Gone To Pot

It may be remembered that The Fuzz had dragged an old Iron Skillet out from his pile for the campers.

Well that wasn't the only cast iron down there.

So he brought this other one out to the woods.

As can be seen, it wasn't in exactly pristine condition.

He put it out under the shed for the time being.

This was probably another manifestation of that dreaded P-Factor.

The Fuzz is actually quite fond of iron cookware.  And people seemed to discard it from time to time.  With his position on the trash truck he had the opportunity to pick a piece up from time to time.

At one time he had a set stashed out at a campsite in the woods.

Unfortunately, this stuff sorta "disappeared" on him.

Of course there were still the ones in the kitchen- just some of the skillets.

Iron does have it's limitations.  For instance it's a bad idea to cook up tomatoes (or other acidic stuff) in it.

But let's face it, what better way to fry up a mess of bacon?

In this case, The Fuzz finally faced the fact that he would never get to actually use this thing until he got it cleaned up.

So he put some wire brushes in his drill and got the worst of the rust out.

Then he brought it inside, washed it off and dried it good in the oven.

Next he coated it pretty well with some oil and popped it back in there few a few hours.

It was looking better at that point.

To finish up, The Fuzz got out a nice little piece of Fat Meat and heated it up on the stovetop.  Then he rubbed this all over the inside of the pot and lid, and put it back in the oven.

A few days later, he finished the job by cookin' up a nice mess of pork, carrots, turnips and taters.

And here we are!

By the way, it was quite tasty.

Sunrise In The Woods

These Winter mornings make it easy to be up in time to greet the sun-

Assuming the sky is clear!

One can tell when the sun is about to pop into sight by watching the treetops.

Then it's time to watch the east.

Of course the clear skies also bring cold mornings!

But that's what they make warm clothes for.

And if one is already up anyway-

Why not grab a camera.

It is possible to view these things through a window-

But that makes for a lousy pix.

So The Intrepid Fuzz pulled on his hoodie and stepped out into this bracing morning air.

Schwan (3 A Necessary Trip)

Continuing with this tale-

3 A Necessary Trip

Fredrik was rowing.  He and Lily were alone in the boat on the lake.  It was something they had done since childhood.  In the distance they could see the castle and the town on the shore.  The lake was surrounded by rocky peaks, some still with patches of snow.

Fredrik stopped rowing and let the boat drift in the gentle breeze.

"I would never make you marry a fool like him," Fredrik told his sister.

"I never want to leave this place," she said.

"Then, I suppose you will die an old maid," he teased.  "Unless, of course, you were to marry some commoner."

Lillian's face reddened, and Fredrik laughed.

"I've see you together, and I know what you both want."  

"I think Rolf is afraid of offending you, Freddy."

"You know, he only need ask.  I would like nothing better for you... or him."

Lillian smiled and looked away toward Waterton and the castle set out into the lake.  Around the lake, the mountains rose into the sky.  This was her world.  Fredrik had seen the outside world, but it held no attraction for her.

"Will you go to the Duke?"  

"I'm afraid I must."

"But why?"

He hesitated a long time before answering.

"Morlana is our only link to the outside world.  We can't risk offending the Duke."

"What about Mother's people, Solland?"

"The road... the pass..."

"But the Romans built roads.  Aren't they the ones who made the road to Morlana?"

Fredrik was quiet.  He thought of all the reasons why it couldn't be done.  But what if it could?

Lillian turned back to look at him.  She held her head high; she was a Princess of Midmont.  

"If they did it, why can't we?"

It was a challenge.

✠

Fredrik did what he often did when he wanted information.  He went to the Abby and Friar John.

"To build a road?  You want to build a road?"

"What would it take to make the road to Solland better?  To make it good enough for wagons to cross the high pass."

"A lot of work, I think!"

"But it is possible?"

"Come, you need to talk to Brother Sebastian."

Sebastian was the monk in charge of building repairs and masonry for the Abby.  He was familiar with the southern pass to Solland, having crossed it several times on pilgrimages to the Holy City.  He gave it some thought.

"It could be done, your Highness.  It would take a few bridges over the streams.  But we've plenty of stone.  The hardest part would be at the top.  We would have to cut into the mountain a bit."

Brother Sebastian looked down at his weathered hands.  He had a lifetime of working in stone behind him.  The idea was beginning to grow on him.  He was starting to like this young King.

"I could do it, if you give me the men; and if the Abbot will approve."  

Already in his mind, he was working out the plans.  It would be his greatest work.

Fredrik sent word to the Queen's brothers in Solland of what he was proposing.  They were open to the idea.  So Fredrik directed the work to begin as soon as possible, under Brother Sebastian's supervision.

✠

But the invitation of Duke Richard could no longer be ignored.  Fredrik knew that the Duke had hoped to promote a marriage between Rathard and Princess Lillian.  That had failed.  But the Duke still had two daughters.  There was little doubt what he had in mind now.

But Fredrik had no intentions of matrimony as he rode out though the gates of Waterton on a fine summer morning.  Princess Lillian would rule in his absence.

The Kings of Midmont had never been much for show.  He was only accompanied by two men at arms, and Rolf, carrying the King's Banner.  Behind them in a cart rode Friar John, with a wizened old peasant at the reins.

Princess Lillian had met privately with Rolf the night before.  She was unhappy with Fredrik's leaving.

"Keep him safe," she told Rolf, as they walked on the battlements in the moonlight.  She had heard the rumors about Fredrik, and wasn't sure what to believe.

"Lily, those rumors about Freddy are nonsense.  He has good sense.  He won't do anything stupid.  I've known him all my life."  Then he added, "So have you."

"He thinks a lot of you, Rolf."

"I know.  But he is King now…"  And here he paused for a long time.  "…And you are a Princess."

The way he said it made her sad.

✠

Fredrik's party reached St. Petersbridge as the sun was setting.  Friar John and the cart turned toward St Peter's Abby.  Fredrik and his men rode on to the castle.

The castle was built on a rocky outcrop that loomed above the town.  The road wound up though the town toward the gates.  The guards had been notified of their approach, and saluted as the King entered.  The road continued to climb toward the inner gatehouse.  As they climbed it, Rolf could hear the gates closing behind them.

Torches were being lit in the courtyard as they passed though the inner gate.  The Duke was there to welcome them.  He seemed ill at ease.

"Greetings, your Majesty," he bowed, "I'm afraid we were not expecting you until tomorrow."

Several servants stepped forward, as the Duke continued;

"My servants will take care of your horses, and see that your men are fed and quartered."

Fredrik, and his men dismounted, as the men took the horses to the stables.

The Duke led Fredrik up a stairway, though the heavy doors, and into the castle.

"We have other guests here at the moment.  The Archbishop has graced us with his presence this past week.  Indeed, he means to stay some time," the Duke told him with some irritation.

The Archbishop ruled the Free City of Donstrum and the surrounding territories.  He was a powerful man, with ties to the Emperor, and he was close to the Pope himself.  The Duke now led Fredrik to the great hall and introduced him to the Archbishop.

The Archbishop was a heavy man with a bulbous nose and cold blue eyes.  There was no warmth, the greetings were all formalities.

It was growing late as the Duke led Fredrik to his room.

"You must be hungry after your travel.  Make yourself at home, and I'll have a meal brought to you in your chamber."

Then, he bowed, "Until tomorrow, Your Majesty," and took his leave.

Just Keeping Up With Things

Life is going on here in the woods for The Fuzz and His Sweetie-

And a lot of other places these days!

But here at home things are pretty much normal.

Like a lot of folks, The Fuzz likes to start his morning off with a bit of coffee.

He used to use an Old School Percolator Coffee Pot on the stove.

That worked pretty well for years.

But then he got exposed to those fancy "French Press" things.

He resisted for a while, but then finally caved in.

So now he starts out heating some water in the water kettle.

Then adds some grounds to the press, and pours in the water...

Gives it a quick stir...

Puts in the plunger...

And waits.

This gives him a chance to take care of some of those other waking-up-sort-of-things.

And then after 5 minutes or so...

There's a nice hot cup waiting for him.

And there are the other daily things going on.

There's always firewood to deal with.

Which brings us to this subject.

One of The Fuzz's firewood stashes, is under this porch.

It's handy, and keeps it kinda dry.

Well the problem was that whenever it rained-

which was when he wanted dry wood,

The rain would run off of the roof and onto the back

(and down the neck!)

of the person getting it.

The Fuzz had found a couple of old gutters in his scrap pile

(a handy thing to have)

over at the Old Place.

So he had brought them out to the woods and installed one over the cat & dog food compartment by the shed.

The that "P-Factor" kicked in, and he didn't get to this porch roof.

But now, as can be seen, even that has been took care of!

Just so everyone can see-

Just keeping up with things out here in the woods.

Schwan (2 An Unpleasant Visit)

The Fuzz hopes someone might have enjoyed Chapter 1.

Well, here is some more.  The Fuzz hopes to get the whole story up here eventually.  He'll also add each chapter to the "Schwan" page, that can be found in the side bar.

Enjoy.

Schwan

2  An Unpleasant Visit

The official time of mourning for the King was passed.  One of the first things needing to be addressed was a request from the Duke of Morlana, for his son and heir, Rathard, to pay his respects to the new King.

In times past, Morlana had been the historical enemy of Midmont, and even now, there was a certain amount of rivalry.  Morlana had been the only force ever to lay siege to the castle at Waterton.  The siege had lasted for several months, but ultimately failed.  The castle on the lake had been resupplied by boat, at night.

And although the invaders had ravaged the countryside, they had never entered the city.  When they finally withdrew, the archers of Midmont, harassed them along the mountain pass, all the way to the border.  More men were lost in the retreat than during the entire siege.  The end was a stinging defeat for Morlana.

The Rangers of Midmont had been formed in response to this.  It was felt that the invasion could have been easily repulsed at the pass in the narrow gorge, if there had been an adequate warning.

But all this was history now.  Trade had been increasing between the countries.  The main road from Waterton led to the Morlanian border, and from there to the river port of St. Petersbridge.  There, the road crossed the river on the old Roman bridge, at the town beneath the Duke's Castle.

The only other road out of Midmont lead though a difficult pass, south into Solland, the Queen's homeland.  It was little more than a trail, suitable only for pack animals.  It was impassible in the winter.

And while Midmont was largely self sufficient, some contact with the outside world was necessary.

In short, good relations with Morlana were important.  This had been no doubt Fredrik's Father's object in considering a marriage between the two neighbors.

Fredrik, himself, loathed politics.  But now he would be forced to deal with these things.  He had met Rathard once.  He did not like him, and doubted that much had changed.  But in council, it was decided that the invitation should be extended.

✠

Duke Richard, of Morlana, was pleased to hear of his son's invitation to visit to Waterton.  The old King had been beyond his influence.  That was why he had been removed.  If a marriage could be arranged between Rathard, and Princess Lillian, the Duke would have a foothold in the Kingdom.  And what if the new King should have an accident in the future?  There were a lot of possibilities here, if Rathard would only play his part. 

Princess Lillian was not happy with the news.  She feared it was an attempt to arrange a marriage for her.  Fredrik, of course, denied it, but even Rolf was uneasy.  Fredrik was keeping his own council in this matter.

✠

Rathard, and his attendants were not impressed with their reception at Waterton.  The population was uninterested for the most part, and simply went about their affairs with an occasional curious glance.

As they were escorted across the drawbridge and into the main courtyard, the Castle Guard was turned out to salute them.  But they were not allowed to see any more of the castle's defenses than necessary.

Rathard took this as a slight.  And then, the Princess herself, was decidedly cool to him.  And while she was pretty enough, she seemed a bit rustic to Rathard.  He preferred the more sophisticated women who frequented his Father's court.

As a result of it all, it was pretty well established in Waterton; that Lord Rathard was an arrogant pig.  His hunting party trampled crops, and his distain for the villagers was manifest in multiple ways.  His men drank too much, and the local women had to stay out of reach to avoid being groped.

Everyone was glad when they left after a fortnight.  It had seemed like a month.  Fredrik more than anyone.  He publicly thanked the populace for their forbearance.

It had been quite a contrast to their own Royal Family who had never tried to put themselves above the common people.  King Fredrik's own grandmother had been a village girl from the western mountains.  And he had been close to her throughout his childhood.

And the House of Midmont had always enjoyed mingling with the people, incognito.  Many a man, or woman, had been suddenly surprised, to realize, that their drinking companion at an inn, was in fact a Prince... or even the King himself.

And so, if the other noble houses might regard Midmont with suspicion, there was no lack of good will among their own people.

✠

It was with little enthusiasm, that Fredrik received the invitation to visit the Duke of Morlana in return, at his castle at St. Petersbridge.

The Duke had not been happy with his son's visit to Midmont and King Fredrik.  He realized that the poor reception had been largely due to Rathard's own arrogance.  While it was true that Morlana was more wealthy and powerful than the Kingdom of Midmont, it was still also true that Morlana was only a Grand Duchy.

The Duke was not a king.  But his son could marry into a royal family.  Or he could have, if he had not been such a fool.  But then perhaps the young Fredrik could still be won over.

Now, as they sat at table, he watched Rathard and his two daughters.  There was no hope for for Rathard he concluded.  But the girls were another story.

Juliet, the eldest at 18, had blossomed into an attractive young lady; the kind that might tempt any man.  Her younger sister, Marianne, showed promise as well.  It was not unthinkable that Fredrik might be persuaded to marry one or the other.  

There was more a stake here than just a title.  Midmont controlled the southern pass into Solland.  At the present, this was little used, other than for some local trade.  The road was only suitable for pack animals in good weather.

But the Duke had with him, a man, recently come from Florence, familiar with the schools of engineering practiced in the south.  He had crossed through this pass on his way to the Duke's court.  He was of the opinion that the road though the gap could be improved.  And improved enough to carry wagons.

If this were done, this pass would be the shortest route from the south to the river traffic at St. Petersbridge.  And more trade would mean more tariffs.

It was rumored that King Fredrik was not an intelligent man.  In Paris, he had earned the reputation of a carouser.  And he was young.  If these reports were true, one or the other of the girls, may be able to draw the young King in.  And to control Fredrik; would be to control Midmont.

Lady Juliet was aware of her father's gaze, as the servant girl poured her wine.  It was not difficult to guess his mind.  Ever since her brother had returned from Waterton, the Duke had been dropping hints of his intentions.  Now she wondered what the young King was like.  Despite what she had heard, surely, he could be no worse than her own brother.

And what if he were?  Most men were pigs at best.  But they were also fools.  A woman could- if she understood these things- pull the strings from behind the scenes, and have her way in this world.

And she would have her way.  And if the Duke didn't like it?… Well, he was only a man as well.  To her own father, she was only a commodity, to be traded for his benefit.

Lady Juliet was suddenly aware that the servant girl was looking at her.  Their eyes met for one brief moment before the girl looked quickly away.

She had barely noticed this girl before, working in the kitchen.  Now she watched as the girl waited on Marianne, and then her Father.

The servant girl was about Juliet's own age, perhaps a year younger, if that.  And she might have been pretty if she were cleaned up.  But that was unlikely.  This girl did not normally wait on them.  She was nothing.

Yet Juliet could not shake the feeling that there was a connection between her thoughts of King Fredrik, and this girl, pouring the wine.  But that was an absurd thought.  She put it out of her mind.

✠

As Elise made her way back down to the kitchen, she was thinking of Lady Juliet.  The rumors were, that since Lord Rathard was not to wed the Princess of Midmont; Juliet would likely marry the King.  After all, wasn't it was only natural?

Elise had only wanted a closer look at this woman, who was destined to become the Queen of Midmont.  But then, just when she had dared to have that look, Juliet had suddenly turned on her.  It was if Lady Juliet had known her thoughts.  What had possessed her to do such a thing?

Elise went quickly back to her work.  After all, what did she have to do with the King and Queen of Midmont?  These things were not her concern.  She had acted like a fool.  It was always best, for a servant like herself, to remain unnoticed.

✠

But the Duke had made up his mind.  Since Fredrik had the reputation of a man who liked "good times";  The Duke would invite him to St. Petersbridge, and provide them.  Then it would be up to Juliet, as the bait, to pull him in.

     

More Looking Back (Trips)

When we left Our Over Confident Fuzz and His Sensible Sweetie, they were looking for a Hotel on their way to Oklahoma.

They found a pretty nice one.

After a good night's sleep- sans windstorm- they got back on the road.

It seemed that their timing for this part of the trip put them in the middle of tornado season or something.

Maybe it's always tornado season out there.

So...

They dropped the idea of the KOA campground and set up in another hotel.

This was becoming a trend!

Here they had an all too brief visit with family.

But they did get to enjoy some time at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

They saw the bueatiful glass art of Dale Chihuly.

It would be hard to describe-

So here's a picture! 

Next it was back on the road to visit more family in Texas.

They spent a few days there near Huston and even made it to the zoo.

It was a nice visit.

But then it was back on the road again.

This time for Mammoth Cave National Park, in Kentucky.

They couldn't make that all in one shot, so there was another stop for lodging in Arkansas.

This was another nice quiet little place.

And the next day after just barely touching Missouri, the made it to the park.

That was a nice campground.

It was good to get back in the camping mode again after all those cities and hotels!

Lots of wildlife.

Being retired, The Fuzz and His Sweetie don't have to confine their trips to weekends.  And this was still early June, so kids would mostly still be in school.  So they had the place mostly to themselves.

Of course there were people going into the cave-

As did the Fuzz and His Sweetie.

The next stop was supposed to be in Tennessee, but that didn't really work out all that well.

Since that hadn't worked out, they went on to spend a couple of nights in the North Carolina Mountains at Cheoah Point Campground.

That was pretty nice also.

Amazingly, this is right next to the infamous-

Dragon's Tail motorcycle route.

But the Fuzz didn't have his bike, so he'll have to come again some time.

When The Fuzz stepped into the "facilities", he found this on the door.

Later he googled "Leina Kunst and found this.

Well, Art in a Toilet.

From there it was back to Their Home in the Woods!

That was quite an adventure.

But there were more ahead.

But we'll have to look into those at another time.

Mystery Pix Was-

Well The Fuzz realizes that with the revival of the Mystery Pix

there has to be a revival of

The Mystery Pix Revealed.

So here it is.

Amazingly, "Woodie" pretty much had it.

It started out as a Frost Encrusted Thistle.

Good Job