I grew up in Smethport and Franklin, PA, and went to college in Grove City, PA. I started in the SCA in Grove CIty in 1982, just four months prior to entering the active duty Air Force. Over the next 25 years, I lived in East, West, An Tir, Meridies, Drachenwald, Atlantia, Middle, Northshield, Calontir, and finally returned to Æthelmearc upon my military retirement in 2007. In each of the kingdoms/principalities I was stationed, I learned something of the local SCA culture and interacted with many different people with a variety of interests. In particular, my enthusiasm for the SCA was fanned by a two-year assignment in central Germany and several two-month temporary assignments in England where I was immersed in the history of the Middle Ages. I currently reside in western PA with my wife, two cats, and a dog. We have three adult children who have grown up in the SCA, and continue to participate.
I have been interested in heraldry since I was in the third grade. My parents were enthusiastically researching our family tree, and they shared that information with us kids – including the associated heraldry attached to our various ancestors. While serving in Europe with the Air Force, I had the opportunity to expand greatly on this interest, and visited several heraldic colleges, castles, and museums where I could expand my knowledge. That interest translated to heraldic research in the SCA in Atlantia and Calontir where I served as a kingdom deputy and kingdom principal herald respectively. My interest in brewing started in college, where I experimented with bootlegging hard cider. I did not start brewing seriously until being stationed in southern Georgia where a fellow federal employee and SCA member took me under his wing and taught me the finer points of beer and mead making. I have since won awards for both, and am a nationally ranked meadmaker in the American Homebrewers Association. My GoA award is for brewing, awarded by Calontir.
Interests
Armoring (all forms)
Bardic Arts (storytelling, singing, etc.)
Beekeeping
Brewing & Vinting
Illumination
Leather Working
Research
Wood Working & Construction