Maryland Renaissance Festival 2026

I should probably write a blog post on this, especially since I've been neglecting this blog. The past weekend, I attended the Maryland renaissance festival. The first time I went was a year or two ago and I wanted to go back so I could experience it more thoroughly, as the first time felt like a preview. It's known as one of the best renaissance fairs in the country, so it's nice that I live within a reasonable distance of the location. 

You had to buy tickets far in advance to ensure you can attend on your chosen weekend. Last year, I wanted to go but I slacked off on buying a ticket and it was sold out for the season. This year, I made sure to buy a ticket right as they went on sale for the season. I was able to have my choice of preferred weekend and chose Oct 10, towards the end of the season. 

The first time I went the other year, it was Labor Day weekend and extremely hot. I recommend attending later in the fall if possible, as the weather will hopefully be more pleasant. The ticket buying process was relatively smooth since I was online to buy them right as they went on sale, so I can't speak to what it's like trying to get tickets later on. Supposedly, they have a small amount of tickets that are released closer to the applicable weekend but I don't know how likely it is to get tickets that way. 

Food

There is a pretty wide variety of food options available. It's pretty much fair-type foods and things on a stick, and of course turkey legs. There are a bunch of different food stands that each sell a certain thing or a small selection of things. 

Depending on what you want, you might have to stand in multiple different lines. I didn't pay that much attention to food prices for everything since there were so many different things. The lines for food and alcohol can be pretty long but they move fairly quickly.

I ate: french fries for $4 and a funnel cake for $10. I thought the french fries were reasonably priced, I guess, but the funnel cake was overpriced for the amount you got. It was small and flat and not that crispy, so it was kind of disappointing. Turkey legs were $14; my friend ate one but it was kind of tough and chewy. It was a pretty substantial size.

You're allowed to bring in your own food; they don't seem to inspect bags upon entry. Decide for yourself the amount and type of food you think it's practical to bring in. I brought some meat sticks although I wish I had maybe brought a couple other things as well, like maybe some sliced fruit and cookies or something. Try to bring things that are easy to eat, since the seating options might be full with other people.

Lots of people like getting drunk at the renaissance festival and there are ample locations to buy alcohol from. They offer hard cider (Angry Orchard), beer (don't remember which brands) and a couple Linganore wines. Also mead but I'm not really sure what that is. 

I don't quite remember the pricing for the alcohol because I didn't feel like drinking alcohol. Beer and cider was cheaper than wine; there were two cup sizes for each option.  I think the cheapest option was about $8 and the most expensive was like $16? I can't say if it's a good value or not; it depends on how much you think alcohol will enhance your personal experience of the festival. For me, it's not an integral part of the experience so I was more than fine with abstaining and saving some money in the process.  

Entertainment

The only thing I really wanted to see this year was the jousting because I didn't see that in the past. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was more theatrical jousting as opposed to real jousting, I think. It reminded me of a blend of rodeo and circus theater. The jousting was pretty popular and the viewing area was crowded, so try to get a seat early before it's scheduled to start. 

There are a lot of other entertainment performances (music, theater, comedy, circus type tricks) but those didn't interest me as much so I didn't watch those. However, the different stage areas have wooden bleacher-type benches for seating so if you can't find any other open benches, they can be a good option.  

Other activities

There's a climbing wall which cost $8 I think and had two difficulty options, easy  or medium.  There are other types of carnival games too. And a giant slide. I was feeling lethargic so I didn't partake in any of these things. 

The more difficult climbing wall was interesting to watch people go on. Apparently, you could win $50 (once per day) if you were able to reach the top. I watched a few guys try it (multiple times) but none of them were able to reach the top. I couldn't tell whether any of them had actual experience with rock climbing just from watching them. 

Apparently, climbing shoes are not allowed so one of the guys climbed barefoot, but regular shoes are allowed. So for someone who wants to try it, I'd probably recommend wearing regular shoes with grippy soles, like a trail or approach shoe of some sort, but not a full on climbing shoe. They do provide chalk at ground level but not with a bag you can bring with you while on the wall. I'm not sure if it would be allowed to bring your own chalk bag to use on the wall. 

I'm not completely sure how possible it is/was for someone to actually "win" the climbing wall as it appeared to be set pretty difficult. It might not be possible for a shorter person, even one with experience and technical skills in rock climbing, to win since some of the holds looked like they were just too far apart to reach. I prefer trying to climb (for free) on random rock formations that I find on trails and stuff. 

If I had the money and physical energy for it, I'd take up rock climbing, but I digress. It is fun. 

Shopping

There are a lot of different artisans with storefronts at the festival. MDRF has rules about what vendors can sell at the festival, so the quality of goods for sale is pretty high. Basically it's a lot of artisanal things, like wood furniture, glass(blown) products, jewelry, pottery, musical instruments, clothing (including leather and fur items) and other assorted trinkets and home decor. A full list of vendors can be found on the MDRF website. It seems like the vendors stay pretty consistent from year to year. 

A lot of the vendors are fairly pricey but the items are handmade, so just be prepared for that. I'd recommend being more strategic than I was about which artisan stalls you want to visit. Look at the list online first and note which ones are most interesting to you. 

I remembered a few from last year that I wanted to check out and maybe actually buy something from, but I could've been more methodical about it. I recommend browsing through all the things you want to look at across different stalls first and then making decisions about what to purchase, or you could easily spend way too much money. 

Nowadays I think a lot (if not all?) of the artisan vendors take card payments, but it doesn't hurt to bring at least a few hundred in cash if you want to make purchases. More if you know you're going to do some major purchases. Be prepared and visit an ATM before arriving at the festival. Alcohol sales are cash only though I think.

A smaller number of stalls offer services like face painting or hair braiding. The face painting is probably mainly for kids, and the hair braiding is for those who don't know how to do it on their own. Personally, I would never pay money for hair braiding as that's something I can do on my own decently enough. Some of the really elaborate styles might not be possible for me to do on my own, but I know how to do mildly elaborate braided hairstyles myself. The most elaborate braided styles start at $125 (!!!; not sure about pricing for simpler styles). It makes me wonder how many people actually choose to pay money to have their hair braided. 

Shopping: clothing

My primary objective with shopping was to purchase some kind of clothing item that isn't readily available (to buy in person) outside of the renaissance festival. I wanted to buy a bodice of some sort since I've been too lazy to sew one myself, even though I probably could if I tried. I also justified it by figuring that if I bought one, I could use it to trace and draft my own pattern to make another one myself. 

There are a few vendors at MDRF that sell bodices and/or corsets: Moresca clothing, Bullseye clothing, Qheart3 and Noblesse Oblige. Each one offers slightly different styles and their price ranges vary too. I remembered one vendor from last year by their approximate location and the setup of the stall. This is the one I ended up buying a bodice from. 

Many of the vendors do not really have an online presence, so it's hard to find good photographic examples of their clothing. Someday, I would like to go back and thoroughly compare the offerings across these vendors for this blog. 

Noblesse Oblige is the most expensive from what I remember. The stays were fully boned, waist length and had fancy fabrics. They were around the $350 mark. There were also costumes like very intricate, elaborate full length dresses that were a bit over $1000 or so. Just so people can be aware of how much these things can cost. If you have some sewing expertise I would probably recommend trying to sew your own clothing for the renaissance festival. 

Moresca, from their website, appears to have a bodice that is about $200. It has side lacing and is fully boned in the front and back. The straps also attach to the front with ties. They have other styles as well but I didn't pay that much attention to the different ones while at the festival. 

Qheart3, from what I remember, had more things along the lines of overdresses that laced up in the front. They were kind of similar to this dress from Holy Clothing. I don't remember the pricing. 

There's also Threads of Time which I don't remember looking at. From online, it appears that their clothing leans more Celtic-inspired. 

The only place where I actually tried something on was Bullseye, as this is the vendor I remembered seeing in the past. They also had the most reasonable pricing from what I could tell. Although they have a large stall and sell a wide range of clothing items, I was primarily looking for a bodice. 

They have a full length and half length bodice option, as well as ones that are reversible. Half length was $115 and full length was $130 (I think). Reversible was more expensive but I don't remember the exact price. 

The bodices lace up only in the front and have non-adjustable straps. There is some boning along the eyelets in front but not throughout the whole bodice. They offer a wide range of sizes and colors/fabrics, going from size 2 (maybe even 0?) to at least 26. Their sign on the storefront isn't very obvious and they also don't put any branded label inside their clothing.

The selection in half-length bodices in my size was somewhat small compared to other sizes or full length bodices. I tried on the size 6 half length which fit pretty well in both the chest and the shoulders/armholes. I also tried on the full length in size 6 but it was uncomfortable in the armholes, like it was cutting in even though it was the same size. I didn't really have the time or space to thoroughly analyze the fit and why the full length one was cutting in around the armholes. 

Size 8 was too big and I did not try size 4 as I was happy with the fit of size 6. If I lost some weight (I've gotten a little chubby over the last couple years... getting old!!), size 4 might be a better fit, or I could try altering the bodice I bought, or sewing a new one. 

The half length bodices basically just cover the chest area; the full length comes down another couple inches to the waist, although this could vary somewhat depending on your proportions. The construction is pretty simple: eyelets at the front center to lace it up with some boning on these edges, non-adjustable straps, a back piece. There are two deeper darts on the front (one on each side) for shaping and two shallower darts on the back as well. I think it would be pretty easy to draft your own bodice pattern by tracing from one of these. 

The fabric options appeared to be various things you'd find as upholstery or decor fabrics. Some had patterns and others were solid, some were like velour and others were jacquard (?). I didn't look at the reversible bodices but the regular ones were just a single layer of fabric, not lined. I chose a solid color since it will match better with other parts of the outfit. 

The bodice feels well made although perhaps mildly overpriced; I think $80 - $90 would be more reasonable for the type I bought. Some of the other artisans selling bodices had more complex designs or included more boning. However, the laces for some of these looked really flimsy, like it was literally just basic ribbon that you'd tie on a gift. I would have expected some kind of cord or twill tape so that it'll be stronger. The lacing cords that come with a Bullseye bodice appeared to be round shoelaces I think. 

At some point I want to try sewing my own bodice, which should be made easier by having an actual one I could trace and draft a pattern from. I might try to use a different, thinner fabric like a shirting fabric but do two layers and possibly an additional inner layer for extra structure? 

As far as other clothing goes, I don't plan on buying any from the renaissance festival. Peasant style blouses can be easily found in regular stores and sewing basic skirts is also really easy. Maybe next year I'll dress up... other advice regarding the clothing is that it is very dusty at the festival grounds. If you want to wear a skirt or dress, if it's too long it'll drag on the ground and get filthy around the hem. You also might trip on it as the ground can be very uneven and steep in some places. 

In conclusion

Personally I'm satisfied with going only once per year, although apparently there are people who attend on multiple weekends each year. It can get somewhat pricey when you factor in the admission cost, food and beverage (if applicable), plus any items you want to buy. 

Military parade, a surreal experience

On Saturday, 14 June 2025, there was a military parade purportedly held for the 250th anniversary of the US Army's establishment, though a military parade was also something that Trump had been wanting to do since his first term and it happened to fall on his birthday as well. 

Since it's not every year that this kind of thing happens, I figured I should avail myself of the opportunity to see this spectacle in person. Please note that my interest in attending the parade was in a meta way, and NOT because I actually support it being held. In fact, I don't think it should've happened, but it did, and I wanted to see the tanks and whatnot. I don't support the military industrial complex.  

It was a surreal experience yet also somewhat underwhelming and sad in a bizarre, dystopian way. Attending the parade felt like entering an alternate universe, and upon arriving back at the Metro station's garage, it felt like returning to the regular universe. 

It really just left me thinking "what the fuck did I just experience?" among other things, and it's probably going to take awhile to make sense of it. Many of the soldiers who had to march in the parade didn't look like their hearts were in it and seemed somewhat listless. A lot of the soldiers marching were not particularly synchronized either.   

The following portion of the post is written at a much later date (April 2026) because I forgot to finish and post this in the immediate aftermath of the military parade... 

Many months later, I attended a normal parade for Saint Patrick's Day. I was trying to remember other parades I had been to, and the military parade didn't even register in my mind as a parade because it was so entirely in another category mentally, I guess. In the normal parade, there were some contingents of military bands or that kind of thing, and they actually marched better than the soldiers in the military parade had done. Probably because the people in the SPD parade actually wanted to be there... 

The military parade featured various military equipment, like tanks and military vehicles that rattled down the street in a plodding, surreal and almost forlorn manner. The soldiers driving and riding in the vehicles would sometimes wave at the spectators lined up along the road. Unfortunately (well, sort of), there weren't any giant missiles displayed in the parade like they do in North Korea or China. 

At one point towards the end of the parade, there were some people demonstrating some small drones. There was also at least one flyover during the parade but from where I was, it wasn't possible to see the aircraft that well. 

Prior to the parade, there was an exhibition on the National Mall of various booths related to the Army and displays of military equipment. There were some helicopters that you were allowed to wait in line and then get in them and have your photo taken. Obviously I had to avail myself of that opportunity since there aren't many occasions to sit in a military helicopter if you aren't actually in the military. 

After the parade, there was a concert and fireworks on the grounds of the Washington Monument and some remarks from the president. I don't even remember what was said during the remarks, just that it was somewhat surreal to witness them. It wasn't that crowded during any of this. I'm not sure what kinds of motivations other people had for attending any of the day's events.  

Since this year (2026) is the 250th anniversary of the United States, I wonder what kind of insanity might be in store to mark that this summer.... 

Fast food review: McDonald's Big Arch burger

I haven't posted food reviews on this blog before that I can recall, but here is one of a food I just recently ate. The Big Arch burger is a new item on the McDonald's menu that is presumably a limited-time item, so I wanted to try it at least once while it was available.

Firstly, some backstory. I had seen this on the menu in the past few weeks but hadn't chosen to try it until today. Last week, my sister had inadvertently spread misinformation about the McDonald's CEO's opinion of the burger. She said that he had posted a video where he said the burger wasn't that good. This didn't seem logical to me, so I told her to find the actual video, in which it turns out that he actually said that the burger was good. 

Apparently a ton of people online roasted his video because he was kind of awkward in it, even though he did say the burger was good. They also apparently didn't like that he only depicted himself eating one bite of the burger in the video, instead of showing him eating the entire thing in like a timelapse. I don't know what they wanted. Something like the performance artwork video of Andy Warhol eating a hamburger??? Sometimes I think about what it might be like if I made mukbang videos, but I digress... 

Anyways, he actually did like the burger, and I thought his video was perfectly serviceable. I also liked the burger and was satisfied with how it tasted. It was larger than I expected and quite filling. There are two (quarter pound) meat patties on it which are substantial and meaty. It has white cheddar cheese, a special Big Arch sauce, and crispy fried onions. As well as the typical lettuce and pickles. It also has slivered onions. The bun has sesame and poppy seeds and seems like the bread might be a little denser than a Big Mac bun. 

Something in the burger tasted a little peppery, like black pepper. I'm not sure if that was from the sauce or the meat seasoning or what. The sauce is not as sweet as Big Mac sauce. The cheese is nice and gooey and there's a good amount of it. Mine was made well and seemed like there was a good amount and proportion of the various toppings. 

Overall, I would probably eat this burger again, although not every single time I go to McDonald's, as it is fairly indulgent and sometimes I might not be hungry enough to eat something that substantial. It is also more expensive than a Big Mac. 

Book review: Poets Square

Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats

This is another book I saw in a display of new books at the library. This was published in 2025 and the condition of the book itself seemed very new. It is a memoir about a woman who lives in Tuscon and cares for feral cats that live in her yard, as well as others throughout the Tuscon area. It was a very quick read and I finished it within three days due to how much time I had for each reading session, but it likely could be finished in one or two days if you have enough time. 

The writing style is adept and serviceable but not highly literary or anything. It worked for what this book is. The book primarily covers the time in the author's life after moving to Tuscon and beginning to care for the cats, though there are a few brief parts about things from her past. There are parts of the book that are somewhat sad. 

There aren't a ton of contextual/explanatory details about some of the settings and situations she finds herself in when trying to help feral cats throughout Tuscon. I wished there had been more context in some parts because I like knowing lots of details about things, but I guess it wasn't the focus of the book. 

I was curious to know more real-life information about the neighborhood the woman lives in that serves as the title of the book. It's a real neighborhood in eastern Tuscon, slightly north of the Air Force base. Streetview shows that it consists primarily of mid-century ranch-style single-family homes, though some have been renovated or rebuilt to look different. The neighborhood is indeed a square shape on the map and about four streets are named after poets, but otherwise there doesn't seem to be much linking to its name. I'm not familiar with Tuscon at all, so I can't say how this neighborhood fits into the context of the city. 

Towards the end of the book, the author and her husband are able to buy the home they had previously been renting because the landlord wanted to sell it. She received donations for the down payment from social media followers, since she had built up a major following by posting about the feral cats (@poetssquarecats) during her time living there. 

Out of curiosity, I looked up housing prices in that zip code. They seem to be in the (mid-upper) $200k to $300k range, with a few in the $400k or $500k range. The vast majority of the listings are for houses like the aforementioned ranch-style homes. 

Book review: some more graphic novels

In this post: Junji Ito, Cousin Joseph, The Ukrainian and Russian Notebooks. 

I have been checking out a lot of books from the library's graphic novels section. They use the term "graphic novel" to describe anything in comic form, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. They have a pretty good selection of Junji Ito's manga, so I've been reading some more of that. Although his work is described as horror, I would describe it more like being surreal and unsettling. Strange and unsettling events happen in his stories. 

Most recently, I checked out the following by Junji Ito: The Liminal Zone, Sensor, Black Paradox and Venus in the Blind Spot. I haven't finished all of these yet. 

Aside from this, I also read a nonfiction comic titled The Ukrainian and Russian Notebooks. This consists of a variety of stories based on interviews with various residents in Ukraine talking about their experiences in the Soviet Union, particularly the famine in the 1930s. There's also a section talking about a Russian journalist (Anna Politkovskaya) who was killed due to the content of her work criticizing Putin. 

On the whole it's all pretty grim, especially the part about the Holodomor famine. There are parts containing descriptions of cannibalism that occurred during the famine. Although I found the content very interesting, in some ways I thought it was a little hard to follow. There are sometimes Ukrainian or Russian words used that don't have any translation/explanation about their meaning. There are also places where a page/panel would benefit from additional context to remind/inform the reader when the events shown are taking place. 

The art style was fine, but not particularly notable to me. I would like to read more about the history of the Soviet Union as well as the post-Soviet era in Russia and other former Soviet countries. This comic was originally published in Italian, then translated and published in English in 2016, which was before the current war in Ukraine, although there had been some things happening prior to that. 

I also read a fiction comic titled Cousin Joseph, by Jules Feiffer. This is the same illustrator who did some illustrations for the children's novel The Phantom Tollbooth. His style is pretty similar in this comic to what I remember about the illustrations in that book. It consists of loose, pencil drawings with somewhat stylized-looking people. I liked his art style in this comic and it was interesting to see it in a different context than the illustrations from the children's novel.

As for the plot, it was in the noir genre and was interesting enough, but I'm not sure if I would have been interested if it were some other artist I didn't know of. 

This library branch seems to have a pretty decent selection of graphic novels, so I might end up reading more in the future. 

Activity review: Billy Goat Trail section A

Recently I attempted to hike this trail with a friend. We had been wanting to do it for some time, and eventually there was a day that seemed amenable regarding the weather and our schedules. I will talk a little about some of the gear I used/wore too.  

Section A is the most strenuous part of the trail. Section B is closed indefinitely. Section C is open and apparently less strenuous, but we didn't do that part. The weather forecast showed a high temperature of about 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sky was partly sunny. I'm glad there was some cloud cover; it would have been worse if it were fully sunny. 

We got started on the trail (entrance to Section A) at 13:10 and it took us about two hours to complete the first half of that section. There were some places we stopped to observe the view, and others where we stopped to rest for a little bit.  

After finishing the first half, there is a short exit trail you can take so you don't have to do the final section of the main trail. We used the exit trail because I felt that I wasn't prepared correctly to continue on the main trail. Signs before the start of the trail recommend not hiking during 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the hottest part of the day.

I wore Teva Hurricane sandals, which was a less than ideal choice. It wasn't a catastrophic mistake, but in the future I would want to wear closed-toe shoes with a good amount of traction in the soles. Probably some kind of trail running or approach shoes, something like that. 

I do not recommend wearing original Teva sandals because they don't have as much traction on the soles compared to the Hurricane version. The Teva Hurricane sandals have been suitable for other short hikes, but this trail was considerably more strenuous than others and involves portions of rock scrambling where it's better to have closed shoes so you can jam your foot in places and not worry about getting scratched up.  

The rocks also have edges/points that you sometimes have to step on, so it's better to have a shoe with a stiffer sole so you won't feel a rock edge jabbing into your foot as much. The Teva Hurricane shoes are the absolute bare minimum type of shoes you should wear, but ideally wear something else (trail running or approach shoes, or even full hiking boots). I saw some people wearing regular sneakers or even canvas shoes (similar to Vans) but I personally would not wear shoes like that for this hike. 

Information online from the NPS suggests bringing 2 liters of water per person for this hike. I would heed this suggestion, as it's better to be prepared instead of getting dehydrated and needing to be rescued because you can't make it any further. There are water fountains near the closest parking area (admission to the park is $20 for vehicles, and $10 for pedestrians or cyclists), but otherwise there are no other places you can get drinking water. Another source recommends bringing twice much water as you usually drink (this is kind of vague) and consistently drinking the water every few minutes.  

Personally, I drank about 2 liters (possibly a little more) by the time we reached the turn for the exit trail, where there is a sign suggesting you take the exit trail if you're running low on water and/or feel tired. If we had completed the full main trail, I think I would have finished at least 3 liters of water. Keep hydration in mind and bring enough water so you don't run out, especially if it's a warm or hot day. I brought 5 liters of water in a water bag (in addition to a full 1 liter bottle), which was inside my backpack. I shared some of the water with my friend, but he didn't drink that much in total.    

Other things I would do differently are to use bug spray and sunscreen. I thought the trail would be relatively shaded, and while there are parts in the shade, the rock scrambling sections are pretty exposed to the sun. I got a number of itchy bug bites. I would also want to start the trail earlier, possibly around 9 a.m. or something like that. Additionally, going on a day when it isn't as warm could be better. I would also want to bring a brush to brush off the dirt from certain areas so you can get a better grip. Bringing a small (i.e. lightweight) pair of binoculars could also be interesting so that you can get a better view of some of the scenery in/across the river. 

There were numerous sections of the rock scrambling areas that I found difficult because of the distance between good foothold or places to step. To some extent, better shoes could have helped with this because it would increase the amount of locations that I could comfortably put my feet, but some of it was just due to me being short (5'0") and my legs weren't long enough to comfortably reach the next foothold in a stepping motion. The alternative was to do more of a jump or hop, which felt too treacherous especially with the shoes I was wearing, or to do a more complicated pivoting and/or crawling maneuver. 

It was good to do the trail on a day that wasn't very busy so we didn't have to worry about a lot of people waiting behind us on the trail during the scramble areas, or for us to have to wait behind other people. 

In the future, I might just want to take the exit trail inwards to the midway area, then resume the main trail from that point. 

Although my preparation for the hike was less-than-ideal, it wasn't so inadequate that it was catastrophic. However, apparently many people have to get rescued from the trail, so I wanted to be mindful about bringing more than enough water, and using the exit trail when I realized I should have prepared differently. It would be embarrassing and a hassle to have to be rescued from the trail. 

I could also be in better shape, weight and endurance wise. I wouldn't recommend this trail if you are too unhealthy and/or inexperienced with hiking, especially more complicated terrain with a lot of elevation and scrambling. 

The backpack I used was an Osprey Sirrus 24 (liter), which was a decent size to carry the 5 liter water bag plus a few other things (small pouch, 1 liter Nalgene in the side pocket, a bucket hat, a small sketchbook, a pee funnel that I did not need to use, but just in case...), and it felt pretty comfortable to wear. 

Although there were some people we saw on the trail who didn't bring substantial backpacks, I wanted to make sure I had enough water, plus get a chance to use this backpack. It has a frame and the back panel of the bag is suspended about an inch from a mesh panel that touches your back, so you can get some airflow there. It has a hip belt and sternum strap, both of which help to stabilize it. The hip belt is comfortable and helps distribute the weight. I found this backpack on sale at REI for about $50, but full price is $180.  

The Sirrus is a women's-specific design and I found it a good size for me at 5'0" (in terms of the backpack relative to my body). It is a little bulky due to the frame and hip straps so I don't think I'd necessary want to use this in an everyday (non-hiking) context, even though that was what I was looking for when I went to REI. At REI, they have a cabinet in the backpacks section with weight bags so you can test how a given amount of weight will feel in a certain backpack!! It's kind of dangerous to go to REI since there's so much stuff there that I'm tempted to buy.... 

I wore a new Columbia shirt (thin quick-dry fabric) and old, lightweight Under Armour running shorts that have pockets. I'm glad I didn't wear thick or warm clothing because the weather was rather warm. I brought a bucket hat but didn't wear it. I did wear a bandana to keep the sun off my hair though. This is a necessity for me in the summer if I'm going to be outside in the sun for awhile.   

In addition to the Billy Goat Trail section A, there are a few other things you can look at in this area. There is a Great Falls overlook right off the canal towpath near the parking area. There's also a boardwalk trail that goes on Olmstead Island and is pretty scenic. In the future, it might be nice to do the boardwalk Olmstead Island trail by itself and stop at the overlook to draw, but we were too tired to draw since we had already done part of the Billy Goat trail before going to this area. 

Book review: Craftfulness

I saw this book in a display at the library last month because apparently March is crafts month or something to that effect. The full title is "Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things." I expected the book to be different than what it ended up being like. It was okay, and I managed to finish it, though it was a drag to read and many times I'd read just a few pages, then stop. It was disappointing. 

It seemed to be aimed at a reader who is unfamiliar with and/or doesn't really understand the value of partaking in craft projects and making things. I am not that person, so I found the book bland and off-base and didn't think it offered much insight. It was a rather surface-level exploration of the subject matter -- I wish it had gone more into some kind of sociological/cultural analysis of crafting, its role/view/impact in society, that sort of thing. There were many brief excerpts of statements from various crafters where they talked about the crafts they pursue and what it means to them, etc. Many of these statements were not actually that interesting. 

At the end of the book, there are instructions for six beginner projects in different crafts (weaving, knitting in moss stitch, bookbinding, drawing, writing, clay, darning). I have no interest in darning (a form of mending) and the other things I already know how to do and/or could easily figure out (at a beginner level) without the use of this book's instructions. There's also an appendix section recommending further reading or resources, which was possibly the most useful part of the book. 

Although this book was rather boring and underwhelming, I guess it counts towards my reading challenge because it's written for an adult audience. It was pretty short, but felt like a slog to read. At least it was good for something to read in very short intervals when the circumstances weren't right to really dig into something with more substance.