Busy weekend

[fbhjr]

It was a very busy weekend for us.  And, the plants all over New England
having sex didn’t make it easier for us.
Thursday night my wife and I both had a lot of trouble sleeping.  We’re not
sure if it is just allergies or a combination of allergies and a cold.  For
me I think it is just allergies as it goes away when I’m standing in a
giant freezer.  But, either way, we weren’t feeling great.

We were on the fence about going to the Gamelan at Holy Cross.  But, they
only hold it twice a year, and we missed the last one.
We stopped at the Chinese place I like near the school so I could be Noodle
Man again.
Then, we went up the hill for the show.
Although we always like the show, we both thought this spring’s was
particularly good.
We noticed that the wife of the visiting  Balinese instructor was much more
involved then in previous shows.  I can’t be sure that is what caused it to
be better, but she did sit right at the front and watch over the folks
performing.
My wife thinks this might be so she doesn’t get asked to perform
unexpectedly by her husband the instructor as we saw happen last
year.
We both were very glad we went.

Saturday we got up early and were on the road by 6:45.
We drove down to Guilford, CT where the CT renaissance faire is held.
Das Geld Fahnlein was holding a “Martial Mayhem” weekend where they had
flown Bob Charron in to give sword lessons.
I don’t like the folks who run the CT faire.  I have studiously avoided
going to their events for the last 9 years.
But, I do know and like several of Das Geld Fahnlein and have wanted to
take lessons from Bob Charron for several years.
Honestly, that still wasn’t enough for me.  (It’s a grudge.)
When my wife said “I’ve both two tickets for the event and no one else will
go with me.  I’d really like you to go with me” it was enough for me and we
went.

Das Geld Fahnlein do Landsknecht reenactment from the 1520’s.  They have a
very nice encampment there and a good number of folks showed up for the
weekend.  (I’m not totally sure who was there from their group or just
taking the class like my wife and I were.)
In addition to the classes, they also fed us snacks and lunch each day.
The food was very good and we certainly didn’t go hungry.  I was very fond
of the pickled eggs they had.  I’m sure I could have eaten them all if I
didn’t try and restrain myself.

The sword lessons were very good.  It is a very different way of doing it
then most of what I’ve done before.  But, it does make a good bit of sense
and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Unlearning the ways I’m used to doing things
is much harder then learning what he was teaching.

We also had pike lessons.  Since I’ve done some pike work before, it wasn’t
too hard.  And, since I started historical reenacting 35 years ago in a
colonial color guard unit, the marching about with tall things wasn’t too
hard.  (Watching for power lines and taking appropriate steps was harder.)
We did march with them in the parade.  I wasn’t really all that big on
that, but they wanted to put on a good showing of folks with pikes and I
had just eaten all their pickled eggs.

That afternoon there was also a session on the matchlock the group uses.
I’m not a big gun fan, but the older they are the more interested I am.
These were fairly interesting and I sat through the demonstration.  But, I
didn’t take a turn at it myself.  If we had actually been firing live ammo
and trying to hit something I might have.  Mostly to see how it compares
with later flintlocks.  But, just lighting off powder doesn’t do it for me.

During the last sword lesson of the day a short but intense storm swept
over us.  It was one of those storms where the lightning crosses a large
section of the sky.  We did take cover in the tents, but the rain and wind
still got a lot of us wet.

After the class we went over and checked into our hotel.  It was a nice
place.  There was a small kitchen with a table to eat at, a writing desk,
and couch that pulled out to a bed, and a king size bed in a different
room.  Only 5 miles away and under $100, it was pretty good.  (Even the
“cheap” hotels in the area were at the $100 and up mark.)

I hadn’t packed much in extra clothes.  So, I put on a T-shirt, kept on my
fair pants and swapped wet boots for turn shoes.  I don’t remember were I
got those pants I was wearing, but they are quite large for me.  I can take
up the extra around the waist, but it is like walking with huge bell
bottoms.
We went to a place called “The Place”.  It’s outdoors, but with a canopy
over it.  Everything it cooked on the flame in the center of the place.
The food was good, but I thought a bit expensive for what you got.  Still
it was good company and I’m glad we didn’t stay back at the hotel.
It did get cold enough to see my breath as the night went on.  And, only
wearing a T-shirt that was a bit chilly for me.
So, we did not take folks up on the offer to go back to the camp for more
of a visit.

Sunday we got there about 8:30 again.  We did find the 9:00 start time was
a bit optimistic for most folks there.
But, not too much later the classes started again.

The Sunday morning class we used dusack!
Yay!  I love dusack!
Bob Charron was showing that the same principals work for most length
weapons.  And, it was quite fun to do it with the shorter swords and dusack.
(If I had known, I’d have brought my own.  As it was we only brought long
swords.)

Later in the morning we did some more pike work, actually chasing some
faire patrons off of the practice area with the pikes.

Lunch was fantastic again.
We did the parade again with the pikes.

Then, we had the final sword lesson that lasted until 3:30 or so.

Once “release” from our lessons we went over to see the Faire Wynds show.
We know the folks from Faire Wynds from our southern shows and like to
catch them when we can.  I had not seen their flea circus show before and
enjoyed it quite a bit.
Afterwards we visited with them before their next show.

Before we left my wife also bought me a new hat and paid more money for my
outfit for our faire in August.
We have been promised it will be ready and it won’t be a case of being
finished as the gates open to our faire.  (Unlike 5 years ago with a
costume maker I no longer use.)

The drive home after all that made me glad we got a hotel room for Saturday
night.  We had thought we’d go out for something when we got home.  But, by
the time we actually did get home, we decided to have subs delivered from
the local pizza shop.

It was a very good weekend all around.
But, I am tired as a result.