Hawkeye’s Squawkbox

I’ve mentioned it before but now I can provide more details about our PHOTO CONTEST. Anyone can enter as long as the subject model (any category cars, planes etc) is finished using our products (SnJ Spray Metal, Polishing Powders or Talon Series) in the process.

Entrants will be competing for several prizes. Grand Prize-$100.00 USD Gift Certificate from Sprue Brothers Models. Second place will receive two $25.00 USD Gift Certificate one from Sprue Brothers and one from Hawkeye’s Hobbies. Third place will get a $25.00 Gift Certificate from Hawkeye’s Hobbies. Other prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the judges.

Contest starts NOW! Ends August 31, 2008. No purchase necessary to enter.

Submissions should be emailed to: hawkeye@hawkeyeshobbies.com. Attach full resolution images (limit 3), provide name address and phone number along with a description of what products were used. You can enter as many models as you want. Submit each model separately. Entries containing more than one per email will be disqualified. Contact information will be kept confidential.

Submission of images imply and act as an affidavit that our products were used as a finish on the model submitted. Grants us permission to publish the image and use it in our promotional materials as we deem appropriate.

Winners will be announced September 5th, 2008 on the Hawkeye’s Hobbies and Sprue Brothers websites.

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Most of us suffer from this at one time or another. For me it begins its onset about the time the grass needs regular mowing, the air show season is in full swing locally, the word vacation gets used more than once a month, or one feels like an animal who just can’t hibernate any longer.

Right now, I am sitting in my office looking out my window. It is filled with blue sky and sunshine and I know it is too hot and humid to even breathe outside. Yet it still doesn’t quell me from wanting to venture outside. Instead I could venture deep inside my cool and comfortable modeling cave. Nope, it feels just like that, a cave. As with animals that hibernate, when the days begin to get longer, winter edges into spring, the temperatures warm, they simply want out. Guess that is part of our programming too.

Some folks need extra amounts of proper light during the winter months to help them stay sane. I just need the bright lights of my modeling room and a television to watch old movies related to the subject I am building. I slip on a comfortable sweatshirt or sweater, prepare a cup of a hot beverage, a few munchies and I am in hibernation…make that…modeling mode.

The earth tilts to shift the amount of light each hemisphere receives, it seems to coincide with the on set of Seasonal Modeling Disorder. Is this coincidence or design? I guess it is by design that man cannot live in darkness forever…though there are those that who do, even when they are standing in the noon sun, but that is a different topic.

If you find yourself modeling less, don’t panic, it is a simple case of Seasonal Modeling Disorder, it is generally short lived…just a few months then you’ll find yourself returning to the comfort of the cave to hibernate once again. Meanwhile it is a good time to follow the instinct to hunt and gather the necessities for the return to happier times, deep inside the modeling cave.

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Had the great pleasure of spending part of the day with my eldest son and his family at the show yesterday. Though it was communications chaos trying to coordinate a meeting location, we finally did just as the afternoon air show was starting. The girls were excited about the airplanes, including the little balsa gliders the got from one of the exhibitors. The only part that seemed to bother either one of them were the jets. Especially the F-18E Super Hornet that was part of the Heritage Flight. It made a really noise takeoff and a sneak pass as part of the show. AWESOME!

I also reestablish my acquaintance with Dave Aiken, owner of Aiken’s Aeroplanes. Which is the go to place for die cast models of aircraft! Dave and I had a long chat about business and of course the air show. Dave and his family are regulars to AirVenture and they have a booth located in the famous FlyMarket each year. The whole family works very hard to bring a great selection of products at a fair price to not only the attendees at EAA, but also their on-line customers as well.

The arrival of the V-22 Osprey was delayed until Thursday from what I was told. I sorta expected that bit of news.

I added more photographs to my Gallery. Some of you have experienced a little difficulty viewing them. I encourage you to download the PicLens Software plug-in, it makes viewing larger photo collections much easier.

I had planned on being at the show today (Wednesday) but I had a few commitments to tend to on the business front. It gave me a day to recover from the heat and humidity, got a rather nice tan (burn) started. The wife accompanied me on Monday is recovering slowly from a nice blistering burn.

Word of advice, make sure you double check your cameras to ensure you have installed film or a memory card for those who do digital. Also be familiar with the equipment before you get to the event. Watched a couple folks have one of those “camera moments.”

One was clicking away and realized he had taken more exposures than his 36 exposure roll would hold. Opened the camera to find no film inside. Another gent was shooting his digital, only to discover all the shots were not captured, no memory card installed.

Probably the most funny and frustrating for one poor aviation enthusiast was his lack of experience with his new digital video camera…he recorded lots of footage of his feet walking the grounds, but not one frame of any of the aircraft and other sights he though he had. Keep your eyes peeled for a slightly used video camera for sale in your local paper…might just be this guys.

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