lenora_rose | (no subject)

Thus far:

We have arrived safely at my dad's place, and showered, and ate a fantabulous supper, and did much chatting, then I decided to curl up at the computer and write my last critiquer the e-mail about what she's said so far.

The weekend was the Dragonslayer/Hidden Treasures event in Calgary, which is in fact set on an outdoor archery range/campground to envy - And they have a bloody INDOOR 40-30-20 yard range in the city. So, Castel Rouge, want to take over Medicine Hat so we're in easy driving distance of all this yum?

The people were supremely friendly, and very impressed that we came all the way from Winnipeg. Several made a point of their hospitality, and of seeing us in a week at Quad Wars; we also got to see Alisdair again, the only member of their group who ever came to a Winnipeg event.

We started with a night shoot of a rather entertaining kind; they strapped thin little glow-sticks to arrows at the back between the fletches, and shot at a target illumined by blacklight. (After which, several people chose to fire off arrows into the air for distance just to watch the big arc of glowy things in the sky.) This gives many ideas for feasible night shoots elsewhere...

Two archery tournaments; the Dragonblinder was a basic fun one on a standard outdoor range, shooting the various body parts of a dragon at various ranges, ending with the eye. I did passably, Colin did better.

The other was an outdoor woods-walk type shoot, starting with a whackamole type target (Three heads of villains poopping up at semi-random from behind a wall) then going through the extended forested part of the range, and shooting various members of their group, and a stained glass window (Or painting thereof) - to the tune of 24 targets, ranging from 15 yards to 50, some over the streams or in tight woods.

We were quoted a time of 2 hours or more; our group took 3 1/2, and ended footsore and starving, though i admit that up to about the 20th target I was still raring in spite of starting to get sore feet, and it was only at the last 2 I started to really feel the exhaustion. We drank much water and I was grateful for the shade, as this was 30 degree plus weather. (And they had two coolers of more water strategically placed along the way as well.)

The food was excellent, though modern; the owners of the range were providing prime rib, beans and corn and the like.

The bardic circle was also much fun; they have many excellent singers, and many of them hadn't heard either of Mistress Wyndreth's most popular songs. I hit all parts of my range, too, from actually pushing my high notes due to mis-keying a song, right to singing Shield My Kinsman in the lower part of Colin's range. They were polite sometimes and sometimes impressed.

Overall, a very good group and very good event.

Next, we visit friends in town, visit the Edmonton waterpark with

abacchus and

_aura_, who are traverlling alberta simultaneously, but, except for dropping our brother off at dad's and spending last night (before we arrived here), will only br crossing our route that one other time (They can't make either SCA event, which is a pity, as they both love archery and music, and there was rapier at Hidden Treasures, too.) And visit Grandma and other relatives up north.

Mom, how are the cats?