[Legate of Amon Lanc]

And so it came to be that we've had a really nice reading session yesterday with myself, Pitch and at various intervals Oddwen, Gwathagor and Eönwë. I must say this was probably the best way to celebrate Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday, as we actually managed to read incredible amounts of stuff.

First, me, Pitch and Oddwen had read the Ivy Bush conversation (which takes place before the celebration, and thus is related), as we wanted to read something quick (before Oddwen had to leave) and related to the topic of the celebration. The cast was: Old Noakes and Daddy Twofoot - Oddwen, Sandyman - Pitch, and I was the Gaffer (turned out I had a lot more lines than I thought, but I really enjoyed reading his lines). We did this completely as just a dialogue (or multi-logue, anyway), it was really nice.

After that, Gwathagor came to join us and we did the "second generation", as Pitch had called it, of the inn-talk: the Green Dragon scene with young Gamgee and young Sandyman. I did the narrator part, Gwath and Pitch had each brought a pint of beer to their computers and thus the second famous conversation was replayed.

This wasn't enough for Gwath, apparently, and he proposed the daring (and dangerous for him, as you will see) idea that we continue from that point and, his own words, "keep reading on (the conversation between Gandalf and Frodo in the Shadow of the Past) until somebody else comes online to join us". I think neither of us had realised up to then how much most of the chapter consists of Gandalf's monologues. I think Gwathagor (whom me and Pitch had convinced, based on our earlier experiences of him reading Gandalf, that he should do the wizard) must have had a sore throat in the end. Pitch was the narrator and Sam (I think the Gamgees with a slight German accent are really just brilliant) and I did Frodo. This reading was also rather enjoyable and I think, most of all, that we must have set a record by this - we've basically read the whole chapter plus quite a lot of the first chapter, too. I think there can't be any better and more "proper" way to celebrate Bilbo's birthday, except if we'd read about the Party itself.

Then Gwath again left us and in a moment, Eönwë came and we did the last reading of the day - or actually evening - and I think that was the best wrap-up of it all. We decided to read a small part from Three Is a Company, when Frodo, Sam and Pippin leave the house, up to the point when they fall asleep (or, as we phrased it, "up to the fox"). The cast was: Eönwë - narrator AND the fox, myself - Frodo and Pippin, Pitch - Sam and Gaffer Gamgee (who was overheard talking to the Black Rider at the very beginning of the scene - and this time splendidly performed by Pitch). This was a brilliant reading for the evening, rather suggestive especially with Eönwë's narrating, and a great wrap-up of the whole session. I could just lie down and pretend to be in the Shire, with the night slowly setting...

Overall we did a lot more reading than usual, I would say, which I think was really nice, and must once again say that I feel like that was the proper way to celebrate the Hobbits' birthday. Still, the chance to do some more skype-meeting during the weekend especially for those, who haven't managed to find the time to participate in this one, is still present, and I think there are still many of us who wouldn't mind doing some more.