Pennsic, Part 4
The Whole Pennsic SagaTM Part 3
So Friday night found a large number of Windys (Windies?) sitting around a large fire burning a significant amount of the left over firewood. I wen to bed around midnight and woke up around 7 the next morning. (Yes, once upon a time I was a night person...). People started to stir and we rekindled the fire - wasn't hard as the coals were still burning despite having been watered and covered. We burned the last of the firewood, then took down the kitchen and made the first trip to the storage shed. Stopped at Sheetz for breakfast on the way back to camp.
lukasbrierley & I broke down our pavilion and packed up rather quickly. We made another trip to the storage shed, then came back and helped soucyn & lady_guenievre break down as they had been focused on the camp. I have to say, thy earned their Don Q's. Girard & I took a ride to the storage shelter again, while Lukas & Guenievre stayed behind to drop their pavilion. On the way, we took a detour to avoid the Currie Rd - 422 backup by the mass exodus. This brought us by The FarmTM where The Chocolate MilkTM comes from. We confirmed their location and hours and headed to the storage shed planning to stop by on the way back.
On the way back we did stop by, and there were calves about everywhere. Just kind of lying around,. But no signs of humans. We drove up the road to make sure we were in the right place, and we were. We drove back into the farm and a guy comes running from the barn. 'You guys drove off before I could get out here last time.' Then he took us to the magic milk room and allowed us to buy doses of crack - supplies were thin. He also told us they make ice cream which was duly noted for next year. Anyone feel like heading off site for some ice cream? I will warn you, there are flies EVERYWHERE. But the crack was goooooooooooooooooooooooood!
Nick and I bring the milk crack back to site and feed it to Lukas & Guenievre. Lukas runs off and brings back pierogies which he and I munch on as G&G complete their pack down. Then all four of us check in on those who are still packing down and those who are staying until Sunday. We patrol the grounds and make a garbage run. Then we leave site and head south. We travel about 90 minutes til just south of Pittsburgh and decide its time for a hotel, a shower and dinner before sleeping like people who just broke down a Pennsic camp. Foolish us. First exit, no place has any vacancies. Not completely true. One place has smoking rooms with no lights in the bathrooms. Next exit, no vacacies. Next exit $150 a night one room with a king size bed and it smelled like a sewage treatment plant. Finally we find a place, lord knows where, but its right next to a fair and this extended family of cowboys is staying just down from us. We all take showers, order pizza, and collapse.
Lukas & I get up the next morning, and hit the road by 9am. We pretty much travel straight through stopping only for bathrooms, drinks, and gas. Around Greensboro we finally stop for food and have a nice long dinner. Then off home to see the cats. Home by 5. Much snuggle time with cats. A good trip.
The Good:
Lukas loved his first Pennsic
After the first storm the pavilion stayed pretty much dry.
Power shopping
Interesting classes
Good times with good friends
The Crusades meeting.
Baronial Court
Dunstan's Vigil
Snuggles
PoD time
Pride's announcement in court (thanks again Cuan - you rock)
Time with duchessmel
The ad
Reactions to the VnV event
The feeling of Community
The Bad
Wet pavilion after first storm
Not getting to see a lot of people - got all of 30 seconds with Byrom, Anne, etc
Never making it to B side
Food plan confusion
Bank accounts
The Ugly
Rain
Steamy sticky heat