Recreating Fort William Augustus, Canso, Nova Scotia circa 1744

This summer, Ian needs to make a project for his school. Last summer we did a project about tall ships.
This time, we shall build a minature fort.

Step one, drawing the fort plan, and building the earthworks.

Step two is to then add the toothpicks as the pallisade.

Both Ian and Leena worked on his project. It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

After this project this little fort will take part in many 18th-19th battles.


Unfortunately, the fall and winter of 2014 was a bit damp, and the whole thing got moldy! So this fort has now been consigned to the burnable garbage. I'll have to think on how to rebuilt this with something which can resist mold a bit better.

Privateer raids in Nova Scotia in the 18th Century

This summer, Ian and I plan on fighting a few campaigns. One of them will be to do some privateer raids.

This year, July 15, 2013 is the national Japanese holiday of Marine day. To celebrate this, Ian and I decided to have a Privateer raid on Canso circa 1720

A fancifal view of Canso

On of the farmers desperately trying to tend livestock in the rough climate of Nova Scotia

Gibbons Regiment drill in the parade square

 

Some of the more substantial buildings which could have been built at Canso, however, most of the buildings would have been rough wooden shacks.

"Black Bart" Robert's ship arrives, filled with MikMaq warriors and freebooters looking for cheap plunder.

As the battle began, Ian fired his guns to blast apart the seaward defences. He then landed his pirates/privateers on the shore. The Board of Ordance gunners took post under fire and began to blast the pirates apart. Eventually, after two waves of attackers were knocked down, the pirate gunners opened up again, this time aiming at the gun battery. Their fire was affected by the surf. All the while, the British Infantry and local fishermen and militia kept up a brisk musketry.
Finally, with weight of numbers prevailing, the commander, a lowly Lieutant, surrendered the town, and witnessed it's sacking.

 

 

July 12, 2013, my graduation from the University of Leicester

On Friday, July 12, 2013, I was awarded the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or other language.)
This study took up three years of my time. I completed my studies via distance learning while working 6 days a week, and taking care of my family.
I know have the personal confidence, as well as the professional education to consider myself an offical English teacher.

I should like to thank my wife and children for allowing me to conduct my study.

I recieved my MA degree in August by post.

Canada Day in Japan 2013

Well,,, it may not have been Tim Horton's, but we went out for a coffee and donuts.

And Leena got her first bicycle, but had to use Ian's to learn how to ride.

I then took Ian to the park where we were playing with some of the kids from his school.

Leena's birthday day and rainy season

It's been the usual June, wet, hot, humid.
At least we got Leena's 6th birthday to take our minds off the soggy conditions.

As always, most kids choose McDonald's due to their ever present advertising with Happy Sets.
Though, the BLT Quarter-pounder was pretty good.

Leena got to wear the Urban Camo raincoat.

She really likes her chicken nuggets

This is her new bicycle. She's still learning to use it.

 

Leena has decided that she wants her own bicycle. So, we're off to Toys R Us to get one she likes.

Father's Day 2013 in Japan

This week was an interesting one. Ian and I were able to play small skirmish games all week. Most of the games were British attacks on French settlements during the Quebec 1759 campaign. As was notice in Chartrand's Quebec 1759 and Reid's Quebec 1759, Wolfe utilized total warfare on New France. This was as a result of the previous 100 years of Amerindian raids the French had encouraged on New England and other British colonies.

British collums advance on a Quebec village

A composite Grenadier battalion

May 27th, my 40th birthday

WOW 40. It does make you take a look at yourself. Amazingly, I'm pretty happy.
This year, I decided to have a nice little birthday celebration. I took my kids out to the park and we made sandcastles.

We then went to a video rental place and got 6 DVDs for a week. The shop lets you rent them for 80 yen which works out to be a dollar each. Beauty and the Beast, Madagascar 2, Alien, Alien3, Glory, and ET

And I then got 2 large Dominos pizzas. Best part was, Emi really liked the Dominos deluxe. She could pick off the stuff she didn't want.

(yes this picture was up before)

Now that it's a Monday morning Japan time, I have to go to work. Oh well. The sun is shining and its warm.

(the beer is a non-alcoholic type as I no longer drink any alcoholic beverages. I've been dry for 10 years!)

Now it's Friday, and man am I tired! I was so busy, I didn't get a chance to post this until now.

10th Wedding Anniversary and Sports Field Day

Sunday, May 18, 2003 was the day I, Roderick Duncan Redden married Emiko Takeda.
It just so happened that today, Saturday, May 18, 2013, was Ian's school's Sports Field Day.

my lovely wife relaxing at our bbq.

 

A happy weekend here in Kamagaya

I have been informed the I will be granted an MA in TEFL/Applied Linguistics from the University of Leicester, having successfully completed my dissertation!
Also, today (May 12) is my son's 8th Birthday!

Today started off with us going to Toys R Us for Ian to get his present, a DS game system, then he got a haircut, then we went to another mall to get him some school supplies.
And surprisingly, Baskin Robbins 31 had a special event. If you gave a donation to the Japanese Earthquake recovery, you could get a free scoop of ice-cream.
We then went to McDonald's for his favorite lunch, cheeseburgers.

We then got him a strawberry shortcake birthday cake.

All in all, pretty darn good.

Golden Week, 2013

This years edition, consists of a movie day, a day at the park with a picnic, and a bbq.

The movies I rented were Titanic (1997) Aliens (1986) going for a James Cameron double feature, and Pocohantas (1995) to give my kids a little bit of our culture, although filtered by Disney.

Kung Fu Panda 2 also featured in the bill.

Our trip to the park was once again to our favorite place, Big Hill Park in Inzai. I decided to go ethnic by makin Hummus in Pita, though I had to substitute white beans for chick peas.
I then made a peanut sauce to go with it. Quite tasty.

We played with our dart guns, then came home to play kick ball in the street. Followed by our Saturday night ritual of watching House MD and Dexter.

Sunday was our bbq. It was a little quiter this year as I just had my family. I also started my BBQ with some gel fuel, as well as a nice little metal helper which burns the charcoal faster. I began my fire at 10:45 and it was rearing to go by 11:15. By noon, we had cooked half of our food. 5 big sausages, 10 sticks of yakitori, or grilled chicken on skewers, and 3 steaks. I also made 8 baked potatoes.

Yakitori on the grill

By 13:00 we had finished. The rest of the afternoon, we relaxed and played.

Ian takes a try at roasting marshmallows

I got the BBQ going early

Mrs. Redden relaxing

The Redden ladies bbq marshmallows

 

Monday saw us take back our DVDs, and go out to a park in Chiba Newtown, however as we began walking through the park, we noticed that there were grass areas roped off. There were warning signs up that there was still residual radiation from the meltdown of the nuclear power plants from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
We then waked around the AEON shopping centre, and went into another camping store to look around, then had a late lunch at an Italian all you can eat restaurant.
All in all, it was a great 4 days. Sometimes the best fun is when you don't plan stuff, but just go out.

Well said Daddy.