Time for a good sacking!

Sharon and I spent Sunday down at Solomons, MD visiting with Tracy Allison. She turned 35 this year and is really starting to show her age. While we were there, I made a new acquaintance. His name is Fred and he was pumping out the bilge of his longboat.


The boat looks like it takes a crew of ten or twelve, and he was kind enough to offer me a seat on her next outing - a couple of weeks from now. My guess is, they're always in need of men with strong backs and weak minds to man the oars. Fred has a wealth of knowledge on longboats; but I didn't take any notes, so I don't have much to write. He gave me a website to learn more, but it's all in Norwegian and I don't know how to change a web site's language.

I'd like to go on the voyage, but I don't have any Viking attire - save for a sword. I wonder how Fred would feel about that. Does the crew dress in period costume before heading to sea for a long day of pillaging? I've never gotten involved with any of the re-enactment groups. Some people think that playing in a bagpipe band is re-enacting, but I don't agree. Bagpipe bands are a current event. We strive to move the art form forward, not to recreate the past. I think there is a difference.