July-August 2022, Part One

[jedimentat]

Pennsic!








my dad helping me with last-minute helmet adjustments, right before we left





en route!








Fairy Wars



I never take photos at Pennsic. For the most part, when I get there, I throw my phone in the proverbial lake. Most of these are not mine, but a few are (some of the kid ones). While it was great to reunite with some of the Ravenspittle crew and be a pirate, and great for the kids to see the boat and have *their* first experiences seeing Pennsic and being pirates, by the end of the War, it was all a Covid clusterfuck, and nearly everyone (from what I could see in person and on Facebook), had gotten Covid, ((mostly with the exception of some of people who were teachers or who had small children or very public-facing jobs, who had presumably already been exposed to this particular variant or something nearby)). The mindset approaching Covid was really disparate; some reasoned that it was ConCrud or just a cold that everyone was going to get so it was good to get it over with; others treated it with severe caution and attention. Either way, it wasn't something that people could ignore, symptom-wise, and Pennsic is already incredibly hard on the body (conditions vary from oven-hot humidity to chilly or very very rainy, there is so much drinking/walking/dancing/other exertions, and very little sleep).

Kingfox arrived during Peace Week, and I arrived with the children near middle weekend, and stayed through most of War Week. By Mon/Tues/the beginning of War Week, things were falling apart, Covid-wise, and I was not a fan. I did not get a positive test personally, but exposure was basically everywhere and seemingly unavoidable, which was surprisingly different than Armistice.

Our camp was having a really low moment because of all this, and the band Wolgemut came and played at our boat, which meant a lot. I wept during more than one song. (I'm sitting behind the guy with the black hat in this pic).




Sat in the grass at the marketplace the next day and watched them again.



i love it so.







I fought for the first time this year, which was really different for me and a cool experience. (I was also a retainer, ((albeit an absolutely terrible one, sorry Baron and Baroness! I admit I'm absolutely terrible at learning the rules and protocols of this game and treating it with the proper gravitas. I'll get better at it!))

I only fought during the first battle (Town Battle); and it was really humid and I made it through like halfway before I got too hot. It took me a while to get into the mix, but really, everyone out there was fantastic, and when I got into it, I had so much fun. After like my sixth res, I realized that I hadn't even heard the previous cannon and was getting overheated, so I took it easy and stopped, but it was hella fun and actually a lot different from my expectations, and I'd like to do it again. The walk and weather was a disincentive for Woods Battle the next day, and by the time the other battles rolled around, hanging out with other groups *not* in our camp or immediate circle was starting to feel pretty questionable, so I didn't attend, which was personally disappointing, goal-and fun-wise, but at the time I had a lot of other things to worry about.



here's the fantastic outfit of the SCA's King of the East. I mean, pretty kickass.





hydration is nooooo joke at Pennsic, espcially on humid days.



waking up in the tent after a chilly night




Anyway, look at these little pirates with their outfits. We had a great time doing things. We were definitely "up top" a lot, but the times we spent in camp and on the boat I'm sure will stick in their memories forever. Big shoutout to our camp, who embraced the littles in such sweet and welcoming ways.











They got their first mugs, which was a big deal



helping Mama get her armor together for inspection, up top in the (very very hot) parking lot



Liberty, butterfly whisperer



they did two nights at site, two in a hotel, to ease into the whole thing. hotel pool and baths in a tub were a real win, tbh.



Ballast teaching young pirates secret pirate things.

















saw the Janissary Band



Kirk sunk his first axe after a Youth Thrown Weapons class











...there aren't that many upsides to a return from Pennsic War, but one of the few is eating fresh vegetables again...







I've never planted and grown so many sunflowers...in the front of our house, around the sides and back, in my Community Garden patch...when I planted them, I was hopeful for peace in Ukraine, but the situation there still remains very embattled.