| Hail and Farewell! |
[May. 15th, 2008|04:48 am] |
We leave this popsicle stand this morning, heading for points west. We stop at wall, Spearfish Canyon, deadwood and Yellowstone. Then we stop back by Buffalo WY, and Julie catches a bus for Seattle where she's visiting a friend for another week or so. I head home.
Wow. A vacation. A real vacation. Nothing that I have to do, Okay, I'll be driving constantly for about four of five days (Julie doesn't drive), but still... |
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[May. 13th, 2008|01:48 am] |
Drifting off to sleep, V and me cuddling...and then VIII pounces at her ass and bops it with his paw because he evidently thinks that is fun. V comes awake and meows as she scrambles way from the vicious paw. And I come awake, staring at VIII, who looks soooo innocent. "who? Me? what did I do?"
Hmmmp.
So I sort clothes for laundry. Try to remember what I'd thought of to launder but cannot remember now. Read the new issue of SKIRMISH that arrived today (and yes, the article on the levels of reenacting is very thought-provoking: "I believe we owe it to the people whose period we are re-creating to achieve the best possible kit standards, not minimum standards, but the best that is achievable given modern limitations on people's time, skills and (it has to be said) finances." Something every organization that says it re-creates historical culture ought to keep in mind.)
Pretty soon, I'll head back to bed. I've got a busy day tomorrow. We'll see whether VIII will let me get to sleep this time! |
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| Back from Timeline |
[May. 11th, 2008|04:01 pm] |
A trying weekend. Friday was cold. Saturday was sunny, then cloudy, then warm then nippy. And Sunday...well, it rained. A lot. And that's just not the opinion of someone in a Viking A-frame with no ends.
On the other hand, it had wonderful camaraderie among the reenactors. The how was being held for a military school of rich kids that has a living history club, so there were plenty of perks. Nice facilities, warm buildings for people to retreat to and three excellent meals a day. There were not that many tourists (mostly the students), but the ones that stopped by were very interested. I played a few games, teaching tafl, and Julie taught naalbinding to several fellow reenactors. Caught up with an old friend who did RevWar when I did and whom I hadn't seen in a decade. The academy's three-sail schooner (!) took people for cruises on the academy's lake (!), and we had a great tim4 last night sitting around a campfire telling stories.
Then it started raining at 2 am, and ut kept up. Which brings reenactors closer together, you know, having to tear down in the rain. We made it home a bit after we were supposed to pack down.
ADDED: There are a few photos posted at http://flickr.com/photos/folo/sets/72157605006423280/
We received a sizeable donation for our efforts, and we've been invited back next year. I hope more of Micel Folcland can show up next year! |
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| Hup-Two-Three |
[May. 9th, 2008|12:39 pm] |
I baked four more loaves of bread yesterday, dried several pounds of cod and sieved my skyr. Today, I finished packing the car and will be taking a shower in a few minutes. then off to beautiful Culver, Indiana.
I rally don't know what to expect. I don't think anyone else from micel Folcland is showing up, so we'll have a cozy little camp. I am looking forward to talking with the other reenactors--Roman to WWII.
And when we get back, we have three days before setting out for the west! |
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| Folo the Cook |
[May. 7th, 2008|11:39 pm] |
Julie and I will probably be doing the paying gig at Culver Academy this weekend by ourselves. Since i am not a domestic type--and Julie is neither--I don't plan to cook at the show. I don't even plan to do a firepit. I baked bread today using ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) seamstrix's recipe for Anglo-Saxon bread. It turned out well; even my little sweetie said that the results didn't suck. I just finished prepping some skyr (I'll be sieving it after it stands for 24 hours); and tomorrow, I'll bake some more bread and dehydrate some cod (ersatz stockfish). If I post again on Monday, my cooking didn't poison me...
I also made campfire blow tubes for me and for seamstrix using the design that Jeff showed me this last weekend. I'm using a copper tube, with the end mashed to focus the breath in the fire, with an end coated with plastic dip.
The ironic part: I made two because I bought a ten-foot-pipe. I did that because that length cost less than a five-foot length... |
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| NUMBERS, ETHNICITY, & THE AVERAGE ANGLO-SCANDINAVIAN ON THE COW PATH |
[May. 7th, 2008|07:14 am] |
What's a good living historian (and by that term meaning a reenactor, not Simon Schama instead of Stephen Ambrose)?
( Here are a few thoughts ) |
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| Farby, Primitive, Accurate |
[May. 6th, 2008|08:51 am] |
More elitist rambling that will offend folks who think spex and nylon camp chairs are okay for historical environments
( Indiana Jones and the Temple of Farb ) |
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| A Weekend in the Past |
[May. 4th, 2008|08:38 pm] |
Just back from Forest Glen. Quite a few folc couldn't make it for several reasons, but we all had a good time. Saturday was pretty terrible: cold and windy, with few tourists. But today was great!
Jeff--a Wild West reenactor--was there; we met at Reenactorfest, and he and his wife have Swedish blood and are thinking of getting involved. he showed me his chain mail and helmet today. MF was represented by julifolo, babs3406, her nearly 7-year-old son Ethan and 18-month-old daughter Sylvie as well as me. e did spear drills and played lots of tafl; Ethan took to it like fish to water and today was teaching tourists how to play and then playing them. I was really proud of him!. Sylvie was cure and sweet; unfortunately most of our tables and such were just high enough for her to make a grab for gaming pieces, knives and the such; she was also obsessed with giving people and gave us and Jeff things like tortilla chips, water bottles and rocks (I didn't close my hand on the rock soon enough to suit her; so she gave me a dirty look and closed my fingers herself).
babs3406 made some very good stews using some purple carrots. The carrots made the sausage, barley and rest of the stew purple but didn't affect the taste. I have pictures!
The table worked well, and I'll be making a couple more. seamstrix will be happy to note that we tooted the horn and gathered everyone around the table for our dinner. I have pictures of that too!
Susan Biggs-Warner, our liason at the park, and I talked about the future of the timeline; next year will just be us because of the problems encountered. I also volunteered to come out and stay in the cabin if they need someone to keep it open on weekends during the summer.
I'm tired and sore and have to write down things I should brought.
ADDED: Picturs are now posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/folo/sets/72157604885123996/ |
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| Viking Encampment in a Box |
[May. 1st, 2008|08:24 am] |
Actually, in a van.
I've loaded the frame for a Viking A-frame tent, boards for a Gokstad bed and a table based on the sala hytta find. I still have to put in the poles for two getelds (one for babs3406) and a sunshade, the actual canvas, wood for a platform for the bed, wool & fur for bedding, a sea chest and a food prep table. Plus fire irons, kettle, benches, stools, tables, two barrels, weapons, Oseberg loom, banner & pole, costume and weapons. Plus a fire extinguisher and personal items. I've discovered the things I meant to fix from last year, and I'm taking a small break to watch Matt Lauer in Miklegard. No nylon, no plastic (except carrying cases) and enough wood to deforest a small forest!
Come on by! We'll be at Forest Glen both Saturday and Sunday, and at least Sunday is supposed to be a wonderful day! http://www.advancenet.net/folo/FGTL.htm |
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| Done! |
[Apr. 27th, 2008|02:00 pm] |
Beating the rain, I not only routered out the inside of the table, but I sanded it, puttied the booboo when the route suddenly changed depth and stained it (or at least the top; when it dries, I'll go for the bottom). I cannibalized legs from a shaving horse I'm unhappy with, so I only had to do three legs (should have been two, but I cut my second a bit too much for the socket). It doesn't look half bad if I say so myself. I also cleaned up and stained our knife hilts.
Now to rest... |
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| Eventful day |
[Apr. 23rd, 2008|06:59 pm] |
I swept the porch to get rid of sawdust, dust and dead leaves. It's not clean yet because I also got rid of a sick and ailing broom...
I made handles for our new knives. Actually, I sanded down blocks of oak, hence the saw dust.
I wrote a bunch of people about the Viking, including the curator of the Louisiana State Museum. Annora--Scadian old-timers might remember her--wrote back. She's on the curator's staff for LSM. Small world! |
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| Rivets and Ecology |
[Apr. 22nd, 2008|08:27 am] |
What's the latest stooopid thing that Folo is doing? I need seven washers for my shield to satisfy my MTO. The commercially available washers that I can find are all bright, silver and zinc. Won't do, so I got a length of steel rod, and I'm drilling and sawing my own (square) washers. Certainly will not look commercially available!
ADDED: I have eight done! I'm ready to drill the boss to attach it to the board!
I've got five of them done. I drilled nine of them altogether, so I might have to saw two to five more cuts. And then file down the rough points and burrs. My sweetie--who has been bored with excruciating details of my progress--saw it for the first time when we got back from our trip yesterday. "It's bigger than I thought," she said (it's 30 inches in diameter so the size of a standard Viking shield). "I thought it was just a tiny shield..."
Then I go to buy an electric lawnmower to celebrate Earth Day!
ADDED: After shopping at four stores, I found a corded mower on sale for $118. That's less that half what I paid for the internal combustion one tha served me so poorly! They're out--they had a run on them--but will be getting more in next week. I have a rain check and will be notified when it comes in.
I'd have preferred a cordless one, but the cheapest cost almost three hundred dollars more. So I'll learn how not to run over the cord and electrocute myself...
Oh, and my Houdni and Melies DVDs arrived. I'm a-tingle! |
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| The Dream |
[Apr. 21st, 2008|08:48 pm] |
There are a few people who hold boffer sword practice across the street. It's been raining to beat the band. And a new neighbor is learning to play the drums and has been having parties every night of the week--with drumming of course.
I've made it. We've all talked about it forever, but I'm living at Pennsic all year 'round... |
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[Apr. 21st, 2008|04:37 pm] |
Just got back from a trip my sweetie. She's moving two states away and just bought hr first house! Yay for her!
I spent two days in a hotel without an internet connection, working on my book on The Viking, incorporating newly found data. Pretty exhausting. But the up side is that in the 19th-century newspapers I found, I read things like contemporary news stories of the discoveries of the Gogstad and Oseberg ships, an obit for Maupassant, an article on Mark Twain and an article about the invention of a new steam bicycle...
Judst saw a post from someone who was offended because I said that SCA fighting was not an accurate historical interpretation but a modern sport. His user pic shows him in wonderful modern spex and medivalesque gear. I really don't think we have common ground for a conversation. I apologized for offending him. |
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| Deadwood Cigars |
[Apr. 17th, 2008|08:24 pm] |
We're heading back to Deadwood in about a month. This time, we'll be there in the daytime, and we plan to hot museums &c. instead of just strolling along the gambling strip. I figured that I should try one of the custom deadwood maduros that I bought at the Deadwood Cigar Bar to see if I wanted to pick up some more.
Yum. I definitely am picking up a few more. |
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