My Slow Takes about miniature figures, Pete Seeger, Edgar Allan Poe and me.

1. Paul’s Bods is a blog that deals with 1/72 figures. He has many different periods that he works on and last April he started his Bannockburn Project. His plan is to build both the British and Scottish armies that were present at the Battle of Bannockburn. I have been following his progress and last week he completed the Scottish command which included Robert de Bruce. Here is a sample of the detailed work that he does.

2. An excerpt from a possible short story.

The demon, Sturwig, is always near, sitting in the darkness waiting to pounce. I have fought him many times. The encounters long and arduous. 

Today he came again, swinging his long sword and bellowing insults. I ignored his ramblings. He approached slow and cautious. I held my ground, focusing on his eyes. Black like the moonless night and full of hatred. They were focused directly at me, his sword held high. He charged forward and swung down at my head expecting me to take the full brunt of the impact. I anticipated his move and pivoted sideways. His rush moved him forward exposing his left side. My sword came down on his exposed flank. He moaned but recovered quickly and swung back around. His sword smashed into my shield, the force of the blow pushing me back. It was difficult keeping upright but I managed to stay on my feet. He came at me with a furry of strikes that I had to dodge and parry. He stopped and stepped back expecting me to lunge in for an attack. When I failed to take the bait he came at me again. I was more prepared this time and managed to counter with some strikes of my own. We parted again, each one looking for an opening. I was bleeding through the cuts in my leather armor. Sturwig bled as well but didn’t seem to be weary from the wound on his back. He starred at me again and I thought he would rush straight ahead as before. Then his eyes shifted to my left. He gave a loud war cry and charged. I lowered my body into a position making me a smaller target. As he passed over my left I rammed with my shield hitting him in the side. The blow pushed him off balance and he went down on his back. As he  struggled to rise I struck with my sword. Thrusting upwards through his lungs and twisting to complete my attack. He howled in agony, the sound reverberating off the nearby hills. I stepped back pulling the blade out. Dark red blood flowed onto the ground draining that which the demons call life. Then very slowly the body crumbled into dust as his soul traveled back into the darkness. 

3. My favorite author, Snoopy.

4. Pete Seeger, an American folk singer with a message, died January 27, 2014 at the age of 94. There was a very good article written by Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY. My favorite song was “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

5. “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door— "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.”

This is the first part of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven.” It was published on January 29, 1845 in the “New York Evening Mirror.”

6. "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

      The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!”

The photo below is from the blog of a "French Canadian Wargamer." The figure is a 25mm Jabberwocky which took 3rd place in the Analogue Hobbies painting contest, "Villians' Theme Bonus Round." I like the figure and how well it was painted.

7. Last Saturday was my birthday. I have reached the age of 67. The number itself is not relative because I don’t think of “being old.” My life has been and continues to be blessed by God, for which I am thankful.  

Read other "Takes" at Conversion Diary.