Back Home Again

Got back last night from Pennsic War after two days and 1475 long miles of driving ... now to unload the truck. Actually, we got the tent out and draped it over the clothes line last night so it can dry properly, but there are still a lot of bins to shift, gear to clean and repack for storage, etc, etc. Probably won't do another camping event until February and Estrella War, but it's never to soon to start planning and preparation.

Why do it? I asked in my last blog. For love. For seeing friends you wouldn't otherwise have met, let alone seen again. For sharing songs and stories around the bardic fire. If you're a fighter, for the fighting. And for most of us at some point, the shopping. But mostly for the people we love, and with whom we share a dream.

More tomorrow, when I've caught up on my email / unpacking / rest.

Pennsic is almost over

Pennsic War is almost over for the year, and tomorrow I start the long drive back to Denver. I should be blogging again as usual on Tuesday, so the silence here will end. Thanks to Rowen for providing the guest blog on textiles, and I hope she will be contributing again from time to time.

As to Pennsic War itself - why would any semi-sane individual drive two days (or more) at current gas prices in order to camp for two weeks in a (frequently) soggy field in Western Pennsylvania's heat and humidity along with 11,000+ other people?

That will be my next blog post!

Pennsic Panic

Less than a week now before I leave for Pennsic War, and so many things to do! Sorting and packing the camping gear is not too big a job, given that the tents are still in their bins in the back of the pickup from Glory (hey, why bother to move them?), but other things still need to come out and be checked. Checklists are important - last trip I didn't use one, figuring I knew what I was doing by now, and forgot the hammer! Fortunately I borrowed one from the next camp, but still...

Then there's the last-minute sewing projects, and this year the "bookstore" as well. I'll be taking thirty copies of Storyteller with me and selling them through one of the merchants (also an SCA bard). Busy, busy, busy ... at least the weather's cooler here for the next couple of days, which will help.