Here Are Two Sets Of Figures I Enjoyed Painting and Bringing To Life!

Some Of You Live With A Cat and You Might Enjoy Reading This

Cat Communication

By Maria Kuzmiak

Did you see that wink? Hear that purr? See that tail held high? Make no mistake about it. Your cat is trying to tell you something! Cats use their tails, heads, paws, eyes, ears and vocal sounds to communication with people and with each other.

For example, when your cat rubs her head against your leg or paws you with her claws, she is telling you that she really likes you and is claiming you as her own. Cats have scent glands on their chin, lips and paws that they use to mark their territory. Have you ever seen your cat paw at the floor around his food dish? He is saying, "This food is mine!"

The position of a cat's ears or tail can also tell you what he is thinking or feeling. If his ears are straight up, he is ready to have some fun and wants to play. If his ears are flat or sideways, he is wondering what you are up to. If his ears are down, he is on the defensive, and if those ears are down and held back, he is angry! Similarly, when your cat holds his tail straight up, he is feeling contented and happy. A twitching tail usually means he wants you to back off. If his tail is big and bushy, he is angry.

Cats also communicate with their eyes. If you look carefully, you will be able to tell what she is trying to say. When she winks or blinks, it is a sign of affection. She is saying, "I love you." If your cat is looking at you, she is listening to hear what you have to say, but if she is staring at you intensely, she may be challenging you and letting you know that she wants to be left alone. When your cat's pupils are slits instead of big and round, she is feeling confident and attentive. A cat with cloudy eyes may not be feeling well, or she may just be very relaxed and ready for a nap.

Do You Speak "Cat"?

More than likely, you have also noticed that your cat can speak! In fact, there are more than a dozen vocal patterns that cats use to communicate. These include purrs, trills, meows, chatters, chirps, hisses and growls. When cats meow, they actually pronounce vowel sounds. Meows are almost always directed at people. In fact, it is believed that domesticated cats learned to meow as a way to speak to humans; they do not meow to each other in the wild. When your cat meows, you probably know what she wants. She may be hungry, stuck behind a door or trying to tell you that she sees a fly. Short, high-pitched meows are pleasant conversation or requests. If you ignore her meows, you may notice that they become lower and more drawn out as she gets more and more frustrated. Chatters and chirps also express frustration, while hisses and growls mean that she is frightened or angry.

When your cat is very content, you will probably hear her purr. Purrs are very comforting sounds that are believed to be vibrations of the cat's vocal chords. The cat does not open her mouth to produce this sound. While purring is usually associated with a feeling of extreme contentment, cats who are anxious or stressed may also purr. In such cases, they are probably attempting to calm themselves down.

Maria Kuzmiak is a freelance writer based in northern New Jersey. A pet owner and wellness writer, she blogs and writes about pets, wellness, nutrition, yoga and health. Read more from Maria on pets at http://2petlovers.net/author/maria/. Contact her about writing athttp://www.wellbeingwriter.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Kuzmiak

I live with a cat, so I find almost anything that helps me understand her a big help.  I heard on a television show that a cat understands about 30 words, but I'll be honest, I don't know what any of those words are!

Continuing A Trend....

These are photos of the game as it developed.  the treacherous mountain tribes fought my Brits tooth and nail and it was dicey for a while.  Actually, my big guns proved the undoing of those dastardly bastards.  They were forced to withdraw.  

From Jim's Old Soldier

Books for Sale from Jim's Old Soldier and Gift Shop

I have started off selling three books.  It's not a start that wows, but it is a start.  I will try to list more things.

Some Auctions Past

Take A Look At Some Auctions I Ran A Few Years Ago

Take a look at the auctions I ran some years ago.  I am planning to revive tha part of my hobby.  I have reached a point in my life where two things are obvious; I have far too many soldiers to paint and I have some things that I know some other people would like.  I plan on being as helpful and generous as possible - sort of my way to pay the wargaming hobby back.  Stay tuned.

From The Distant Past

These photos are from a game at my son's house, maybe three years ago.  He wasn't married at this time, but we still had to take the game down at the end of the day.  His figures and terrain are 28mm and are they beautiful to look at.  

This game is set in the Northwest Frontier and there are plenty of natives hidden in those hills.  My command was situated on that distant wall and the front gate, where I suffered badly.  In fact, my unit on that distant wall was so untouched that I could drain off troops and lend them to the unit on the front gate.  

I'll post more photos soon, but these represent some of the dispositions at the start of the battle.  

One thing I'd like to point out:  my son has a real collection.  He has versatile terrain that can represent many locales of similar climates and beautiful figures that were painted professionally.  

A Simple Pirate Affair - If There Can Be Such A Thing

I commanded that small ship you see and attempted to board the larger ship - not a good idea, even though that was the objective of the game.  I lost interest early in this game because the game-master didn't seem to have thought this adventure through enough.  I love the look of the ships and the pirates were painted very well - so two items I would love to have on my bucket list.

The only ships I have are 4 cogs and my WWII Italian fleet.  I have been successful with both, so I have no complaints, but my Italian ships are in 1/3000 scale and not much to look at.  A friend of mine has the Conte Roman Galley - something I would love to take a gander at.  Even though most of my figures are 20mm, I think I am a 54mm addict at heart.  I was forced by circumstance to get rid of my Marx figures and I haven't been the same since.

Alright, So I Love Castles....

No, I never played in this game either, but the game-master set up this stunning castle for everyone to gawk at.  

Right now I am watching Charge of the Light Brigade - now there's a fortress I treasure.  I guess after I hit the Lotto, I'll commission it to be built.  Makes me drool to think of it.

Game concepts from Yesteryear

This phot0 and the one below are from a game several years ago.  It caught my eye because the game-master made the fortress by hand, using packing foam pieces.  It looked like a fun game, with fun figures.

Thank god for close-up photography.  This was a 28mm game and you can take my word for it, the castle was a standout, eye-catching piece of terrain.

The Alamo you see was interesting on several fronts.  The game-master stood in the center of the game and, secondly, this was the very terrain for my Alamo game I wrote about a few days ago!  I was just passing by at the time and the set-up intrigued me.

The Game Of choice

These photos are from the game I played instead of the others i showed you from Historicon.  I would have taken more shots if I knew I was going to post these.  The game was set in Transylvania.  The town folk and my German squad attacked the count's castle.  Once the townies crowded the front gate, I had to attack from one of the side walls, but our aggressiveness carried the day (night).  The castle looked good and the figures looked even better.

At Long Last...The French Revolution - And My Camera Was There!

The scale was 54mm and it looked like a great game, although I didn't play it.  There was nobody at the table to block my lens, so....

There Are Pirates Among Us!

There was a pirate game at Historicon that was secluded from the general population, but visible.  I had to peel back a large curtain to take the photo above.  The participants dressed in proper pirate garb and looked as if they were having a grand old time.  The rest of us stood around as if we were starving to death and witnessing a banquet - which we were.  Too many players, of course, spoil the soup.  I guess, in the end, everything worked out just fine.

One Interesting Photo of the Zulu War

I like this picture.  It reminds me of the movie Zulu Dawn.  I salute the unknown photographer.  I am currently working on a wargame covering WWII North Africa, but I normally study the Zulu War and have collected hundreds of figures to wage that war.  My collection is primarily in 1/72, although some of the figures are 1/87 on the small side and I even have some 28mm figures on the large end of the spectrum. They all fit because the small figures are mounted on a thick base and the larger ones are mounted on flat bases.

Civil War and My Camera Was There

Just how do I do it?  I walked into the gaming arena and this table jumped out at me, not because of any great game, but because it had great-looking figures and terrain - and no players around.  It gave photographers a chance to take realistic-looking shots.  I prefer to have photos without players or gaming debris around.

Some Great-Looking Game I Missed

These photos are of a great-looking siege of a Confederate fort.  I apologize for the lack of details, but I guess I rushed about and forgot to inquire about the details.  There was a good size crowd around this set of tables.  The participants gave way to my camera, so I have no complaints.  

I was playing in my own game, so I never had the pleasure to witness the demise of the fort or it's attackers. The photos paint a picture that make me wish I played.  And those steamboats...Replace the flag with a British or French and Voila!  We could be looking at the Nile or some other African puddle.