I know, I know, I’m not scheduled to be posting again until September but this blog has always served as a sort of aide memoir as much as anything so I’m taking this opportunity to record a few things while I’m stuck in the house with bugger all else to do.
The temperature outside is currently 41 degrees and no meaningful work is possible for folk of a northern hemisphere persuasion. My paint drys on the end of the brush before I can apply it to a miniature and even if it didn’t the heat has currently sapped all enthusiasm for the endeavour. About a month ago I was constantly cutting the ever growing grass. If I dared venture out today I could probably just sweep up its crispy brown remains with a dustpan and brush.
Despite an abundance of time on my hands the slow pace of deliveries from blue moon means I’ve only managed to complete the one 15mm ECW regiment (sans flag) during the relative cool (22degrees) of the last few nights.
Since this is meant to be a wargaming hobby blog, here’s some piccies. Not my best work, but under the circumstances they’ll do.
I have to confess that I’m considering doubling up on the unit size, despite the consequences to the wallet and the time scales of completing two pocket armies. They would still all fit in my hexon hexes and the sight of 36 pike per battalia might be worth it. We’ll see. In any event next up will be a couple of troops of horse, should the great deep fat fryer in the sky spare me.
Thankfully a few none painting hobby bits and pieces are nearing completion in this enforced downtime. First up is an ECW midlands campaign adapted from my previous ECW ones, requiring no actual miniatures to resolve, but which does involve actual hand to hand combat! Here’s a sneak preview of the map over which the “action” ((coughs)) will take place.
Still under rigorous testing but nearing sign off as “done” is this hex based 2d6 driven home brew Indian Mutiny rule set. I do like me a nice bell curve. Further info forthcoming soonish.
On the amusing French anecdotes front I’m afraid I only have this brief offering.
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| “Yum yum pigs bum apple tart and chewing gum,” as we used to sing in primary school. |
Marie Therese, wife of the Pradeix strangler and owner of our hamlets secret eau-de-vie still, brought round “this” a week or so ago. I’m not sure its repulsiveness is adequately captured by the photo but by way of explanation it is a “meat” product preserved beneath a two inch layer of fat. It was bottled in 2019 according to the (very) faded label, so I suspect it may be a little past its sell by date. Mmmm. Authentic Creusois preserve or stolen forensic evidence from a motorway pile up. Who can say.
In fairness this latest offering was a replacement for a 2018 jar of the same thing that I erm “accidentally” dropped while showing the wife something I was convinced was an eyeball concealed in its depths.
I’ve a feeling I’m probably going to have to taste this in her presence and make lots of yum yum noises. It’s hard being étranger I can tell you,
Okay I’ll be off to put some ice cubes in my pants now. Needs must when the devil drives, eh.
Catch you later.
I’ve missed your good humor and wit, Mark! You make great progress on many fronts. I do like the cover of your skirmish rules. Hope your brain doesn’t scramble from the heat before we next hear from you. Stay cool! Ice down your pants? You crazy French!
ReplyDeleteHi Jon, it’s getting crazier by the day out here… definitely a case of only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun, at the moment. Ice in the pants is a great idea...until you try it. lol.
DeleteHaha, good to hear from you JBM...keep away from rivers and lakes would be my advice!
ReplyDeleteGod only knows what that "food" is....I don't think I would be tasting it!!!!
Hey Keith, you southern hemisphere guys could probably teach us a thing or two about heat I reckon. Be assured you’ll not get me in any rivers or lakes, especially after seeing the size of a ruddy catfish some bloke caught round here recently. Yuk.
DeleteNice work on your ECW regiment, upping the quantity would certainly look very impressive on the table. Looking at your local delicacy I think I would defer from trying it, certainly not the most appetising looking treat!!
ReplyDeleteCheers Donnie, I’m seriously considering doubling up the unit, despite the extra painting involved. As to the potted “meat” I believe the old adage is “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it”. Just need to check my health insurance coverage first.
DeleteFigures and map are excellent looking, not so sure of the meat product, and that’s coming from one whose family of both sides were pork butchers. I cannot imagine your heat, mine in Scotland is bad enough. Good to hear from you unexpectedly. I often think of your sojourn in France and view your blog as a French internet based equivalent to the wireless wonder that was “ Letter from America “ but with lead and humour.
ReplyDeleteWrite soon.
Alan Tradgardland
Hello Alan. Letter from America! Wow there’s a blast from the past for you. Whicker’s world was good too if I recall. I’ve a suspicion that the “meat” might be wild boar - MT’s old fella used to be active in the chasse until he took up strangling instead. I’ll send you some in the post and you can use your family’s experience to verify what it is. Actually I might not need to post it, it looks like it could walk there on its own.
DeleteYep, the heat is rather crippling, with it mid-30's here (forcecast 38C today) but feeling like 40C due to the humidity. Our daughter is in Nantes and it was 43C yesterday, the same as Kuwait!!! Stay cool mon brave with your ice cube patented cooling pants;). I tried some painting yesterday, but only managed some block colours as too hot to concentrate and having to keep cleaning the brush too meant it wasn't fun at all. At least it cools down by the weekend. Love the cover for the rules, which is great and the "Boys and Girls of All Ages" is a neat and humourous touch. Hmmm, as for that preserved meat/victim (of the Strangler), I'd more than likely drop it or hand it in to the local Gendarmerie for testing...
ReplyDeleteHey ho Steve oh, I hadn’t realise you chaps were getting it bad too. Crippling isn’t it. Your daughter is in the bit of France that seems to be getting the worst of it, though I have to say the authorities here are taking it very seriously. There was a public “misting station” set up in Guéret the other day I’m told. I might yet hand in that potted meat to the gendarmerie. Could solve a whole lot of cold cases still on their books. lol.
DeleteThe ECW figures look great JBM. I do like how you have based the pike and the shot differently.
ReplyDeletere the kind gift from your neighbour. Tuck in! (I say safely from the other side of the world) The British Empire was built on chowing down on the local cuisine! 😂
Cheers Ben, it’s not clear from the photos but the bases on the pike and shot are the same - it’s the officer figures out front on half size 4x2’s that have misled you. I based them like that cos I forgot to include them with the pikes. Doh! Btw, no guilt trip required but If I never post again it’ll no doubt be because I took your advice to tuck in.
DeleteWell I think the basing looks great. Giving the impression of a big square pike block in the middle of the formation that you sometimes see in pictures from the time.
DeleteMaybe try the food out on the chooks first 😂
Excellent and funny post. Being just a couple of degrees behind you in Kent, I can empathise.
ReplyDeleteSuperb looking unit. If you wallet can take then the bigger units would certainly look awesome.
As for the jar, it reminded me of the boar paté my breton brother in law makes from his annual hunt. Not a great look but utterly delicious.
Keep yourself cool.
Thanks Richard, yeah you guys in Kent are getting a bad dose of this heat too aren’t you. Let’s hope this doesn’t become a year in year out thing. Not sure my wallet can take the hit from doubling up the unit, but eating regularly and paying bills is overhyped I reckon. I think you’re onto something with the boar pate, and I like pate,…a lot, but I’m not sure I can bring myself to put any of that stuff in my mouth tbh.
DeleteGood Morning Mark, big empathy on the heat front, we are set to clock in at 34˚ today, but the humidity is high and the pollen thing higher still, so an uncomfortable day, though better than yours due to me being oop north! And nothing to do with ice cube dress wear.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the above, doing any painting with the figures is impressive. Double sized units sound great and for a while you could have your units serve double function. In small games that will not place big demands on the collection, go to double sized units and on big games which stretch the collection go to standard sized.
Your map and rules cover are …. Spiffing :-)
Least said about the jar, the better! The only advice I can offer for the tasting is to have a large bucket on hand for practicalities and a huge bar of chocolate to take away any possible nasty taste!
Howdy Norm. Sorry to hear you’ve got the pollen thing going on as well. Tres uncomfortable. I’d taken to finishing the painting off during the night when it’s marginally cooler and having a doze in the day when it’s too warm to do much. Your thinking on the double sized unit mirrors my own, and given that I’m representing a battalia, which was quite often made up of a couple of regiments brigaded together in one formation, it’ll allow me, as you say, to field them individually or together despite differing coat colours. Bucket advice taken on board, thanks. We’ve our annual feast of neighbouring coming up on the 12th so if the “meat” in the jar doesn’t get me, something else from one of my neighbours pantry’s will no doubt see the bucket come in useful.
DeleteTwo buckets - one to sit on the other to hold in your lap. Never know where it's going to erupt from my experience.
DeleteROTFLMAO
DeleteNice to see you back, if only briefly old chap.
ReplyDeleteA 36 figure pike block will be something to see! The map looks intriguing (I'm already forming an idea of what the symbols by towns mean - excellent!). The rules cover is absolutely spiffing. But how can you chuck in a comment about your neighbour giving up the chase and taking up strangling and leave us hanging?!!
Hi Chris, sorry about the strangling teaser but I haven’t quite got to the bottom of it all myself yet. There was some argybargy involving guns here in the 80’s between the then denizens of the hamlet. Someone shot at someone else’s car, someone “fell down the stairs” not long after and died and so on. You know, regular village goings on which occur everywhere. Anywhoo around the same time MT’s husband was arrested for trying to strangle her but how the hell it’s all linked I’ve no idea.
DeleteSounds like you’ve moved to the French version of Emmerdale Mark. That amount of excitement in a small community.
DeleteChris
Very nice surprise to see you post prior to your previously announced September return JBM. :)
ReplyDeleteAs always a very entertaining post. Enjoy that Northern California heat. I've kinda-of gotten used to it after being here 25 years, but it still makes sleep uncomfortable and my nethers sweatier than they prefer. (The almonds and olive orchards about these parts though love it some how.)
Your painted fellows look very good! I too, like many who've commented before think that doubling up would look even better, if it fits in the budget. Really though, any wargame with ranked minis looks better when there's more of them, especially where massed pikes are concerned imo.
Your rules cover is very spiffy too. Are you planning to publish them, or release them on a site like Wargamesvault?
That jar of mystery meat looks very pate-ish. But oof that lard level on top! I'll eat most any meat product that doesn't involve an animal's organs or innards, beef thru alligator and squirrel, but that looks like something that crawled out of a Dalek from Doctor Who. When you crack that fat seal, ask it it's name, if it answers back, burn it with fire!
Hey ho Dai, yeah you’ve definitely got me beat on the whole temperature thing. You are clearly made of sterner stuff than me having done 25yrs of it…but that wouldn’t be hard because at heart I’m a whinging old fart! Lol. My B&B rules still need a bit of rough handling before I’m finally satisfied but I’m pretty pleased with them and to be honest I’ve bought a lot worse in the past. I’ve no intention of selling them… but I’d be happy to hand out freebies when I’ve nailed down the QRS. On the meat front - pulling back and nuking it from orbit would probably be the best bet, however the jar seems to err…have gone missing.
DeleteLovely pike and shot types, look like 28mm figures with that level of detail, more troops always look good, I see you been playing with, that AI thing for your rules, nice cover, pate looks good, making me hungry!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Cheers Iain, that’s kind of you to say about the painting and yes I’ve been playing with AI again as you can see. If you really fancy the pate you are one sick puppy my friend. Or I suspect you will be.
DeleteWonderful to have you visit 'out of sequence'! Those pikemen are the duck's nuts! Looking at the photo, I thought it was a lovely desert, yoghurt on top of apple/berry fruit. Not quite.
ReplyDeleteMate, 41ºC is a 'regulation' hot day here, but bloody ridiculous for you lot.
All the best with it, James
Hi James. Honestly I’ve no idea how you guys deal with this on a regular basis…and you still go about your lives as normal?! I can see why you call us whinging poms, lol. “I thought it was a lovely desert”…Not even custard would help make that dog’s breakfast palatable.
DeleteHi Mark, Scorching hot here to this week, everybody is moaning of course! In Spain 40 was typical summer temp on the Costa Blanca, locals just got on with it, kept all windows, curtains and doors shut of course while we had everything open to let the heat in like idiots. WE get did aircon installed but it cost and arm and a leg to run out there.
ReplyDeleteWhat on Earth is that in that jar?? Looks dangerous.
Figures look great though, like a bit of ECW I do.
I'd rather have my ice with a whiskey than down me Yfronts.
All the best to you and hopefully things are starting to cool down.
Cheers
Lee.
Howdy doody Lee. The more I’ve moaned about our latest “canicule” the more I’ve come to realise how often the rest of the world has to deal with this sort of thing. I think I’m developing heat wave moaners guilt syndrome. Lol. The jar of “meat” has disappeared mysteriously by the way. We should probably never speak of it again. I’m going for ice with whisky AND down my Y fronts for what it’s worth. Can’t afford to take chances out here!
DeleteExcellent to hear from you JBM.. the ECW guys look excellent! Doubling up - hmm.. my only concern would be table space and it becoming a bit too unwieldy - on the other hand they'd look amazing.. you're call.. :o) PS. Crispy baguette, and a decent red to cut the grease, and that pate will be lovely..
ReplyDeleteCheers Steve. Sadly no sooner do you come up with an acceptable way to, err, digest the potted meat “gift” than the ruddy jar mysteriously disappears. I wonder if it’ll ever be found? ((mutters Soto voce)) not a ruddy chance ..
DeleteCracking new toys Mark…
ReplyDeleteThe “Stuff” in the jar looks like what my mum used to call “Potted Heed”…. Such an appetising name.
All the best. Aly
Aly, I strongly suspect that the stuff in that jar actually was someone’s head. The continuing heat has meant there’s been little ability to do anything with my new toys as yet. Hope springs eternal. lol.
DeleteIt's great to see you make an unscheduled appearance JBM. Heat was pretty bad this side of the Channel too but has died down quite a bit now. I rather like the pike and shot figures would a coat of heavily thinned brown ink give them some extra oomph? It's my standard technique for 6mm stuff. As for the meat paste I know you said don't knock it until you've tried it, but I think in this case "Don't try it until you've knocked it (out)" may be a better policy. How is the building work going and how is the current Mde Broom coping with heat, dust and French builders?
ReplyDeleteHi Dave im still in counselling about the building work and my therapist says im not to talk about it, but thanks for asking. You wouldn’t believe it from the photos but those new lads have actually had a blast of sepia - they do look jolly bright on the piccies don’t they! If they need another going over they’ll be at the back of the queue now - I’m doing hosses at the moment. The meat paste has erm…disappeared…mysteriously, so I’ve been spared that particular trial until the next lot is offered. lol.
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