Heroic Dreams - All Things Medieval

I have just started twelve new batches of Mead (the front two rows in the picture).

I have been reall wanting to get a good handle on the different types of yeasts and how they affect both the taste of mead and the fermenting cycle so what I did is make all of the variables identical including temperature, honey, water, sanitation and everything else except for the yeast. So, now I will be able to track comparatively speaking how each type of yeast develops, how long they take and how they taste.

It should be an interesting experiment that will yield some good results. If there is no noticeable difference between many of the batches I will be able to identify which type of yeast matures into a good mead the fastest.

Interesting Notes within the first couple of days. Some of the yeast are off to a great start and some are slower. Some yeast have already started quite a nice leeds accumulation and some have not. There is also a marked difference in color across the various batches.

Some info:

• Type of honey used is wildflower directly from an apiary.
• All Equipment sanitized using Easy Clean
• Must santized with Potassium Metabisulfate and allowed to sit for 24 Hours
• After waiting period yeast energizer and nutrient added, then yeast pitched

Lots more mead making stuff on my website here

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There is an interesting project going on in Colorado and it is still in the early stages of development.

An outfit called Middle Age Productions is trying to bring to reality an authentic middle ages castle and village and use it as a real fairground and tourist attraction. Think of it as something Disney would make -where you are fully immersed in the experience.

It seems like a really cool project and they have a lot of great ideas - even some plans and blueprints. What they are envisioning is a permanent, and authentic, medieval faire ground which I think is a really great idea. If you have ever been to a medieval faire you know what I mean by this. This type of faire ground is usually, in my experience, a temporary thing that gets set up for a few months in the summer or fall and then kind of disappears.

Having a permanent, year round, and authentic structure would be a great tourist attraction. But I do have some suggestions for them.  First off they should contact Medieval Manor corporate Headquarters. A Medieval Manor franchise would be a great addition to their site. Secondly I think they should move it out of Colorado. No offense to the state but there are just too many cold months in the year out there. The attraction is going to spend way too much time covered in snow. I just can’t picture the king on skis. (maybe the jester)

Anyhoo, I really shouldn’t criticize, after all how far am I in my plans to build a medieval castle? Theyr’e at least doing it!

The name of the company is Medieval World USA and you can check on what they are doing and learn more about the project at their website Medievalworld.us

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This is a summer reading list for young adults who want to explore fantasy and imaginative fiction without resorting to the current small handful of blockbusters. This list has some classics that might otherwise be overlooked,  and some contemporary books that are just terrific. If you are looking for some really good fiction for the kids to read this summer this list can help. (Hey and all these books are great for adults too!)

If you want more information about these books and links to amazon for them I have more info on my site here: Summer reading for teens

Some Classics
A Wrinkle in Time - (Newberry Medal Winner) This is simply a beautiful book that has blazed a trail in modern children’s fantasy by putting forward a story of several children embarking on a grand adventure; In this case to rescue their father. There is some fascinating and thoughtful stuff in this book like living stars and tesseracts. It is a perennial favorite and on every librarian’s list.

A Wizard of Earthsea – Written by Ursula K. Leguin this is the first book in a series called The EarthSea series. Short and light but extraordinarily beautiful. This first book in the series follows a young boy named Ged as he goes from being a simple goat herd to a powerful wizard.  It is simply beautiful and it brings forth some wonderful and magical themes such as the concept that everything (including dragons) has a secret name.  And if you know the secret name you can control the thing (including dragons).

The Hobbit - This probably shouldn’t be on this list but it is so good that I can’t leave it off.  With the absolute enormous success of the Lord of the Rings movies this book may be overlooked but I consider it better!  It is also in the works to be a movie.

Five Children and it – This is one of the most popular books written by Edith Nesbit who is often credited with creating the whole genre of children embarking on fantasy adventures.  Her books are in the public domain now and can easily be found for free. The theme of this book is:  Be careful what you ask for. You may get it! That’s the message in this delightful tale of five youngsters who discover a bizarre sand creature that grants wishes. There’s a catch, of course: the wishes come undone at sunset, and worse yet, things often get out of hand!

Dragonflight – This book is a little more complex than earlier ones I have cited here and it tends toward being more of a novel for grownups but it very suitable for teens.  We are introduced to a complex world of dragons through the main character Lessa. This book is often credited with being the book that has launched many a young girls writing career.  It is the first book in a trilogy of books called The Dragon riders of Pern series.

A Princess of Mars: The first novel in the Edgar Rice Burroughs series and currently in the initial stages of being written into a movie or animation that will be made by Pixar.  This is the first book in a series called John Carter of Mars and it is good rollicking fun in the tradition of the old pulp magazines.  It is a favorite for young boys who like sword fighting big monsters.

Contemporary fantasy and fiction
When it comes to modern fantasy fiction for teens there is an enormous selection to choose from and that, in itself,  could be an obstacle. Here are summaries of some of the more popular ones and I have also picked some that are currently slated to be made into a movie.

Artemis Fowl Series – This series of books takes a little bit of an unusual position as far as children’s books go because Artemis Fowl himself is a twelve year old genius and a criminal mastermind. The author of these books calls them Die Hard with Fairies! And the books are often characterized as being a high-octane and rip-roaring ride.  It is a wildly popular series of books with a big website and even a wiki. There are currently five books in the series with the first being simply titled Artemis Fowl. The sixth book “The Time Paradox” is set to be released in July of 2008.

Here, there be Dragons – The title itself is rather mysterious and harkens back to another time. This was the phrase that cartographers used to write in patches of ocean that were unexplored.  The basic premise of this story will really resonate with teens that are fans of fantasy itself because it starts with the unusual meeting of three young strangers John, Jack, and Charles on a rainy night in London. We later find out these three young men are J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams.

The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches - This is a series of books that takes place in a world of magic and secrets called Ruin Mist. This book was slow to start but word of mouth turned it into a best seller. It is one of those relatively little known books and series that is very satisfying.

Septimus Heap – If magic and wizards are of strong appeal this series of books make a great alternative to Harry Potter. The Main character (Septimus) is the seventh son of a seventh son and the main line of the story follows two children switched at birth: a boy destined to be a wizard and a girl destined to be a princess.  There are currently four books in the series and the first book has been picked up by Warner Brothers and is currently being made into a movie that is scheduled for release in 2010.

Any of these books or series will launch teens and young adults on a remarkable adventure into strange fantasy worlds and no joystick or keyboard is required.

If you want more information about these books and links to amazon for them I have more info on my site here: Summer reading for teens

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