morning at five o'clock which left many quiet hours before the House stirred. I cannot post my alfresco pictures as my daughter (I fear) has taken the camera off to Uni.
However this gives me a chance to post about some thoughts I have been having re the FLW hobby of late.I am increasingly drawn to the German old toy soldier look of things.Maybe it is nostalgia for a simpler age or my Germanic genes calling me I don't know.Whatever it is I am being attracted to gaming with such an aesthetic. what would this mean for my gaming.Firstly terrain-

The simple two dimensional trees etc as shown in the above set.

 Two dimensional houses such as the example above from Spenkuch.

As for the figures it goes without saying I cannot afford the originals or even the reproduction sets but I am attracted to the Deutsche Homage figures produced by Irregular Miniatures as shown below in this picture from their webpage-

Much to think about and plan...off to do some chores then a wee seat I think.

still here-update and the terraformation of Tradgardland

Sunday afternoon in a showery Tradgardland.
I'm taking the opportunity when Jan is driving Anna back to university this afternoon ( with her sisters and granny riding shot gun) to post. Anna was 18 yesterday and we all enjoyed celebrating her birthday . We drove her down for freshers week last Saturday ( which went really well) and she came home by bus on 13/09. I had my operation on the 9th and all has gone well.I am signed off work until the 4/10 and need to rest to aid recovery.Jan has her first Chemo this coming Wednesday.
I hope to get some projects up and running ( have started a little ) as I am useless except for light duties in  and around the home. I have started the 6th Sidebottom novel ( set mainly in 3rd century Scandinavia) and am enjoying it.I watched "Papillon" on dvd this morning and it remains an excellent film to watch,I'd not seen it for years.
The building works ( terraforming) externally have added a potential new aspect to FLW gaming here.More will be revealed anon when I can download the photos I took at the end of August. I have received the 2nd volume of the Padre's masterwork and an excellent read it is too.Most inspiring as no doubt many of you will have found out already.Although the weather was so beautiful here yesterday that Jan and I managed to sit out nevertheless I feel Winter Quarters beckoning and some modelling to be done prior to next year's al fresco gaming season.

Update...

It has been an extremely hectic and stressful time here of late. Jan's cancer has returned after being away for three years. She will begin a cycle of chemo over thirteen weeks starting in around three weeks. I go in for a TURP procedure/op in around 10 days and will be off work for a number of weeks.Work has been hectic ( albeit with a very supportive boss) and I am snowed under with paperwork, planning and new methodologies.
Hobby thoughts/plans/ongoing projects were a helpful distraction when Jan was ill before and they continue to be so (time/energy permitting) therefore I will post again very soon in a hobby related update here I hope.

In the news...

Pop over here for an interesting article...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22777029

Well worth a read I say!

Interesting Netherlands print...

I have been a tad  quiet these last few days due to coming down with another  bladder infection but thankfully the antibiotics have begun to work and I feel a little better.I found this print online and thought I would share it with you.It is of a Netherlands cyclist in training and I imagine (with no knowledge of Dutch it has to be said)that he is going to pole vault a canal with his cycle on his back.Here is the picture ,what do you think?

I think it would be a great idea for FLW scenarios with a rule which would give a % chance of failing to jump correctly.Splendid modelling opportunity too...

A question of flow and other matters...

I have spent a couple of days going,or rather not.,with the flow & dealing with District Nurses ( all of whom have been excellent) possibly having to visit A&E and now the Doctor. To cut a long story short I am on antibiotics for a urinary infection and feeling a tad fed up.
My Interwar Norwegian conversions lie abandoned on the table  but are proceeding well. Hopefully I will pick up the challenge soon.
 As energy and enthusiasm allowed I have been reading around the '45 in general , a couple of superb Ospreys arrived - one on Cumberland's Army and one on the Jacobites themselves. As ever I am enchanted by the work of Gerry Embleton and his son (?) Steve especially the illustration of some litttle boys pretending to be Hessian troops whilst a yellow clad hussar looks on with a long pipe. My recent Duffy purchase has re-enchanted my enthusiasm for the 18th Century in all it's Baroque military wonderfulness. To read of Hessian hussars skirmishing around Dunkeld and other places I have visited,marching through towns where I have lived has all added to the fun. Prof Duffy has come up with another blinder of a book-don't miss it! With the new vol of the fLW rules winging their way soon from the U.S I too wonder what new armies will be there to tempt us all in the form of the army lists...The sunne has been a real tonic to morale here.Off for a wee seat and read...