OK, today the WiFi in our encampment works (and what’s a Viking encampment without wireless access?), and I think I can post a few pictures certain to fill you with jealousy over being there while I’m here, at Hostfest, in Minot, North Dakota.

The weather has been ideal–cool and sunny, and consequently the festival is seeing record attendance. Oddly, this seems to be resulting in decreased visitation at our Viking encampment. That’s because we can only be approached through a food court, which looks like this.

If one person stops and stands at some point, all movement becomes impossible for everyone else, so that nobody can get through to us without shoving, which–as you are probably aware–Scandinavians do not do.

My new young fighting opponent is turning out about as you’d expect. I’ve about depleted my resources of old man’s low, cunning tricks, and his quick reflexes and steep learning curve are quickly turning me into the designated sand eater. I don’t have any combat pictures, but I’ll get some at a later time from a third party, and share them then.

He’s the guy second from the right, talking to Ragnar in this candid photo of Viking life in Minot.

Many people enjoy having their pictures taken, for a price, in Viking costume.

Ragnar, my temporarily incapacitated regular sparring partner, had a great ego boost yesterday (as if he needed it). The drummer from The Oak Ridge Boys, who do two concerts a day in the hall around the corner, came in an asked to meet him. I was explaining to him that Ragnar was doing a school lecture at the time, but Ragnar came in while we were talking. The drummer, Chris Golden (William Lee Golden’s son, he of the long white beard) said he’d watched our combats, and had seen a guy in a movie he thought was Ragnar. Had Ragnar been in a movie, he asked? With uncharacteristic modesty, Ragnar admitted he had not. I suggested Mr. Golden may have been watching a Gabby Hayes movie, as the two are frequently mistaken for each other.

In any case, Ragnar was over the moon about it.

Here’s the Oak Ridge Boys in concert.

And here’s the other band we hear twice a day, the Abba tribute band, Abbacadabra.

I’ve already learned to associate the sound of “Elvira” with steel combat. Now I’ll always associate “The Dancing Queen” with the same activity.

Still, it beats “Mama Mia.”

(Update: I was re-editing this post to get my image codes right, when I had to take a few minutes for an interview with the local CBS television affiliate. That’s more like it. Today, Minot, tomorrow the world!)