The Open Ostara gathering was a great success. Thanks to everyone from around the region that came to the gathering! There were right around 70 in attendance, with a third of them being kids. Below are the public-links to three albums of photos we've posted. Anyone should be able to access and see these Facebook albums...

Getting Ready for the Open Ostara Gathering - Getting ready to host a large gathering is a lot of work. Especially Ostara. We boiled 28 dozen eggs...and our kids colored 8 dozen of them. There was food to buy and stew to cook. And Volkshof Kindred came early to help us out.

JBK's Open Ostara Gathering 2010 Photos - This past weekend 70 heathens from across the region gathered together for an Ostara Gathering...and a third of them were children! Jotun's Bane Kindred. Volkshof Kindred. The Franks. Tyr's Helm Tribe. Hammer Tree Hearth. Rheinwood. And quite a few newcomers where in attendance.

Over 336 eggs were eaten or destroyed in egg-games. There was a faining, a feast, and a symbel. Established friendships were strengthened and new friendships formed. Hail Heathens in the Heartland!

The "Old Man" Gets a Hammer - Forn Halr, "the Old Man," is a venerable oak tree and wight that stands over Jotun's Bane Kindred's Ve. On the anniversary of our kindred's 2nd year as an oathed kindred, we gave the Old Man his own hammer. A hammer Craig Winkler made, that we call Skullsplitter.

Mark Ludwig Stinson