Medieval Times

We’re in the middle of “Medieval Village” week at Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site. We discovered this event casually two years ago and last year Effie really got into it and attended each day in period costume (ie: one medieval dress). Full members of PARMA, the Pacific Association for Re-creating the Middle Ages, spend the week at the site in period tents acting how people would have in 1371 England. This includes a lot of weaving, spinning, washing, painting, writing, shoe-making, cooking, tool-construction, building, armour making, sword fighting and even some puppetry. All done at a pedestrian pace that seems ideally suited to Effie’s inquisitive, observant personality.

This year we’ve gone a step further with Tiki officially joining in the fun though she is limited by both Fergus’ greater interest in the adjacent lighthouse and the strict rule prohibiting modern day eye-wear as the village is open to the public. She’s able to sneak her glasses on occasionally, the same way the others duck into their tents for clandestine 21st century cell-phone calls. Fergus, a definite refusenik when it comes to costumes, does manage to follow certain customs of the day by sporting a funky pre-semiannual wash and brush hairdo.