Why, David - that's the nicest thing(s) I've been called. Today. Certifiable is probably the best description.

Greg, you are correct.

David, that is SOOOO true! I hope I'm part of this wonderful tribe. I had never "heard" of this saying; I'm glad to know it now. I'm in great company !

Of course we’re a tribe. We even have our own dialect.

Well, I actually sat at the bench today and did some modeling.

I sprayed another coat of paint on the Tiger and added the skirts.

Did some initial weathering of the exhausts. This is a rather nice cocktail of Tamiya hull Red and some Flat Brown. Washed down with some Vallejo flat varnish.

I thought I'd add some lighter patches and covered in some seasoning. 30 minutes in the oven and she'll be fine.

Interestingly, as I was doing some research (or as the wife calls it, "slobbing"), I found some references to the Tiger Tank manual that was given to new crews. Apologies to all the hardened Tankers to whom this is old news, but the 'Tigerfibel' is quite a piece of work.

The inspector general of the Panzer troops (Heinz Guderian) thought the recruits wouldn't be able to focus on data-heavy technical manuals and commissioned it to be 'spiced up' so the crews would actually Pay attention to crucial information. The results are quite...interesting.

Translated versions are available. Strictly for research purposes...

1 additional image. Click to enlarge.

Hey, Michel.

Good progress my a...

These days I'm lucky if I can pick up on any of the builds I have on the bench. When I do, though, it's great getting lost in the detail of the project and the research. I know this is a frustration shared by many of my friends and brothers here. I have this plan to retire on a nice finca in southern Spain, playing guitar, modeling, reading and writing. Hey, by that time I might even finish a build...

Hell, the wife and kids could even visit if they felt like it.

Now that looks like a nice imodeler clubhouse! Suggest suggest... Fingers x-ed for the Spanish dream!

I visited Sevilla in 2007 and it has marked me so deeply I cannot forget it. Most of my time in the Spanish-speaking world I have spent in Ecuador, and other Latin American countries. But Spain (and Argentina, by the way), well, special places in the heart. The air and the light fairly caress you continually...

I'm there con unas gambas y un jamón sevillano con aceite de oliva.

Que te duermes bien, mi hermano.