A return to the desk and slow progress ...........

It has been four months since my last post on the blog. To be honest I had thought that maybe I would not return to blog anymore.  There were conflicting challenges of the Family, Study and work. The Bride and I have begun the seemingly Everest size task of buying a property in the Melbourne property market. If this blog was political I would have allot of things to say about what I have found over the last few months, suffice to say I will not bore you the reader with such details. Suffice to say we are still looking.  My study has progressed well but this was in essence what has taken up my spare time.  Studying at masters level in a subject I love still means I needed to dedicate allot of time to reading and truly learning my subject matter.


In those spare moments I gamed down at Berwick and painted but those activities acted as a quite and enjoyable distraction from the demands of work, the challenges of study and the frustration of house hunting.   
 

Over the last four months my efforts have been in developing the Saxon army as well as finishing off the first twelve bases of vikings.  I have found immense pleasure in finishing off the initial collection of models my wife bought me for my birthday back in 2013.  It is as I would assume for any wargamer a really great feeling to have a collection of 28mm models that you are proud of and also reflect the image you had in your mind's eye at the very beginning. 

In addition to that I have begun to branch out in other 28mm projects which seem to have all sprung up very quickly.  There is the ECW project - the 2nd regiment is in progress,  there are the WOTR figures - archers are nearly done,  I have bought a late roman army ..... and I have also started Ancient Greeks using the Victrix range which I supplement with some foundry models (cavalry and casualties). In all the expansion of projects would seem crazy to some, to go from the laser like focus of the dark ages to an eclectic range of periods all being painted about the same time. However I feel the split personality like approach is also making the process allot more fun right now as I continue to develop my skills in painting 28mm models.

Right now I am very close to being able to host a game of dark ages. What is missing is some skirmishers for my Saxon's and disorder markers for the collection. Terrain wise I have bought some Grand Manner buildings and just last week took possession my Tablescape kick-stater terrain tiles.  

So what does it mean for the blog and summer? Well I hope to post a few more things over the coming months, and share the work on all the items above as well as the terrain.  I'm not sure what I will get through, but I can tell you this, its a welcome chance to step away the depressing reality of house hunting and revel in how much fun this hobby is.

So I'm back for a spell and hope you all enjoy what is to come.

Cheers

JP