Winter Night Revelry

The Second Annual Snowflake Ball

Gathering in Loch Avie

Now Winter Nights Enlarge
by: Thomas Campion (1617)

Now winter nights enlarge
The number of their hours,
And clouds their storms discharge
Upon the airy towers.
Let now the chimneys blaze,
And cups o’erflow with wine;
Let well-tuned words amaze
With harmony divine.
Now yellow waxen lights
Shall wait on honey love,
While youthful revels, masques, and courtly sights
Sleep’s leaden spells remove.

This time doth well dispense
With lovers’ long discourse;
Much speech hath some defence,
Though beauty no remorse.
All do not all things well;
Some measures comely tread,
Some knotted riddles tell,
Some poems smoothly read.
The summer hath his joys
And winter his delights;
Though love and all his pleasures are but toys,
They shorten tedious nights.

Thank you for such a wonderful night. To say that I was - and still am - overwhelmed by the merriment, beauty, and love which was the result of all of you in attendance at the Snowflake Ball in Loch Avie this past Saturday would be an understatement. The night was more than I ever hoped.

Thanks, in particular, to mo charaids, Edward and Christine (McAllister) Pearse, for the fine music presentation and hostessing and technical assistance. Also thank you to my cousin, Gabrielle and to Diamanda Gustafson for some last minute help with more dance poses as the crowd grew, a couple of special benches for resting and watching Nellie, and for helping me keep the fun going well-past the wee hours of the morning.

Chatting with Lord and Lady Primbroke just prior to the first dance

Greeting new acquaintances and old friends. (Her Grace of Carntaigh, Gabrielle Riel, on the right.)

Special thanksgiving for Mr. TotalLunar Eclipse. Sir, thank you for working to make my vision of the Conservatory a' Ghaidhealtachd a reality. It is truly a beautiful building and very special to me thanks in no small part to your friendship and the artistry with which you work.

Mr. TotalLunar Eclipse and Miss Eugenia Burton

A spectacular view. The wrought iron and glass ceiling is a dramatic crowning touch.

Taking time to say hello to guest as the first dance commences. (in the background, Carntaigh, Primbroke, and Lord Kintyre and Lady AutoPilotPatty )

As I look back on the night, I am most pleased that the old and the new mingled and each others' company. Early on in the evening I had the pleasure to speak to not a few new citizens of our fair Independent State. Many were excited to attend the ball, but had questions about formality and etiquette at such an event. "What should I wear?" "How strict is the period theme?" "How does one use the dance card?" "I really want to attend, but I am feeling a little intimidated by it all."

Guests meeting and greeting one another

Happily all of those with whom I spoke, and many other new citizens, decided to brave the unfamiliar waters of a formal ball and arrived in Loch Avie as Lord Edward was setting up his musical equipment. There were at least 26 of us in the sim well before the first dance began at 7:15pm joyfully chatting and getting to know one another a little better.

As many of these new friends took my hand leaving the ball, they commented on how much they enjoyed the event, and how welcoming everyone had been to them. It warms my heart, truly, when our community can come together for a time and be fully at peace and be so welcoming to one another and to strangers.

I was also pleased to welcome friends from Steelhead, Babbage, Lovelace, and some Caledonians that I have not seen in ages. Imagine my surprise as Mr. Deckard flew by waving his hellos just as we were beginning the event. (Sadly he was apparently unable to join us.) Later in the evening, Miss Hypatia Callisto joined us as did Miss Charlene Trudeau, Miss Serra Anansi, Her Grace of Primverness, Mr. Shaunathan Sprocket, and Miss Eggberta Echegaray. Save for Hypatia and Serra, I have not seen these folks in ages. I was smiling from ear to ear to have a chance to talk to them for a little while, to offer them some whisky and some wintertime hospitality.

Lady Kintyre, and Sir ZenMondo

Captain Ballinger of Cape Wrath twirls a dance partner around in the snowy fields of Loch Avie

Mr Iason Hassanov in top hat and scarf twirls me amidst the steam during dance set number two.

The setting underneath the aurora and stars

Lady Kate Nicholas joined us for a little while in the middle of the evening. Despite the lag she experienced, she tells me that she had a lovely time. Here she discusses entomology with a scientist who expressed interest in joining the Royal Society.

Dancing with Touma Yoshikawa.

His Grace of Cymru and Miss Samantha Glume

Dear friends, Colonel Exrex Somme and his lovely lady, Callipygian Christensen

Her Grace of Primverness, CoyoteAngel Dimsum and Miss Charlene Trudeau enjoy a quiet conversation near Nellie's Cove

Mayor Shaunathan Sprocket of Babbage catches up with us shortly after his arrival

Mr. JJ Drinkwater and Miss Serra Anasi, Seneschal of Winterfell

Peeking through the windows of the conservatory as I dance with Mr. Marcus Tairov

Lord Kintyre and I tango as Miss Eggberta Echergaray looks on

The Marquise of West Spierling Isle, Darkling Elytis, and I dance together once again....this time with shoes on (unlike our jig-waltz at the Thanksgiving Ball).

My dear friend, Baron Bardhaven, arrived as we were extending the festivities well-past the planned end of the ball.

Dancing into the morning hours

Lady Amber Palowakski and Mr. Roy Smashcan dance to the more up-tempo songs as the party continued.

The last dance of the night with Colonel Hotspur O'Toole

And so I went off to my bed, with tired feet and a happy heart. Thank you for allowing me to host you once again. It is always my pleasure to do so. There were 60 or so that attended the ball and danced to the music, talked to friends, and made new acquaintances. What a night!

As I quoted previously:

On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.
~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

Steelhead Saloons and Rez Day Boys

Friday and Saturday nights in and around Caledon are nearly always busy and filled with fun and laughter. This week was no exception to that rule. I found myself sticking fairly close to home - save for a few shopping trips - and dancing quite a lot.

Friday, of course, is always the Steelhead themed dance. This past week, the theme was Moulin Rouge since we found ourselves in the new saloon, build by that very talented gentleman builder, TotalLunar Eclipse.

I had not been in world for any length of time earlier in the week and had missed the Steelhead town meeting (and had not reviewed the minutes - sorry Christine) so I did not know the theme of the dance until Friday night when I logged-in and saw the group notice. My typist smiled to herself because only an hour or so before she had been playing with her young daughters, dancing in the family room of her home to a number of songs....and then along with a couple of DVDs. We danced to a couple of pieces written in Anglo-Saxon (yeah - I did say, Anglo-Saxon) from The Lord of the Rings. Our favorite is always:

Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended
giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende
on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære
his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost.
Bealo..

We meandered around our favorite music going from Bealocwealm to swing to songs of eastern influence to show tunes and ending up with the Fatboy Slim remix of The Can Can in Moulin Rouge.

I was certainly ready, then, to put on the corset, split knickers, garters and stockings, and skirts of my costume for the event in Steelhead.

Can Can! Trying to form the line with Lord and Lady Primbroke.

Our fantastic DJ, Sheriff Fuzzball Ortega, struts his stuff as Mr. Iason Hassanov seems to be intently watching a favorite dancing girl in the Moulin Rouge

Tensai as dancing fish (Hemoine Pennyfeather dances in the background).

It's not easy doing choreography with a fish.....but loads of fun.

The architect and builder (and fine dance partner), Lunar.

After the dance was over, I found my way to another dance courtesy of Sir Telemachus Dean's well-timed offer of a chariot (tp). We danced for another three quarters of an hour or so. During this time I was reminded that Sir Tele had not been invited to join the ranks of the swoon-worthy (by a number of young ladies), and as I am his patron the privilege of extending the public invitation fell to me. Sadly, I have no photographic record of the swoonage as my head was apparently spinning too wildly to have snapped a picture. Hopefully someone captured it and will either send a shot my way, or let me know where it has been posted. *grins*

***

The next evening found me in Davaar helping to celebrate mo charaid, Edward Pearse's Rez Day. Christine had outdone herself with this party. The pavilion was beautifully set and decorated, and the event was a great deal of fun as the conversations were, as is our Caledonian tradition, filled with humor, double entendres, and esoterica. And the music was fantastically varied.

Hope you had a wonderful Rez Day, Lord Primbroke! And I wish you many more happy days to come.

(left to right) Gabrielle, Edward, Christine, me, Kate

Kate and I practice our deep knee bends.

(left to right) Shylah Garmes, Diamanda, Storm Chatnoir, Edward

A shot of Edward, Christine, and me after the chimes struck Shirtless O'Clock.

A sample of the crowd

Doing my best dancing with Heavy Metal (yes that's WITH heavy metal). Iason and Hotspur.

Baron Wulfenbach won the prize for the most heavy metal, however. I admit I was a bit afraid to try to trip the light fantastic with that particular avatar.

Exhausted, but happy, at the end of a full couple of nights.