Sunday March 14, 2010 I awoke nice and early, somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00a.m. It was an easy awake given my excitement level for heading south to the event known as Gulf Wars. I call the day Zero Day coming from both my background in IT (related to patches) and even more especially the Zero Hour DC comic universe series. Bottom line is the time at which all projects have to be finished that are going to be, truck loaded, horses booted and in the trailer, and a VERY LONG drive.

The day all started at around 4:30 in the morning. Actually, I may have snoozed once as that was a bit early for even me. But I got up, finished loading the things sitting all about the floor and room (especially by the door) into the truck. After a few last-minute packing of items, that last couple of things were just thrown on top, knowing they would have to be re-arranged at stop three. Cooler was grabbed and away were to stop two.

Stop two was the office, where the lances and a few pieces of new armour had been shipped. Given that I have been in the middle of a temporary move I had left it there to keep it out-of-the-way. Nothing like stopping at the office in the early AM as vacation is beginning only to grab things and be on my way.

Step three was the farm where the trailer and horses were located. Also had a few items there as well and of course some amount of the hay (what was not already in the truck). What fun it is to get everything hitched up, the stuff that could not get wet moved from off the top of the truck into the trailer tack compartment, hay all arrange and covered, and all in the pitch dark of a cloudy and trying to mist early morning. All of that done, next up was locating the horses in the same quickly becoming soppy environment. And of course would they dream of coming at a call? No, it was a hike to the very back and entice them a lot to get them in halters. Shipping boots were on without too much fuss, but I recall I had two on upside down in the dark that had to be redone before actually loading the guys. Loading was a chore to be sure, new trailer only has escape door on one side and later I figured out the guys like a direct lead for loading, not from the side.

Once on, doors closed and locked, time to met Chris as we were going to caravan down together. Meeting location is twelve minutes away, maybe fifteen with horses. I need air in two trailer tires and a truck tire to boot, and the time I gave him thinking I would be plenty early is eight minutes away. The horses took way to long to load and now I am regretting that snooze to boot. Well fortunate or not, Chris/Edmund missed the exit, drove ten miles down and ten miles back and we arrived at almost the same time – though we had not said a specific service station at the exit and I drove past it looking for him. Regardless, restroom, pour of coffee (from the thermos that had been made prior to leaving home) and away we went.

Four stops and ten hours later we arrived at the site, King’s Arrow Ranch outside of Lumberton, Mississippi. Actually including the time from pumping a tank of gas at each stop as well as giving the horses about a thirty minute break somewhere along the way it was probably a tad over eleven hours. Regardless, we trolled in to site, which took a bit of time, but not as bad as it could have been given the time we arrived. We meandered our way to the equestrian barns, which are almost opposite of the front gate, checked in the horses and unloaded them. It was turnout for them once unbooted while we went to set up camp. Edmund decided to camp up with equestrian given that no one else was on site he knew yet and so we just used the one tent, getting it up just as darkness fully descended. An aside: I think next year I will camp in the Mid-Realm annex with the Stalgheist group. Kind of be the first on and mark off the area but also be more connected with what is going on with folks I know and such as that. I also think it would take down the angst I feel over the very modern stuff throughout the equestrian camping area.

Some arranging of camp followed, but how much of that can you do in the dark? Also had to get the guys stalls all set up and put them away for the night. As there were about three things I needed from town and several that Edmund needed, we might a late run back to civilization, having missed it on the way down by some freak event and my cell phone being MIA. Oddly the Wal-Mart there was getting town apart for the same renovations the local one here in Danville is undergoing that very eve. Finding my three items was a challenge beyond need.

A stop for some quick food and back on site. Some discussion ensued about maybe wandering around a bit but reality was it was dark, fairly late, and the pillows were more the calling. Submersion into, at least for me, the 14th century would be complete when I awoke the next morning.

* – Not sure who did the collage, but I like it! Kudos to you if you happen by here!

Tags: equestrian, event, Gulf Wars, heavy-fighting, horse, horses, projects, sca, Society for Creative Anachronism, war