M&D Saturday night in Delaware

[Judith A. Panetta]

Notes from the field:

It was a curious event: a cluster of people sitting on logs
around a dormant "camp" fire watching two young men complain
about axmen. Yes indeed, this was "living history." I
suspected that perhaps the audience -the mean age being 12 -
might be confusing "axmen" with "X-men" as there was much
confusion as to why the axmen would be cutting down trees.

There was a third "performer," who I later learned was a
(the?) public historian, who jumped in from time to time in
an effort to still the restless. After the forest clearing
issue was resolved, we learned of star gazing and the
difficulty of determining longitude in the 1760s. (And that
Harrison's chronometer had a wooden movement. Tsk. Tsk.)
There was also an interesting spin on the tax revenue
debate: that the need for the survey was to satisfy the
homesteaders rather than the collectors and the king.
Perhaps it was too difficult a concept for the youngsters.
We played with a chain, counted the links, someone fired a
flintlock. We were then all assigned duties: cook, axmen
(no, that's axman, not x-man), driver, etc. No one lifted a
finger to perform these tasks, despite that fact that we all
received commendations for a job "well done" - in writing no
less. (I'm sure this is no reflection on the present state
of civil service.)

We were to understand that little is know about either Jer
or Chuck, with the exception of the field journal. And there
only two personal remarks are made: 1) Mr. Mason disliked
"house pie" after an unpleasant experience around the
Chesapeake area. 2) Ah...Don't recall...musta been when the
beetle attacked the woman sitting next to me. And thus the
program ended.

I hope this all doesn't sound sour. It was worth every penny
of the $3.50 admission. And I came home with a lovely map,
clearly outlining the tangent line, the arc, and the cursed
"wedge." It was the brief exchange after the program that
gives me pause. I confess to looking forward to some p-list
wit and wisdom and was somewhat disappointed that none of
you were there. (I'm guessing, Richard, that your hiking
expedition was postponed due to the threat of inclement
weather.) As a poor substitute, I brought up the subject of
the novel with the "public historian." 

"I don't have time for (snort) historical novel. I had 3000
pages of research. Besides I was told that Mason and Dixon
were portrayed as gay. Who needs that."

Now I don't have a problem with M&D being gay. Why, some of
my best friends...(sorry, I'll stop). But with a scant 230
more pages to go in this (snort) historical novel, I just
don't see the character development going in quite that
direction. 

Nevertheless, I felt somehow that TP was "dissed by proxy."
Which might add a new facet to the Pynchon for the masses
debate. In fairness the ranger in attendance was far more
gracious about the matter, gently referring to the book as
"difficult."

So there we are. Looking forward to another outing. By the
by, Christine...how's your head?

Best, JP
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