[Ansteorra] ideas... long

[Uillicc]

The cost of getting there-- fuel prices-- has an impact on the number of 
events many of us can get to...  There are some solutions to that, but 
it is a major factor.

As far as atmosphere, I don't think you can over-estimate the effect 
that being under a burn-ban for the last 10 years has had on what people 
take away from events...  10-12 years ago, if you asked our kids what 
the SCA smelled like-- leather and wood smoke were some of the first 
answers...  This missing element has impacted the bardic element fairly 
hard it seems... And in firelight it is easy not to notice a mundane 
chair, or tent lying at the edge of the campsite.

As far as the newness wearing off... it does...  It gets where the 
really special moments are farther in between...  That's because we get 
a little jaded.  It's easy to try and blame all sorts of things that 
other people do for us becoming jaded, but it is always really our 
problem...  Finding happiness always relies more on what is going on 
inside of us than outside of us...

Wishing for wetter weather,
uillecc