Ahoy crewmates! Time to rise and shine. It's Monday.

It's a pleasant 77°F here at the news desk with a high of 92° F. It looks like our heat wave is starting to break.

This past weekend was the IPMS USA Nationals. From the photographs, it looks like there was a lot of nice models on the tables. Congratulations to all of those who placed.

Let's take a look at what's new around MSW.

IPMS USA Nats Photo coverage
Dick Montgomery (dmontgomery) was kind enough to share all great photos from the ship categories with us. While Dick couldn’t make the show this year, he was more than happy to pass on the photos from the IPMS photo team as he posted them on their website. Click on over and take a look at these wonderful ships.
IPMS Nats

OzCon 2007 Photos
As long as we are talking contest, Steven Arthur (95bravo) shares his photos from OzCon 2007 in Wichita, Kansas. Congratulations to all of those who participated and thank you Steve for sharing.
OzCon 2007.

Dragon’s USS Bonne Homme Richard
Mark Smith (Gunny) has been busy toiling away at the review desk. His latest review is of Dragon’s USS Bonne Homme Richard. What a wonderful kit. The local hobby shop has this one and I may just have to pick it up. Thanks for sharing Mark!
https://modelshipwrights.kitmaker.net/review/2711" TARGET="_blank">Review

The Great White Fleet Installments 127, 128 & 129
Sean Ford (fordboy) has been busy with his wonderful “Great White Fleet” chronicles and this weekend he brings us the next three installments.

Instalment 127

Installment 128

Installment 129

Crewmate Sound Off
Now is the time in which you can share your news and views. Give us the poop on you latest builds and future projects. Share with us your weekend adventures. We all what to know what you did this weekend. So, sound off mates!

And finally, on a personal note, our youngest crewmate, Lil’ Gator will have to undergo another shunt revision. Ian has spiked a fever once a week for the last few weeks. Every time, we have had his white blood count checked and everything was fine. Last week, things were a little different. We scheduled and appointment with his pediatrician and had some test done. The test came back positive for a type of staph infection that attaches to the shunt system. What is odd though, is that other than the test, he is not showing any of the signs he normally shows when he has a problem with his shunt. I am bringing Ian and Renee to Childrens Hospital in New Orleans tomorrow where he will more than likely be admitted. I’ll be in and out of the news room for the next few weeks so I can spell Renee at the hospital and she can come home and go to work. I’ll keep you guys posted as we hear news.

That's all for now from the news desk. Remember, if you can't get to your bench and build, at least you can talk about it.

So long, and if the phone doesn't ring, it's me.
Later...Gator

Good luck and thoughts to lil’gator, you and your family.

I am in move mode, looks like I will be moving…across the street- literally.
Still no firm day, appraisals, inspections ect. ect. It really puts a kink in the modeling. However, I may get room for a shop in the garage when the dust settles!

Kenny Ian is in my prayers. I really feel so terribly sorry for the little guy.

As to modeling over the weekend what's that? I did all my modeling 1-1 scale. As I mentioned on another post I had to repair about 30 feet of fence with the help of a neighbors nephew. The old fence was falling down and we were both afraid that our dogs would get through it and hurt the other's dogs. Between holding the hammer, and the cordless drill, my hands are just aching. It even hurts to be typing this. I didn't even want to pick up a paint brush when I was all done. So my Sherman and my The Sullivans are going to have to wait until next weekend, assuming SWMBO doesn't have a major honey dos in store for me.

No modeling this whole week.
I’m hoping to get back to things this week some time.


Kenny best of luck to you and your son.

Thanks for the well wishes guys. Y'all are great!

I did manage to get some bench time Sunday. Saturday was a bust getting things ready for Tuesday. Anyway, I managed to get some work done on my 1/48 Sherman Calliope for our club group build.

Hey all,

Did some work on my wifes office(my 4 year old helped too). Did start on a paper model of the V 108, should be interesting.

That is cool Gator!

Well, again, spent most of the weekend putting the finals to the Bonne Homme review, that you so eloquently mentioned above (thank you!)...quite an exhausting kit to research and review, but gawd, what a beauty!

1/35 reeds, step 1& 2...

Kenny, my thoughts go to your family and your son
JB

Kenny:

My thoughts and prayers ae with Ian. Hopefully this time he can be patched up with some good old anti-biotics and avoid any intrusions.

As to work done, well, I got my gator glue back so I have been progressing putting the itty-bitty gun shields on my 20mm. I also laid the first color of camo paint on my NC, applied part one of my Gator Mask system and then put the second color on last night. The masks went on easily and I only had to cut them where the 3D effect (Like around funnels) took place. Tommorrow I will lay out part 2 of the masks and spray the last color on.....that and keep making those blamed 20mm...I swear there must be a hundred of them and I could put 2 or 3 completed pieces on the fingernail of my little finger. This Saturday I am going to the Mastercon which is now held by Squadron since they bought out Velinden a while back. Just going to bring my camera. The week after that is the FT Worth annual show, but I'll be working Keith's (Hobby Annex) booth.

Cool. I've got a good friend going to that show, Dick Montgomery. You won't be able to miss him. 6'4" pastey white boy wearing a bootleg Gator's Paint Masks shirt.

Thanks for the well wishes. We're hoping this goes very smoothly with Ian being older and stronger health wise. Hey, it was two years ago he was having the same surgery and Katrina showed up!

Hi Kenny,

Firstly, Hope all goes well with the little one.

Working at a number of armour porjects, finishng off 3 x M4 Shermans, a Mk I Hybrid, Mk 1 and Ic Firefly.

Revamped and almost completed a Polish Sherman IB 105mm from a past life, somehting I've been wanting to do these past two years.

Working on the radios for the Churchill AVRE and just started a Cromwell AVR.

Despite the Bank Holiday weekend, I got little done, just wasn't in the mood, although I did a little work on Monday.

I did decide on a load for my Italeri LCM 3, an Armoured D7 Dozer so I shall have to get the kit into dry dock and upgrade the fitting from the spares I have for a British LCM 3.

As soon as I clear the current run of armour I'll have to make so time for the Lighthouse Windows, Mobile Canteen and 2nd Goods Wagon. I have gathered up enough material to build the base of the pier but haven't yet started on the build. Work, a pending new job and house move are all playing there part and I may have to put a hold on proceedings towards the end of September/start of October until I get re-located.

13 or 14 figures are in various stages of development to add some colour and a civilian touch, so I haven't been totaly idle

The arrival of the Humber Scout Car means I can do a little more towards keeping my IG dio progressing and some new painting techniques means a re visit of some of the seamen and Infantry I have already completed lol,lol.

A mans work is never done

Al

Ahoy mates!

Lil' Gator update. We got to the hospital this morning and they pulled a spinal fluid sample and tested it for staph, of course it tested positive. He has been admitted and they will externalize the shunt, meaning take it out and drain the spinal fluid externally, and install a central line for the antibiotics. From there, he gets meds until he's well and then they will put the shunt back in.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
~Gator

Our prayers and well wishes go out to your son.

Harry

My thoughts are with you and your family Kenny, I hope Ian makes a speedy recovery.

Modelling wise very little got done due to a very long 15 hours at work on Saturday carrying out a power and cooling upgrade to the building. Spent most of Sunday nodding off in the chair. Must make time tomorrow night to complete my Tomcat entry for the Tomcat campaign over on Aeroscale.

Also spent time looking at cameras after my mishap a couple of weeks ago which ended with my present camera laying in bits on the road. Now decisions buy models or buy camera

Ciao
Luciano

Luciano as awful as this is to say, I think you should opt for the camera. Taking pictures of your life as well as models.

Kenny, once again you and Ian hang tough. I remember Katrina well, I've been in a couple of Hurricanes myself while in Alabama so the 2 year aniversery of Katrina brings up a lot of bad thoughts. Tell your friend to look me up at the show. It's a small area so I'll be somewhere. I usually where my "GAtor" shirt...though this guy is called Cherokee CHarlie after the one that used to be at the Boy Scout camp in Athens, TX

All the best to Lil Gator, Kenny.

I haven't touched a model in over two weeks, having been on vacation in Cape Cod last week, and catching up on stuff that didn't get done in the yard since I've been back! Hoping to get back in my hobby room this weekend, so I can finish up the Illinois.

Got an update from Renee.

Ian had surgery at 11 this morning. The surgeon removed all of the shunt system from Ian and has it draining externally. They took another spinal fluid sample to have tested (they want to see just how strong the bacteria is). The doctor did say that the spinal fluid was a little cloudy but not too bad (needs to be clear to go home). She put him on two different antibiotics and if the infection is not too bad, she will take him off of one. Hopefully by this time next week they will be putting the shunt back in and we will be looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. Best case is that he goes home in 14 days, worst case is 28 days.

Ok...now go build something.
~Gator

You need to have that LilGator well soon, so that he can help BigGator on some modeling!
Best wishes and prayers from this side of the pound
Rui (aka Skipper)

Now for some modeling issues....
I have been kind of busy with some interviews that have been eating my modeling time, but (THERE IS ALWAYS A BIG BUT...) I have decided to have a little break (again) on the PE parts of USS Cassin DD372 for Leyte Campaign (sorry Herr Burkhardt on a slow review of your brass dept charges) so...

Here it goes (aka How stupid can you get??)
I have started to scratchbuilt a 1/700 Bay Class Frigate in Portuguese use in 1959, called NRP Álvares Cabral F336. Photos later... but I can only say that it is fun to make a model this way!
Of course, the Mrs had to make the big question:
If you have all those boxes why are you starting to make something from scratch?
As the penguins say in the CGI movie Madagascar: Wave and smyle, wave and smyle!!

Skipper

Ach Kenny, just read this post. I'm sorry to hear about the wee fellow.

I remember this from a while back but hadn't noticed anything since. Hope he's okay. Nothing worse than sick kiddies.

Hi Kenny,

You've kept us so well in the loop with little Gator that it feels like family when you tell us about him. I'll keep him and you and his mom in my prayers. The updates are always appreciated.


Slowly but surely getting my modeling room set up. maybe in a month or so I'll be ready to build something......