• pay up and get storage unit contents
• purchase tent (Panther Regency?)
• make/check tent poles for tent, along with ropes
• purchase horse trailer(?)
• clean armour
• restrape armour
• blue armor (puchase of tank/torch)
• organize armour packaging
• redo cloasure on bar grill  basinet
• roll front edges on vambraces (trim down a bit?)
• repair/fix guantlets
• nix padding for padded liner (period style) both helms
• purchase aventail/camails X2 and install
• ? of voiders and skirt or habergon – looks like habergon is right
• jupon or arming coat
• spiff up some garb
• make a new piece or two of garb (better stuff)
• order chuasses and braies
• use above to pattern a few more
• order turn shoes
• make chamfron and crinit (w/ eye protection)
• get saddles/tack out, clean and oil
• get bottles for cordial
• bottom cordial (simple syrup 2:1?)
• labels for cordial?
• ride a bunch on Jack and some on Angel
• fix one suitcase
• make a choice about 1350-60 versus 1390-1400?
• make a sheild, heater curved opposite (jousting)
• make side/back plates for churburg #13, strap, use…

I used the graphic above because I am pretty sure that I if I do one thing a day I will be pretty close to completion by the time GW rolls around.  Keep in mind the list is kind of crude at this point, like garb for instance needs to be broke down more into what specifically are goals for the war and listed out separately.

Before I start describing the events, one thing I left out previous was the huge as long as forever wait the day before.  Then once everyone was lined up, we had to do this pair off and shake hands.  Hmmm, maybe I did mention it.  Anyway… the anticipation and even some of the early reporting indicated a second round of such time delay and pretty much pointless delay.  Of course, this did not happen.  But because of the prophecy their were, I am guessing a lot of VIP fighters that were not present and we still took forever to get started with the open field battles.

So, when we eventually started the field battles it was awesome.  It was a lot more fluid and required a lot more attention to where the lines were to stay in the right place and hence alive.  Lines, once engaged generally become a swirly mass, but watch the flanks if anything should become open.  I am going by a sketchy memory.  I do know all the following happened, but I do not recall the exact battles in which things occurred.  Oh, and today, we (being myself and a couple of good friends) were fighting with the Barony of Phoenix today, though in most cases Stalgheist was still pretty close to where we were most of the day.

So what I believe was the first battle, we pretty much closed and I was kind of in the pack for sometime.  I aggressively made my to an opening where people I knew where hotly contested and pretty  much took about one swing, one block and did not get my big fat slow head out of way and was dead almost before  it started, but definitely before things went in earnest.

In the second battle, which is when I think we switch sides and direction that we were working the field, there was a lot of movement on our side, but a seeming refusal on the other part to engage.  We would creep up a bit, and stop.  Our unit was in reserve on the near extreme right of the line so it promised to be a long time.  At some point, when we were over halfway across the field, someone gave the command for our reserver to oblique to the center behind a gradual forward move and when we hit the middle of our line there was going to be charge in mass.   The battle furry must have taken over, as I don’t know if I center looked weak before that or not, I suppose it did.  But as we crashed into the opposing line, which had barely moved the end of the field at the moment if impact we broke them.  From there, we rolled to the right, basically doing a classic envelope of the exposed flank that was formerly their center.  In the swirl isolated pockets were destroyed.

As the remains turned, there was some pockets to the left, but our own left had been pushed hard.  We turned and took on the resistance in pockets to our left, often find just a few opposing fighters nearly surrounded.  I am not sure of kills, but I hit several what should have been good blows in this sequence.  Now I unit was working back across the field on the left side from whence we had originally came.  Eventually it become a mop up job of victory, when  horse would have been a nice asset.

The third battle of the day, after a LONG delay (or was between the 1st and 2nd?) for someone to be knighted on the field was similar to the second one.  Though the tactics did not work out the same.  Somewhere in this battle, I know our until engaged and for a moment it seemed liked we were going to push them easily.  Then all the sudden a surge on the oppose side as we swirled to nearly 90 degrees of our original facing.  I knew those shields… who are they.  Oh yeah, that is House EbonWolfe and that is indeed Duke Logan.  (The same that as the spears and who I have see in tournaments, so fast, so hard hitting, and just in general, awesome).  Boom, I was hit.  Guess I was paying to much attention the Duke who was not really close to my own front.  As I went down, boom, boom, boom – wanted to make sure I was dead and going to take it.  Do not even thing it a house EbonWolfe that hit me, but it was a spear or maybe a pole-arm on the extra blows.  What a pretty bruise that left that showed up a few days later.  And glad the next day we had a general break, as I am not sure I could have lifted my shield.

The video is just funny and great and the very light editing that has been done leaves it even funnier.   Anyway, the shafts are fiberglass with a wood grain embedded in the surface.  It makes them look a LOT better.  Additionally, they are available in a slightly heavier version that, as evidenced by the video, makes them just a little bit harder to break.  They are also available in a regular wall thickness at a similar weight to a typical fiberglass spear shaft.

What is more, as we use fiberglass lances when tilting at the quintain on the equestrian side of things, I have inquired about getting 10′ lengths for such purposes.

** – picture is credit to Christophe de Frisselle, aka Chris Fraser, an inspiring spear to say the least.

UPDATE:  His Grace, Duke Logan has indicated he can make 10′ and 12′ lengths available, but would have to cut them down to ship (as the limit is apparently just under 9′.   However, I going to get some heavy and some for equestrian and I am seeing about if he is heading this way.  If I got enough interest I would even drive to Atlantia and pick them up.  I know several people might like to get them from here in the Midrealm, so let me know.

I made my way over at a good early hour, as I had not managed to get over and get an inspection prior and I did not want to get stuck in a line and miss out on anything waiting for an inspection.  What a mistaken idea on my part.  Anyway, inspection was quick, easy, and of not pain at all.  It was a very nice process and very well organized.  Given the number of those being done I was rather impressed with it.  I will note, the green paint on my black sword guards was a bit if a pain, but the open faced beater basinet getting a sticker was fine – would have to think twice on the other one though.

Then I made my way to some folks I knew and after some introductions and willingness to have me, decided to fight with part of Stalhgiest for the time being.  I had a couple of friends who are squired to a knight in the household so it made a good deal of sense as a beginner at this level to do that.  I was ready to go, pumped and had sword at the ready, helm on (since it is a bit of a pain to get all set), and sword on arm.  After about fifteen minutes past the start time I ditched that and chilled out.  Another eon went by, and then someone decided we needed to form lines and pair with someone for the other side.  What a forever long process and in the end, no one was sure what the reason behind it all was.

After what did seem another eon, we finally were able to start and we had one of the center bridges.  As we got close to the bridge, but still no where near an engagement I realized just how much of a press we were going to have.  For those not familiar with, as a shield guy my job is to protect those spear guys working over my shoulders and such, once we get up close enough in the land.  Generally, the idea of a sword guy getting a kill is not likely, short of a big surge forward.

Eventually the time came and I was front.  I think I made a decent showing before going down.  At that point, one begins to realize in a battle just how much bodies could pile up.  You read about such descriptions in the history and think little about it and even dismiss it.  But a limited front, where else can the bodies go.  And so there I was on the bottom and a battle going on over my head, until a couple of other folks were dead on top of me.  Eventually, unlike the real warfare, a marshal called a hold and let the dead get from between the lines.

The battle was to be contested three times, so a bit of a break while the first was finished and then shortly after that, back to it.  This time a slightly different approach and different organization as we went  at it.  This time we were closer to the front.  In the battle, we first settled, and later surged and amazingly I was still alive.  I am pretty sure in the surge I had knocked a couple of folks off the side of the “bridge,” which was death to them.  Then a count I know in front of me was taken out and we were pressed so tight he could neither go down nor even move.  He did get out though, eventually.  Then we were pushed back and surged forward again, somehow I got a bit ahead and by the time someone yelled loud enough for me to get back in position (helmets are hard to hear in, especially with the rush of battle around) I was hit.  As I went down, I was hit again.

I get a little fuzzy – but I think the situation changed somewhat, but it was still a limited front next up.  I know in this one our tactics broke down or we just got beat.  This particular battle I think I got a kill before I went down myself, but I am not 100% sure that it was taken.  I went down though and had some  step on my grill as the ebb and flow took place and that twisted my helm nearly off.  Just as I was about to yell hold, someone above me must have seen and did so.

After I cleared out and got back to a safe point, I realized my gauntlet was missing the linkage on the thumb.  That blow I took on the way down had apparently broken the rivets.  Worse, I was missing a piece.  Later, along with some marshal friends of mine, I did find the piece.  Still not assembled though.

What a HUGE amount of fun the fighting was though.  I could hardly wait for the next day, despite the heavy shield and fatigue I was feeling at the moment.  So, in the evening, we spent some time having a good meal, lots of mead, and eventually wandered around pursuing various parties.  I suspect some of them where good fun, but the ones we pursued were more of deep amounts of drinking and probably lewd behaviors.  All in all that was a lot of fun as well and not something, with horses, I had gotten to pursue a lot at Gulf Wars.

It is based on a battle that took place between France and England during a lull during the hundred years typically called the Combat of the Thirty.  It was fought between two side of thirty each and was to decide the succession of the Duchy of Britanny, though it failed in that endeavor.  It was fought both  by mounted and dismounted combatants.  Historically, after most were wounded, Guillaume de Montauban mounted his horse and overthrew that last of the English champions.

The basic idea is to take a very narrow time period and require that every participate has extremely appropriate armor for that time period.  It is also suggested that everyone be using a weapon format that would have been really appropriate for the time as well.

Then a slight twist on things from a normal SCA type of battle.  Instead of taking a wound as is the typical SCA battle scenario, armor does its job.  If it covered appropriately it protected.  However, three blows are stun and allows someone to capture you for ransom, but they in turn must escort you off the field.    If you take a blow in a vital area that is not protected, you are of course dead as to have been expected.

Seeing the combat was awesome from two perspectives.  First and foremost was just the grand spectacle of everyone in their mid 14th century kit with all the extra little nice touches.  Every weapon on the field had a very nice realistic look to it, along with armor that in most cases was nearly perfect for the time period.  Add in a several silk banners fluttering around the field and you get a really nice picture.

The second of course was just the great fighting that was present on the field.  It lasted for a good while with a good ebb and flow to things as it played out.  There were clearly several times when a ransom or not made an impact on things at the moment or even later in the battle.  Beyond that though, was the highly competitive level of things that were taking place on the field.

For me personally of course, there was also the several friends that were on the field.  They availed themselves well.  I am personally counted down the days to the next one and of course its counterpart at Gulf Wars in the spring.  Lastly, some video follows of this years combat – I am not sure but I think Garrett put this up.  Oh, and it on facebook, sorry if that bothers anyone.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1192557650066

The first thing that I see as major problem with this episode is it completely based on the movies of most recent fame dealing with the two subjects.   I am the first to admit that the I am not very familiar with the Zulu warfare techniques and weaponry and really can not make a comparison of the movie to the reality.  However, as I think I have noted on another blog before, there are a huge number of issues with the the Braveheart movie, especially in regards to historical accuracy, even in regards to weapons and armor.

A first instance is the use of the much more modern very plaid and wrapped kilt.  Fact is in the late 13th century of Wallace the Scottish were not wearing kilts of that design and they were certainly not that heavy.  That does not really impact the outcome here.  What does though is they scored the claymore sword as being more effective then the short spear.  Fact is the longer hand and half or two hand sword that we think of as a claymore is much more of a 15th century weapon.  And even then it was not called a claymore, that term was actually used for a basket hilted broadsword of 17th century and onward, especially popular with Scottish officers.

Another anachronistic aspect that was introduced by the show was when testing that short hand spear (which technically I think is more like a short sword in it usage) was the selection of maile that was used in the testing and conduction of the testing.  All the previous demonstration showed the weapon being used as a slashing weapon and for this they stabbed straight in without regard to speed but a full front open attack.  Given the nature of adaptation I could forgive that, but the chain mail used was mild steel butted links.  During most of the time period most mail worn would have been either riveted or alternated solid rings and riveted.  And mild butted links will tend to open up when a point penetrates, just like slow prying them open.

Another thing they do on this show is with each time they test a weapon it specifically a test they have set up for the weapon.  They never do a test of apples to apples so speak.  For instance the Zulu axe was analyzed while slicing up a static pig carcass while the war hammer was only tested versus crashing down on replica skulls.  If the Scottish warrior is indeed in the status of knight, like Wallace was, he would have had maile at least over his upper body.  This is exactly the kind of edged weapon the maile would have been best at defended against and they did not include his in the testing.

There are numerous faults with the data collection and very limited observation, but I will limit to just one more.  All of the analysis and data that is entered into the computer for the final simulation.  But that data as to which weapon is determined to be most deadly or effective at a given range is mostly decided by the various scientists, doctors, and whoever is involved.  And no matter how objective they claim to be, it hard to be totally objective in such an arbitrary call.

One more thing I think the show misses is the situation that the warrior culture was finding itself in and what the society was like.  For instance, the Scottish under Wallace had been oppressed for years by the English and were clearly fighting for both home and hearth and even a way of life.  They were fighting the English, that clearly had supply issues when in Scotland.  The inverse was true when Wallace did take York and his position there was largely untenable for more then a season or two and hence his eventual willingly yielding it back to the English for other concessions.   There are again, so many additional points about differences in cultures and background, how could one be comprehensive about this list.

I will say in this particular episode, it came out 67% of time the winner would have been Wallace over the Shaka, which is about the way I would have expected the outcome.  Though clearly the folks on the show seemed to have favored the Shaka weapons during the analysis.  But regardless, I give the show an overall bad review, fully meeting my expectation of the show.

** Photo from promotional materials for the show from Spike **

Okay, I will give you if you are involved in your own personal experimental aircraft or something akin to that you may be hitting a bit more expense.  Perhaps even a yacht, depending on the size and the crew required could in some situations be more expensive – but no small one person boat is going to cut it.   High performance racing machines, yes, more expensive, but a LOT more pay back at the level where it probably becomes much more expensive.

I hear friends all the time speak about how expensive it is to maintain and upkeep a horse and other friends talk about how expensive it is to put together a good looking armour kit.

I am down to just two horses but compared to one that is 2x the upkeep expenses.  Additionally, both of these guys will be going everywhere with me this summer, so every haul will cost a bit more, every entrance/stall fee will likely be double, and every set of health papers will be twice as much as well.

And silly me, even as I begin to get a few comments about my 14th century suite of armour looking nice I am in constanst realization that it needs a few things to look a lot better.  Things that are not inexpensive but very much a part of the kit.  I could make the entire list, but at the very top is a riveted propery attached camail, an arming jack to properly attach legs and shouldes too, mail voiders, and finishing the churburg #15 or finding a suitable replacement even better.  Add to that, I am feeling my age and/or wimpiness when fighting on the ground in the arms and want to add something in leather that lighter, hopefully quicker, and maybe not as quickly to tire.

And if that were not enough, I want to do and have kind of started a late 15th/early 16th century kit.  Which means a whole new set of armour and soft kit for not only me, but for the horse as well.  What fun!  What expense!

I see a credit card commercial in here somewhere…  in a somber voice with video of war melee in mass, “Registration to war in order to beat the heathen masses – $75.”  Scene cuts to mounted guy on horse in full armour making a joust pass, “Maintenance of horse and armour purchases, yearly – between $5,000 – $10,000.”  Scene cuts mounted melee involving kings and knights, “Giving a king by right of arms his lunch on horseback in a melee – priceless.”

** – Photo credit to Bob Fenstemaker (Ardal) from Gulf Wars XVI.

** Originally published on Mephistos on 2nd of March 2009

SCA -  The Society for Creative Anachronism started back in the late 1960′s at a very hip unversity in California.  From there it grew like wildfire and today, it literarly spans the globe.  It is technically what I would call a historical recreational group, in that historically accuracy is not rigidly enforced.  It does require that all who are participating make some attempt at being in costume (or garb) that represents a person from the 6th – 15th centuries.  Because it is a large organization and has minimum entry requirements it is a great place to start for the historical reenactor.  Once involved you are not limited at all and can make your kit as historically accurate as you desire, including developing a particular persona from a via specific time period.

Some additional information about the SCA that is worth knowing.  The world is divided up into kingdoms, for instance most of Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois compos the Midrealm Kingdom, where I reside. Each kingdom has a ruler, chosen two to three times a year by ground based combat.  There is no roll of dice to determine the outcome, but actual slugging it out with wood (okay, technically, rattan – a type of wicker) and ones physical abilities.  The winner of such a tournament gets to name his (or her) consort to sit on the throne, usually the very inspiration of why they fought.

Equestrian activities, when I started to become really active in the SCA, some ten or eleven years back were mostly limited to things like what knights and squires would have used to train.  It included things like tilting at rings (and I mean with long lances, not the pool-queue stuff you see in Maryland and Virginia sometimes), tilting at the quintain (hitting a shield like device that spins), and throwing a spear.  It would combine these into quests and challenge course and sometimes have a quadrille or some such as well.  In not the not so far off past they have included a crest combat, based on historical records, with swords and jousting, granted with stryrofoam tips.  There are to date some experiments going on with using wooden (rattan) swords for combat and some balsa wood tip jousting experiments.  All in all, the SCA is a good place to start, growing both a kit (costume) and your skill set.

I should note that the equestrian activities have definite seasons and are rare to occur more then one or two a month in a kingdom, but could still have you driving up to 500 miles to attend one.  The SCA in general though has something going on just about every weekend and most times you can something with a 100-200 miles maximum, depending on your specific interests of course.

Oh, and just to clarify, I am still fairly active in the SCA, both equestrian and getting going with the ground fighting (as well occasionally practicing some in the artistic side of things).  I am just about to stop up to the head position of the equestrian group in the kingdom.  There is just something about going to an event and having 8,000 friends there who have a similar mind set for a whole week, the opportunity to met 3,000 of them on the field in combat, or find 50-60 of them to compete with on horseback, not to mention the kicking back and have a deep drink of some homemade brew that evening around the campfire as you recount the days heroics.  I would invite everyone that reads here to join me at Gulf Wars XVIII in Mississippi come March 2009.

* – Photo credited to Lady Em, via Flickr

** Originally published on Mephistos on 11th of December 2008

Interestingly enough this goes against most of what we have in both the record and what is put forth by most noted historians. In fact, most of the historians, and indeed most of the record seems to support, that the medieval era from horses standpoint in warfare actually sees its rise to the pinnacle of the ultimate shock troop and its fall from that position to the little more then a quick moving “infantry” or scouting role by the close of the period.

What I find most surprising, is that Steve Muhlberger, who owns the blog and is a professor of history takes the few written words by Henrik Olsgaard (I am sure that is his SCA name only) and without other supporting evidence presents it on his blog. That in itself is not so bad, but his blogs stated purpose is for the use of his students as a bulletin board and interesting history related information. I suppose that this is all well and fine, however, I take issue with there being very little counter balancing of information on this particular piece – not in fact, any real mention that this would be the opposite to the general accepted view.

I will give both Muhlberger and Olsgaard the point they fail to make fully in the blog, that being that the Hastings has been played up as the place where the heavy mounted lance/spear wielding knight, especially when couched, came to its own and turned the tide of the battle. In reality it was probably turned more by someone being shot in the eye, the horses sparing the stamina of those charging uphill repeatedly throughout the day, shear willpower and grit on Williams part, and lastly the ability of the mounted troops to mop up easily once the formation started to break open.

Olsgaard keeps most of the focus on the fact that horses are herd animals and are prone to follow the leader or run from anything frightens them. Further, he indicates that the horses they were using were very hard pressed, if at all, to charge right into a shield wall. All of this is really a no thought required in most of the ways of looking at it. Having trained horses for over eight or nine years to do some of this, what to the horse, has to be stupid medieval stuff, it takes time. Some of these horses had never even been mounted in amour until the day before, for a few hours at best of riding and practicing. It typically takes a good three or four months to get most horses ready for even the more simple things in relation to this kind of participation in a medieval event.

I am going to give you a basics for what can happen. My first horse that I ever did this kind of thing with, a gelding, been there and done that kind of horse when I got him. First Gulf Wars we went to, when I was still a bit of a green rider, he was a pain in the behind. He was nervous and wanted to kick at other horses when we were idling. We rode down a trail over behind the field battles and when the crash of shield and sword took place he got wide eyed and backed away. I then spent the next several months riding him as in similar situations almost daily – and as my fiefdom was small and lacking in numbers, we played battle scenes through loud speakers around where we riding, and we we would hit posts with swords, break lances on posts, etc. When the horse was retired a few years ago due to loosing his site, he would approach anything and even take a light blow with out a flinch or thought of fear so long as the rider on him maintained their confidence. This kind of training (with the sound actually included for real) was available to a knight and his horses readily – and is a large part of why we had the tournaments that eventually lead to the joust of one on one facing each down the lane (the first mounted tourneys were big melees, that often turned into bloody affairs, despite crests being the target sometimes).

Olsgaard makes another point about the severe spurs and bits that we sometimes see in the historical record as proof to just how frightened and hence how much effort was required to control the animals. I say ‘bah-humbug’ to that as well. The twelve inch shanks on bits can be found in many horse activities today, where the horse is certainly not being exposed to the kinds of terrors that you would find on the battlefield, though some would think the show ring is just as rough. As for the both of these devices, just because they were there does not mean that they were used to that extreme. I know one person that I took lessons from said you should not put spurs on unless you need them for the horse – I am of the opinion that you should have them in case you need them – cause it is a bear to go get them the moment you need them already mounted on a horse. Even then though, just because the spur was so severe doesn’t mean it was required and used in such severity. By today’s English standards, most big rowel star spurs of Western design are considered harsh – but watch just how often those are used to apply as much pressure as could be used with them in a western based high caliber reigning class at a show.

In short summation, I find the article that focuses on one aspect with out giving any credentials other then he has been in the SCA since its founding and has ridden a few times on untrained horses at the re-enactment of Hastings, a far cry from an authority on the subject. Even in his own article he notes of horses with training that will charge through a shield wall and in such instances, even in play with out intent to harm when it was maybe expected to give way, people were blooded. Imagine 30 or 40 horses impacting a shield wall at nearly the same time, as the ground shakes, as they approach at a gallop, with horses all trained to make that charge and as they approach all the horses are going that way so herd instinct drives it. And just imagine then, if just two or three gaps open in the wall where someone and his buddy next to him get a little scared. And if are in doubt, come to my house at feeding time and I will let you stand between me and the feed as the two or three horses come charging past you.

** Originally published on Mephistos on 19th of July 2008

Anyway, I am getting distracted. I am sitting here, once again preparing for my journey to the southern Mississippi for the annual event called Gulf Wars, this being I believe the 5th one that I will attend in twice as many years as I only make it bi-annually. I find it interesting that I am currently planning on leaving on Friday after work and the most recent forecast has it snowing, with some accumulation on the grassy areas and elevated surfaces for late Thursday evening/early Friday morning. Interesting, as I am pretty sure the last two times I have gone, leaving from here in Kentucky it has snowed or been snowing when horses were being loaded for departure.

It is with a huge amount of, well busted flat, that I note I will not be taking the horses this year. The first in my years of attending the event that I will not have a trusty hooved companion with me. Over the years, I have always taken a horse for myself and in all the previous years I have also had a traveling companion and hence took Angel. My horse over the years has been one of three different ones, S.D. (Special Dark), Dusty (Carbon’s Gold Dust), and Jack (Mad Jack Juett) – but Angel has always been there. I feel like Fatus Obscuros is striking again, which I have been told could roughly mean ‘the Gods will otherwise.’

This year it will be different. After purchasing a truck and getting things ready with back in January and up through February, including putting a braking control package on it and after searching and not finding a trailer, instead almost begging to borrow one, on Saturday past when hauling the trailer to do some repairs, my truck quit. It was a big time quit too, the engine seized. It may not be obvious to everyone, but seized engines do not get repaired quickly and are very expensive to replace on top of that.

So that brings me to not going or going down in the car without horses. That is kind of tough, given the extra money I know that will be required to fix the truck upon my return if I do attend. It is even worse though, as I am suppose to be early on event staff and be around the barns during the early part of the week for horses arriving. Further, I was running the big event, the emprise and hauling down the equipment that has been amassed over the years. That will not happen. Matter of fact, I am having an overwhelming feeling with just thinking about packing armour, clothing, and the big tent in my seemingly big enough four door (mini) sedan.

Anyway, hopefully I will figure it out on the morrow with some testing of getting the stuff in the car, as I have decided as of right now I am still planning on going. I am not going to hold out for getting to ride at all though I do have a couple of friends and maybe I will get to hack out a horse at some point over the week. I do feel like it important to uphold my obligations to my friends though in regards to the things I agreed to do if at all possible and will make sure that happens. I am sure that I will enjoy the new found joys of the heavy combat melee’s and at some point or another when folks I know are enjoying a good equestrian competition, especially like the joust or heavy mounted combat, I will feel just about the way Kristofferson when he hers Janice sing his song on the radio – happy for her, but yet just a tinge of busted flat over the whole deal.

First post here on Eligius as a blog, where I intend to start with blogging my medieval activities during this coming campaign season.  I may start with blogging from Gulf Wars.  Eventually I will get galleries of pictures and some video posted up here as well, and expect some additional awesome things in the near future on the site, maybe an eventaul restoration of the original forum discussions, which had some good information included.