Voyage of RTS Santa Fe

04 October....

This morning we departed Houston in the newly commissioned RTS Santa Fe (an armed merchant ether flyer we recently purchased from the British). We are a company of Marine Sappers attached to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Regiment of Army pukes aka "Black Legs". Our final destination is to the Veiled Planet, where we are to build an advance base in the swamp and marsh of this miserable planet. After training in the swamps around Anahuac in July and August, I cannot imagine this planet being any worse as the mosquitoes and gators kept us up during the night.

My men are itching for a good adventure and their spirits will remain high as long as I keep my comanding officer away from them. Subaltern Fredrick A. Griggs is fresh from the Academy and a real by-the-book officer, though if I ever catch him leaving that damn book (The Correct Manner of a Republic Officer in the Field) lying around, I will use it for kindling in my fire or let Private Jones use it for cleanliness after a good meal.

Being a Gunnery Sergeant in the Republic Marine Corps, I have been on board a few vessels at sea but nothing prepared me for this kind of voyage. This hulk is noisier and shakes more than a Chinese whaling vessel.

Well, I must end the log entry as I am going topside to see the Earth from the stars.

Added poll and other features.

Loyal followers of this Journal can now create subscriptions through feed services, located in the lefthand margin near the top of the page. I hope that this will keep you more informed and give you the news you need, when you need it. You may also (at the bottom of the page) ad yourself as a Devoted Follower of the Journal.

The October poll is up and running, so feel free to speak your mind on this important topic. Please note that you may choose more than one response.

There is also a new counter. I set it to start at 1300 hits, since I was above that mark when the old one died on me. Shoddy Oriental workmanship, I suspect, rather than proper British Engineering! With luck, this one shall produce better results than its predecessor.

Finally for tonight, I am toying with the idea of renaming this 'blog.' The one year anniversary is coming up, and I feel that it might be time to shake things up a bit. Expect a short-lived poll on the subject very soon. Perhaps even tonight.

Another month, another poll, and results discussed!

Well, good friends, we see that another month has passed. The storms have cleared, and life here in the Colonies is returning to normal.

This month I'll post a new poll that coincides with the common October theme of horror. So be looking for that in the next day or two.

The September post had a rather low number of responses, and a surprising result. Venus shall henceforward primarily be referred to as the Veiled Planet. Truthfully, I was shocked to see "Jungle Planet" lose out, as it had started strongly and maintained its lead quite well throughout the month. In the last few days, however, the eventual winner pulled out in front and finished strong. Rather exciting, for a silly journal poll, don't you think?

I still have only limited access to the journal, and also restricted access to my workstation for progress on any of my multitude of projects. Perhaps this weekend, though I shall also be occupied in observing my youngest son's athletic endeavours on the field.

Until next time, good friends, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Terrain Project

We have received new word of a foot bridge being constructed on Venus. It has been made of an amazing new substance, called styrene. This is supposed to be able to withstand the pervasive rot of the Jungle Planet's humid atmosphere.

Seen here with basecoat painting in a shot which is a bit blurry. You can see all the photos and follow the project's progress here:
http://s161.photobucket.com/albums/t225/jwomack94/Wargames%20Terrain/

Enjoy!

Reporting In

Good friends, i am sure you all thought that I was off on safari in the wild highlands of Venus, or perhaps the sleazy dives of Bongolesia.

No, far from those sites of grand adventure, I have been inundated with the everyday and recovery operations in the wake of the Republic's recent hurricane. Even now, I am forced to borrow access to a difference engine connected to the Webley-Errington-Bynes System of Interlocking Telephonic Engines (WEBSITE) rather than conducting my journaling from the comfort of my homestead.

Alas, if you have been following the progress of my Pledge Counter in the left hand margin, I am not making progress on my pile of lead. In fact, I haven't picked up a brush in three weeks. Virtually the only work that has been accomplished was the assembly and priming of two small vacu-form plastic terrain pieces (rivers, in this case) that were purchased last summer (2007) at Historicon. I would like to say some paint will be applied this weekend, but I seriously doubt it.

Perhaps - perhaps! - I will be inspired to work further on my Papal papers this weekend. That is more likely, as I have many distracting guests in the house currently, and I need more concentration for painting than for writing, plus the painting station is setup in a more public area of the house, whereas my writing engine is in my bedchambers, the last refuge of privacy remaining to me.

I am assured by the service people from the telephonic connection agency I subscribe to that my lines should be repaired as soon as Monday next. We shall see. I, for one, remain skeptical of their promises.

That is all for now, gentlemen. Please do keep checking in to see if any progress is made. I have come across many interesting projects that were set aside previously and would dearly love to return to at this time. It might just be the next entry in this journal.