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On the weekend of September 13, 2008 members of Jotun's Bane Kindred attended a gathering in Southern Missouri to honor Sterling “Skorri” Kemp, a St. Louis heathen and Folkbuilder who had passed away the year previously. Rod, Mark, and Mark's children Nathan, Elizabeth, and Joshua, and Mark's dog Skoll all attended the event. There were many St. Louis heathens present, and it was a pleasure to meet them and get to know them a little better. It seems clear that Skorri would have been very happy with the event held in his honor. Kristopher, Elizabeth, Nathan, and Joshua...playing with a large wooden sword.
Al and his wife, attempting to stay cool in a shade tent.
Al's dog was huge, and just a beautiful dog.
Rod, staying cool as well.
Nathan, Kristopher, Elizabeth, and Joshua clearly up to no good. :-)
Al sells blades of all types. This is the back of his pickup truck, filled with knives, swords, axes, and even a boar spear!
Mark, posing with one of Al's swords. It did not take much convincing to get me to give this sword a try.
Al's big dog and little Skoll playing behind Bert's home. Skoll got the crap beat out of him, but seemed to have a good time...
...at the very least, Skoll kept coming back for more.
Al's wife, feeding their big dog...Skoll looking on.
At some point, everyone went down in a gully, so they could shoot some guns. Here's Rod holding a somewhat frightened Joshua. Notice Joshua's wearing ear-protection.
Mark, holding Elizabeth during the shooting. It was incredibly hot and humid out that day.
Throughout the weekend, Kristopher would ask to borrow my “formal” Kindred hammer, and seemed to enjoy wearing it around quite a bit.
Some of the kids, after the shooting was over.
Rod and Joshua.
It was storming outside, so the first rounds of symbel were held in Bert's House. We tried various kinds of mead, including some homemade mead. We also passed a bit of Berenjaeger and American Honey. Rod tipping back a drink, horn in hand. Al and Rick are in the background.
We were a little cramped, inside...but actually Bert's home worked out just fine for holding the symbel and keeping us our of the storm.
Tim's daughter, playing and smiling.
This photo was actually taken when the kids borrowed the camera for awhile. Kristopher clowning around, with Joshua nearby.
Nathan, completely engrossed in a video game.
Hail! And the storm and symbel continued.
Carl, with the leash and cup. :-)
Rick in the black t-shirt.
One of the happy heathen children at the gathering.
One of the attendees had recently had a poem published in a book. Rod read the poem dramatically aloud for everyone there.
The poet herself. The poem was about (and dedicated) to Thor.
When the storms stopped, we moved the symbel outside around the fire. The horn was passed and the symbel continued.
The symbel continued late into the night...
During the night, the storms strengthed. The winds and rain pounded the camp, and this tent was one of the tents that didn't make it through the night. It began to fall down, so we took the kids inside Bert's house for the rest of the night.
In the morning, the tent was completely collapsed and full of water.
The "lake" where we had been sleeping.
Al's dog and Skoll greet each other in the morning...
Some of the heathens that attended the gathering. One heathen's image is purposely blurred at his request.
Elizabeth and Nathan posing with Skoll.
A stick bug someone found...
This is a river near Bert's place, that Skorri used to enjoy visiting. Their unsure the name of the river, but they call it "Odin River" due to a road located nearby that is named "Odin Road."
It was a good end to a weekend dedicated the Skorri...standing by this spot in the river he had enjoyed so much.
Rod, trying to get the kids to pose...specifically Joshua to pose for a photo.
The street sign marking Odin Road.
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