Happy New Year

Well another year is almost gone. Where has the time gone? A productive year on the paint bench, considering the insane work schedule I've had. I managed to get more troops painted this year, than I have in the last five years! This was largely due to the wonderful Fife and Drums minis forum run by Der Alte Fritz. The caliber of work there is second to none, and truly inspired to get back on the paint bench, dust off the lead pile, and even buy new miniatures. Unfortunately, I have not been as diligent in posting pictures of my work as I should be. Maybe a New Years resolution? I also did not manage to get in the much hoped for game over the holidays.


Any way, on behalf of His Grace and myself I would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and productive New Year!

A wonderful Russian New Years card commemorating 1753

Christmas Eve

This will probably be the last post before Christmas.  Looks like we might  have a white Christmas after all. It started to lightly snow last night, and has kept up through the morning. The ground is covered with a nice dusting of wet snow, and it looks like it's not going to stop any time soon. A couple of loose ends to tie up, and I can pull the cork on the first bottle of Christmas wine in preparation for the Christmas Eve feast. I will leave you with my favourite Christmas carol, sung by the wonderful Annie Lennox.

Seasons Greetings to all!

Merry Christmas

All the preparations have been done, the last minute items have been gotten, the gifts have been wrapped, and now we wait. It's a strange December in Blagovia this year. The temperature has been cold but not a trace of snow on the ground. Looks like it's going to be a brown Christmas, although the lawns are quite green if truth be told.

I haven't managed to get any work done on the painting bench, but maybe this evening I'll be able to sneak away for a few hours.

Merry Christmas to all, and best wishes for the new year. His Grace Duke Borislav wishes all the best for everyone!

P.S.

 In keeping with the season, a holiday card from Blagovia illustrating what winters are usually like in the Imperial Duchy.

First Snow

It's a wonderful sunny and snowy day in the Imperial Duchy of Blagovia! The temperature is sitting at -2C, with a windchill of -7, and not a cloud in the sky. We unexpectedly got about 3 or 4 centimetres of fluffy, light snow last night, which made for a delightfully easily job of shoveling the driveway this morning. I was able to get the last of the Christmas lights up yesterday (-17C with the wind), and now the tree is all that's left. Christmas preparations are  proceeding well thus far.

Things have aslo been proceeding surprisingly well on the painting bench. I have completed and based a battalion of Jagers (RSM95 Austrians) for my Pichelsteiner forces, and a battalion of Nabburg Jagers (RSM95 Hanoverians) which are not based yet. In addition to these units, I have completed about 60 percent of my Nabburg Fusilier Battalion (Eureka Saxons), and about the same for my Pichelstein Musketeers (RSM95 Hungarian Infantry). All in all, I am quite happy with my painting progress. I think that I will be ready to set up for a battle over the Christmas holiday, or very early in the New Year.
In the meanwhile, lovely shot of a winter forest in Nabburg.

More later...