Lego Weekend, part II

My kids and I spent another couple hours playing with Legos today. We tried to follow the directions for a castle, but I couldn't find all the pieces. So, I scratch-built this tower, while my kids put in a red floor in a half-built castle, worked on a little house (both in the background), and played with the minifigs.

Lego wagons

My daughters and I played with my old Legos today (Legos are "miniatures" right?). I've got boxes and boxes of the Castle Lego sets from the 1980s and 90s. We made these two wagons with castle bits. I still have the Lego minifigs and instructions for the Black Monarch's Castle, King's Mountain Fortress, King's Castle, and the castle for the knights with the bird on their shields. I'm sure I have all the pieces, but they're loose and mixed together in a couple different boxes. We'll have to see if we can sort them out and reconstruct at least one of these castles.

Obviously I was way into knights when I was a kid. I still have the first 5 lego knights I was given in 1983 or so. I could photograph them if you're interested in seeing them. I remember a few years ago Lego was selling fantasy Medieval sets with dwarves, goblins, etc., but they have moved on to different subjects since then. I kinda wished I had bought a few of those fantasy sets. eBay has them of course, but the prices are jacked way up. I'm not going to pay $5 to $15 for one dwarf minifig.

The Ferrous Lands are quiet

It's been pretty quiet around here hobby-wise. I haven't painted anything in a very long while. Business was extremely busy last month, so I was working evenings and weekends. And when I wasn't working on client projects I've been spending my free time writing my history book. It's about my grandfather's WWII unit (check out the book blog).

I have to say I have missed painting and posting these past few months. I have a closet full of guys just waiting. It's a real mix of genres. I have a 1/72 WWII paratroopers in there, a bunch of 28mm animals, 28mm prehistorics, 28mm King Philip's War Indians, a 1/72 DBA viking army (and opposing Saxons), 28mm fantasy models, 1/72 models for a 17th century New England colonists DBA army (and opposing woodland Indians), and I got a 1/72 DUKW model (my grandfather worked on those at Normandy). I already primed my scratch-built 28mm tavern model. I need to paint that and some villagers to go inside.

My book is almost finished, so I'm looking forward to getting back to some painting soon. I think I'll get to work on those 1/72 WWII guys first. Hopefully all my paints won't have dried up by then. On a slight side-note, I've become intrigued with the board game, Agricola. Have any of you readers played it? I'm thinking of buying it to play with my wife and daughters. They're not too fond of tanks, guns, swords, etc., so the game's farming theme should appeal to them.