Freed Ponies and Barn Building...

So, hopefully this won't be all over the place.  I am listening to our company's year-end meeting and I imagine I will have to pay *some* attention.  hahaha.  But sometimes it's hard to formulate your thoughts when someone is talking in your ear.  Actually...I can hang my headset on one of my monitors and I can still hear the talking and not have it in my ear.  No.  That's not going to work because now I can also hear the TV in the other room, which is distracting.  Oh well.  It was worth a shot.  So anyway, I apologize in advance if this seems to be a bit confusing.  This meeting is supposed to last an hour and that cuts into my blogging time.  hahahaha.  Priorities, right?

As I've mentioned before, I have a space problem and I have a bunch of models still in their boxes as a result of that.  But I get distracted easily.  I don't think I have ADD or anything like that, but only because I've never been tested, but I do get easily distracted and I get bored quite easily, too.  But it's due to the easy distraction that I ended up unboxing some of my Stablemates...annnnnnd trying to find places for them.  Even being as small as they are, finding room for multiple ones at one time can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you conga certain molds and want to keep them together.  That can take us back to the space issue.  I've got "healthy" congas of several SM molds, all in one spot.  But then I get another member of the conga and that's when the distractions come in.  There's only so far I'm willing or able to move from my desk, so instead of getting up and taking the new conga member to the shelves where the others are, I find room for them on the shelves above my desk and sometimes that requires re-arranging of other things on that shelf...

Please ignore that dust bunnies that are playing with the Traditional models.  We won't talk about my lack of dusting skills.  hahaha.  Anyway, in this picture I have a *strong* conga, the start of two congas (I have 2 others) and a mold that will be a conga when more colors come out.  It was a new sculpt so it's the first of its kind...here he is with an early conga...

Can I just say I wish the Valegro SM looked more like his Traditional counterpart?  Pose-wise, I mean.  One of the reasons why I like TR Valegro is the pose.

I also unboxed a couple of other SMs...

Anaya is actually the oldest of the unboxed and comes from 2017 Breyerfest.  I wish I'd remembered how neat-looking she was.  She is easily one of my favorite SM models ever and I have a healthy conga of the mold, but I really like the color.  I'm not a super huge fan of the G4 Reining Mold and I would've preferred the Grullo Pinto, but the appaloosa was my 2nd choice.  I also have have the Grullo stallion from the Mystery Foal Surprise.  It's doubtful that number will increase.  But I guess you never know.  If it's part of a set or they release one on a color I just can't resist, who am I to say it won't grow?   Let's have a nice close-up of Anaya...

Remember when I mentioned I get easily distracted earlier?  While typing this, I moved Anaya a bit more so I could see more of her.  hahaha.  I just really like her.

But that's not all...I also finally unbagged my Breyermess Stablemate 4 Pack...finally....it only took 5 months of them sitting in a cardboard box on the breakfast bar in the kitchen...

The walking TB is only I look forward to increasing my conga.  I obviously have Jersey, but I thought I had the Stable Surprise one as well.  I probably do, I just don't know where I put it.  And I thought I had Greyson.  Again, I don't know where he is, though.  Ugh.  Hotel California, I tell you.  Except I don't live in California so maybe Hotel Arizona?  Hahaha.  I also need a Brass Hat, if I don't have that one already.  All the others that have been released on this mold are unicorns and I don't collect those so there's no problem with not having those and I already know I don't have them.  The Croi Damsha / Connemara Mare is starting to grow on me, but I don't know if I will pursue a conga on that one.  We will have to see.

In addition to all of these Stablemates, I also unboxed some of the big guys, finally.  I have a lot more to do, but refer back to the space issue comment above...

Of the three, Truly Unsurpassed has been boxed the longest.  Oliver is the only one who has found a permanent spot.  I think I need more shelves.  Not only that, but I need a place to put those shelves.  Did I mention I'm running out of room?  Hahaha.  And if I haven't mentioned it before, I need to get out that piece of fabric I bought on Amazon so I can take more decent photos and not have to lay them on a pillow case.  <sigh>  I have boxed models all over the place.  And loose ones, too.  I'm such a bad hobbyist.  Hahahaha.

Okay.  So...somehow I came across this group on Facebook called Bridle Tree Barn Raising Challenge.  It's described as "An open community group event to customize model horse barns" in December.  I guess prizes will be awarded.  I don't have a barn.  I've always wanted one, but I don't have one.  I will refer back to the 2nd paragraph above as to why I don't have one.  hahaha.  So I live vicariously through other peoples' barns and this group is awesome.  Lots of tips and tricks and inspiration.  The barns range from tiny 1:144 scale to Traditional 1:9 scale...

Homemade to store bought...

And from a variety of makers.  Some people are making their own accessories while others are buying them from miniature stores and train stores...

Some people are *just* making arena walls, but one person did something a little bit different and decided to do a "horse box", which is an enclosed trailer and vehicle, kind of like an RV.  They're more common in the UK and seldom seen here...

The creativity of these people is really just amazing and I look forward to seeing what others come up with.  Even though the challenge is only officially for December, a lot of people are saying they're going to continue into the new year so hopefully this group will stay open for that.

Well, I guess that is it for now.  Til next time!