Through Adversity to the Stars.

Today, after 22 years in the Royal Air Force, I finally realised what the RAF motto actually meant.

Yes, I knew that 'Per Ardua Ad Astra' translates as 'Through Adversity to the Stars' but today I finally realised what it meant.

After nearly six weeks of exceptionally bad luck, where the helicopters were breaking down all the time, today we managed to get all four of them up and flying.

I am tremendously proud of my whole shift for getting everything serviceable...even though it has been a horrendous struggle to keep our humour when all around us was falling apart.

To see all four flying past in a (loose) formation was a moment when I thought to myself...

...yep, we did it.

I can't say fairer than that.

See you over the horizon...the birds are aloft and the journey is homeward bound!

A bit of a mixed bag.

It has been a long week. We have been working hard and have finally managed to break the back of the evil luck we have had with the helicopter's serviceability...we actually had three out of four cabs flying at the same time!!! It was short lived...but it happened!

The rains have come with a vengeance. There have been some torrential down-pours with thunder and lightning to add to the fun...no flooding yet...

I had a bit of a small triumph this week...I finally managed to get a picture of one of the monkeys that keep coming into our hangar and causing a bit of mayhem:

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They have always managed to be out of range when I get my camera out...but not this time. These monkeys would be awesome if they didn't leave smelly little monkey presents everywhere...

Speaking of smelly little presents...with the rain has come new life. There is blossom on the trees, there are flowers in the newly grown grass and there are far too many of these:

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You won't see what they are until you click the pic...and even then you'll struggle. They are a small swarm of beetles. I like to call them 'coco-pop beetles' because they are about the right size and there are a lot of them. The picture above shows a small pile of them after one night and under one of the many windows. Every window was like this and the inside of the hangar was like a snowstorm when the lights were on over night...MILLIONS OF THEM!!!

Fortunately, help was at hand in the form of a rather energetic toad:

AWFUL PICTURE ALERT!!!

Unfortunately, the awesomeness of the toad was nowhere near a match for the horrendous camera I have at my disposal...couple that with poor light and we end up with the poor excuse for a photo above.

It is with a heavy heart that I must report the demise of a dear friend...This friend carried me across some of the harshest of terrains and for hundreds of miles...It is my mate the CALM lorry. Sadly, it has become beyond economical repair and is now obsolete...so it has been loaded onto a truck and taken to a new home...

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A sad end for an awesome piece of military hardware.

On that note...I will say tarrah.

See you through wind-swept clouds of purple blossom!

Random...

Just a couple of random pix from when we went on Safari...

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Just as an explanation, I need to print some photographs off fo a bit of a report on the event and this is the only way I could see of doing it...so please excuse the randomness of these pix :).

I have been thinking a bit about the box of Grymn I have at home that have been set aside for my urban army.

I am planning to add a bunch of the new Grymn available (Heavy infantry, Snipers, HMG specialists and Rocket Launcher specialists)...to bolster the numbers but I am still undecided as to the direction I want to take.

I could make them totally autonomous...paint them in greys and have them as an Urban army.

I could paint them in a similar way to the Tunnel Fighters and have them as regulars, with the Tunnel Fighters being the elites.

I could completely change my mind and paint them in a different camouflage style...I was thinking of the Kenyan airforce Camouflage pattern...

One thing is for sure. I have about 30 tunnel fighters to finish off when I get back to the green and pleasant land...then my focus will turn to the Urban army; in whatever scheme they may take...and that means another army for the expansion of the race.

...and I already have some APCs, IFVs and tanks to go with them too...

The future is Grymn...

See you over the score sheets (I'm off to a quiz night...the things they do to keep us out of mischief when we are on military exercise)!

It's Just a ride around the park, gentlemen...

Wow...what a week! First up lets give a warm welcome to Joao Mota...WELCOME! If you've come for some eclectic model making, miniature painting/sculpting and general everyday stuff...you've come to the right place!

On to the post and being in Kenya has it's perks. As part of the deal, we have to undertake compulsory adventurous training. This time around I went abseiling, canyoning, hiking and topped off the day with a bit of a safari...

...the first thing I saw was a zebra:

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...I actually saw a whole host of them but my 'not so brilliant' camera wasn't up to group shots (apparently) so this one was the only one worth seeing :).

Giraffes are a bit less widespread but I managed to get pretty close to these ones:

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The best part of the day was how close we got to wild elephants. These were about 100 metres from us and even stayed there long enough for us to get some nice pix...well...obviously mine aren't too nice but you can see the elephants so it is as good as you'd expect:

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...But let's not forget the trusty vehicle that we rode around on...Health and Safety Beware! We rode around on the roof, over bumpy terrain and that was almost as good fun as seeing all the animals!:

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I'm the one sat on the left of the picture on the roof...

On the way to the safari, we were driven by a local driver in a Range Rover. Obviously, things break when they are used heavily and the Range Rover was no exception. If you look in the following picture, you can see a modification to the dashboard...new clocks from a completely different vehicle have been grafted in:

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This got me thinking about how much people out here 'make do and mend' using whatever they have at their disposal...if they can find a use for something, they will! It also reminded me of us model making types. We have our bits boxes full of old kits...and when we are out and about we are always looking for that next component...the next bit of rubbish that could turn out to be a rocket nose-cone, a Mecha's chest-plate or even a piece of scenery...

...A case of life imitating art?...

See you across the dusty plains!

Be Careful at a Zebra Crossing!

I will start today's post with a warm welcome to SR; the newest follower to this humble blog. WELCOME!

Well it has been an interesting couple of weeks in Kenya. We have had a LOT of reset work to do on the aircraft out here and have practically had every engine out and put back in...add to that, the flying faults and general maintenance and we have all been extremely busy. Mind you...when the weather is like this and we can work outside, it isn't all bad:

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Even when the day is nearly over and the sun is setting, it is difficult to get upset about working hard when you look out across the airfield:

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So...what has been happening out here? Well, I have been a complete mad-dog Englishman who has definitely gone out in the midday sun! I have taken to applying copious amounts of sunblock and running around the golf club grounds...with the air being so thin (we are at 6000+ feet above sea level), things get pretty tiring very quickly but I can safely say that I am blowing away all of the old cobwebs!

I have been looking out for unusual wildlife too and so far, we have had to slow the bus down for a Springbok, a camel, lots of local farm animals and a herd of zebras! I have sat and watched the local magpies mob a rather large bird of prey (akin to a British Buzzard in size and outline) and have really enjoyed watching the cheeky little 'Brilliant Starlings' wander into our mess and start feeding off the crumbs. The local cats are also quite happy to hang about around the mess...it may keep the pests down but it can also lead to quite a lot of mess...and so far, only one of the cats has demonstrated any form of friendliness; begrudgingly offering the top of its head for a stroke whilst glaring at me...

The shifts we are working mean that we are working hard beut still able to get washing and housework done. They also enable us to sample some of the local haunts...in fact, only yesterday evening, I was singing Karaoke in one of the local bars...

I must admit to not having thought too much about any hobby stuff. The nearest thing to a hobby I have done is to make a PG-Tips monkey a jacket and belt...but that is for another day!

See you across the plains!

Sunday again?

Hello everyone!

What a week I've had in Kenya. The sun has been raging, I've been working hard fixing the helicopters, doing plenty of PT, enjoying a few Tuskers here and there and marvelling at the fantastic landscape all around the camp and airbase.

Unfortunately, I haven't really got anything to show because I have just got back from work and it is midnight...I have to be up at 06:30 again for more work. Hopefully I'll get a couple of pics done tomorrow and put something on here when I am a bit more awake.

See you through the dusty air!

A funny thing happened...

...on the way to wherever I was going.

I was thinking about stuff (as you do) and the conversation turned to human nature and how the environment affects how people respond to things. From the simplest of things that cause arguments to the more major things that cause tears of joy...or heartbreak, different peolple will react differently to others.

Throughout my life, I have seen many things...from the birth of children, to the death of a family member...from military funerals to being under fire in a 'peace keeping' environment...yet throughout all of my experiences, one thing has always stood out and that is how people react to situations...sometimes in a completely unexpected fashion.

I have seen pillars of the community cowering under a table when an air raid siren went off...being bolstered by someone who, normally, would be a timid little rabbit. I have seen people I would not expect, sobbing with grief...and others sobbing with joy (some of them real 'MEN' too...)...

...this got me thinking about how sci fi wargaming could be effected by a different sort of psychology...one that isn't 'the captain is an inspirational leader...immune to fear' but more like 'the captain is an inspirational leader who is normally immune to fear but sometimes is momentarily affected by indecision, fear or uncertainty'.

I can say that people react in an unpredictable manner in stressful situations...some fall to pieces where others throw aside their timid nature and take control. I know this because I have seen it!

Why am I going on about this? Like I said, a conversation got me thinking...how about a random generator for the unpredictability of a stressful situation?

Roll a D6: on the roll of:
1 to 3 - the character behaves as they would normally expected.
4 to 5 -The character faulters and needs to take stock...missing all of the actions this turn.
6 - The character loses their nerve and breaks. Treat them as if they had routed.

Add to that, a few extra categories, like becoming immune to fear/terror or charging into the enemy in a suicidal attack...it could be interesting. It could also be applied to troop models...how would they react if the officers weren't keeping an eye on them? How could an officer affect the poor trooper's actions...would he inspire or break the trooper?

I saw a lizard at work today. It was about 8" long and smooth. and grey/green in colour.

See you through the arched window!

On a different note...Tuskers Beer reminds me of Toby Bitter...something I remember from a long time ago.

Are we there yet?

...Yes, we are.

After an 'interesting' journey, we arrived in Kenya and have now settled into our rooms and begun to get to grips with work. I have bought a nice bit of internet time so that I can keep myself entertained and still keep up with stuff like updating Inso's World.

Here is a picture of some elephant bones that are leaning up against one of the buildings at work:

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Due to all of the travelling, losing three hours due to the change to Kenya time and generally not sleeping very much in the build up to getting here, I am pretty tired out...so I'll be getting an early night tonight :).

As you will probably understand, I have not brought any hobby stuff with me so any updates are only going to be text based where that is concerned...but there may be a few pix of things out here because I did bring a camera with me.

All that remains to be said is that normal service will be resumed in April when I get back...but until then, you never know what may turn up on here so keep watching...

...especially because I don't have a TV or music to distract me, nor painting or sculpting...so there is likely to be a bit of story telling and other bits and bobs :) .

So...I'll see you from the shadow of Mount Kenya!

Take me home, country road...

At last, the ordeal is over! Well...in simple terms, my time in Kenya is drawing to a close with my trip home starting tomorrow.

Tonight we are all having a BBQ and a couple of celebratory drinks after what has been a very interesting 6 weeks.

Speaking of interesting, I have just returned from a 4 day excursion to a forward operating base to try to fix a poorly helicopter. It was very hot, very sweaty and very hard work...15hour days were worked...but unfortunately, we ran out of time and had to hand over to the next people to arrive in Kenya. While we were there we were living in a nice air conditioned tent and had showers and toilets available to us.

The drive up to the FOB was about 7 hours after a small detour due to getting a little bit confused on the way...but we were quicker on the way back; taking only 5 hours...

The terrain was partly tarmac, partly gravel and partly off-road...in a 4 ton truck with a payload...so bumpy and slow were the names of the games...still good fun though.

On the trip, we saw Ostrich, Zebra, Dik-dik, a big Eagle of some description, Camels, Hares and even the odd lizard...but alas...no Elephants or Giraffes...

well...that's me...I'm off to finish packing and then I'm off to eat some BBQ meat of some description...anyone for Zebra?

See you through the dusty heat haze!

Sunday...after a busy week.

This week has been one of long shifts and hard play. We have been busy trying to keep the helicopters flying while, on our off-shift, doing compulsory adventurous training. It has certainly been a bit of an eye opener...and the things I have done this week are definitely on a par with stroking a cheetah!

So...picked up at 08:00 and after a two hour drive down tracks and bumpy lanes and a short climb, I ended up here:

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...and the view was a bit like this:

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...definitely a good way to start the day...

After a couple of hours climbing around the rock-face we went on a further hours drive along EXTREMELY bumpy terrain, through a forrest and down to a riverside spot for lunch. After that we jumped into the river from a 5 metre outcrop and swam down stream a bit, climbing out and scrambling about until we reached the top of a 30 metre waterfall. Once my group were ready we abseiled down the waterfall and had a bit of a swim at the bottom while the rest of the group followed. Now you waould have thought that was adventurous enough...but I guess there are no limits to what you can get up to...so after a bit of a trek further along the river, we found ourselves looking down from a 14 metre outcrop into the clear water of the river. After a brief pointer as to where it was safe to land...avoiding the rocks...we all jumped in! It was definitely a case of overcoming your instincts for me...but I did it...and a further one at the same height followed by another one from slightly lower...

We were very lucky on the day because once we had dried off and started the trip home, a storm broke and there was torrential rain that made getting home quite a slippery driving experience. At least we missed the rain because two days later, the river was so muddy that it wasn't deemed safe for the canyoning...so the following groups didn't get to jump off the high outcrops...which was a great shame for them.

Finally...to top everything off, I have been selected to lead a small group up to a landing site to start the recovery of a rather poorly helicopter. That means I will be driving, cross-country, for about 6 hours with an awful lot of equipment to a place where I will be living in tents and working long shifts...and I only have about 8 days left here. The place I am going is in the African mountains and has really poor signal strength for mobiles and laptops...so if it is quiet here...you'll know why.

Well...that is about it for today...I would have said that I am planning lots of hobby stuff...but I haven't been...all I have been looking forward to at the moment is to get home to my wife and family and regain a bit of normality...the hobby will come, when it comes.

See you through the murky depths...

Two weeks to a state of normality...

I've just had word of flights home...only two more weeks and it is back to earth!

Can't be bad, can it?

See you through the rain soaked camo-net!

The animals came in two-by two...

I have had a great day today. I worked until midday, had a nice curry for lunch and then went to an animal orphanage, not far from where I am staying out here. It was quite an experience and for a few Kenyan Shillings, things got very interesting...

...here is a pic of me being used as a feeding station by a Colobus Monkey:

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The same feeding station but with a different kind of monkey (I can't remember the species...sorry):

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After the monkeys had finished, I managed to go and see some Cheetas...but I never thought I'd get this close...

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I was lost for words over the cheeta meeting and had a cheesy grin for the rest of the afternoon. What did this little trip cost? Less than 3000Kenyan Shillings (that is less than £26-00)...the best money I have spent in a fair while, I can tell you.

After the trip to the animal orphanage, we went to a rather posh country hotel and had coffee and a few beers over looking the grounds. There were peacocks, storks and all manner of other birds pottering about the immaculately kept grounds and croquet lawn. I should have taken my swimming shorts as they had a really nice outdoor pool too...

I guess I won't be topping this day too soon...although Tuesday, I will be abseiling down a waterfall, canyoning and rock climbing...go figure?!

Did I say that I am getting paid to do all this (as well as work very hard out here)? That is, as they say, life in a blue suit!

See you across the savannah

A Sunday update...on Wednesday?

Arrgghhh! Where did Sunday go?

I'd like to apologise for the lack of an update on Sunday but I have been off to a remote part of Kenya to work on one of my helicopters. It was in a pretty mountainous region and phone signals were non existant...and I only got back last night so a Wednesday morning update was in order.

Over the lasy week, I have been living in a tent, using solar showers, eating from a field kitchen and working in very hot and dusty conditions (with limited changes of clothing..."you'll only be there for a day or so", they said...)...it has been a blast :). Just to confirm that last comment, here was the view from my office one evening:

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Kenya can be beautiful and trying all at the same time. My office was a helicopter parked on the dirt, with a landrover and two lorries for company...it doesn't get a lot more 'real' than that...well...unless it was a conflict area...

I was lucky to get a helicopter flight to the destination and a return trip via truck over some 'interesting' terrain. On the way up I saw some elephants but was too high up to get a good pic...so here is a bad one instead:

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I felt there was a need to ring the elephants so that you could see them...a mother and calf on the left and other elephants elsewhere.

The five hour truck ride back was an enormous amount of fun too...people pay good money for opportunities like that and I was getting paid for it...PRICELESS!!!

So...there you have it. I have returned, scrubbed up and have got back a semblance of normality before the next unplanned trip to...who knows where?

See you through the dusty downwash!

Another Sunday update...

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Time flies when you are having fun...and this trip to Kenya is no exception.

I am working an extremely flexible work pattern at the moment which has ranged from 8 to 15 hour days...but it has certainly not been boring.

The group of us that are out here are currently split into two groups...one of them down at Nairobi and one up in Laikipya (my one). Once we are all together again, we can start a rotating shift pattern which will make life a bit more predictable...at the moment it is a bit like relying on chicken bones to decide when we are working. It IS quite fun though :).

I didn't get all of my washing back but I only lost a pair of socks so I wasn't too bothered...at least I got my uniform back!

It has still managed to rain every day since I arrived here but the rain is warm...even though it buckets down.

I have lost track of all the wildlife I've seen but it always seems to evade my camera...I'll get there eventually!

I am currently two hours ahead of the UK so it is gone midnight here...and I am very tired...so I am calling it a day!

It gets dark instantly here, I've never known a place like it.

See you blindly, with my fingers and outstretched hands!

Beer+good company=happy Inso!

Welcome Loving_giants! Another lost traveller is stopping by for a little rest and recouperation from life's mediocrity. I hope you enjoy your stay.

I have visited a local hostelry and have partaken in a few little sociable swifties...so the world is grand at the moment...god help my colleagues tomorrow!

See you along the long, long road!

YAAAAAAWWWNNN..is it time to get up yet?

I slept like death last night. I doubt if an earthquake could have roused me. A full 7 hours kip!

That is the first whole night's Kip I've had since I left home a week ago. I fell a bit dopey but much better for a decent night's kip :).

Hello and welcome to Melly.M; the newest follower to Inso's World. I hope you realise this is mostly a blog about war-game miniatures and not just some wayward traveller babbling on about Africa! Although...at the moment it IS a blog about a wayward traveller babbling on about Africa!

Welcome aboard Melly.M!

I have sorted my laundry, bagged it up and it is now in the hands of the locals...I hope I get it all back in one piece. I have had a cooked breakfast, abluted (such a wonderful word for washing and going to the loo!) and have written a little bit of text for the welfare e-mail that goes to all of the service families at home. I will be off to work at lunch time with a return time of...UNKNOWN...flexibility is the key to airpower, after all.

Once everyone is together here, we will finally get to start the proper shift patterns and then I can get some sort of normality going with all the lads. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too long.

I think I saw an Acouti last night. If not, it was a bleeping big Weasle!

See you through sleep filled eyes!

What...was...that!?!?

At work, this evening, I saw the biggest wasp I have ever seen. It must have been an inch and a half long and almost a quarter of an inch wide in the body department. It was black and greasy looking and I left the room and let everyone else deal with it! I call it being sensible...not cowardice at all.

A rabbit ran across the airfield today. It may not sound too unusual but it is a little bit of familiar territory in a place that has lots of stuff I've never seen at home.

I have learnt a couple of Swahili words: Mbari (hello) and Asanti (thank you)...there is also JAMBO! which is another greeting that is used a lot out here.

The world is a mysterious place and around every corner there is always something new to surprise you.

See you from the top of a safety-raiser!

I nearly missed it.

Yes, it is Sunday and on Kenya time it is 23:40hrs...so it nearly ISN'T Sunday!

I have visited my work place and have been busy sorting things out today. We will be getting some helicopters tomorrow so the work will start in earnest...that means I can finally get my teeth into something substantial. Because we have been doing menial stuff, I have been a bit bored so I haven't slept a full night yet...in fact, I haven't slept for more than about 10 hours since I left home on Wednesday.

I got to see a really iridescent blue Starling today. It literally looked like royal blue sapphires were covering its body. I also saw a big, black and white, butterfly that was about 10CM wingspan so it was an unusual sight.

I have started writing a short story about a Grymn soldier who is travelling across space as a terra-former...once I have a finished product, I'll post it over at the Grymn Blog (it isn't even nearly finished yet)...you see? I haven't forgotten them.

I am currently in a tired but relatively happy state. The conditions I was expecting have proven to be a lot lower standard than I have found...so it could have (and has) been a lot worse.

The Geckos in the loft, whistle to me at night times though...

All is well in Inso's World tonight (I have been chatting to my wife and all seems well at home) it is, after all, good to talk.

See you from a Monkey's point of aim!

Welcome to Africa!

I have finally arrived in Kenya. I started travelling at 23-00hrs on 21st Jul and arrived at my final destination at 12-05hrs on 24th Jul (14-05 local time).

It has been an interesting mix of coach and air travel ranging from a 9 hour coach trip to Edinburgh, followed by a LONG WAIT (chartered aircraft went U/S so we had to wait for a replacement), a 9 hour flight, a 3 hour coach trip through Nairobi to a holding area (where we stayed overnight) and then further coach travel for another 5 hours...FINALLY I am here and sitting in my mosquito net typing up this post...after buying the dongle, top up cards etc...

...I have had about 7 hours sleep over the journey so I am extremely tired but I reckon I'll sleep well tonight!

I have seen my first wild giraffes, storks and even a kite of some description...not to mention the geckos that frequent the buildings. It's all good stuff (now that I am here).

This is a first time for me in Kenya and there is a strong difference between the have's and the have not's...I'll write about that sort of thing in another post.

So that is it...desert bogeys and nosebleeds, cut fingers (taking down a mosquito net of all things) and a strong need for a lot of sleep!

See you through the dust and the mud and the rain...yes...it is hoofing it down outside!

The adventure begins...

Well, it has come to the last post before I disappear to Kenya for a month or two. I will still be about over the next couple of days but I am in the process of packing and sorting out things for when I go...so I will be too busy for too much WWW surfing.

I have a wallet full of funny-money, a mobile phone ready for a foreign sim card, a laptop ready for a foreign 'dongle', lots of stuff jammed in various bags and plenty of bug repellent!

I'll be taking a digital camera with me so there should be some interesting pics turn up at some point...assuming I get connected OK.

I won't be taking any hobby stuff (due to the living conditions) but should be able to spend some time putting some words down for some short stories while I'm away...so keep an eye out over on the Grymn blog for some new material.

I am a little apprehensive about the trip because I have never been to Africa and have not lived so closely with a third world population (where we are staying has a lot of poverty) so I have a lot to learn...but I'm just keen to get on with things now because I am getting really fidgety!

So I'll bid you farewell for now and I hope to have something to add once I get settled.

See you across the plains!