Warriors and Warlords 2024 Recap
Jul. 17th, 2024 06:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ianukThursday
Mel and I worked until noonish and then we got the last few things and on the road to Wisconsin for Warriors and Warlords. It was a nice drive and we got dinner about 45 mins from site. Got to site and gate was closed (just after 7pm) and there was no map to tell us where we could camp so we drove around and finally stopped at a nice spot to ask if we could setup our two tents. We ended up setting up right next to Duke Vlad and Duchess Petrenella which was super nice. We got our camp setup and chatted with a few folks we knew. The one thing that happened was one of our poles broke at the inset into the metal for the swing set support. Mel managed to repair it enough to make it work but we had to be very careful at setup. He will be making new poles for the double bell anyway...they are 15 years old and have dried out plus we ended up not being able to take them apart at the end of the event and they were strapped to the top of the tent. We also didn't have enough tent stakes or side ropes. Sighs but we made it work.
Anyhoo...we were tired and had beers and chatted with folks after a sweaty sweaty setup.
Friday
We all slept in on Friday and Mel was up making breakfast and brought me coffee in bed. Benton was grumpy but was better with food and meds and then he and Mel went to the field while I did the dishes and fixed up camp. We really did pack the bare minimum and I had bought new tubs for clothes etc since things can get wet (this was very good preplanning on my part as we will find later). Benton had a grand time doing youth combat, Mel had a grand time doing melee and then some pickups but he was burning out too quick since the humidity didn't let him recover as quick. I also attended a fiber guild meeting and worked on the emotional support chicken. It was a lovely day though folks thought it was hot....it wasn't by AZ standards but the humidity was high. Had a nice time chatting with Hagan and Sven and got a great pic of the guys and of Benton fighting.
I also got to meet Sami and Petrona who I met on the Between 2 Peers Discord and have become good friends. Especially when I was taking care of mom in South Dakota. Sami would call me to chat on his drives to see Petrona. I got so many hugs. It was awesome. Friday night had court which was short but sweet and had one laureling for a weaver. Surprised a few folks with us being there like Eithni and Sir Gwen and Maistari Hlif while we were all sitting in the circle during the ceremony. Tee hee. We hung out with Ralph MacCookin a long time friend from way back who is now in Calontir due to his kiddo. There was a torchlight tourney that took a while to get going but was fun to watch but the skeeters were fierce and Benton had gone missing (he was found hanging out in the arena and was told if he's doing that shit he can be tied to our sides at all events. Running wildish during the day with check ins is fine but at night...nope. Its dark you are back at camp or with us. But once the dewpoint hit I was done and getting cold. Mel and Benton had already gone back to camp.
Saturday the boys went out to fight and I picked Benton up to head to the youth archery shoot which was a monster shoot. Shoot a stuffed animal, you get to keep it. The kids had so much fun and worked together to get toys for kiddos who were not great shots. Benton did really well and got a stuffy for a very small boy who was too hot and was more they ready to melt down, he got a dino for himself and as we were cleaning up they said I could take one since Benton had helped so many kids. Its purple and batty and cute and weird and I love it.
I also managed to hit up the fiber guild again and do some shopping. I got a wonderful glass made by Duke Finn (Midrealm). He gave me my AoA so that is neat. I had not realized he had gotten his laurel for glass work. It had honestly never come up in conversation...he was a king and a Duke and so larger than life when I was a teen and in early college. Peers were so unknown etc. The rest of the fighting had been called off due to the heat index being in the scary levels. So the rest of the day was hanging and chatting with folks. We got news a weather system was moving in and a lot of folks pulled up camp. We weathered it out and had a really nice dinner after teh storm blew through. Went to court which included the Laureling of Sven's apprentice and a very good amount of schtick to offer Count Ajax admittance into both the Pelican and the MoD. We were super stoked for that.
Spent the evening then chatting with ralph and his daughter. Headed to bed about 1230 and the camp next door was still partying till after 1am. Were startled awake with the tornado sirens for the town going off and then scrambling to get out of bed, dressed and then rushed to the storm shelter. That was 245 in the morning. There wasn't a tornado anywhere near but there was the storm coming in and the town we think made sure we were safe since we were camping. We stayed sheltered until 430 when it was still raining and blowing and it finally stopped about 515 where we finally just dropped off to sleep. Oof. Got up about 8 and started packing down. luckily we had either put things in the van already or put things in tubs so the only things that were wet were floors and tents...though benton's clothes got soaked from a puddle. So we made due with him grabbing his shirt he drove up in. Got everything loaded and dried as best we could and then headed to perkins for brunch. Had a very nice meal and then it was on the road. I drove about 2 hours and then had to hand things off to mel and then I crashed hard asleep. We got home about 6 and unloaded and mel laid out tents while I got food on the grill the kiddo was in the shower. Then we got clothes started in the washer and it was an early bed for all of us. Its nice having a large driveway and a large deck to hang things on for drying.
So yeah, crazy ass weekend with the weather but it was super nice to see folks etc. Though next year if things show that weather pattern we will probably pack up early and find a hotel we are all still tired and its Wednesday.
I did manage on Monday night to finish the emotional support chicken and I'm almost done with my mohair spinning. will update on our dinner with my aunt later.
Mel and I worked until noonish and then we got the last few things and on the road to Wisconsin for Warriors and Warlords. It was a nice drive and we got dinner about 45 mins from site. Got to site and gate was closed (just after 7pm) and there was no map to tell us where we could camp so we drove around and finally stopped at a nice spot to ask if we could setup our two tents. We ended up setting up right next to Duke Vlad and Duchess Petrenella which was super nice. We got our camp setup and chatted with a few folks we knew. The one thing that happened was one of our poles broke at the inset into the metal for the swing set support. Mel managed to repair it enough to make it work but we had to be very careful at setup. He will be making new poles for the double bell anyway...they are 15 years old and have dried out plus we ended up not being able to take them apart at the end of the event and they were strapped to the top of the tent. We also didn't have enough tent stakes or side ropes. Sighs but we made it work.
Anyhoo...we were tired and had beers and chatted with folks after a sweaty sweaty setup.
Friday
We all slept in on Friday and Mel was up making breakfast and brought me coffee in bed. Benton was grumpy but was better with food and meds and then he and Mel went to the field while I did the dishes and fixed up camp. We really did pack the bare minimum and I had bought new tubs for clothes etc since things can get wet (this was very good preplanning on my part as we will find later). Benton had a grand time doing youth combat, Mel had a grand time doing melee and then some pickups but he was burning out too quick since the humidity didn't let him recover as quick. I also attended a fiber guild meeting and worked on the emotional support chicken. It was a lovely day though folks thought it was hot....it wasn't by AZ standards but the humidity was high. Had a nice time chatting with Hagan and Sven and got a great pic of the guys and of Benton fighting.
I also got to meet Sami and Petrona who I met on the Between 2 Peers Discord and have become good friends. Especially when I was taking care of mom in South Dakota. Sami would call me to chat on his drives to see Petrona. I got so many hugs. It was awesome. Friday night had court which was short but sweet and had one laureling for a weaver. Surprised a few folks with us being there like Eithni and Sir Gwen and Maistari Hlif while we were all sitting in the circle during the ceremony. Tee hee. We hung out with Ralph MacCookin a long time friend from way back who is now in Calontir due to his kiddo. There was a torchlight tourney that took a while to get going but was fun to watch but the skeeters were fierce and Benton had gone missing (he was found hanging out in the arena and was told if he's doing that shit he can be tied to our sides at all events. Running wildish during the day with check ins is fine but at night...nope. Its dark you are back at camp or with us. But once the dewpoint hit I was done and getting cold. Mel and Benton had already gone back to camp.
Saturday the boys went out to fight and I picked Benton up to head to the youth archery shoot which was a monster shoot. Shoot a stuffed animal, you get to keep it. The kids had so much fun and worked together to get toys for kiddos who were not great shots. Benton did really well and got a stuffy for a very small boy who was too hot and was more they ready to melt down, he got a dino for himself and as we were cleaning up they said I could take one since Benton had helped so many kids. Its purple and batty and cute and weird and I love it.
I also managed to hit up the fiber guild again and do some shopping. I got a wonderful glass made by Duke Finn (Midrealm). He gave me my AoA so that is neat. I had not realized he had gotten his laurel for glass work. It had honestly never come up in conversation...he was a king and a Duke and so larger than life when I was a teen and in early college. Peers were so unknown etc. The rest of the fighting had been called off due to the heat index being in the scary levels. So the rest of the day was hanging and chatting with folks. We got news a weather system was moving in and a lot of folks pulled up camp. We weathered it out and had a really nice dinner after teh storm blew through. Went to court which included the Laureling of Sven's apprentice and a very good amount of schtick to offer Count Ajax admittance into both the Pelican and the MoD. We were super stoked for that.
Spent the evening then chatting with ralph and his daughter. Headed to bed about 1230 and the camp next door was still partying till after 1am. Were startled awake with the tornado sirens for the town going off and then scrambling to get out of bed, dressed and then rushed to the storm shelter. That was 245 in the morning. There wasn't a tornado anywhere near but there was the storm coming in and the town we think made sure we were safe since we were camping. We stayed sheltered until 430 when it was still raining and blowing and it finally stopped about 515 where we finally just dropped off to sleep. Oof. Got up about 8 and started packing down. luckily we had either put things in the van already or put things in tubs so the only things that were wet were floors and tents...though benton's clothes got soaked from a puddle. So we made due with him grabbing his shirt he drove up in. Got everything loaded and dried as best we could and then headed to perkins for brunch. Had a very nice meal and then it was on the road. I drove about 2 hours and then had to hand things off to mel and then I crashed hard asleep. We got home about 6 and unloaded and mel laid out tents while I got food on the grill the kiddo was in the shower. Then we got clothes started in the washer and it was an early bed for all of us. Its nice having a large driveway and a large deck to hang things on for drying.
So yeah, crazy ass weekend with the weather but it was super nice to see folks etc. Though next year if things show that weather pattern we will probably pack up early and find a hotel we are all still tired and its Wednesday.
I did manage on Monday night to finish the emotional support chicken and I'm almost done with my mohair spinning. will update on our dinner with my aunt later.
