I met a fellow BDer!!

[Oddwen]

I had a surprise visit from a Downer today - TGEW and crew were travelling through my town and stayed the night. Then today we had a nice late breakfast of crepes, partially dropped hash browns and a vicious monster pancake. Now they have driven into the West in a swan-white vehicle.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Oddwen

I had a surprise visit from a Downer today - TGEW and crew were travelling through my town and stayed the night. Then today we had a nice late breakfast of crepes, partially dropped hash browns and a vicious monster pancake. Now they have driven into the West in a swan-white vehicle.

I am so bad. I was so caught up with moving that I forgot to post my picture! Here's Oddwen and me hanging out! I'm the one in red.

20170826_142654(0).jpg

In other news, Laurinque, my boyfriend, and I went to visit with THE Ka since we live around the same parts these days. It had been a year since we had seen Ka, so it was nice to catch up. I didn't take any pictures, but I do have a funny story. We figured out that both of our boyfriends haven't read LotR (crazy because I always figured I'd fall in love with someone who already loved Tolkien, but I digress). Anyway, my boyfriend said that he wanted to join the Downs right then and there. I was like, "You can't join the Downs, you haven't even finished The Hobbit yet!". My boyfriend proceeded to pull the Downs up on his phone and tried to open an account. The security question was "What was the name of Gandalf's horse." He didn't know the answer and as I was crying out, "Don't give him the answer!", Ka had already spilled the beans. So yeah, my boyfriend will be joining the Downs at some point, but hopefully he actually reads Lord of the Rings before he joins. We have no immediate plans to hang out with Ka again, but it's definitely in the cards for before Christmas.

[Boromir88]

Last weekend several Barrow-downers were able to get together in NYC to explore the Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth exhibit that was put on at the Morgan Library. It was an amazing exhibit, and good to see some friends I don't know half as well as I should like. Including meeting the 3rd Downer baby, William.

The question being, is William named after?
A. William Huggins
B. Bill the Pony
C. Bill Ferny

It began Thursday, with Wilwa flying in and then me a few hours later. Then we went to Encataire's and Jon's (who has a BD account by I forget what it is) new place. A more homely place than their previous one, with prime real estate (for a metropolitan area) - access to a roof top, complete with a grill and outdoor furniture.

Friday the 4 of us went to the New York Public Library and we had the most excitable, lovely tour guide Karen. You can tell she loved the library and the subject, she was full of wonderful stories and knowledge about the library, which just made it a fun experience (despite the dreary rain that day). Then Friday night, we went out to hear Enca's Funkrust Brass Band which was like no other brass band I've ever heard or seen and they were a blast. We returned and now joined by Form, Nienna and a sleeping William who came in Friday night.


Front Row: Myself, William, Jon
Back Row: Enca, Formendacil, Nienna, Wilwa, Celduin.
(Photographer, Celduin's husband who was also able to join us for this Saturday)

There were many highlights to this trip, but the exhibit was by far the top. There were so many people wanting to get into the exhibit, there was a feeling there just had to be other Downers there. I don't know about the others, but what stood out to me, Tolkien's artwork and map drawing, it was great to see in person. And his penmanship. Of course the exhibit had some of the cleaner examples of his writings and letters on display, but the way he wrote is like an art form on it's own, so tiny, but so precise and beautiful.

Then the group went out to Central Park, since after the previous day was a bit dreary and soggy, but Saturday was sunny, warm and beautiful. It was the first time wilwa and I had been to Central Park, I'm not sure about any one else.

Even though it's a rather crummy picture of me, it's a really good one of baby Wiliam, so after some encouragement and approval to post, the "Back bench boys" of Central Park:



Wilwa and I stayed for a few extra days after, to explore some other places in NYC (and have a nice barbecue on Enca's and Jon's roof top). And I would probably be in trouble if I failed to mention their adorable dog Topanga, she is a sweetheart (and I hate to say it to Form and Nienna, but she perked up over the next few days after the baby left ).

One of the last things I was glad Jon and I were able to do, was go to the NY Natural History Museum and see the new Titonosaurus dinosaur they discovered. That museum being another place that's a must see if you're in NYC. I tried to get a panorama, but this dinosaur was so huge, they didn't even have a room large enough contain it in (part of the head and neck were poking out the doorway of the room it was in. It really gets you thinking about ancient cultures, and the myths that were inspired if those peoples came across remains of dinosaurs, and mammoths, and 40 feet alligator fossils.

[Inziladun]

Very envious. I've been stuck with the unenviable position of having no other members near my location, and having too many commitments to travel. One day!

[Bêthberry]

Thanks for the report and photos, Boro. Were there some pages from Tolkien's diary? I understand that the original exhibit at the Bodleian in Oxford had some of his diary papers on display.

Inzil, perhaps some year we will have to undertake a quest kind of thingy and have an Inzil Moot in your part of Middle-earth.

[wilwarin538]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Thanks for the report and photos, Boro. Were there some pages from Tolkien's diary? I understand that the original exhibit at the Bodleian in Oxford had some of his diary papers on display.

I feel like there must have been, there were so many samples of his writing I just can't remember where they were necessarily all from, one of the others may remember. My favourite piece was his notes planning out the story after the Fellowship breaks up, seeing how he was so meticulous to ensure the weather lined up through each story line. And his maps and art work were all impressive. They had some of his art blown up huge on the wall which was amazing to see. And Form pointed out that there were some similiraties between Tolkien's handwriting and Tolkien's mother's handwriting which was neat.

It was a great trip and fun to see everyone! I'm so grateful I had the chance to go and definitely plan to make another trip to NYC within the next few years, still a lot there I'd love to do.

And I have a new love and appreciation for brass bands thanks to Encai's talents

[Celuien]

It was so nice to see everyone in NYC again! We figured out it was 10 years (!) since we were last all in one place.

The exhibit was incredible. I can’t remember if there were diary pages, but it was amazing to see the handwritten drafts, letters - with Tengwar - and drawings. My favorite displays were the maps and like wilwa, the meticulous timeline chart.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Inzil, perhaps some year we will have to undertake a quest kind of thingy and have an Inzil Moot in your part of Middle-earth.

I'll be up for it anytime! And here's hoping certain persons may become a bit less treeish.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Thanks, Boro, for posting about the exhibition and the get-together! It's always a pleasure to meet fellow Downers, and the rave reviews of the exhibition make me want to see it very much. NYC is too far away and too expensive a trip for me - Oxford would have been closer, but I didn't manage to get there. Next stop is Paris, and I will try my best to see it there as that's only a trip of 3 - 4 hours by train. (Note to self: Brush up your minimal and rusty French...)