Merry Christmas

  It is Christmas Eve and I figured I would share a couple of videos of some Christmas bagpiping to share the season’s cheer. This first video is of a medley of Christmas tunes that I transcribed and put together.  Forgive my lack of musical arranging skills as well as my beginner bagpiping… This video is a small clip of just one Christmas tune.  The fun of it is that it is being played on my new set of...

Hammer While it is Hot!

  I have wanted to get a forge up and running for a very long time.  My biggest hold off has been the fact that I have not had a great spot to have and locate it permanently.  Now that we finally have the shed built, I now have a spot for a forge. Not so long story even shorter… the forge is now done and running.  I have had a chance to mess around a bit, and have made a small, early medieval knife blade (that now...

A French Hunting Pouch

  The topic of these French hunting bags recently came up elsewhere on the internet, and it reminded me that I have been planning on posting this article written by Eric Bizet.  Eric is a reenactor in France that follows (or at least did) my blog.  Since, we have chatted numerous times via email.  In 2014, Eric sent me the following write up he did on a particular type of bag.  I am posting his quick English translation...

Bagpipe Fever

  It has now been almost a year since I started learning the bagpipes.  I went from Oct. to June with lessons and then, due to a very busy summer schedule and new job, stopped lessons and am hoping to start back up this Fall.  Meanwhile, I played and practiced almost every day this summer.  I have wanted to play the pipes since I was a small child, and I am excited that it is happening, even if late in my life. While at...

First Successful Medieval Hunt

  September 26th, 2016- Trempealeau County, WI Today I had my first successful (in terms of getting game) medieval hunt.  I was set up with the clothing and equipment of a 14th century forester and was using my homemade crossbow.  I was out in a fine spot that I have scouted and where I have found a lot of deer sign. My plan was to hunt deer, but this is not quite what happened.   About an hour before dark, I heard...

Elderberry Cordial

  While at Grand Portage this year, Rob Stone treated me to a glass of his homemade Blackberry Cordial.  It was delightful!  When inquired, he stated that the recipe came from an 1840 French-Canadian cookbook titled, La Cuisinière Canadienne.  His daughter, Elizabeth, had recently translated the entire book and this particular cordial came from it.  He shared the recipe, and I stored it in my memory (mostly, I had to...