Building a LARP Site

It's Been a While

2009-05-07T08:57:00.002-04:00

We've hosted our first event this year and it went well. We also were filmed by the t.v. show G4 Underground and the episode aired on April 26, 2009. It might still be on at times in reruns and I know it's available on iTunes. The show was a documentary/news type show about Alliance Larp.

We have a new bridge down at the stream. It's at a low point, so it was made modular and can be removed very easily for the winter so it doesn't get washed away in the spring thaw or frozen under the ice in the winter. Development of other things has kind of gone on the backburner as we had to have the barn roof repaired. Big roof means a big bill. But it had to be done.

We did some minor but important things though. We removed a lot of rocks from the field and are now able to mow two of the hills we really couldn't before. There were some BIG rocks in there and one of them we couldn't even slide into the bucket of the tractor, we had to use the tractor to get under it.

Oh, I almost forgot. We got shutters up over a lot of the windows in the basement of the barn. I think they look pretty nice and when we get the rest up it's really going to make things look a lot nicer. We're going to concentrate on a lot of cosmetic changes this year. Though we do hope to bring in enough money to get another cabin put up.

Hopefully my next update won't take so long.

Seven Weekends in a Row

2008-06-10T09:19:00.003-04:00

So the wife and I just finished our seventh weekend in a row up at the site. This past weekend was a retreat for her roller derby team. But of course, I couldn't bring myself to relax so I spent Saturday morning building a fire pit out of very heavy rocks. This was interspersed with mowing the pasture and bringing the chainsaw down to the creek to start removal of deadfall. I plan to work on this some more in the coming weekends, as there is some serious stream blockage down there.

The landscaping is done, with just some tweaking to do after some torrential rainfalls. Overall we're very pleased. The mudswamp that used to exist right behind the barn is no longer present. The stone stairs are a little big, but look great. A future handrail is planned which will surely help tremendously.

We also got a very nice bookshelf and dresser off of freecycle for th site. More storage is always good.

Landscaping

2008-05-08T09:45:00.003-04:00

So the landscaper has finally been allowed to work by Mother Nature. He brought his equipment in late last week and began work Monday. Yesterday's report from our vice president of projects was good. So far there is a new trail down to the creek that the V.P. was able to drive his truck down. We also have a bigger, more level parking lot than what was there with better drainage. He also built a "bridge" over one of the drainage ditches out of two massive boulders he unearthed while working. So far our landscaper has been great and has thrown in "little" freebies like that. He took a lot of interest in walking the site with us and listening to us explain what we were looking to accomplish.

Work is supposed to go into next week and will include new outdoor stairs, grading and better drainage of the "mud field" and fire pit area as well as backfilling in behind the barn.

I can't wait to get up to the site Friday to see it with my own eyes. If I'm not too distracted, I'll hopefully have pictures to post afterwards. I was told I won't recognize the areas that were already worked on. Nice.

Oh, I also think I failed to mention that we now have four cabins on site. One is the personal cabin of one of the owners. Three are cabins for general use and will sleep 6-8.

Things continue to move ahead!

Of Gravel Pads & Cabins

2008-03-27T10:40:00.003-04:00

Over the winter we ordered 4 cabins. The gravel pads for the cabins were put in yesterday and I just got a report from our V.P. of Projects that they look great. He is at the site waiting for delivery of the cabins.

We went to several cabin and shed retailers and couldn't find what we wanted. None of them could deliver the roof pitch we wanted because it would be too big to deliver on a truck. So we went right to the manufacturer. They build the cabins at their facility and then deliver them in two parts. They put the roof on at your site. This allowed us to get a 10 over 12 roof pitch and give the cabins a really nice look. Without the right roof pitch, a cabin looks like a shed. We also got round topped doors as well as faux slate shingling. I don't get to see them until Saturday, but I'm very excited.

We ordered three 12x16 cabins for general use that should accomodate 8 people nicely and more if you cram. One of the owners also got a small 12x8 cabin for his and his family's use.

We intend to insulate the cabins and run electricity to them as well. The interiors are open to the studs currently, but they will be finished in the not so distant future. That's stuff we can do on our own and with volunteer help and will save us a lot of money. It will also allow us to customize them how we want them.

All in all, a big day for Faire Play.

P.S. I insisted on 7' walls instead of 6' for our tall friends. The cabins should have plenty of headroom.

Prototype Bunk Bed

2008-03-02T19:32:00.003-05:00

I spent this afternoon building a prototype bunk bed. The platform area is big, 40" by 80". Big enough for a twin size mattress. Now to make nineteen more...

Bar Progress

2008-02-23T11:37:00.004-05:00

The bar is almost done except for a few more coats of polyurethane and assembly at the site. I think it came out pretty well.

Meetings & More Meetings

2008-01-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

Faire Play held its annual shareholders meeting recently followed by its board of directors meeting. Things are going well.

Saturday I met with our new web developer, Skyward Thought. Our website is currently maintained and hosted by skilled amateurs. We are switching to skilled professionals.

Today, our project manager met with some general contractors to discuss improvements to the site. These will be announced as they get underway, but we expect some nice changes for 2008.

Tonight some of the officers of the company are meeting to discuss the develoopment of the site in more detail. A few of us (Mr. President and Mr. Project Manager) are most likely going to meet again Sunday as well.

It's still only January yet we are very busy.

New Year's Woodworking

2008-01-01T17:43:00.000-05:00

I've been working in my basement on building a new bar for the tavern at the site. My wife got me a router for my birthday in November and I've been putting it to work. The first picture is the frame of the bar, which will be L shaped. The 2x4s are, well, 2x4s. The panelling and trim boards and bartop are all red oak.

This picture shows some of the trimwork and the bartop. There will be more trim around the bartop as well. More pictures will be posted as work progresses.

2007 In Review

2007-12-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow begins 2008. This past year was fast and furious and so much happened. We formed Faire Play, Inc. in February 2007 with the goal of raising capital and beginning our quest for property on which to build a reenactment and LARP site. We expected to possibly find a place by the fall, but instead had the final papers signed and the deed in hand at the end of May.

We spent the next two months cleaning up the property and building. By August, we had a primitive site that we could rent. Cleaning out the barn alone took a good month. You wouldn't believe what comes out of an old barn that's been deserted for ten years...or maybe you would.

Regardless, in 2007 we rented our the site for four successful events. We put in showers and sinks and the bones of a kitchen and a large medieval fantasy tavern. We put in some paths in the woods and groomed the former pastures enough to park cars and have a large area for camping, battles and whatever else.

Plans are HUGE for 2008 as we continue to develop the site from an old barn, pasture and woods to a medieval village with a foreboding forest next door. We are getting there faster than we anticipated, though not as fast as we would like. We will continue to build a site where the modern world does not intrude (but where modern conveniences are available but hidden).

Stay tuned.