In the Heat of Summer

Is it ironic we complain about how cold it is during the winter and can’t wait for summer, then BAM we’re in the heat of summer saying I can’t wait till winter? My thought is always, why is it that reenacting has to be on the hottest weekends ever! We need more fall events to camp at where the nights drop to a nice cool breeze and you need a sheet to sleep under. Honestly at this point, we just want more events.

Last weekend we were able to have our first event of the year. In the dead middle of summer, and the temperatures did not let loose. Last year at the same event, which ironically was the last full encampment we had, it was almost the hottest day of the year as well, with little to no breeze up where we were camped at. This year there was better real estate. We camped along the lake and we were able to jump in from time to time for a little reprieve.

This year was definitely a different look than last year. Our encampment was completely roped off, eliminating the public interaction through our site. There were no games out for us to test the skills of the pirates in training. There was no pillory for us to place heads into and allow their significant others to torment them as they were locked down. There was…. Social distancing.

We did have our gun line. How could you have a pirate festival without cannons and black powder? If anything says social distance, its black powder. And well there was us, the pirates. Static displays lined the rope separating the public from us, but we were there to talk to them, jest, entertain, and educate. It was a different view from last time the crew was all together, but we were together. The passion to bring this view to life was there, if not with a vengeance from being disappointed over the last 4 months. To be honest most of us needed this and were willing to melt to be there.

We are all dealing with this in our own ways. No one is immune to the emotions that this plague brought with it. Ballast and I have had our own ups and downs through this. To no fault of those wanting new gear, our sales have almost halted when most are not working. The pieces of eight have to be squirreled away for the emergency. The cause and effect has made us pause in the new work we are producing. Its only recently we have lifted each other up to try and change the direction we are crafting.

As I sit here and type this, I look around at the things that inspire us. Namely a wood burned ship Ballast did that hangs in our family room stating “Courage”. We have to be smart and we have to stick to our guns and what makes us, us. We also have to rely on each other and those close to us to make sure we are sane. Be kind together, be respectful, we are all still human.

We may not be able to change the winds but we can adjust our sails.