OVPR Fall Rendezvous – Photo Essay

OVPR Memorial Poster 

This event marks 30 years of OVPR Rendezvous.  Huzzah! 

So here are photos of the Folks of an OVPR Rendezvous.  Both OVPR members and non-members are shown.  All are fine folks.

Some Ladies of the Archery Competition

 Rita & Friend on the Way to the Range

Hootie Returning from the Range

 Shooting is a Family Sport

 OVPR Family Camp

 Rendezvous Ladies

 

There’s A New Dog Soldier in Camp – A Puppy Soldier?

 The Mountain Man & the Colonial Can Be Friends

 A Colonial Couple

 Militiaman with His Wife & Child

 

Dulcimer Dave & Mary

 Kicking Back Around the Fire

Wandering John & His Small Camp

 At Lou’s Lodge

Buffalo Woman & Her New Lodge

 Wandering John & Red at Cribbage – Red is Winning

 A Gathering with The Preacher & Dulcimer Dave

 Another Colonial Couple

Red Playing Classic Delta Blues on His Bruno Guitar

 Two Rendezvous Friends

 Mitch & Roger

 The Preacher & Buffalo Woman

Rendezvous Friends is the Best Kind of Friends

  Colonial Girls Hauling Water

 A Happy Man & Wife

 

Husband Jay & Goodwife Lara

  The Witches’  Tea Witches

 The Honorable (?) Judges of the Camp Court

 Gathering at the Spider Inn for Court

 A Miscreant Gets His Reward from a Dog Soldier

Tim the Chief of the Chicken Chefs

The Apprentice Chicken Cookers

 Cooking the Chicken

The Chicken is Served!

 A Blanket Trader & His Trade Goods

 Seams Colonials at Their Trade Tent

 Little Dan River Trader Lady

 Getting Stays Fitted by Missy Clark of Barkertown Traders

 Heather Picking Up Her Custom Order from Barkertown Traders

The Blacksmith Making Gear for Buffalo Woman

 Clay Smith Master Gunsmith from Williamsburg

 Yoke for Carrying 2 Water Buckets

I want a carry yoke in the worst way.  Unfortunately my budget has stretched that far yet.  Sigh.  :-(

Addendum:

 My Abode

At my 1st ever OVPR I had a 7x7x5 wedge, a candle lantern, a pint copper cook pot, a tin cup, a French trade knife, a twisted wire fork, a wooden spoon, a tomahawk, one set of clothes, a Hudson’s Bay blanket I’d inherited from my mother, a tin canteen, a small pillow, a bed sack filled with straw, a camp stool, 2 water buckets, a small wooden handled shovel, and a small wooden box of food.  My lodge is larger now, I’ve got a change or two of clothes, my kitchen is nicely appointed & my sleeping accommodations are more comfortable.  There’s plenty of seating for friends, so come & set a spell sometime. 

Fall Foliage & Friends – October 17

Da Urchin’s college roomie came for a week visit in mid October.  I had prior commitments for most of her time at Da Urchin’s place but was able to join them for a day.  Now the last 2 foliage seasons around Front Royal weren’t much to brag about as they were short & blandly monochromatic.  Now Da Urchin’s Roomie is from the southern edge of the Adirondacks in upstate New York & thus is no stranger to Awesome Foliage Displays.  So Virginia needed to step up to the plate & step up it surely did as it laid out one Awesome Fall Foliage around Front Royal this year.

The View to the Northeast

The View Across the Street

It was such a nice day we decided to go for a hike in the Thompson Wildlife Management Area.  Its on the other side of the ridge from Da Urchin’s house.  The Appalachian Trail runs through the WMA with various other trails branching off of the AT.  The map we had showed us a nice circuit hike we could do easily in an afternoon.

  Da Urchin & Lexi

We decided to take the dogs along.  The AT itself was narrow & kinda rocky but some of the other trails are wide sandy old dirt roads.  We were passed by 6 or 7 other hikers while on the AT section but didn’t see anyone else on the other trails at all.

 

The Foster Brittany Spaniel

Da Urchin was fostering a Brittany Spaniel & we took him along too.  He did just fine.  One section of the trail we took was spider web city.  I went ahead through that section & de-webbed things.  I haven’t been hiking like this in years, something I need to remedy.  Thanks to Da Urchin & Da Roomie!

 

Ole Virginia Primitive Manless Settlement #3

Its the end of summer, the end of September & time for The Primitive Manless Settlement!  Women in the Woods!  Women with Guns!  Women armed with plungers & rolls of TP!  Women with glowing balls playing bocce after dark!  We painted, we laughed, we cooked, we feasted, WE JUST PLAIN HAD FUN FUN FUN!

 Peeps Camp

First let’s make one thing clear – we women don’t dislike men, we just want to have a hen party once in awhile.  Peep & company were about (his wife let him come) but they were over by the Tavern & well away from the Hens Doings.

 Hen Party

Most of the ladies were camped primitive over around Struth Circle & generally were found under Rita’s kitchen fly.  That’s also were the  OVPMS Opening Ceremony &  Fantastic Egg Extravaganza with Bacon & Biscuits Breakfast was held.  Hens believe in starting the party early & staying to party late.

My Camp

I was a bit hard pressed to get packed this year (something about having more painting to do than time to do it) so I camped in Da Mule on the far side of Ft. Hooter with a couple of other folks with modern tents.  By the way, the more I camp in Da Mule the more I like it.  Not that I’m going to stop camping in canvas mind you.

Painting Party

Lest it be thought that this is all about Wild Out of Control Women drinking Buckets & sloshing down gallons of wine, I’m here to relate that this is a civilized & genteel gathering of the finest sort.  Friday the Ladies engaged in the pastime of painting, admittedly painting a wine bottle with a wine glass & grapes, but still art is art.

Holly the Artist

Here is Holly with her paint in cup & her wine in her mug. 

Janice & Rita

Janice & Rita the Artists with out par.  (OK, so its a 3 par course.)  But see even the Bad Kids have a Good Side.

Painting with Bucket

Well now, it is a OVPMS so there must be a bucket . . .

 Let the Games Begin

There were also games.  This one involves a plunger, a roll of toilet paper & a substantial amount of laughter.  The idea is to pass the TP from one lady to the next without using the hands.  That’s were the plunger comes in.  Its a game of skill, although laughing is inevitable & interferes with the skill part.

 The Ladies of OVPMS with Event Charms

There was both an event medallion & a small event charm. 

  Saturday Evening Campfire

Carol & Lynn got the Saturday evening campfire going.  There was wine, a bucket & many many songs sung by many many ladies.  Its a very talented Flock of Hens.

Another Part of the Circle

Look close & there’s Rita the Bad Kid directing Lynn & Carol the Fire Crew.  It was just cool enough that the fire was nice but not really needed for warmth.  A glorious golden weekend of fun.

The OVPMS Camp Fire

Unfortunately all goo things must come to an end.  So until next year . . .

Virginia Scottish Games – August 30-31

American Labor Day Weekend.  My Faithful readers will recall that I usually spend this holiday weekend playing in the woods with my Shenandoah Long Rifle friends ca. the 18th century.  Alas, it was not to be this year.  The event was moved to a site in West By God Virginia and that put it beyond my available gas funds.  Sigh.  But Da Urchin had an alternative plan, a grand an glorious alternative plan.  I could go to her place & we could go to the Virginia Scottish Games.  We were going to go watch hunky guys in kilts throw trees, here bagpipe music (yes bagpipes make music, Real  Awesome Music), and generally have fun in the sun.

University of Mary Washington Pipe Band

Saturday was wonderful, not too hot with a bit of a breeze.  We wandered around, enjoyed the Grand Entrance & Parade of Clans, had haggis & pasties for lunch, watched hunky guys in kilts throw heavy bags over bars & toss trees, went to a border collie herding demo and generally had a great time.  The piping competition was on Saturday so there was the sound of solo piping pretty much all day long.  One of Da Urchin’s friends joined us after lunch and we cruised the vendors in depth.  A grand time was had by one and all and we slept well that night.  (Unfortunately I can’t find my Saturday pictures).

Color Guard on Sunday

Clan Parade on Sunday

Sunday Da Urchin & I were back at the games & we took her dog Lexi .  The Games are very dog friendly & the people with dogs had very well behaved pooches.  There were dog water stations all over the place and several dog toy & treat vendors.  There was even a Dogs of Scotland parade on Sunday with Royal Wolfhounds, Border Collies, Shelties & several kinds of terriers.  Sunday was hotter than Saturday and Da Urchin & I were tired so we spent much of the day listening to music rather than walking around. 

Fiddle Contest Jam Session

Lexi had a grand time, Da Urchin had a grand time, I had a grand time and Da Urchin & I both got too much sun.  Sigh.  And lest it be thought that the Scots are all dour Calvinists . . .

MacStormtrooper

I’m not sure of this fellow’s clan affiliation but he was the center of many many photo opportunities.

Photo Drone

This was flying over the Games at various time over the weekend.  It was a good 100+ yards away & moving when I took this photo.  Way to Go PowerShot SX40IS!