gurdymonkey (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
gurdymonkey) wrote2007-04-29 08:34 pm
gurdymonkey) wrote2007-04-29 08:34 pm
Hurdy Gurdy VS. Massed Pipe Bands
I spent the weekend with the Free Artillerie Company at the Woodland Scottish Games.
Well, there was a brief detour to the Nine West outlet in Vacaville on the way up to the site - they had a buy one, get the 2nd at 50% off, which allowed me to buy some decent ballet flats (one black pair, one white).....
Captain Shinn had already pitched camp and gone home, but Dennis E. and Peter were staying for the night, as were some other re-enactors on the Walk Through History. Dennis went to bed early, but Peter and I sat up for a little while and ended up talking to one of the guys from Legio X Fretensis who were camped across from us.
For those of my LJ friends who know the Yolo County Fairgrounds, they put the Walk Through History along the fenceline on East Street by the road - and the train tracks - and the rice dryer.* There was a lot of road noise throughout the night.
I woke up around 6:30 AM Saturday muttering imprecations at the unknown piper who decided it was a lovely time to practice. I don't care that he was all the way across the fairgrounds, he was playing Highland freakin' pipes at 6:30 AM. Mumbled good morning blearily to the friendly centurion across the lane as I walked over to the cinderblock rest rooms for a hot shower. (The cinderblock walls turned out to be a magnet for practicing pipers and drummers throughout the weekend. Heedless of the suffering of any innocent occupants bent on relieving themselves within, these heartless bastards like to bounce their loudnesses off the cement.) *Rice dryer? What rice dryer? You can't hear a rice dryer over the din of pipes and snare drums. OR Wicked Tinker. Who needs to go to the ceilidh when you can hear it all in your own camp?
I kitted up in my 17th century stuff, all too aware that the weather was showing signs of being hot. I was decently dressed when our daytripping members, many of whom who live a lot closer to Woodland than I do, began arriving.
I marched with the guys in the opening parade. While we were waiting to form up in a patch of shade, Dennis G. (yes, we have two Dennises), said I looked like I'd stepped out of a painting. You be the judge: - this is me BEFORE the jacket came off for the afternoon.
The clans marching ahead of us were composed mostly of oddly dressed "civilians" with no concept of how marching works. Dwayne was forced to drum SO slowly that "Prince Rupert's March" sounded like a dirge on the gurdy.
I went out after lunch and busked a little bit. Well, I mostly dodged pipers: the pipe band competition was going on and just when I'd find a nice shady spot and begin playing, a herd of them would march into earshot and start blatting away. Somewhere around 3:30 or so, I began to feel really wasted, so I lay down in my tent for about an hour or so, which meant I missed our firing demo, but there were plenty of people to do crowd control, so I didn't feel too bad about it.
Peter, Alicia and I were staying onsite, so we joined the other re-enactors for a candlelight potluck. My apple-pear-currant pie thingy came out very well, so I was very pleased. Besides, hanging out with history geeks is my idea of a good time, so we had some very interesting conversations.
I chatted textiles and Regency fashion with Susan, who very kindly brought her patterns for me to look at when she came back on Sunday. I told her about the Gaskell's ball and gave her one of my cards, so maybe we can get her down here to the Bay Area for one.
The "Walk" has two distinct neighborhoods. At our end we had a Vietnam era ambulance that belonged to the guy who actually drove it when he served there with the Royal Canadian Highlanders, some folks doing War of 1812, Rev War, American Civil War, and the Legio. Farther down the block things turned distinctly Ren Faire, with a puppet theater, games tent, a few artisans and a company that does the court of Mary Queen of Scots. (Evidently the Scottish Court circa 1560 got a great deal on burgundy dye from Dharma Trading because they were all far too color coordinated for comfort.)
Sadly, ants managed to get into the bag I had tied the leftover pie into, so we did not have pie on Sunday. I got to do a lot more busking. Doug was merchanting down by the gate and invited me to cop some shade and play by his booth for a bit. The 1 watt amp fits beautifully in my haversack and I simply ran the pick-up cord up the back of the instrument and through the lid.
I also went out for the Sunday parade. No drummer this time. Instead I had to match strides with James, one of Teri's two giant boys, and keep from being whipped in the eye with our unit banner. I also worked crowd control for our firing demo - and marveled at how stupid some people are. What part of "Walking In Front Of Men With Guns Is Dangerous" do they fail to comprehend? I'd thought about volunteering to be powder monkey for the Sunday demo, since we had fewer crew that day, but let Alicia do it since this was her first time along with Peter. Besides, she looks so adorable playing with ordnance.
Photos are up at http://new.photos.yahoo.com/wodeford/album/576460762399969076
Captain Shinn had already pitched camp and gone home, but Dennis E. and Peter were staying for the night, as were some other re-enactors on the Walk Through History. Dennis went to bed early, but Peter and I sat up for a little while and ended up talking to one of the guys from Legio X Fretensis who were camped across from us.
For those of my LJ friends who know the Yolo County Fairgrounds, they put the Walk Through History along the fenceline on East Street by the road - and the train tracks - and the rice dryer.* There was a lot of road noise throughout the night.
I woke up around 6:30 AM Saturday muttering imprecations at the unknown piper who decided it was a lovely time to practice. I don't care that he was all the way across the fairgrounds, he was playing Highland freakin' pipes at 6:30 AM. Mumbled good morning blearily to the friendly centurion across the lane as I walked over to the cinderblock rest rooms for a hot shower. (The cinderblock walls turned out to be a magnet for practicing pipers and drummers throughout the weekend. Heedless of the suffering of any innocent occupants bent on relieving themselves within, these heartless bastards like to bounce their loudnesses off the cement.) *Rice dryer? What rice dryer? You can't hear a rice dryer over the din of pipes and snare drums. OR Wicked Tinker. Who needs to go to the ceilidh when you can hear it all in your own camp?
I kitted up in my 17th century stuff, all too aware that the weather was showing signs of being hot. I was decently dressed when our daytripping members, many of whom who live a lot closer to Woodland than I do, began arriving.
I marched with the guys in the opening parade. While we were waiting to form up in a patch of shade, Dennis G. (yes, we have two Dennises), said I looked like I'd stepped out of a painting. You be the judge: - this is me BEFORE the jacket came off for the afternoon.
The clans marching ahead of us were composed mostly of oddly dressed "civilians" with no concept of how marching works. Dwayne was forced to drum SO slowly that "Prince Rupert's March" sounded like a dirge on the gurdy.
I went out after lunch and busked a little bit. Well, I mostly dodged pipers: the pipe band competition was going on and just when I'd find a nice shady spot and begin playing, a herd of them would march into earshot and start blatting away. Somewhere around 3:30 or so, I began to feel really wasted, so I lay down in my tent for about an hour or so, which meant I missed our firing demo, but there were plenty of people to do crowd control, so I didn't feel too bad about it.
Peter, Alicia and I were staying onsite, so we joined the other re-enactors for a candlelight potluck. My apple-pear-currant pie thingy came out very well, so I was very pleased. Besides, hanging out with history geeks is my idea of a good time, so we had some very interesting conversations.
I chatted textiles and Regency fashion with Susan, who very kindly brought her patterns for me to look at when she came back on Sunday. I told her about the Gaskell's ball and gave her one of my cards, so maybe we can get her down here to the Bay Area for one.
The "Walk" has two distinct neighborhoods. At our end we had a Vietnam era ambulance that belonged to the guy who actually drove it when he served there with the Royal Canadian Highlanders, some folks doing War of 1812, Rev War, American Civil War, and the Legio. Farther down the block things turned distinctly Ren Faire, with a puppet theater, games tent, a few artisans and a company that does the court of Mary Queen of Scots. (Evidently the Scottish Court circa 1560 got a great deal on burgundy dye from Dharma Trading because they were all far too color coordinated for comfort.)
Sadly, ants managed to get into the bag I had tied the leftover pie into, so we did not have pie on Sunday. I got to do a lot more busking. Doug was merchanting down by the gate and invited me to cop some shade and play by his booth for a bit. The 1 watt amp fits beautifully in my haversack and I simply ran the pick-up cord up the back of the instrument and through the lid.
I also went out for the Sunday parade. No drummer this time. Instead I had to match strides with James, one of Teri's two giant boys, and keep from being whipped in the eye with our unit banner. I also worked crowd control for our firing demo - and marveled at how stupid some people are. What part of "Walking In Front Of Men With Guns Is Dangerous" do they fail to comprehend? I'd thought about volunteering to be powder monkey for the Sunday demo, since we had fewer crew that day, but let Alicia do it since this was her first time along with Peter. Besides, she looks so adorable playing with ordnance.
Photos are up at http://new.photos.yahoo.com/wodeford/album/576460762399969076
APOLOGIES
Bastards!