Civil War

Yesterday I had decided I would go to the Civil War re-enactment at Hovander Park in Ferndale today, but this morning it was raining. From past experience, I've learned that the weather at our house is not a reliable indication of what's happening a few miles away, so I looked at the weather radar. It showed solid rain from north of Vancouver to Olympia, south of Seattle, except for a small clear patch centered over Ferndale. That was good enough for me. I packed my rain gear, just in case, and headed for Hovander Park.

When I got there it was raining. I saw that there were some shelters in the re-enactment camp, so I shot a few photos from under one of them, but it was too far from where the real action was going to take place. I stuffed my camera inside my jacket and headed over to the battlefield. I found a lady who was kind enough to share her umbrella with me and my camera, while I took lots of photos of the Battle of Hovander Farm.

It was quite thrilling, even though I knew it was all pretend. The muskets and cannon were using black powder (and no projectiles), generating lots of smoke and noise. The smell reminded me of July the 4th (and November the 5th). The event ended with a moving memorial tribute to the soldiers on both sides who lost their lives in that tragic war. The soldiers stood bare-headed as three women in period costume placed a wreath on a simulated grave marker, and a bugler played Taps.

It was difficult choosing my blip. You can see some of the contenders here.