Brandywine Creek

Last weekend we traveled to Brandywine Creek State Park near Wilmington, DE, for an event. The weather Friday night was gorgeous. Warm, with a lovely breeze, and a moon one day past full meant I stayed up way too late enjoying both the weather and the company, including some friends I haven’t seen since before Sweet Daughter was born.

Sunrise on Saturday

Saturday was another lovely day. Sweet Daughter got out her 18th century-style watercolors and proceeded to paint some paper fans. The solid tablets of color are put into small dishes (oyster shells work really well) and a little water is added.

Painting a fan

Sweet Daughter explaining what she was doing to the public.

 

Oyster shells holding what's left of the paint tablets.

There was a battle scenario with lots of artillery. I reminisced about how I missed my days out on the field serving on a field piece, and then I watched the crews pull their guns UP the hill, back into camp, and I didn’t miss it so much anymore. There was a really nice bunch of sutlers and I found many, many things that I “needed”.

After a supper of corn chowder, we made bacon Peeps. And then the rum came out. But not just any rum. Michael W. brought Pyrat Pistol rum. Amazing stuff. (Michael W. is very, very good to his friends.) Much rum punch was consumed. There was mirth and merry-making. That’s what I remember, anyway. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

 Pyrat Pistol Rum. If single malt was rum, it would taste like this.

Sunrise on Sunday

Sunday morning dawned a bit gray. And then it rained off an on most of the day. There was a skirmish in the morning, for fun, and another fantastic battle for the public later in the day. And it stopped raining in time to pack up. All in all, a great weekend!*

More pictures (not mine) can be found here.
*The drive home was a bit odd, but that's a post for another time.

Bacon Peeps, part 2

I found the solution to making the perfect bacon-wrapped Peep. No more under-done bacon and over-melted marshmallow the consistency of shaving cream! Start with pre-cooked bacon that comes in a box, wrap it around your Peep, secure with a toothpick, and then toast. Et viola!

Two more skeptics who tried the combination at first just to be polite are now firmly in the "please pass me another bunny with bacon" camp.

Looks like somebody got too close to the apricots*

Shorter Half sent me an e-mail with the following attachment. I didn't bother forwarding text of the e-mail because it set off my bull-shitomer to some degree, and SH's commentary essentially makes it irrelevant.

Now, I do not believe the claim that this is actual combat footage – looks like a standard firing range test to me, with a remote controlled tank. It IS fully armed though, given the results. For one, even Syrians are smart enough to run with the commander’s hatch open so he can observe what is going on, ESPECIALLY the lead tank. For two, if the crew HAD buttoned up in anticipation of incoming fire (you pretty much only button up in anticipation of small arms, artillery, or NBC – Nuclear, Biological, Chemical – attacks; buttoning up against antitank weapons is useless, and buttoning up may well keep you from seeing the shooter in time to return fire before it’s too late), they would have the main gun constantly traversing, because the only good visibility they would have would be its sights.

But a cool demonstration of why light infantry call tankers and mech infantry “crispy critters” (while they call us “squishies”, “crunchies”, or “track grease”). “Armor – making Graves Registration’s job easier since 1918. Tilt track, sift ashes for dog tags.”

This is what tankers call a “brew-up”.

*Tankers don't like apricots.

Best $50 I ever spent.

Well, maybe that $50 spent adopting a dog back in '89 was better, but this is way cooler.

Strangest thing I've seen all day

The Porcelain Pistols are replicas of James Bond’s Walther PPK and its contemporary sister, the P99,with friendly permission of Carl Walther Inc. The fragile weapon, hand-painted in the style of classic tableware motifs, lies next to your coffee and cake, asking to be picked up. Its coolness and comfortable grip increase the qualms of the user, leaving him in a quandary between the pleasure of luxury and violence.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Over?

I have always been fond of the Blue Onion pattern, though. Must be because it has its origins in the 18th century.

My question for JayG is: “Are these on the approved roster (or would that be menu) for Massachusettes?”

H/T to BYG

Overheard in the office

So, I was sitting in a staff meeting with the Boss and various task leads, when Bitter Young Guy stated that he wouldn’t be at work on Friday – he’d be home getting his pipes cleaned. Without thinking I shot back with “I hope that isn’t a euphemism for something else.”

There was a brief silence before BYG started laughing and everyone else joined in. I’ve been with this company for almost 11 years. You’d think they’d be used to me by now.

And he was talking about tree roots in his sewer system. Really.

Random stuff

Banyan post, part 2, is mostly written but I can’t find it. I know you are all heaving a huge sigh of disappointment relief, but it will have to wait.

I’m getting ready for a reenactment near Wilmington, DE, this weekend. When Sweet Daughter comes with me (which is always, so far), I do as much of the food prep at home as I can so I’ve more time to spend with her at the event. I got home from work today and roasted two chickens, chopped over a gallon of vegetables, got a blister as a result, hard-boiled a dozen eggs, fried a pound of bacon, got the chowder started, and made dinner. I’m tired.

Place fresh rosemary under the skin, halved lemons in the cavity, roast, and you've got a lovely aromatic, lemon-rosemary chicken! Not a period recipe, but you know what? My only heat source this weekend will be a charcoal brazier, and I'm not going to try to roast over a brazier. Sue me.

School has been in session for 11 days. So far we’ve dropped money for the PTA fundraiser, a book sale, and don’t get me started on school supplies (does a kindergartener really need 30 glue sticks, or are we supplying the administrative offices, too?)

 Tommorow I'm going to see if I can get everything we need for the weekend in the car so I don't have to haul the trailer. I have a feeling I'm going to be loading 80% of what I need in the car, find out that I can'tget 40 pounds of mud in a 30 pound sack, and end up re-loading it all into the trailer anyway.