[MR] FW: Chivalry is alive and well and living at Pennsic

[Martha]

-----Original Message-----
From: Martha [mailto:lghthse at gte.net]
Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 11:52 AM
To: Martha Wallenhorst Wallenhorst (E-mail); Atlantia
Subject: Chivalry is alive and well and living at Pennsic


I realize that everyone is frustrated over the attacks at Pennsic but let me
relay a bright note.  On Saturday morning, after 5.5 inches of rain and a
mud and lakes everywhere, we noted that the group across Fletcher from us
(the Barony of Andelcrag in midrealm) had pulled out either very late the
night before or very early that morning and all but the dining tent was
gone.  After much packing it was time to take the tents and such to the
local storage locker to put them away.  I had my Ford Explorer packed with
stuff and ready to go but I was facing the highway and at the bottom of
Flecthers was a lake so I decided to turn my car around and go down
Chandlers which was only mud where we were.  Now, Flecthers was mud and
puddles everywhere and it was impossible to see where the road actually had
been so when I backed up all I saw was mud and puddles.  I backed into the
shower midden that Andelcrag had failed to fill!  My back driver side tire
was in so deep you could only see about four inches of tire at the top.  The
axel was holding the weight of the car and I was afraid it was bent or
broken.  The front right tire was slowly raising off the ground as my car
sunk into the midden under the late morning sun.  I flagged down a AAA
truck, the guy laughed at me and said he had more important cars to pull out
of the mud.  I was on the phone to AAA to get other help when security went
by and I flagged them down.  The two gentles got out walked around my car
and said, 'that's just not right'.  I violently agreed but was so close to
tears I could hardly whisper.  They called the Coopers and requested a
tractor to pull me out.  I said thank you and was terrified that because the
hole was so deep if the axel wasn't broken it would be by yanking on the
car.  This is the Chivalry part: Across the field where Andelcrag had camped
comes a group of people.  The were 8 men (if I recall correctly in my
panicked state) who came up to me and said, ' that's just not right!'  Would
you like some help.  On the verge of hysterics I said sure.  These 8 men,
very big men (remember Charles is no taller than I and is currently deployed
so was not a Pennsic) surrounded my packed Ford Explorer and began to lift.
They came high enough to see the axel was not broken and rested it again.
Then they put one guy inside to handle the steering, and one on the right
front fender to pull the tire back to the ground and then the six left
LIFTED my car out of the hole and put it back on the road then pushed it
into my now empty camp.  I was in tears, my car was saved and so was $3000
for a new axel.  I said thank you, invited them to a steak dinner next year
at Pennsic on me and gave hugs all around.  They promised to come and eat
and when I asked them where they were from they replied Calentir and give
their regards to Duke Sir Cuan.  Then they bowed and left.  I have never had
anyone come to the rescue quit like that.  This is a pure case of Chivalry
and I am eternally grateful.  So when you are thinking that people don't
help people stop and think about this.  I have never seen anyone lift a
packed Ford Explorer and put it back on the road before.  Oh and a side note
they covered the midden with a picnic table until they could come back and
fill it for me.
B. Annejke