[Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

[Allen Hall]

 > I was thinking that very thought while mucking stalls this morning.   Probably have to develop something like the pony express again for snail mail.
> This is where solar panels play in.. the sun energy can charge batteries.  Then used to run the tv and dvr to at least have a movie night once in a while. or to run other things.

> I would miss ice.  I like ice in my drinks.
> Redhawk

Why would you miss ice?  Ice is really easy to come by in Artemisia most of the year!  LoL!  Seriously though....At Battle Abbey (more commonly known as the site of the Battle of Hastings), there is a ice "room".  They dug a deep hole in the ground, lined it with brick, then during the winter put ice blocks in it.  Covered said ice with straw for insulation, and then during the warmer times, they'd go down get a block of ice and away you go.  I'm not sure how old the thing was, but the idea goes pretty far back.  Easy stuff.  It would also make a dynamite cold storage room...

When you run solar panels, TV would probably be one of the last things you'd use the juice for.  Refridgeration and lighting would have a much higher level of priority I'd think.  Such times would probably lead back to people socializing...can you believe it...in person (assuming no contagion from the plague).  All these electronic devices, while cool, have cut back on people socializing in person.  Even wathcing TV and movies is just an individual watching TV, in a group, but it's still basically and individual activity.

Can we wean ourselves from it?  Sure, folks went 4-5 days at Uprising, or Estrella or Pennsic with no TV.  Though we all check our e-mail when we get back!  LoL!

Alan