Historic Fall Reenacting Activities: Ken - Missing in Action

Due to a very serious illness I had,  taking part in some of my most favorite of reenactments did not happen this year.  If you know me at all,  you know this Autumn time of year is my absolute favorite.  It's when all the leaves are changing,  and the feel of the past immerses one,  whether they want to be or not.

But for this year,  for me,  it was not meant to be.  The month of October,  unfortunately,  found me with a pretty bad case of covid.

Yes...it was bad.

No,  it was not a very bad cold.

No,  it was not a very bad flu.

It was far worse than I ever could have imagined it to be,  and unless you've had what I  (and so many others)  have had,  you cannot empathize or even try to understand...it also takes its sweet old time going away.  In fact,  I spent nearly a week in the hospital with covid pneumonia.

Yeah...not fun.  Scary,  to be honest.

But I have wonderful friends,  don't you know,  and they not only took part in the events I had planned to do as well,  but,  for me,  they took plenty of pictures.

So,  since I was not at the reenactments you are about to see,  I am not in the pictures.  

Me...taken at Greenfield Village in 2020

Well,  okay,  there is this first picture stage left taken last year when my health was fine.

And there are a few photos toward the end taken at Greenfield Village.

But that was then,  this is now.

It was my good friends Jackie  &  Charlotte who took the majority of the pictures,  along with Jennifer and a few others.  And if they're not in them,  then they probably took the pictures.

So why am I just doing a bunch of photos for this posting without much of a story behind them?
Because I felt the need to document these fall reenactments,  whether I am there or not.

My friends were - they took the time to participate as well as take the pictures - so I feel honored to include their shots here.

I have been doing fall postings for years,  and simply because I could not attend this year doesn't mean I cannot feature my friends who did,  right?

Commenting under the photos have been kept to a minimal,  by the way.

So-------this first event - Vermillion Creek - which happens to be Revolutionary War,  was one I was really looking forward to.  Scott Mann and his Queen's Rangers hosted this full-blown reenactment in an area near rural mid-Michigan for the third year in a row.  

Beautiful ladies of the 18th century.

Jackie  &  Jennifer

Queen's Rangers members.

1st Pennsylvania members

There is a trading cabin on site.

Benjamin Franklin and my son.

Katherine and Noelle -
members of Citizens of the American Colonies

A small effort to reproduce an era can go a long way.

Battle scene

Just before the explosion...

Firing the cannon.

Vermillion's battle is always a good one.

Doc Henry Tripp.

The 1st Pennsylvania after the battle.

Charlotte tries the  'hawk toss.

Methinks Jackie was very happy with her toss of the  'hawk.

In fact,  I would say she was right giddy!

I was glad to see the members of the 1st Pennsylvania turn out.

Next up we have the 1860's Gathering Knowledge Event - which is in its sophomore year.  It was conceived and hosted by Sandy Root,  living historian extraordinaire.  In the early days of my reenacting and learning how to improve,  I considered Sandy my unofficial mentor.  She told me she never really liked that moniker placed upon her,  but,  sorry,  it's true.  I saw her think outside the box while too many reenactors grew stagnant.  And in 2020,  when the covid fear struck the entire world,  she bravely forged ahead for those who were interested and came up with an idea that was safe...and non-public.

And learning opportunities abounded.

Jackie and Larissa camped together for this one.

Larissa,  Pam,  and Samantha

A period puppet show!

Sandy  &  Sheri run the puppet show.

Camp

A rural road...

Dinner.

1860s Gathering Knowledge was a weekend event,  but Charlotte decided not to attend.  Instead she participated in Pioneer Day at the Waterloo Farm Museum.  Again,  it so bummed me out to have to miss this.  My wife,  Patty,  was supposed to join me here:  I was going to process the flax that we grew all year and Patty was going to spin it into linen thread.

How cool this was going to be!

Charlotte saved the day!  She went out on her own to represent Citizens of the American Colonies.

Pioneer Day,  now in it's 6th decade,  is a sort of time-line celebration from the 17th century to the late 19th century farm life and included tours of the Farm Museum,  Cabin,  Dewey School,  live music,  demonstrations of crafts,  trades and traditional cooking methods. 

I was really looking forward to this event...

This is one of Waterloo's biggest events of the year.

My favorite folk tunes sound best on a 
hammered dulcimer.

Doing laundry

John shearing the sheep

The smithy

Samples of a tasty dark brew.

Meet explorer LaSalle

Our own cozy cabin

Smoking fish and venison

Dr. BloodsWorth explains mid 1700’s medicine

Broom maker

Hero of the day, pressing apples while swatting away
 yellow jackets.  He’d already been stung twice!

Corn season

Wagon rides and beautiful teams

Brian had everything to tell about Explorer LaSalles adventures in a
wild Michigan wilderness

She spun, knitted and felted her slippers

Charlotte and Brian

Charlotte peeling apples for a crisp baked in the Dutch Oven

In Mid-September my wife  &  I purchased tickets for Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village.  Another very cool event where the entirety of historic Greenfield Village is turned into a sort of  Hallowe'en village by way of scenarios,  lighting,  vignettes,  and even a haunted train ride.

Again,  I could not attend due to this horrible virus,  but I did include some of the photos taken by a variety of the visitors who were able to go.

And even a few taken by yours truly from previous years.  

October crossing...

With everything Hallowe'en taking place beginning at dusk and into the autumn darkness,  the old-time decor throughout can be quite spooky.  While there,  visitors will get to meet a variety of costumed characters interspersed throughout the city streets.  They will also meet Ichabod Crane as well as the Headless Horseman,  and even experience what it was like to cross a mystic covered bridge much like the one in Sleepy Hollow.  In fact,  you'll almost feel as if you actually were in that fabled village of Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow.

The Giddings House from the mid-1700s.

The haunted train.

The Hallowe'en Tree taken by Loretta Tester.

The turn-of-the-20th-century roundhouse taken by Giulia Bufalini.

The cemetery caretaker taken by Kathy Hall Brock.

Sleep Hollow's headless horseman taken by Cindy Conklin

The headless horseman taken by Samantha Kline.

Another look from Sleepy Hollow taken by Jen Julet

My favorite 18th century house - the Daggett House - - 
Wait----------who is that in the front?
(By the way,  Friends of Greenfield Village
is a Facebook page I created for my favorite place for history).

So...there may still be some salvageable Autumn activities left for me to participate in.  Will I be well-enough...even just a little?

God-willing.

Time will tell.

Until next time,  see you in time. 

~   ~   ~