One of the best kept secrets about living in the Great Lakes area is the splendor of Autumn. October's bright blue days and spectacular sunsets are hard to match. We won't talk about the blinding morning sun or that fuzzy ice on the windshield. To me, Fall always means that ATC is over and it's time for a new project. This year it seems that I have several started already.

Lawn Sale at the Wolcott House

The last weekend in September, I was working at the Lawn Sale at the Wolcott House. It is an annual fund raiser for the Maumee Valley Historical Society. More than 60 vendors rented spaces on the lawn to sell their wares. Mostly antiques and collectibles, no toy soldiers (I looked). The weather was perfect and the place was packed most of the day. I was able to set up the HMGS GL hospitality table and spend a few hours talking to people and handing out literature. I have a display case with several rows of troops in it and I love to watch the people walk by and then do a double take and come back for a closer look. The kids like the Mage Knight figs, the adults like the old plastic army men. There is a real interest in history and our hobby. Hopefully, some of the people who stopped by will decide to join our group.

Change in the weather means new projects

My big project for the holiday season is something I'll call the History of Toy Soldiers. I plan on doing a small display using real figures and photos to tell the story and move it around to several locations during the season. Toy soldiers have always been a part of the holidays, either in songs or stories. Using this relationship, I hope to attract some new members. Maybe a few gift memberships for grandchildren perhaps?

Drums Along the Maumee 5 news

Lastly, it's time to plan for Drums 5 in 2004. We have a few improvements already locked in. More rooms on Saturday, and the addition of "The Fellowship of the Roundtable." More on that later. The next Toledo War scenario is the tie-breaker. That's right: Ohio 2, Michigan 2. I also plan on running my Clash of the Kaiju game again on Friday night, just for fun. What could be more fun than stepping on a tank or squishing jets?