A quick trip to the 14th Century

As seems typical this summer, my first racefree weekend in a bit was not actually a weekend of rest. It was a weekend of driving, catching up with my closer-than-a-sibling friend, little sleep, and middle-evil imersion.

Dawn has been active in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) for a very long time and has been attending one of the SCA's largest events for nearly as long. I have had a standing invite to Pennsic War for at least 5 years now - and likely much longer. This was the first year where my location and my work schedule allowed a trip to Pennsic.

Pennsic war is a two week event with week 1 being dedicated to set up and week 2 being dedicated to the war. I never understood the need for 1 week of set up until I witnessed the results of set up week. People are in households and kingdoms. Households tend to camp together and some of the larger households have very intricate camps with amazing front gates accompanied by super ornate and ornately appointed pavillions. There are also a lot of vendors at Pennsic, with wares from jewlery to period leather goods, to armour, to weaponry, to books, to clothing. Those folks need to set up their shops as well as their camps. Along with the vendors and the camping, there are classes (from dancing to mucic to illuminating manuscripts to fighting styles) and tournaments, and battles, and parties. Lots and lots of parties. People also tend to come to Pennsic year after year (this year was Pennsic War 39) so there is a fair bit of searching for a shady spot to sit and catch up with folks you haven't seen for a year.

I arrived Friday afternoon of setup week and we immediately did a food run to town for some Gray Gargoyles camp supplies. Then Dawn set me up in the 14th century peasant dress she made for me for this occaision (including insect themed ribbon on the sleeves :-D ). The rest of Friday was taken up by wandering through the whole site in an utter daze, followed by some food and then the evening wander to Vlad's - a camp Dawn has told me a lot about. To bed at 2 or so, and cursed with a clock that wakes me up early these days... so up by 6:30 on Saturday. Saturday we wandered through the vendors a bit, and I met a huge number of Dawn's SCA friends. Lots of walking, lots of gawking, lots of looking utterly dazed by the sheer scale of it all. Another late night followed by my internal alarm clock waking me super early. Sunday was opening ceremonies where everyone was in their period finest and war was declared. That evening we watched The battle of the 30, supporting the Earl whose household Dawn belongs to. Monday it was up and on the road early for a 6 hour drive back home to pick up my freshly tuned Madone and do a day's work in one afternoon.