The Old World lives within.

My college years were awesome- it was like the Renaissance Festival without the festival. Somehow I became friends with a strange group of locals instead of other students. Although I had little interest in the "old world" before knowing them, I will always be influenced by each of their unique views of the world and their refusal to accept anything else. Chain maille, sword fighting, gypsy music, and renegade mischief.

 Every day was a new adventure with Rob, who lives in an alternate reality, and although it is exhausting that he refuses to cooperate with the rest of society, I have always been a fan of his extreme outcast nature and the art that comes from it. These photos were from the day he convinced Mike to "fell a hickory tree" with him, bring it back to my townhouse, and then he taught a group of "stout lads" to carve primitive weaponry, including bows and arrows, from the wood. Here you can see the lads cutting the tree into staves and me being so ever useful by holding the tree while they were getting ready.

Rob lives out in the Ozarks, but calls me from time to time and sends gifts in the mail. These consist of natural relics that he has collected- bits of leather, steel, etc. and a letter scribbled on brown crumpled paper. Last year he had a portable forge that he built, so I asked if he could make me a cute herb chopper. He sent me this and I love it! Made from a lawn mower blade...