arontius | Last Chance Thoughts. (Reply)

.....I actually had a good time at Last Chance this weekend. I'd been anxious for the past couple of weeks about a.) the weather reports which became increasingly gloomy as we approached the date of the event, and b.) the site of supreme anxiety, the Uplands of Port Gamble (based on the Epically Nightmarish Swamp Faire of 2008). But the event was, in the end, a success.

.....Saturday was bright and clear, and HOT, all day long. With all the rain we had over the week, the humidity was really high, which was a little uncomfortable at times. But it was never unbearable. Certainly nothing in comparison to a hot, Georgia, afternoon. I was glad I dressed in layers though, with a light linen tunic as the bottom layer. I could lose layers as needed, and then put them back on as the evening slowly cooled down.

.....We were on site by 1000 Court. As the Heirs we were expected to sit next to Their Excellencies in Court. They warned me that the view and the 'feel' was a lot different when looking out at the Populace as opposed to being a member of the Populace and watching Court. They were definitely right. Sitting up in front there you are the focus of a lot of attention. I watched Their Excellencies to see how they did things, how they acted, and how reacted to cues from the Populace. It was interesting as I had never paid that much attention to those kinds of details in the past.

.....I definitely want to change some of the Ceremonials. I think that TBT does as well. I wrote a lot of the original wording for Their Excellencies when They first stepped up. I was somewhat proud of the words at the time. But they have not stood up well to the wear and tear of history. For one thing they are far too wordy. By the time all the words are read so much time has gone by that people get distracted. We really need to tighten things up. Their Excellencies had already started that process. But we want to convert these to an even more Anglo-Saxon feel. I'd like to also do some conversion to a style closer to a period feel. Which is problematic. If no one can understand what is being said, than they are less inclined to be interested in any part of it.

.....What would be really cool would be a conversion from the current prose to a more poetic format. It really isn't skaldic, although that style is close, but an early anglo-saxon style of poetry was really sing-song in execution. I've listened to scholastic representations of what they most likely resembled and it has a really cool sound. The only trick might be to convert modern english into that style. The nice thing is that in reality an anglo-saxon poetic scroll and ceremony might be easier for a herald to read and say than the current verbiage. We'll see what we end up producing.

.....The final Court was rather emotional. Being Their Excellencies last Baronial Court They had a lot of words They wanted to say, and tokens to give out. I only hope that TBT and I can engender the same loyalty and dedication that Their Excellencies have produced in the Populace.

.....The feast was really good. The Culinary Guild did a fantastic job with the Port and Chicken they grilled during the day. Add that to the side dishes that everyone contributed to the table and certainly no one went away hungry, that's for sure. After dinner, lots of good conversation was had, some music and revelry under the Poof-Ka (the 'Pavilion Formerly Known As'). I wish we could have stayed longer, but TBT and I were tired and wanted to make sure we could pick up Rhys and make it home while still coherent enough to drive.

.....Today went along rather nicely. We were on site by 9:30AM and the Captain-Of-The-Guard Tourney was already in full swing. It was a lot of fun to watch and the combatants were intent on doing their best. Caius finally won and anyone who took the time to watch the Tournament could not doubt their sincerity and desire to want to be Captain of TBT's Guard. TBT may have been reluctant to actually have a guard before we began this process, but watching the dedication of those vying for the Captain's position brought home the beauty of what they did. It was very cool.

.....Break-down of site started around 11AM and we were off site by Noon, which is wonderful for a Last Chance. We ran stuff to the Storage Unit, had lunch, did chores and are now getting ready for the work week. There are lots of things to think about. But right now I'm thinking of one thing at a time and doing my best to stay awake long enough to get laundry for the week. :-)

.....Need to check the 'to-do' list. The next couple of weeks are going to be busy.

.....Zzzzzzzz, Aaron / Arontius.