Long summer, but not too hot up here. The pool has been working all season, but the water was in the low 80s only. We've had some people off on trips and work, so the Colbys were kind of low key since Drums #4.

• Trips - Tim took several business trips and found real cheap Battle Cry Games, so he bought us four more for our stockpile. We plan on a Civil War Game sometime soon -- big, fast and deadly, as usual. Jim went off to Fremont's Hayes Center for a week long Graduate Class on the Civil War. Got to ride a bus to see the Ohio Historical Society display in Columbus. Roy went sightseeing in Washington D.C. The Tall Ships came to Toledo in July. About 16 brigs or that size tied up at Portside and the Docks for a long weekend. Tours were available. The Coast Guard escorted them into the Maumee River -- twin Zodiacs with twin M-60 MGs on board. Times have changed...
• Conventions - Tom T. was a hit at MarCon again this year with our Sci-Fi Man-to-Man Game. He ran two events there. Doug went off to the Godzilla Con in Chicago (GCon) and ran 76 people in four different battles! Go Dougie, and go Mothra! Jim went up to Michicon and ran his Pirates Game for the first time. A Pirate Landing force from two ships were in search of gunpowder, rum and women (see report this issue). Mike Hill and Don Parker went to GenCon to look and run their new game of "Joust." Middle Ages roller derby, if you ask me! Too much confusion at the con to set up, though, so they just shopped and rubbernecked. Plans are being made for our Fall Convention trips. Pro or Con will be here soon. Then WinterCon in Detroit, BashCon in Toledo,etc.
• Projects - Jim's Project this summer was to create a Mechwarrior Game along the Colby Guidelines of "Fast,fun and deadly." It works. We ran 66 different units in a 2 and 1/2 hour game and only twp were standing at the end. Hard? No! Use Mechwarrior Stats and rules? No, spots versus no spots...simple!
• Parties - The Annual Colby Christmas Party in August will be on the 17th, a Sunday. We swim, burn some meat and drink things. The wives and kids come. We do this each year to SHOW the women that the guys are REALLY playing on Wednesday when or if they call! We'll play Doug's Battleship Pingpong Game in the water, maybe a Dalmudi Game also, and get burnt from the sun and the B.S. thrown around the backyard. -- Colonel Colby, in Morrocco looking at 1/1 scale palm trees, for hints...