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As some of you are aware, I picked up a Canoptek Spyder model on eBay a few months ago and it wasn't until recently that I had a chance to put it together. Little did I know the chain of events I would trigger once that seemingly simple task, building the Spyder, was completed.
It was only a little while after I finished constructing the Spyder, that I began to notice that the contents on my hobby desk had been rearranged. Now, in as active a household as we have, little things here and there are going to move around a bit. Someone will borrow an X-acto knife or glue. A particular color of paint might attract someone's interest, a bottle of glue might shift from the left side to the right, but those are fairly common occurrences and to be expected.
I think as a result of my dyslexia, I am very positional with everything I come into contact with.
When something moves...I just know it.
What I began to observe is kits for projects I hadn't kicked off, showing up on the desk and actual construction taking place. Now we all would love for some "Hobby Fairy" to show up and do things while we're away at work or sleeping, but I was actually starting to experience that exact thing, which was odd and intriguing at the same time.
However, I don't believe in "Hobby Fairies", yet that certainly seemed to be what was going on.
Since I'm just not wired to let things go like that, I had to know what was going on. There are enough things that can occur in our hobbies to drive one crazy, though it is usually a result of something we're doing. It doesn't happen because of things that we're not doing.
After a few nights of observation by the baby camera, I now know what is going on. It was the Canoptek Spyder.
I have photographic proof.
Early camera shots
What I do know is that those seven figures came back from the garage painted. I found one of the cans of GW Leadbelcher spray missing from my paint can shelf, the top not only removed, but actually fractured as if great force was applied to remove it. At this stage, I'm not sure what would happen if I were to disturb the placement of items at my spray painting session, so I haven't moved anything.
This next picture is very odd and it took me quite awhile to determine what it represented.
The way the color chips are arranged, it seems like the base Leadbelcher color then had a darker metallic sponged over the brighter Leadbelcher, then the nickel color sponged over that. As I sit and look at the images, I get the impression that the metallic areas now appear to be aged and worn. I admit t be fairly confused as to why they would take these additional steps, but I do appreciate the visual texture the technique renders in different lights.
Disappearing from my desk top shortly thereafter.
But they did return.
In fact, it appears that much like a pride of lions, at night the Canoptek herd gathers around the paint watering hole after what I can only conclude is a full day of hunting.
Since these shots were taken, the herd has not returned back to my desk. I have begun to check other open sources of water for signs of spoor indicating their new meeting location. Perhaps they have begun a migratory pattern while in search of prey which takes them to the various water sources in the house. I do not want to believe that they actually might leave the house while foraging.
I should also note that since their disappearance, the character named "Morpheus" has also gone missing. I don't know that I am prepared to accept that these events might be linked.
Prior to his leaving, he was observed in the following outer wear.