  |
|
|
|
The Art of Historical Re-Enacting - Part 4© Beth Mitchell
Once again, we join Beth on her journey as a Historical Re-enactor in Part 4 of her article.
The weather was uncertain, head colds were still resident in most of us. Do we risk camping for the weekend or not? All week prior to our first re-enacting event in Longwoods, Southern Ontario, these thoughts were going through our minds. The daylight hours were quite pleasant but the temperatures at night were still below zero at times. Since this was going to be the first of many events that we were going to attend this season, we decided to play it safe and only go for the day on the Saturday. There, the decision is made. Easy, right? Wrong!! O.K., so we didn't need to pack all the clothes, dishes and food for the whole weekend. But, this decision had its side-effects. It was Friday night before we knew it and it was very late Friday night before the van was packed with what we needed. Estimated time of departure was 06:30 the following morning. 07:00 Saturday morning. More or less on schedule, we are on the road, ready to do battle with the Americans. 10:00 Saturday morning. We made it!! There seemed to be minimum sibling fighting amongst our girls on the trip down and also minimum stops for washroom calls. I guess that the first three hour car trip of the year takes them by surprise! Longwoods Conservation Area is located just off the main highway south of London. Re-enactors representing various Indian tribes, Americans and British were present. Looking around the site I was amazed to see the enormous number of A-frame, baker, wedge and marquis tents as well as wigwams set up. After we set up our tent and cooking gear, we went around and visited old friends and met new people who we are bound to see again at another event. One of the best things about re-enacting is making friends with people who come from all different parts of Canada and the United States. During the course of the day, there was a battle re-enactment that brought great applause from the public. After the battle, everyone (public included) came back to the camp to see what was cooking for dinner. This time I had prepared venison stew for our main course and roasted walnuts to munch on before dinner. Both were cooked over the open fire during the course of the afternoon. Both, I must say, were a big hit. After dinner, for us, it was time to pack up and head back to modern conveniences. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article The Art of Historical Re-Enacting - Part 4 in Historical Re-Enactment is owned by Beth Mitchell. Permission to republish The Art of Historical Re-Enacting - Part 4 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
