This was a great event for colgaffneyis. mia_mcdavid and I had the time to set up our tent carefully on Friday night. We had everything properly organized which paid off because we could

• Keep it open during the day on Saturday. All the non-period stuff was under cover. We could show it to the patrons and keep it aired out.
• Teardown and packing up at the end of the day was quite fast.

We need to make a habit of this.

We were the honor guard during the midday ceremonies, and certainly looked the part with our pikes. It did mean standing for an hour in the midday sun. This was not nearly as bad as in ’06, when the event was in July.

Three of my friends from Gaeltacht Minnesota, Máire, Wes, and SH came by. It was good talking to them, both in Irish and English.

The really bad part of the day came when mia_mcdavid and I were trying to carry some very hot water for the wool waulking she had organized. The water tub slip, and I got splashed by boiling water on the back of my right knee. Cold water was poured over my knee in seconds –we keep a bucket by the fire pit at all times. Somebody brought an ice pack within a few minutes….And this was done just by colgaffneyis, led by twolodge and c_nocturnum–both trained and experienced in first aid. The Dakota County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Red Cross staff came by soon afterwards. They were very impressed by what our people had done.

Whatever the extent of the initial burn, the instant intervention did what was necessary. I was able to help with the camp teardown at the end of the day. I had no trouble driving home and unloading the car afterwards. I expect to be fully able to participate at the next colgaffneyis dance guild meeting on Wednesday.

The waulking went very well. mia_mcdavid worked very well with our Chantrix, who led the songs. Wool waulking is not a common event. mia_mcdavid has introduced it to historical reenactment and Scottish cultural events in the upper midwest over the last two years and continues to drive it here.