Tanka challenge 4/25/10

I lost the paper I wrote yesterday's on. It's either in my haversack or it's not. 
I am counting it as a "miss" - my first in the history of my doing these challenges.

Hills robed in spring green
Loom over the pilgrim's path
As I move homeward.
If only it were my lot
To wear such a rich color.

Woodland Scottish Games

( Rant about an irritating person )



Got up to site Friday evening, set up and Teri and I grabbed dinner at the Applebees in town. When we got back, Grant had arrived and had his massively huge round pavilion mostly set up. We sat and chatted for a bit before turning in.

Saturday was marred by the episode above, but everyone else was their usual awesome selves. Had a lovely chat with Shula, whom I only see once a year. Got to meet Jane's fiance, Andrew, who trooped our colors for us.  (Our poor beheaded-Charles banner is splitting and tearing, so we had a St. Andrew's Cross banner instead.) They brought along an absolutely beautiful and quite social hen named Clarice, who likes people, loves being held and petted, thinks the crust off a meat pie is the best food ever and now I get why ladycelia  and sasha_khan  love their respective birds.   Captain Shinn decided he wanted to drum for the opening parade, so I sat that out. I got to be official Company photographer and shot the firing demo at 3 PM. (We got a volunteer from the general public to use my camera to get a group shot afterward so I'm actually in it.) My apple pie was, as always a huge hit. As Grant, Teri and I were staying onsite, we decided that grilling sausages smacked of effort and decamped to a nearby Denny's. I had a salad with steak, bacon and bleu cheese in it that was actually pretty good.

Sunday was actually a bit cooler and breezy to start, and remained pleasant all day. Went out with Grant's camera and mine to shoot our cannon crew doing the opening and flag salute. Wasn't used to his camera and I didn't get anything great of the firing. Took the hurdy gurdy out after we got the cannon back to camp, tuned it a bit and played it in, then went across to the road by the arena and played up and down there for almost an hour. (Note to self, go out EARLY before the live music stages get going with amped music and the pipers are desperately rehearsing in every empty corner of the fairgrounds.) Got lots of questions, lots of requests to take my photo and so forth. Dale asked me to drum for the noon parade. Marching with a side drum isn't the same as taiko, but I now have enough hand speed and coordination to drum quite presentably. I got the sling adjusted to fit me, leaned my left hand along the top rim of the drum while holding that stick with the right hand playing free. Worked beautifully and I am much happier with how it went this year.

Shot our 2 PM firing demo with both Grant's camera and mine. I've got the timing on my shutter to the point that I managed to catch a lot of shots of our guys as their muskets went off. Raw photo dump to Flickr is processing. Folks want to see pictures of themselves firing muskets, so I don't know how much editing I'll get to. On the other hand, if I can make the Woodland rice dryer vanish through the magic of cropping, I will endeavor to do so.

Got gunpowder?

Wow. I caught flash! I knew I'd figured out how to time my shots based on whether I could see the trigger levering the match into place, but dayum!!!  More tomorrow. I should really get to bed.