Knights of the Round Table squared off in battle Memorial Weekend, as the Society of Creative Anachronism held a fair at Farragut State Park. The annual trek of SCA members descended on the park for medieval fun and frolic as knights and wenches partied old style.

Craft and food booths lined the street as jousters practiced their trade in the field of battle. It wasn't the battle of Hastings, but after all, the original was 942 years ago. Also, King Harold of England wasn't there, nor was the victor, the Duke of Normandy, a transplanted Viking.

A large organization, the SCA is made up of men, women and children dedicated to the preservation of the old ways. Real old ways. Present at Farragut were somewhere between 150 and 200 participants, some handmaidens, many merchants and of course the battle-scarred warriors of old. As people left the encampment, the host said, "a safe journey."

Memorial Day at Post No. 149, Athol/Bayview American Legion, produced two ceremonies, one at Bayview, another at the Athol Cemetery. Following the formal ceremony, the Legionnaires performed a flag-retirement ceremony at the post. This consists of a ceremonial examination to determine the flag is worn out, then a formal burning of the flags thus chosen. Unlike protests of the past, this burning was out of respect for the flag.

Moving on to Bayview, the Babs and Bayview Community Council sponsored gigantic yard sale was in progress. One lucky shopper walked away with an electric bread-making machine and a camera tripod, both for $10 each. Bargain hunters were out in force as one person's junk became another's treasure.

Upstairs in the Community Center, the B.L.A.S.T, or Bayview Local Artists Show and Tell was going full 'um, ... blast. Artists, musicians and connoisseurs of both, flocked to the show, which produced some outstanding works by local artists. This paper doesn't have room for the great examples of artistry, and it's a shame. Some of the paintings, no all of them, were expertly done.

One in particular, a ghost horse ridden by a ghostly young couple across a stream and painted on a whitish background, was superb. It was painted by Bettie Bockstruck. Others, like Susie Snider with a painting of a team of horses, Brenda Hunt with a plethora of paintings, also showed great expertise.

Entertainment almost ground to a stop as the scheduled group, The Keep, had a family emergency and canceled at the last minute. Fortunately, The Captain's Wheel was able to find another popular group, Comfort Zone that was available and ably filled in. Both the Captain's Wheel and the Button Hook rocked with business as the official start of boating season kicked off for the traditional Memorial Day Weekend. Terry's Cafe was crowded too, as breakfast and lunch crowds flocked to the popular spot.

With Lake Coeur d'Alene pretty much off limits to boating due to flooding, the Bayview launch ramps were busy, as Lake Pend Oreille hasn't quite reached full pool. Ordinarily, the lake doesn't reach full pool until mid-June. Albeni Falls Dam wide open, the lake has come up all the way without help from regulators.

Essentially, the Clark Fork and other streams are delivering more water than the Pend Oreille River can remove. Look for Lake Pend Oreille to go over its banks too, if hot weather returns. Not since most of downtown Bayview flooded in 1997 have we seen the normally placid waters of Scenic Bay turn ugly.