[fwd] Estrella War XV

[James Gilly / Alasdair mac Iain <alasdair.maciain@snet.net>]

Poster: James Gilly / Alasdair mac Iain <alasdair.maciain@snet.net>

Forwarded by permission of Mistress Jenna.  Permission to reprint granted
to all SCA Chroniclers, providing the author is credited.

>Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 19:15:25 -0500
>From: JennaSW@AOL.COM
>Subject: Estrella War XV
>To: CALONTIR@crcvms.unl.edu
>
>Estrella War XV
>(a farm outside) Phoenix, AZ
>February 10-15, 1999
>
>Jenna of SouthWind, Roving Reporter
>
>According to the locals, a cold front had gone through the night before site
>opened.  It was clear but windy and coldish for anyone who had blissfully
>expected balmy hot weather.  As the weekend approached the daytime tempatures
>got back up to where one would hope, and the breeze died down, but Wednesday
>and Thursday were problematic.
>
>The site was flat flat flat and dusty dusty dusty.  The former was great, the
>latter caused some problems and even some medevacs to the local hospital.
The
>amenities were OK, though it was clear that there were more people on site
>than the planners and the privy cleaning company had expected.  (Nothing
>hazardous, but never, EVER go anywhere at a war without a packet of tissue in
>your pouch!)  Could have used more showers and water taps but for the first
>couple of days I was too cold to think about getting wet, and what Calontiri
>drinks anything but bottled water at Estrella anyway?  The dry air was a
>problem, and static electricity even worse.  Blue sparks in the dark became
>the norm whenever you so much as touched anything, and hairdressing took on
>whole new dimensions.
>
>Thursday night was the Color Party.  There was a table of modest but nice
>snacks, and the drinks were in various colors.  There was some sort of
>boasting right attached to "drinking a rainbow".  The Outlands gifted us with
>a keg of beer to compliment this.  A band of wandering minstrels turned
out to
>be German nationals in a bagpipe and drum quartet playing period instirmental
>music.  They were fantastic, and I was so thrilled to be able to obtain
copies
>of their CD's.
>
>Friday the weather began to warm just in time for an all-Calontir in-armor
>muster to inspect gear and talk about war rules and scenarios.  The proposed
>walk through the Battle Pit was discarded, and TRM went with the archers to
>shoot.  When They returned, a surprize court was held for the surprize
>Pelicaning of Jenna.
>
>That seemed to be the serious party night -- except for the woman who went
>into early labor and had to be airlifted out.  The next morning, The Outlands
>was awoken by a trumpeter playing "Reville" and a commander yelling "Armor
>UP!"  They were north of our camp but I could hear all this plainly at the
>south end of our camp.  An hour later Baron Bron played his tin whistle to
>rouse those Calontiri who had somehow missed this.
>
>Thanks to various generous parties, Calontir fighters were gorged on jerky
and
>fighter biscuits before being sent to the field with all the leftovers, later
>supplemented with cold pickles and dry crackers.  (OK, I won't make that
>mistake again, sorry folks!)  They returned to find not only soup, but the
>makings of ham sandwiches!  This was due to a generous donation by a lady who
>brought over and carved a whole ham and even put the condiments in a pretty
>basket.  Add fruit, secajabin, bread and Oreos, and you have one of the most
>decadent post-battle feeds ever held.
>
>After clean-up, a court to confirm the three Fyrd made, and to elevate
Richard
>of Wolfwood to the Pelicanate.  Those who had not been on the field to hear,
>found out that Mihangel will be knighted at Chieftans.  (I think Olga got as
>many congrats as her brother did....)  Then, the Outlands invited everyone
>over for Green Chile Stew, ranging from No Chilies to Kinda Warmish.
>
>The Outlands Trumpeter was NOT heard on Sunday, for which several of us were
>glad.  The Battle Pit is a rather tame name for the battle site -- an old
>gravel pit full of soft dust presenting an aura of Giant Toilet Bowl of Doom.
>Most Calontiri pulled out of the Battle Pit scenarios before the end of the
>day, and not all of them because they had to be on the bus.  Rather than
soup,
>the Army was offered PBJ sandwiches, and any uneaten sandwiches and Oreos
were
>packed up to go on the bus.
>
>At this point, Finola and I beat a retreat to a motel room where we could
>stand upright, bathe to our heart's content, and get dead grass all over the
>carpet.  We flew out Monday morning and have several day's worth of laundry
>and equipment re-packing to do.  We refuse to even try to get all the dead
>grass off stuff.
>
>Jenna



Laird Alasdair mac Iain of Elderslie
Dun an Leomhain Bhig
Canton of Dragon's Aerie  [southeastern CT]
Barony Beyond the Mountain  [northern & southeastern CT]
East Kingdom
-------   -------   -------
Argent, a chevron cotised azure surmounted by a sword and
in chief two mullets sable
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