[TheForge] Panteria

[Phlip]

Well, one and all, I'm dead tired, but I have just thoroughly enjoyed
myself, again, at another wonderful EK event ;-) If you weren't there, you
missed a great time ;-)

I am burned, bitten, and bloody beat, but I have made an assortment of new
friends, am discovering a Whole Bunch of wanna be Steel Junkies, and am
still buzzing from the good times, the great event staff and participants,
excellent food (when I had time to eat any), a couple of nice brews that
wandered through my forge, and two post-smithing evenings which reminded me
of my favorite times at Pennsics, during the first week, when everybody is
laid back and mellow.

YYYYAAAAAAAA-WWWHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel better, now ;-)

I contacted Rowan a while back, to ask if I could bring my forge, and was
treated most courteously by her- to the extent that when I arrived, she had
not only reserved a spot for me, but came over and helped me set up Friday
evening. Spent some time wandering around that evening, talking to folks and
getting to know them, got a good night's sleep, got up the next AM, and
wandered off after some coffee (gift from the Goddess!!!) and more pleasant
conversation, and fired up the forge about 9:30. "If you light it, they will
come" ;-) For all it was a misty day,  I kept having more people coming
through, and learning to make stuff- and not just random idjits, but kids of
all ages, finding projects, working through them, and Making Something of
their very own- It was Kewl ;-)

And, I didn't help much- just offered tham guidance and forge rules, and
helped them with the tough bits, or to develop a new (to them) technique.
What REALLY impressed me, though, was some of the ones to whom I taught a
technique, who then went on to teach others ;-) It was pretty busy- at times
I had 5 or 6 people doing something or t'other- I think next Panteria, I'll
bring 2 or 3 forges and associated anvils, anvil stands, etc. Maybe drag a
couple friends along....

And then, the evening.

I felt I needed to stay near my forge as it cooled down (at 9:30, my last
student left), and I sat back, had a couple good people stop by and chat,
shared some Blacksmith's Cordial (Thanks for the basic idea and recipe,
Ernst ;-) and enjoyed the cool of the evening, and the bardic circles and
cheerful laughter from the nearby camps- very nice, for a tired smith at the
end of a long day- it can't get any better than this, can it?

They did it to me again.

Next morning, I got up, got coffeed and fed, fired up the forge. And they
came, and made more stuff, and had a good time, and they wore me out, and
gave me another memorable Wonderful Day...followed by a wonderful evening...
followed by a wet morning and packing up, and a great crew of volunteers to
help me pack up.

I'm not going to specify too many people, because a lot of people came
through my forge, and I know them best by the steel they shaped and the
things they did, rather than silly stuff like names, but I will share a few
memories....

The 6-year old, who, with a bit of help, made herself a quite functional hot
dog fork.

The other young lady, who, when she burned herself badly, quietly and
stoicly put it in the cold water, as I had told them to do if they got
burned- but next time, honey, please let me know. Meantime, I've got your
steel saved for you. (She's OK, folks- I checked).

The other youngsters, who demonstrated sharing and caring, and helping each
other get it right.

The kids, who, when I told them they were trying to do a tough project,
carried it through anyway (yes, Ian, I'm also thinking of you, here)

And the older kids, with drivers licenses, and kids and grandkids of their
own, who played on my fire, and didn't get burned....or burn up my railroad
spikes, Maeryk ;-)

I was, in theory, the teacher here at Panteria, but I learned so much good
stuff, from the good folk of the SCA- y'all are great. My "thang" is
learning stuff, but I'm learning that teaching is how you learn the most....

I suppose a couple of other "thanks" are in order- JJ- you have the talent-
how come I never met any handsome nice young men like you 30 years ago- now
I seem to hang out with a bunch of cranky old smiths. Jeeze!!!! And you
breathe fire, too ;-) (Thanks for the semi- private performance, btw- I
thoroughly enjoyed it ;-)

Ian, for love nor smithing skill, young man, I won't wish I was 40 years
younger- but I'll envy your ladies and your skills with a hammer (and
stict-to-itiveness) when I'm in the grave ;-)

And the ladies who thought they could do it, tried, and succeeded- and the
parents who gave them permission...

And, btw, Ekk- you aren't forgotten. Your little demo on the broadhead was
great- and you timed it in front of some of my best students- including me.
Thanks ;-)

I'm tired, but so happy, I could just melt into a puddle- and pardon me, but
I think I will....

Phlip

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....