Re[2]: Atlantian History,

["Carol O'Leary" <Carol_O'Leary@ed.gov>]

          Countess Ianthe wrote eloquently of the early Pennsics.
          I've missed only two since Pennsic III (in 1985, two weeks
          before my son was born, and 1993, when we were finally able
          to move into our new home), and I must say that I am often
          amused to hear folks complain of the rain.  Pennsic IV was
          held on a farm near Cleveland over Labor Day weekend of 1975
          (I think).  Cleveland was declared a disaster area that
          weekend because of the hurricane that came through, and
          what's more, the campsite turned out to be in the middle of
          an intermittent streambed.  The tractors were literally
          getting stuck in the mud trying to pull the cars out.
          There's a point where you're wet through to the bone, and
          you just can't get any wetter ...  I learned a lot that
          weekend about keeping a set of dry clothes (and most
          especially dry socks) in a plastic bag in the car.  The
          hardest part was finding a motel that would take us in our
          disreputable condition.

          As for Pennsic V, Ianthe is right that it was hot, dry, and
          dusty, but there were raspberries ripening at the edge of
          the woods, and they sure did taste fine for breakfast.

          Now, Pennsic III was perfect.  And that's all there was to
          it.

          --Melisande