Three Stags - Saturday

Alas, not as early a start as could be hoped for on Saturday. Nonetheless we were on-site by 10:00. We arrived to a cold, drizzly, but nicely wooded site. A check of the map showed us that we were to be sited next to the battlefield. Robert and Savina walked over while I checked us in; by the time I got there he had found Johanus and with his help we decided on the tent locations.

It was a primo spot. Many people remarked on the location - what they didn't know was that we had asked for a place to site the period encampment. This was where Mirianna put us. We were as amazed as anyone, and gratified, too. The highly visible location made it convenient for folks to stop by and chat about the setup.

It took us until mid-afternoon to complete the setup, about five or six hours. Northstar II performed well, although several modifications will need to be made before it is used again. The valance will need to be removed and replaced - the hoop pushes it out too much. The hoop casing suffered the strain of mating the PVC sections, and should be resewn with sturdier thread, and with wider breaks between sections to allow for finding joints easier.

Although I had intended to attend Jentien's turnshoe class, I was just too tired to make hands and brain work that hard. After a late lunch, I took off for the market to get supper instead.

The Safeway is the only supermarket in Elizabeth. However it is thoroughly modern, and provided an excellent selection of "feast from the supermarket" foods. I picked up a roasted chicken and Pugilise bread, which we all found to be surprisingly good. I also got some olives off the olive bar. Combined with the ample supply of cheese and spiced wine that we'd brought, it made a great supper.

But I'm skipping ahead.

Supper was rather late on Saturday night, because we'd had a couple stop by that we pretty much instantly bonded with. Sir Domingo and Lady Sancha had admired the camp, and this struck up a weekend-long philosophical discussion. We spent some time talking in the Companie camp, and then we Savina and I migrate over to their camp, where we engaged in discussions about furniture, Pas, and the role of the peers in the Society. Robert, Evan and Jentien eventually came to fetch us, although we sat and talked for some time still.

The day had of course been cold, and by the time we headed "home" for supper, it was chilling further. I was so happy to have brought my green wool gown; it was perfect for keeping warm. We had invited Jentien to dine with us - she's a Companion after all - and we sat down in the dark to supper.

Robert, trying to shake his grumpy reputation, got a little silly and tried to stir up trouble with a camp across the field. You'll have to read his blog for the details. Evan, who had played hard all day, fell asleep in my lap. We left the dished for daylight and gratefully crept into the warmth of the bed.