Mojo working

My mojo is worrying people.
Over the weekend it was mentioned several times along with some concern. I'd like to reassure people that my mojo, though small, is alive and well.
Apart from taking Mrs F. out for a walk today (yes really) it has been a bit of a day of tying up loose ends and trying to work out a way forward amongst all the mess and half started projects. I've never fallen into this trap before, but 2014 seems to be the year that caught my sensible head napping. Now the compulsory project above has been put to bed, I can line up all those 'designed to distract' things and work out which are worth continuing with, and which need to be made to face the pit and be shot in the back of the head.
Watch this space for more exciting details.

Inspirations 8

 Yesterday was a clear-up day, not in terms of house, but computer. The book manuscript was finally loaded onto three CDs ready to go which left me the task of tidying up all the associated debris. Would I do it again? Probably not, but then no one has asked me so that's a bit of a redundant question. So as part of the clear up I took a few photos of the layout and wrote a very short piece for 009 News, possibly a bit near the knuckle, but very much in the style of the old 1960/70s articles with more about storyline than the construction. Not like the increasingly boring shopping list articles that seem so prevalent today. Which brings me to this...
The Far Twittering. Built by Mike Cook and subsequently passed around, the Emmett influenced layout has become an underground classic. This style of modelling is extremely hard to pull off (I know of only one other that's managed it) and very much of it's time. the problem with Emmett's stuff is that it was by and large in 2D sketches and while it's easy (!) to think out of the box in 2D, making that actually work is another thing. Even the artist himself must have struggled, but pull it off he did. Search for Festival of Britain to find more images like the one below. This 'drunken, but logical' is harder than it looks.

Now with things cleared a bit, maybe the enthusiasm will return.

Party

It's been hectic around here. Mrs. F is on crutches (pause for gags) we have had builders in for over a week knocking holes in walls and plastering, so downstairs has been partially out of bounds and due to the above I've had to climb out of my pit before lunchtime to do the school run (I know, there is a reason).

Result - my modelling mojo is very low.

Anyway the summer party went very much to plan, enjoyed by all and once again the weird sight of grown men queuing for ice cream. Me? I saw nothing, too busy making tea. 

West Highland

 Back to Fort William after five years. I like this area a lot, the downside is that it is just so far away that you have to build the best part of three days driving in to get there and back. The last time we drove up to Kyle of Lochalsh and over the bridge to Skye, this time a train to Mallaig was the centre point. There is a steam service - all very nice and packed with Potter fans. The sensible and thrifty take the service train, the view is the same, but you don't get coated in ice cream. I'd done this line before, only the entire thing from Glasgow Queen Street; this time from Fort William and a mere 25 minutes walk from the digs. a pair of 156 units being not quite as glamorous as maroon Mk 1's, but air conditioned and much quieter.

 The reason for the lack of steam interest is that you do this run for the ride and the scenery, and that doesn't change whatever mode of carriage you take. The line is as windy as some of the Welsh narrow gauge quite steep in places and the mountain sides dwarf the train. for a return trip of an hour and a half each way for under 15 quid it has a lot going for it.