Pennsic Joys...

[Heather Swann <heather@pop.net>]

Poster: Heather Swann <heather@pop.net>

Just thinking about the Panic and the things to look forward to made me
think of past things that have always been kinda neat...

Keeping the pink receipt folded in your pouch with a number on it in the
200's (or less) and trying to keep it clean in the mud and
rain....before site tokens were made.

Checking in for troll at the campstore long before landrush, or
lottery....

Looking out and thinking oh, yeah, that was the cornfield.....that was
the new camping area......I remember when they fought on the Runestone
Field.....

Standing at the top of the Runestone Field Hill and watching the sun
rise/set and enjoying the ambience, when all seemed medieval and ya
couldn't see a modern thing to spoil the view....

Going out to the Runestone to leave a token for luck and make a wish....

Seeing it when it was new....

The first time someone said, well, they don't have plain milk, let's see
if the chocolate's any good.....and finding the Elixer of the Gods...

Hearing bagpipes softly in the distance....

Wandering past and through camps in the evening and seeing folks
laughing and talking around fires...

Wandering around and watching dancers and guards and royalty.......what
a show!...

Seeing what you could afford to buy that year....being so happy you
could at least afford a dome tent and not borrow someone's...

Having (finally!) enough garb to last the whole War weekend....then the
War week.......then from Landgrab to War's end....

Your first warm 2a.m. shower in the bathhouse.....

That first crunch of a Pagan Sister's funnel cake for breakfast...

Sitting out at Troll through a night of torrential rain while Duke Sir
Cariadoc told stories and sympathetic gentles brought food and drink
while you ran out to cars with a clipboard in the pouring rain....and
enjoyed it in spite of yourself...

your first experience at the swimming hole....Classic, Family, etc...

The long drive there and the three times you took a wrong turn only to
go there every year afterward and get there by feel without a map....

The tapes you carefully picked to set the right mood for arrival...and
departure.....and hearing 'Conan' blast on someone's truck as they
peeled away.....

How things and tents gradually got more period over the years and carpet
armour disappeared along with freon can helms and a newspaper
appeared...several for awhile, then finally one.....

How you felt when you finally got the tent up and the stuff in the tent,
put on your garb and went to park the car....

How cool those first site tokens were and how we all came up with
interesting places to put them, including dancer's bellybuttons.....

The relief of land lottery after having to fight it out for land and the
later relief of reservations.....

Standing at your tent door, camped between the Tuchux and House
Elandris.....hearing Tuchux sing Tom Leher songs at the top of their
lungs, and watching House Elandris change guard in sharp snap-to
fashion....what a contrast....

When the barn was the only place that had merchants and helping them
pack before final court....

When you could fit the armies on the RuneStone Field....

When you bought your first.....strawhat....fan.......shoes.....



Miri
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