Up, Up and Away!

Well, the war has been suspended for this weekend it seems. Perhaps it's appropriate, as in the States this is Memorial Day weekend, a time for remembering those who never came home from the real wars. On the other hand, I think it important not to conflate the sillyness we do with the actual nastiness that such real wars do. As anyone who saw the Gun Bunnies video can attest to, the last thing we wish to do with this machima is be sombre or serious!

But that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of pagentry. Last weekend saw us huddled about far too early in the morning attending to this tip top secret brief by Colonel Pearse:



Then we of aeronautical bent were ushered into a back room by Colonel O'Toole (now back on the Side of Truth, Justice and Fuzzy Bunnies, for those who missed the latest plot convolutions). Apparently the red Xs are anti-aircraft batteries. Or was that full parcels? I'm never quite sure...



Some of required just a little bit of "cramming" prior to terms...


(Miss Drier, above, modeling my Aviatrix outfit. Hmmm, I think I must speak to her about the folly of tight-lacing when on Adventerous Missions.)


(And Miss Garmes, of the fuzzy ears, modeling Colonel Pearse's new Aviation ensemble. Never let it be said that we Caledonians don't offer a plethora of costuming choices for all one's active Victorian needs!)

We never got to the full aerial battle that day, but we did get a chance to do a splendid formation departure with me in the lead O_O (Nothing like adding to one's already existant stage fright!). Mrs. Carricre Wind made her appearance to set up her marvelous troop transports.




Here we are, lined up at the Aerodrome.





"Bunny Two" was commanded by Mr. Dowd. "Bunny Three" by Mr. Chaplin, a redoubtable clockwork man who had a bit of a shootout with me once in the dusty Western streets of Steelhead. But he was ever so gallant about winging me--I can scare hold a grudge! Besides, I got better and learnt that in a gunfight, one is far, far better off with a Vickers Aircannon than a two shot derringer.



(Photo Credit, Mr Scaggs. Oh, don't fuss, I said got better!)

Then the pipers played, the pulse quickened, and Caledon's finest piled aboard, guns at the ready!



With the piper sounding a Scotland the Brave that could be heard over the churning airscrews, the cry "First Blimp, launch! That's you, Miss Tombola!" was heard. A quick fiddle with the controls (blimps are ever so stately, if admittedly less nimble, than my heavier-than-air flivvers), and we were off in line!



And then we did it again four more times :D "Next time, with feeeeeeeling!" Colonel O'Toole exhorted. Well, that is show business. It should be a good scene, though. Mr. Sputnik, our cinemascope expert, swears that he had tears in his eyes in the darkroom. Well, perhaps that was the cloud of gas from the photographic chemicals, but nonetheless, I wait with utmost lack of patience.

Well, for now, "Cut!"