Old Fort Niagara: Soldiers of the Revolution
Despite the omnious cloudy skies in Springville, HWMMS and I woke up brightish and earlyish to head Back in Time to Old Fort Niagara for Soldiers of the Revolution.
Once we arrived in Youngstown, (NOT CANADA as Verizon always assumes…) well, the weather wasn’t much better. Cloudy skies over the Fort led to a little fall of rain, just enough to get us all damp and chilly in the wind, despite wearing the many layers of clothing. (No really, check out my video in Instagram it was WINDY!)
We braved the weather and put on smiles for the tourists. Once upon a time I was timid around the tourists and thought it was odd they would want a photo of me. Over the years, I learned to embrace the awkward. I usually go up to people who look hesitant and ask if they want to join us for a photo. Sometimes I volunteer to take the photo of the family or group with their camera, this gets me out of the photo. And recently, I’ve started doing funny photobombing faces in the backgrounds to unsuspecting photographers.
Basically I’m a hysterical renenactor. Ha! A tourist shouted PHOTOBOMB & laughed.
— Jennifer L.S. Weber (@AllThingsJen) August 5, 2017
Tee hee.
I always enjoy looking at the gardens at the Fort. I wish I could have them so weed-free, lucious and manicured at Weber Wonderland. HWMMS reminded me that all the gardens at the Fort combined probably equals half of one of our front yard gardens. That made me feel a bit better, but still. GOALS.
One of my favorite parts of the event is the recruiting of the young ones for the cause. It’s enough to make my ovaries explode, seriously, and I’ve been off the wanting a baby train for sometime now. I adore watching the little girls dismiss the fact that they couldn’t participate unless they were boys and watching the kiddos get in character. It’s pretty much, historical adorable.
The other big event of the day is always the battle. Here’s a sneak peek of HWMMS scheming with the men.
Of course, the scheming didn’t fall in his favor at least in this battle. HWMMS fell to the ground and I became widowed. After the battle, I approached him on the field and gave him a kiss…and not unlike Jon Snow and the Red Witch in Game of Thrones, HWMMS was raised from the dead, with a bit of a backache. In the bottom photo that’s my “I’m the Red Witch Face” look in case you had any doubt.
All this work gets to be a little tiring at times, which is when you can usually find me in my happy off to myself favorite spot at the Fort, by the tree. Yes, the tree. The only tree in the Fort. Next to the cool stone wall, in the shade, right next to the breeze off of Lake Ontario. Perfection.
As you can see by this photo, the day did clear up nicely. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Another successful reenactment in the books…and an immediate strip down of the stays as soon as we left the parking lot and loaded our stuff in the car. The first several hours of wearting a corset made just for you-—wonderful. But one second after that threshold…
6 hours of stays, ok. Anything longer, annoying. Oh the joyous relief of releasing that ribbon at the end of the day. #reenactorproblems
— Jennifer L.S. Weber (@AllThingsJen) August 5, 2017
One random last aside: This crest always reminds me of my Alpha Delta Pi crest. Azure Blue and White AND a Lion.
At the end of the day you’re another century or two or three older…but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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