Getting ready for Ti
The Fort Ticonderoga French and Indian War weekend is coming up in just a few days, and life here is all about getting ready for it. Life has been so busy with renovations and the business of selling muskets that we haven't been able to get to any events lately, but had set a goal of going to Ti since it is one of our favorite events. Sort of Woodstock for F&I reenactors.
Back when we were on the road at least twice a month, we simply kept the trailer packed and ready to go. Before I got the trailer, I used to keep the van packed and ready to go (the van has left us, now, a victem of New England road salt, LONG LIVE THE COOL BUS!). Since there has been so much other stuff going on in our lives, I've been using the trailer to haul grain, store hay etc. and now I need to repack it for it's original intended use.
In the past week, Jeff has built a pair of folding wooden pistol display racks, modified a pair of musket racks to knock-down for transport, dug out the tent ropes and stakes to count and inspect, and readied them all for loading in the trailer. Tomorrow the plan is to fish the tent poles out of the loft over the rabbit shed and be sure none have cracked during storage. I have to measure, but I just might have the space to set the tent up in front of the building to give it a looking at before packing it.
In this family, I am the only one who has plenty of 18th c clothes. That means that before we leave for Ti, I have some sewing to do. What is planned for tonight is to finish up an elkskin dress for Wendy that was begun last summer, and whip out another one out of lighter weight deerskin while watching old car movies on VHS. I watched Easy Rider last night, the VCR is all cued up to watch Vanishing Point tonight, but since I'm getting readyt for Ti, perhaps I should watch one of the classic historical dramas like Allegheny Uprising or Northwest Passage. (the traditional last-minute sewing night used to involve Last of the Mohicans, but Wendy hates seeing a movie twice and she's never seen Alleghany Uprising)
Sometime tomorrow, I need to finish fitting Caleigh's new moccasins. They are center-seams and the front part is all done, I just need to fit the rear seam to her little foot, then soak thme and pound the seams flat.
Setting up the sutler tent should be a lot easier now that we have eliminated pretty much all of the non-gun related stuff from our inventory. Gone are the lanterns, leather goods, period toys and other miscellany. This freed up about half of the trailer space, and half of the tent space!
The only thing we are sweating out at the moment is when the shipment of muskets will arrive. We had placed a large order for guns to take to Ti, and in it are the prototypes of three new models. There are 16 crates of muskets in the hands of British Airways, and we had hoped to have them last week. That means we will be scrambling to unpack, log in, inspect, and tweak them late into the night right before we leave. I suppose it makes for good stories later, after all is said and done.
I'm working from a "to-do" list, and one of the things I need to do is go and get a load of hay so the house-sitters will have something to feed the critters. Since the trailer is going back into service as the cargo trailer it was purchased for, I guess that means the hay is going in my truck, then being unloaded onto pallets to be kept under tarps to stay dry.
Lots of stuff to do to get ready, but the Ti event is worth it. I've you've never been to it, you owe yourself the trip. Saturday night makes it all worthwhile.
Back when we were on the road at least twice a month, we simply kept the trailer packed and ready to go. Before I got the trailer, I used to keep the van packed and ready to go (the van has left us, now, a victem of New England road salt, LONG LIVE THE COOL BUS!). Since there has been so much other stuff going on in our lives, I've been using the trailer to haul grain, store hay etc. and now I need to repack it for it's original intended use.
In the past week, Jeff has built a pair of folding wooden pistol display racks, modified a pair of musket racks to knock-down for transport, dug out the tent ropes and stakes to count and inspect, and readied them all for loading in the trailer. Tomorrow the plan is to fish the tent poles out of the loft over the rabbit shed and be sure none have cracked during storage. I have to measure, but I just might have the space to set the tent up in front of the building to give it a looking at before packing it.
In this family, I am the only one who has plenty of 18th c clothes. That means that before we leave for Ti, I have some sewing to do. What is planned for tonight is to finish up an elkskin dress for Wendy that was begun last summer, and whip out another one out of lighter weight deerskin while watching old car movies on VHS. I watched Easy Rider last night, the VCR is all cued up to watch Vanishing Point tonight, but since I'm getting readyt for Ti, perhaps I should watch one of the classic historical dramas like Allegheny Uprising or Northwest Passage. (the traditional last-minute sewing night used to involve Last of the Mohicans, but Wendy hates seeing a movie twice and she's never seen Alleghany Uprising)
Sometime tomorrow, I need to finish fitting Caleigh's new moccasins. They are center-seams and the front part is all done, I just need to fit the rear seam to her little foot, then soak thme and pound the seams flat.
Setting up the sutler tent should be a lot easier now that we have eliminated pretty much all of the non-gun related stuff from our inventory. Gone are the lanterns, leather goods, period toys and other miscellany. This freed up about half of the trailer space, and half of the tent space!
The only thing we are sweating out at the moment is when the shipment of muskets will arrive. We had placed a large order for guns to take to Ti, and in it are the prototypes of three new models. There are 16 crates of muskets in the hands of British Airways, and we had hoped to have them last week. That means we will be scrambling to unpack, log in, inspect, and tweak them late into the night right before we leave. I suppose it makes for good stories later, after all is said and done.
I'm working from a "to-do" list, and one of the things I need to do is go and get a load of hay so the house-sitters will have something to feed the critters. Since the trailer is going back into service as the cargo trailer it was purchased for, I guess that means the hay is going in my truck, then being unloaded onto pallets to be kept under tarps to stay dry.
Lots of stuff to do to get ready, but the Ti event is worth it. I've you've never been to it, you owe yourself the trip. Saturday night makes it all worthwhile.
posted by MVTCoPete | 8:05 PM
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