In spite of the rain, our May Day picnic was a lovely event.
Aesa and Christine excelled themselves with the food - pork pies, spinach pies, egg pies, mushroom pies, cold meats, salads, a delicious pear sauce (especially good with the pork), bread, stuffed eggs, and of course the dessert of fruit in rosewater (can someone help me out with the name?) and red-wine and cherry pudding. Yum!
A kind council official took pity on us at the first downpour, and suggested that we move into one end of the heated greenhouse. With our new chests (thanks to the Easter chest-workshop) making impromptu tables and chairs it made a lovely picnic spot.
After lunch we had good weather to dance around the Maypole (and around Catherine). We started with the cheerful, romantic May-songs (Now is the Month of Maying, and the like) with their lusty lads and lasses, so finished up with a cautionary tale in My love hath vow'd he will forsake me (refrain: "if this shame of loves betraying but this once I cleanly shun, I will go no more a-maying").
The rain held off for just long enough for several hard-fought games of Kubb - the result being 2/0 to Ludwig.
Inside, there was garland-making, the crowning of Her Excellency Aleynora as the May Queen, a great deal of good conversation, and even a little singing.
All in all: a lovely afternoon. Thanks for running it, Aesa and Christine.