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<DIV><FONT size=2>From the Autocrat of Defender of the Fort :</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Defender Pity Party weekend and a quick up date.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Well, my last second panic that my Ansteorra Announce post did
not go through turned out to be unnessacery as my emails had been picked up
forwarded by others. Thank you for that. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Getting to The Stones early had it's up side though, as it let
me sit with nothing to do but watch the leaves blow in the
sunlight for a while. After the frenzy of planning and canceling
an event and a hurricane, it was nice to catch my breath. It was also nice
when Pasquale and Giovanna ( who was the prefect hostess all weekend ) showed
up. Charles, Kitsune and Shannahan completed
the party. Friday night camping was excellent. Cooking by
Kitsune, shooting stars and the unseasonable evening coolness for open
window sleeping without a fan. "The owls are not what they
seem."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Saturday went pretty much as Friday did. We mostly sat
in a circle literally all day and well into the night laughing, telling stories
and taking advantage of the non-event to talk about
anything, All together around twenty-five Raven's </FONT><FONT
size=2>Fort locals floated in and out. The only thing that had been
planned for Defender of the Fort that actually come off was The Cobbler
Gobbler. Whoa ! Everyone ate all the could and took some home with
'em because the storm had shut down the freezer they had been stored in.
It was kinda the climax of the weekend. Devin, you are the Cobbler God
! The downed section of the Dreaming Tree was diced on for a while and we
moved the shower frames over to Saint David's for reconstruction. There
was a quick officers meeting to make decisions about rescheduling Defender
and then a</FONT><FONT size=2>round dusk the guitars came out. Alaric
and Rua, our new friend from Elfsea, entertained us all and Mary ( the
restless native ) joined in with song. A nice ending to a harmonious
day. When all was said and done the one with the biggest smile on their
face at the end of the night was the skinny, little, lost pit bull that found an
new pack to run with. Even that Marius person liked her.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I can not give a report as to what happened Sunday morning as
Don Charles and I buzzed over to Emerald Keep to pick up a pair of
white peacocks and high tailed it back to the Fort in time for fighter
practice. More cobbler was handed out and I made a pass back out to the
site to restack the water barrels for the winter and do a litter patrol.
Except for the downed trees, everything looks good.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Saint David had a good idea about redoing the site
showers. Instead of reinstalling expensive marine plywood and trim boards
that will rot and need replacing after a few years, why not use metal that will
last till after we are all dead and gone ? Michelle suggested some kind of
plastic, but I do not think that would hold up in the sun as well. Just
something for the financial committee to think about before we start work on the
rebuild.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Getting back to Defender stuff... At our business
meeting this weekend it was decided that, with the permission of the Crown, we
will hold the Defender of the Fort competitions at the spring event. That
is to say the spring event will become "A Day at The Defender of the
Fort". Or something like that. Since the event has only been
postponed, I will continue as Autocrat and hopefully all the individuals
that volunteered to help with the event will still be
available. I know Alaric is keeping his Troll sign up sheet. We
are hoping that the Kingdom's business with Raven's Fort can be
fulfilled at the Boardermarch event where we will have a strong Baronial
showing due to our security obligations or at some other nearby event. Our
local Baronial business will be fulfilled at our Raven's Fort Yule Revel, but I
will let Giovanna fill you in on that. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>In closing, I would like to thank everyone that has
given so much love and sacrifice for this event. Even
though the event didn't come off, I am told that your efforts have not gone
unnoticed by the much higher ups. I owe a personal debt of gratitude to
each and every one of you. I won't forget it when you need the favor
returned. I especially want to mention our Seneschal, Giovanna, for her
unflinching and unconditional support of the Barony and me. I would be
amiss if I did not again mention Don Charles who again and again pulls me out of
the fire. The attention and concern that this Barony has shown has
reestablished my faith in the SCA as a whole. Thanks for returning to me
the magic of "the dream".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>In peaceful service to the Barony and the
Kingdom,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Vlod NotVlad</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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