We had a great raid for Scarborough Faire!
Camping at Higview Park on Lake Bardwell gave us some unexpected challenges, from tents needing to be moved for being “on the shoreline” which apparently isn’t allowed, and having to creatively shuffle tents due to a previously-unenforced 2 tents per site rule suddenly being enforced, to the nearest bathrooms having…questionable plumbing. BUT, despite these minor challenges, FUN PREVAILED!
Friday was arrival day, and camp set up, with a potluck dinner supplemented by a birthday cake for Tricia. Peter debuted a pavilion with built-in lighting and Joe took advantage of our access to electrical outlets to string fairy lights throughout the kitchen and tap wall pavilions. Being able to see was super nice. We had a very nice camp safety meeting with engaging discussion.
‘Twas super warm, so campfires were forgone the entire weekend. Instead, we sat in ever-changing amoeba formations around empty space. Fire was not missed.
Saturday breakfast was breakfast tacos, and they were delicious. This was the main faire day, and I believe everyone enjoyed what I think might actually be my favorite faire. Matt stayed at camp and earned the title of CrawDaddy by spending the day babysitting our sacrificial crawfish all day, despite his conviction that said mudbugs were already dead. After a full day of sweating like sumo wrestlers in a hot yoga class, we were all treated to a delicious dinner of beasts felled by the mighty hunter Joe (and probably Adam, too?). Two of our number went to swim, but changed their minds upon encountering a snake 5 sneks long that was eating a catfish. Instead they joined the Amoeba of Friendship and new vocabularies were created, Wikipedia articles were edited (ok, ONE Wikipedia article was edited), Spitefund was conceptualized, and birthday cupcakes for Tricia were devoured. There was some unpleasant excitement when fighting and threats among the people camping across the road led to the discussion in the safety meeting about calling the authorities when appropriate being a discussion about action we wound up needing to take. Thankfully, things were resolved quickly and peacefully, and I’m pretty sure anonymously.
Our esteemed leader, Captain AT, finally arrived in the wee hours of the morning, after being retrieved by his good woman from the wrong side of the lake, where his Uber chariot deposited him. He and Matt then decided to do some late-night fishing. Their plan to pick out some dead crawfish from our bounteous supply was thwarted by the discovery that Matt was sorely mistaken and his carefully tended charges were in fact very much alive. No fish were caught.
Sunday dawned with the promise of bacon pancakes, and that promise was delivered by Jenn. The day was a lovely blur of spit-roasted suckling pig, batch after batch of sacrificially boiled crawfish, and cool, refreshing lake swimming. A few of our number opted to return to the faire. There was one injury incurred due to the fact that some people in the world still can’t grasp the concept of “Don’t Mess With Texas”, but the members of our clan come prepared. Some more than others. Nick and Sarah seemed to have EVERYTHING!
The fishing tournament was looking like it was going to be a toss-up between Adam reeling in a stick, and Laura catching a minnow with her bare hands. BUT, in the night, as the rest of us passed around a Glow Ball to play Truth or Lie with while adorned with glow jewelry in the Amoeba of Friendship, NICK CAUGHT A REAL FISH!!! After many people retired for the night, those remaining in the Amoeba passed around the Glow Ball and crafted the Epic of the Goddess Trisha.
Monday morning, pastries were eaten, camp was broken, Nick and Laura were bestowed with their fishing tournament prizes, and we all went our separate ways. It was a good weekend.
~Raid Leader Cortney