I met a fellow BDer!!

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Kath

Ooh yeah I'm with Eonwe! Good excuse to make a meet up cheaper for the Brits.

Beware of what you say Kath! We Finns might make a mass-exodus there...

Although not in the time of the olympics - or near that - because everything would be triple-priced then...

[Kath]

Well there's not an enormous amount of room in my house but you're welcome to a patch of floor.

[Morai]

How about a Barrow-Downs get together in 2012 or 2013. Then I will be out of high school, and don't need to ask my parents if I can meet people on the internet. (Because everyone wants to meet TheGreatElvenWarrior)

I just realized I'll be out of college then. If I'm not already living in a cardboard box, hiding from the government loan collectors, I may show up. I've been looking for an excuse to head out of the U.S...again.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

Beware of what you say Kath! We Finns might make a mass-exodus there...

Although not in the time of the olympics - or near that - because everything would be triple-priced then...

Then we'll just have to go before the Olympics, and leave after. And not buy anything in between.

[Lariren Shadow]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

Try telling that to one of my companions, who likes clusters of dead people not even a little.

Cemeteries are bad. I don't like then. Never have. I'm that person. I never played in them as a child nor do I intend to ever in my life. I have weird things about me and my not liking of cemeteries is one of them.

But yes: we hiked up Rivendell also known as Watkins Glen. It was fun, the Were-duckling was fussy at times, but still amazingly cute. Mac scared a bunch of us by going close to the edge of the gorge while carrying the Were-duckling, while I wanted to jump off the side and into the water. I was told no.

After getting to what was assumingly the top, considering most of the other trails were closed, we decided to hike back down and go to lunch at the upper parking lot place. After climbing in the car again and going up, which was fun because Nienna's car doesn't like hills at all. There was a slight fail when Mira and I were looking for the bathroom, and I missed it but it was fine.

Lunch was fun and there was good food and company. Fea and I walked away to throw away the trash and while I saw, from far away, Mac doing the awkward penguin, Fea did not and is forever angry at this fact. We then went back to hiking, which involved going down stairs that, when we came up, would be called Cirith Ungol, across a bridge, which we were sad that Mac was ok crossing because sometimes he's not ok with crossing bridges and we kind of wanted to see it.

Then we were back at the cross roads. Neither Mira, Nienna, Rikae, Mac, the Were-duckling, nor I could decide on a way to go. So Fea choose left, up the hill. To Mordor. Which we then remember was, in fact, left from Rivendell. While climbing we recited a bunch of fun lines, such as remembering strawberries and ribbons in Rosie Cotton's hair, and complained about how our calves were hurting and it was all Fea's fault because she picked the steeper one (she totally did, even though she won't admit it). As we are climbing we stop at a shack. It was named the shrieking shack by use. Further up the path we saw a hanging flower pot with fake flowers. Odd, but we kept going, with our legs hurting and sweating because it also was not as cool up there as the gorge had been. Next we stumbled upon what looked like a shrine to the Virgin Mary. To which we assumed that Fea brought us to some weird religious place. It sort of was as it was a cemetery. Not cool. I stopped. I'll admit it. I don't like them. Not at all. Fea did then kindly run ahead of us so to see if it was worth dragging me past it (thanks by the way). It was not.

Back down from Mordor we went, trying not to trip and die on the way. It was then decided to go right. While doing this we discussed where we would like to live in Middle-earth. A little ways down the path we stumble upon THE REST OF THE CEMETERY. Again I stopped and we just decided, as it was hot and we felt scummy, that this would not do and it was time for ice cream.

Back to the bridge, over the bridge, up the path that lead to Cirith Ungol. Those stairs were nice coming down but going up they were horrible. By this point the Were-duckling was asleep. Into the cars we marched and down the hill to ice cream. It was good.

Everything was fun about the day, it was good to meet Live-Mac as opposed to Skype-Mac. Also want to try a mint and peach drink. It sounds good. Hopefully one day we will come up with the recipe.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

Then we'll just have to go before the Olympics, and leave after. And not buy anything in between.

The summer here will probably be too cold for most of the Americans and too warm for the more northern Americans, Canadians, Alaskans and Finns.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

The summer here will probably be too cold for most of the Americans and too warm for the more northern Americans, Canadians, Alaskans and Finns.

How warm is the summer going to be?

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by Fea

On a more (or is that less?) serious note, I'm just dying to find out what Mac thinks of us all.

You're all morons you are.

Originally Posted by Fea

Five bucks says he expected me to be taller.

Neither of you is particularly tall from my perspective.


I have to say I was much less nervous this time than over Skype the last time, though that didn't really translate in me being more talkative. The were-duckling took a long time to warm up, too, until she found a new bestest friend in Fea.

Lari summed up the day pretty well. Us being late, gorgeous gorge, Rikae slightly panicky about falling rocks and me leaning over, almost free lunch, running up and down hills for the sheer fun of it, and yummy ice cream.

I can't understand why everyone is complaining about climbing that tiny hill. What's more fun than to walk up 50 meters of altitude difference absolutely futilely? I, of course, only lagged behind to keep Rikae company.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

The were-duckling took a long time to warm up, too, until she found a new bestest friend in Fea.

We're buddies.

[Mirandir]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

You're all morons you are.

Ouchie...

Rikae, Mac's being mean to us!

[Lariren Shadow]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

You're all morons you are.

I second Mira!

Neither of you is particularly tall from my perspective.

Well I'm sorry none of us is as tall as you! And I'll have you know I'm the tallest of all us at Elmira!

I can't understand why everyone is complaining about climbing that tiny hill. What's more fun than to walk up 50 meters of altitude difference absolutely futilely? I, of course, only lagged behind to keep Rikae company.

Ok so it wasn't that bad for me. And I mean that in all truth. It was the cemetery. And that it was hot. And of course that was the only reason you were behind us.

[Lush]

The Squatter and I have finally and officially (with all sorts of important paperwork having been filled out...not really) met!

I was in Scotland & Liverpool last week, and took the train down to the South, and ended up spending a lovely weekend at Squa's, who was the perfect host, and even allowed me to let my inner Grace Kelly loose when we traveled the appropriately lush countryside in his awesome car with the roof down.

We got extremely lucky with the weather, and went all the way up to the Glastonbury Tor! We also visited the local Abbey, where, supposedly, Arthur's tomb was found by monks. Both the Tor and the Abbey are places of power, and you feel it, if you're open to that sort of thing or - especially, like me - writing a book that concerns related themes of magic and mystery and lots of pretty grass.

Squa also took me to see some of the English coast, and introduced me to a drink called port. We talked incessantly for three days and never ran out of things to say to each other, which does, I think, show that not only are we awesome people (if, perhaps, old, dry and dessicated members of the Downs), but that our friendship can exist just as well outside the (green and gorgeous) digital world.

I just want to thank Squa for his generous hospitality, the use of his couch, the toast in the morning (I am one of those airy, irresponsible people, incapable of making herself breakfast, usually relying on Boyfriend for that sort of thing) and all the conversation - and the tour of his library which, I believe, ought to make any Tolkien fan weep. Or drool. Or something.

Pictures are available from my site for your viewing pleasure!

This is Squa considering the distance left to the Tor:

http://nataliaantonova.files.wordpre...9/05/d-tor.jpg

The Tor - how it is today up there.

http://nataliaantonova.files.wordpre...tor-proper.jpg

Squa and myself - persuaded by a nice lady to take off our sunglasses and stop playing it cool, so we can actually be seen:

http://nataliaantonova.files.wordpre...5/me-and-d.jpg

A thoughtful picture of Squa on Abbey grounds:

http://nataliaantonova.files.wordpre...05/d-abbey.jpg

And, finally, Arthur's possible grave, with Squa's shadow, a complex metaphor for... something:

http://nataliaantonova.files.wordpre.../05/arthur.jpg



I am back in London now, but I wish I was still down South, surrounded by Squa's atmosphere of fabulousness.