The Living History Foundation of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association sponsors several regional rendezvous around the country. The largest of these is the Eastern Primitive Rendezvous, which is generally held in a mid-atlantic state. I went to my first Eastern 15 years ago when it was held at Oak Ridge near Lovingston VA and my second 4 years ago at Muddy Run State Park near York PA. Other sites for this event have been in West VA, Ohio and upstate New York – all too far to drive to easily. So I was one excited skinner when it was announced that the EPR was returning to Tidewater Virginia ! And twice as happy when my old friend Marijo asked what it would take for her to come too – besides getting here that is. So I sent Marijo patterns for a woman’s petticoat, shift and apron and began plans with Gypsy Jane for a 3 or 4 person camp. (Jane had a friend who was to come also, but she ended up not making it.)
Thursday the 23rd saw me putting the last of the gear into my mule Chevy and buying the food I was responsible for bringing to camp. Friday morning I took Sophie to the kennel, Marijo and I hopped into the van and we were off ! Off to an hour and 10 minute dead stop wait on I-64 in the rain due to an accident up the road a piece. Oh well, we were dry, the gear was dry and the company was good. Not for the first time during the EPR I was very glad I’d bought the Chevy Express van.
We got to the EPR site, passed the skinner parking which looked very wet and muddy, drove into the participant entrance road, slipped a bit in the mud until we got on firm sand and got in line to register at 3:23 PM. Except the gate was closed for the day due to over a foot of moving water making the entrance road impassible and the registration tent flooded. So we rearranged the van and set up house to camp until the morning. All in all there were 9 vehicles in the pre-vous. One group set up their dining fly and brazier to cook dinner, 2 other groups built small fires right on the wet sand and did the same. I hiked into the site and found Gypsy Jane’s lodge pitched in one of the few dry areas of camp. Not surprising, this wasn’t her first rodeo. .
The majority of the camping area was mud, mud and more mud. This road was one of the better ones – only ankle deep. Many were much much worse. All in all 29 inches of rain fell on this site in September. That’s 60% of the mean annual rainfall for this area of Virginia.
But the morning were gorgeous with warm fog blanketing the camp, then moving through in drifting banks before slowing burning away altogether. This is the Commons, where various activities and seminars were to be held.
It truly seemed a place out of time, even with various modern vehicles mired here and there around the site.
This fine fellow was camped next to Gypsy Jane. He loaded us his 4 wheeled cart which I used to help bring my camp into the site. With Jane’s help plus some pushing from other skinners to get the cart through the mud and a gator ride for Marijo we were finally rendezvousing.
So was the rain. It rained at least once every 24 hours, with a storm surge and hail added in Wednesday afternoon. The entry road stayed impassible, although we were able to get the vehicles parked there into the handicapped parking area late Saturday. The hooter and water trucks couldn’t get in to service the hooters and water buffaloes so they were moved to the fence line where they could to serviced. And people adapted.
The only good way to move things in camp was by horse. This is a Canadian, a breed indigenous to France that was brought to Canada by the early French colonists. The Union Army imported over 250,000 of these horses during the Civil War, a situation which nearly bankrupted the breed’s breeding stock. This fine fellow has a wonderful disposition but only understands French.
These folks were giving carriage rides as well as helping folks haul their camps in or out of camp. The head gear is to keep the flies from bothering the horses ears.
In spite of the mud and standing water everywhere shinning times were still had. The lady on the left is Missy Clark, she loaned my friend Marijo several short jackets to complete her garb and so she could stay warm when it got cool at night.
Most folks just made the best of it all. This fine camp had goopy mud under the fly and a couple of inches of standing water in the marque. So they put down straw to help soak up the water.
The western plains skinners were out and about too. Don’t let the picture fool you, there’s a foot of standing water in each of those lodges. These folks ended up staying in local hotels and hiking in each day.
Monday was too muddy for the school tours but Tuesday was dry enough to take them on guided camp tours. Here they’re at one of the blacksmith’s camps.
The Scottish games were also held – after all what’s a little mud and rain to a Scot ? The games were opened by the piper and these 3 fine ladies are about to compete in the haggis throw.
This throw was a good one – the lady didn’t go over the branch on the ground or put her foot down until her man had caught the haggis bag.
Here the judge is making sure the her man catches the bag without going over the log at his end. The other fellow is getting ready to toss the caber.
Of course more private celebrations were held too. Henry and Deborah threw a birthday party for their grand daughter (the one with the big grin). Fresh cherry cobbles was had by one and all.
On the morning of the Thursday 29th it looked like we could pack up but we wouldn’t be able to leave until Saturday or even Sunday. Since I was to work Saturday and Sunday nights I was getting seriously worried here. I called my daughter to see if she could check on my pets etc. and instead she volunteered to come and get Marijo who was having a hard time of it with the site conditions. That occurred without a hitch. Friday they cleared out the handicapped parking so I was able to load up and leave. I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to leave a rendezvous.
But for all that, it still was a good time. We sang at John’s Music Emporium, a marque setup for the sole purpose of providing a good place to pick and sing. We watched stunningly beautiful sunsets and a spectacular hour long lighting show one night in the distance. Marijo was able to get together with Deborah and help her with her tatting. The camp feast went on as planned with yummy chicken and BBQ pulled pork. Old friends were visited and new friends made. In short – it was Shining Times my friends.
In 2013 the EPR will again be here in Virginia, at the same farm but at another area of the farm.
