Black Powder Trails (May)
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” (Thomas Jefferson)
Greetings all. Finally, winter is gone from here in the mountains and the snows have melted. The valleys are in bloom with wildflowers, the waters are pure, sweet, and running fast with trout. The buffalo and elk are returning to their summer grounds and the fresh meat will be good to have for a change. Fresh hides will make some fine new blankets. Sit your bones down next to me on the edge of Yellowstone Lake here, in the beautiful Absaroka Range of Crow country, and we’ll go over this months’ schedule while we watch my fishing lines for bites.
Our monthly walkthru is scheduled for Sunday 6th at 10:00 am.. Join us as we welcome an early summer to the woods walk. We may also see a fresh batch of new born skeeters or black flies so bug spray in your possibles bag would be advised, although you probably won’t need it quite yet. They let the young skeeters just do recon this time of year, preparing for the full assault by the special ops forces later this summer.
Our meeting is Wednesday 9th at 7:30 pm… Come on by and we’ll be talking about upcoming events this summer, including travels to Oakland County and also The Feast of Ste. Claire this month. We’ll also be planning work parties for projects we may want to do. New members are encouraged to come in and get to know us and get involved!! We have loads of fun and you can too!!
Oakland County’s annual spring Rendezvous is scheduled for the weekend of May 11-13, and our group usually sends a small contingent. It’s a very nice event and it is put on by very friendly folks, who are good friends of ours as well, so join us won’t you? Come to the meeting or call our Chairman, Greg “Shortcut” Baack, for directions. Greg’s number is on page 2 of this Window.
Finally this month we travel to the annual Feast of Ste. Claire “show and tell” event on the weekend of May 25-27, Memorial Day weekend of course, in Port Huron of the thumb. This is a very relaxed and laid back weekend with no shooting events. We just sit around camp all weekend and look pretty, and share our vast historical knowledge with the folks coming by to see everything on display. Join us!!!!!
Next month is Multi-Lakes’ annual Rendezvous the weekend of June 8-10, and you’re welcome to attend that with us as well. It’s another fun event also run by good friends of ours, and it’s close to home which is even better.
Don’t forget to get going on those donated prizes. Our own Rendezvous will be here before you know it.
Attention new members interested in joining our blackpowder group!! There is a series of books that are almost required reading within our group, in order to get the true flavor of what is was like to be a fur trapper back in the very early 1800’s. I read them when I first joined up on recommendation from the group and I’m forever glad I did. These books helped to hook me for life on this era. They were written by a wonderful author by the name of Terry C. Johnston who, over time, actually became a pen pal and personal friend of mine, but more on that later. The first book is called “Carry the Wind”. The second book is “Borderlords”, and the third book is “One-Eyed Dream”. These tell the breathtaking story of a fictitious mountain man named Titus “Scratch” Bass and his adventures in the Rocky Mountain fur trade over the course of many years. In the books you’ll meet some of the real mountain men and traders who actually lived, learn how mountain men lived, what they ate, about the various Indian tribes they ran into, what the beautiful country was like, and how a gruesome death was mere minutes away if you didn’t keep your head and watch your back trail. All of a sudden you’ll sweat and your scalp will tingle when there’s a Blackfoot war party bearing down on you and things get hairy. You’ll smell the mountain air, taste the sweet mountain waters, feel the cold and the heat of the weather, and see the billions and billions of stars in the blackest nighttime space you can imagine. And your stomach will growl when you smell the buffalo hump or elk loin roast cooking over a wood fire, dripping its sizzling hot juices into the ashes. I very HIGHLY recommend you get the books. They’re in paperback now so not much money. If you enjoy them, and you will, there are three prequels and three sequels to them, making a total of nine books in the series. Please read them if you’re new to blackpowder re-enacting. I promise you will treasure them as I have mine. I’ve read this series three times now over the years, and will read them again many more times to come. If you want to know more about the other books send me an email at…… finseeker@juno.com and I’ll tell you all about them, and my relationship with the author, Terry C. Johnston.
Well, my fishing lines are jiggling somethin’ fierce so I better go haul in our lunch. You stoke the fire for roasting and I’ll clean them and skewer them on the sticks. Git them taters a boilin’ in the pot too and we’ll be eatin’ some fine vittles shortly.
Until next we meet….. I hope you all fare well.
Mark “No Name” Johnstone 
Scribe, Blackpowder
Blackpowder Class - PB
