I met a fellow BDer!!

[A Little Green]

If there was ever an unlucky 'Downs moot, it would be this one.

For one thing, Hookbill and Squatter seemed to bring the British weather with them; it was beautiful and wintry the day before the Moot, but the day they came it was raining and it remained that way for most of the Moot. So much for getting a taste of the northern winter.. What was more, a highly contagious something took over and inspired us to rename the moot as Sickmoot (even Elijah Wood vomited!). My own participation was further disturbed by work and, for the last couple of days, a sad thing happening and occupying most of my thoughts.

But if there is something to be said for all these misfortunes, it would be the realization that somehow, we've become such good friends that it doesn't matter if you're sick or tired or sad because you're not obliged to be busy entertaining guests and planning things if you simply can't. You can just hang out at home and play cards and have a whale of a time anyway.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I figured that has to be the quintessential experience, seeing the movies as a Downer coven.

It was. The rest of the audience laughs at the 'obvious' stuff - Bullroarer Took inventing golf and Rhosgobel rabbits and so forth. We laugh every time someone says "You know of what I speak" or Fili swaggers or Benedict Cumberbatch appears on screen or Thorin gives bedroom eyes, etc.

I've been told I could come as Lobelia, with a bit of change to my Missus Maggot costume, but I'm hankering after coming as one of Radagast's rabbits, a huge rabbit, possibly a pink bunny if that isn't stealing the Pink Wizard's meme, maybe called Hef.

Hahaha! I vote for Lobelia though, she's awesome! Unfortunately for you, we have no silver spoons.

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

She was a fine friend throughout and even kept me company when I fell to the pestilence!

That's how I made up for throwing up behind your back myself.

I think she's given up on trying to make Agan civilised.

It's Greenie who wields the whip these days. (And, as she pointed out, I'm at my best if I get to play a lion mother on a leash.)

Pomegranate I've only met three times and yet she seems already like an old pal!

The truth is, I haven't met her that much more, but I tease her as if I'd known her for years.

Originally Posted by Pomegranate

me dressed as Kili.

More tips for doing it perfectly:

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

Are there any plans on a BIG Barrow Downs moot this year? I remember Deutschland being suggested, but nothing was set in stone.
Or will this be the year of many mini moots? That, too, can be awesome!

I vote for Deutschland! I vote for Pitchwife's farm!

Originally Posted by A Little Green

But if there is something to be said for all these misfortunes, it would be the realization that somehow, we've become such good friends that it doesn't matter if you're sick or tired or sad because you're not obliged to be busy entertaining guests and planning things if you simply can't. You can just hang out at home and play cards and have a whale of a time anyway.

Ditto.
These are people I feel comfortable to be sick in the same room with. ♥

[Galadriel55]

Routine reporting Bethberry, Jallanite, and myself. *snore...* Nobody special visiting Toronto. Deutschland is cool, but screw Deutschland. I can't even spell it right without double-checking, and it's pronounced all weird (you Doich people... ). Just come to Toronto.

[Mithalwen]

Ah but your little wolf cub might like to know that his fellow escapee from the wildlife place had a starring role at Oxonmoot.....and the special people are already in Toronto:P

[Bêthberry]

Yes, our little smial moot was little and it lacked outrageous costumes, but we did manage to discuss some Tolkien, mostly before you arrived, G55. And we had a tiny little Bilbo figure standing guard over our table.

And I really would like to thank jallanite for the gift of a copy of his book. As John Garth told me, that book was instrumental in helping him feed his interest in Tolkien's exploration of language.

Mithalwen, I am waiting not so patiently for more pictures of Gooseberry, the not-quite-twin-sister of Goldberry who I believe won the Best Film Adaptation award. She otter be in pictures. And Saruman of the many colours won Best Audience Reaction. I hope there's a video of him dancing to 'Stayin' Alive'.

And the secret of bearded dwarven women was unveiled! Kili and Fili have never looked so good. It is true that dwarven women cross-dressed when traveling outside their community. That is could be done has been proven and Downers were in the forefront of the evidence.

We definitely have to work on some sort of presentation for our smial moots.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

And Saruman of the many colours won Best Audience Reaction. I hope there's a video of him dancing to 'Stayin' Alive'.

Oh there is! On Facebook, for now. I may upload it elsewhere...

[Aganzir]

This was my first time at Oxonmoot and I loved it!

Kath already covered everything essential about Friday, except that my guess about how long Smaug reigned under the mountain only went off by one year (like a boss), and that I taught her how to tango. Our room was freezing, and because she didn't want me to shiver against her on two nights, we got a radiator on Saturday morning. I couldn't carry it for Kath, but I could carry Kath.

My head is still kind of achy from all the headbutting we did on Saturday in our dwarf costumes, but it was worth it. Our good looks and awful jokes got quite a lot of attention from the ladies and gentlemen alike, leading to some failed kissing attempts, and some that did not fail (a due reward for organising the moot, I should say). The funniest part about the evening, however, was when Kath threatened to rip my beard off.

I cannot quite remember how, but the two of us volunteered to host a room party. One of its highlights was when I got to plait a real beard (whose wearer seemed happy about it and continued to sport the plait the next day). After changing rooms in consideration of a neighbour who wanted to sleep, I was introduced to Pervinca Took (which means that after finishing this post, I'm at least going to check out the Password thread). However it was very late and I was quite occupied with other people, so we didn't manage to talk much.

On Sunday Faramir Jones (whose lecture I missed again because ART) took me around the graveyard and showed me Humphrey Carpenter's grave. Apart from that, Kath and I sat more or less comatose in the ground, but lunch and hanging out with awesome Downers and Tolkien Society people cheered us up. Still, I can't remember when saying goodbye has last been this sad because the weekend (and the week that preceded it, which involved me playing a housewife, meeting Kath's family, having a Finland day at her school, and hiding dirty drawings around her flat for her to find) was so amazing.

I am currently occupying Hookbill's brother's old room, and tomorrow we miiiight head up to Scotland to meet Eonwe. I don't like British computers which refuse to give me umlauts.

Here is a BD group picture with a quarter of Pervinca Took, Poison Ivy, Faramir Jones, yours truly, Kath, Hookbill, Squatter and narfforc:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...39658559_o.jpg