<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Mungo - - you will probably get a zillion replies, but here's a couple more things to think about. Pennsic "opens" on the very first friday, but everyone camps on the battle field because land grab isn't till saturday,<VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR> and then saturday and sunday everybody is busy setting up their camp and getting that shower dug. After that, by monday is when the ranges and the dance tents, etc. all get attention and get put up. Shopping, alas, does not open until tuesday of the first week, and that is by Pennsic law, not by the merchants' choice. Classes pretty much start up on monday, I think, and get going for real about midweek.</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">As to the "coal mine" it was curious to see CARS parked atop the mount the year after they chased archery off! That ended only because is was such an aesthetic affront that millions complained. I also heard from one mayor that they moved archery off the mount because after that rainy year (2007?) when the wagons could not get up the mount for the mud, they decided they needed a range you could drive to in all weather, for emergencies and also for the large folks who populate the sca and could not climb the mount on foot. So there are probably multiple reasons, but I smell a rat when I hear "coal mine" !!!</SPAN></div>
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