Summer is Coming!

And Summer means outdoor activities. Last Autumn I discovered a Family LARP group in Svendborg, and started participating in their 'Vatnua' campaign, taking place in a Forgotten Realms inspired setting.

I have a lot of LARP gear from the time around the start of the millennium when I arranged an indoor fantasy campaign for young people, and as I quickly fell in love with the 'Family LARP' concept, I decided to start up a project utilizing our rather large garden/yard (more than 4000 sq.m. with various levels, lots of big trees and hazel bushes, a camp fire hut and two additional camp fire sites).

Today I have prepaired some 'gold coins' (Gylden), and earlier I have been doing some 'copper' and 'silver' pieces (Shillinger and Thalere).

I also got this little thing for the Human Faction. The old King is dead, and the throne is vacant (yes, I'm also preparing a throne).

Well. that's all for today. Stay safe out there!

Re-furnishing the Study

This is where my Pain(t) Station desk used to be

I have not been doing much on the hobby front lately; first of all because we went on our annual family camping vacation the last two weeks of July, and then because it is so hot here in Denmark that it takes a lot  of guts to do anything but cower in the shadows.

Last weekend though, we spent packing and moving stuff from my late Mother-in-Law's estate outside Haderslev, and I have been busy emptying my trusty old desk in order to replace it with the somewhat larger and nicer desk formerly belonging to my, also late, Father-in-Law.

I also took the opportunity to organize some of the mess along the radiator under the windows (I have placed the bookcase 15-20 cm from the radiator, and as it has legs, I expect some kind of convection to happen when the radiator is on). Some of the figure cases are all but empty, and as soon as I have removed the last minis from them, I shall sell them off to free some space.

I have built another filament spool tower for the Prepping Station. I now have LotR minis on the right one, all kinds of mixed stuff on the other.

Yesterday I finally got the new desk put in place. I can store most of my paints in and on the desk, now, and as the Miniaturicum paint rack fits behind the elevated desktop, I am going to put something underneath it to be able to reach it while working - and I am going to print some racks to sit beside it, as there is plenty of room left.

So, next up is to find some suitable STL models for the extra racks, and boxes or the equivalent to elevate the racks.

In two and a half week we have Lea's postponed confirmation, and I shall be busy making preparations for it (moving stuff out of the living room so we can set up tables for the celebration, tidying up the garden and coutyard, etc., etc....), but after that, I expect to find time to work on the Smials for Frodo's Quest (and other projects).

3D-Printed: Insert for Pallet Tank Top Inlet Spigot

My wife recently purchased a second hand pallet tank (1000 l) for collecting and storing rain water and use it for watering the garden.

However, it seems impossible to find some kind of 'adapter' for drain pipes to fit the top spigot. The only thing close to it has exactly the same diameter as the spigot, and thus does not fit either on the outside or the inside of the spigot.

Argonor and 123D Design to the rescue, and after a couple of tests, I have now printed an insert that will allow us to have the drainpipe going straight into the pallet tank without risk of getting leaves and other filth into the tank, cluttering the tap.

The pallet tank spigot

With the insert... inserted.

And with the piece of drainpipe inserted - in the background you can see the downspout which is to be connected to the tank

3D-Printed: Dragon Egg

The last week, I have been printing a couple of gift boxes in the shape of dragon eggs as seen in the Game of Thrones TV show, as I wanted to use them for delivering our presents to the two youngsters whose confirmations we attended this weekend (one Saturday, one Sunday).

Of course, my printer had to act up, causing me a lot of grief and wasted filament, until I figured out what exactly was wrong and could mend it.

But I managed to finish the last bottom just in time for today, and we could fill up the egg with Magic the Gathering booster packs for the son of one of my old friends (yesterday was the daughter of an even older friend who wished for funds for buying a parrot).

Both parties well finished, my printer is now building mortal Gods style bases I am planning to use for One Page Rules Age of Fantasy Skirmish (as well as Mortal Gods/Mythic), as it also uses 3-man groups of many troop types.

Magical Days in Odense: Boat Trip Thursday Night

As usual, we attended the now 'not' Harry Potter Festival in Odense, and this year I had purchased tickets for the 'Zoolomagical Boat Trip in the Dark' for Anna and Lea.

For some reason, this year the check-in for the ride had been moved to the bank opposite of the quai, which caused some confusion, but eventually all the participants found their way over there.

 

Anna and Lea, too. The next couple of photos were taken from the far side of Odense Creek with zoom on my new Canon Ixus - I am somewhat impressed!

 

Luckily, the girls were placed on the same boat.

It still took a while before they departed, as the other boat had to go first, and it seems the skippers want to maintain a safe distance between the boats as they navigate up the creek to Odense Zoo.

I used the waiting time for snapping some pictures, and you can see the best results below.

After the boats left, I had to kill three hours, so I went to the Old Irish Pub in 'Elf Alley' Odense, to wait for my Wife and have a few beers.

Preparations for Going all Medieval

The girls are making dresses for the European Medieval Festival in Horsens later this month.

No, they do not sew by hand; it would be too time-consuming, and we are just going as guests, not actors.

3D Souvenir Coin Display

During our vacation in France this summer, quite accidentally we passed very close to Azincourt (yes, THAT Agincourt!!), and I took a short detour from the main road to actually visit the place.

There is a very nice small museum there, and I bought a commemorative coin/medal (it is a thing in France), as it was the only small souvenir I could get (I have a shelf for small kitchy souvenirs).

I have several of these from earlier vacations, and I have never really gotten them properly displayed - but with my new 3D printer, that is going to change!

 I found this coin display stand on Thingiverse, and it takes only 14 minutes to print, so it is an obvious choice for this purpose.

I need to unearth the souvenirs from my vacations with my parents many years ago  I am certain there are some more of that kind of coins among them!

Grooming the Tennis Courts

Today, before noon, Lea and were removing turf from the cement mini court outside the tennis courts here in Kværndrup.

The mini court had been sorely neglected the last many years, and an overhaul was long overdue!

We now need the lines painted up (Anna and I are mending the severely damaged net), and the court can be used again.

While we broke sweat, the clay courts were watered - it is very hot and dry here in Denmark this summer, and the tennis courts need lots of water for the surface to not disintegrate into loose sand.

Trump and Putin...

...we better get ready.

OK, only one mask - for spray painting, working with resin, etc. But still...

Getting in the Right Mood...

I have been unearthing some of the Halloween decorations from the basement, and also purchased a few pieces more (notably Billy, some Ghoulish Garlands,  and Uncle William), and spent an hour or so arranging stuff in the conservatory and the living room windows.

Some pics from the entrance to the house.

The windows in the gable end facing Åparken.

And a phote better showing Billy (to the left), and Uncle William (next to the door). I got Uncle William from the FALGS in Odense Saturday afternoon before the girls went on the Harry Potter boat trip, and I carried him with me through the city (I was dressed up with in almost Victorian fashion of black suit, white/silver waistcoat and bow tie, black top hat, and knee-long black coat), and my moustache curled).

Harry Potter Festival 2016: Zoomagical Boat Ride

The day after the Hogwarts Express ride, the girls went on the evening Zoomagical Boat Trip on Odense Å from Munke Mose to Odense Zoo, where some scary and wondrous stuff awaited them.

I still do not know how to manually set my camera for less than optimal lighting conditions, so the photos are not all that great, but I think you will get the overall mood.

Off they go!

The previous tour returns to Munke Mose

The late tour was somewhat delayed, and I walked up the river to look out for the returning boats.

At a bridge, I noticed this:

The return of the late tour. The kids had a great time, and if you ever visit Odense with kids during week 42, I can heartily recommend the festival.