Come join the Southern California TORn staff and Tolkien fans on Saturday, September 18, 2021, as we celebrate Bilbo and Frodo Baggins’ shared birthday in Griffith Park. The party will kick off at Noon, and run until about 6 pm. The biggest difference this year will be NO POTLUCK. Please bring enough food and drink for yourself and the group you will be attending with. As always, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and maybe a popup for shade are all good things to bring in order to stay comfortable. We are returning to the Mineral Wells section of Griffith Park, which is near the Harding Golf Course. Please head to the Baggins Birthday Bash Facebook event page for directions and a map. https://www.facebook.com/events/193623342558178/
While this event is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, the dual issues of COVID restrictions and/or Wildfires could become an issue this coming week. Should LA County trigger a restriction of large gatherings or a Wildfire trigger evacuations in the region of Griffith Park, we will post a Cancelation notice to the FB page first, and if there is time, post here on the main website as well.
As for COVID restrictions, the LA County guidelines recommend masking outdoors only in the case of a Mega Event, and that has only happened once. We are recommending everyone have a MASK with them, ready to wear near groups of people and remove when eating and drinking. The outdoor setting should afford us more than enough space to social distance if it makes you feel comfortable. We would PREFER if everyone attending was fully vaccinated, but none of us are qualified to verify the CDC card, so we won’t be asking.
Come and join fellow Tolkien fans from around Australia for a Zoom get together of the 'Hern Ennorath' Tolkien group.
Tolkien fans from Australia are building an online community for Australians to discuss Tolkien and Middle-earth topics.
‘Hern Ennorath’ means South Lands of Middle-earth. The name was chosen to reflect where we Aussies live, in the great southern land, in the southern hemisphere and, so far, is made up of three sub-groups
Each of these sub-groups also have their own individual Facebook pages.
The next online meeting is on 23rd September and the topic will be “Music of Middle-earth”. It will start with a quick ‘getting to know you’, before discussing all things music in Middle-earth. From Tolkien’s lyrical poetry to music that has been inspired by Tolkien. The meeting will run for 1 1/2 hours, but everyone is welcome to come and go as they please.
Just follow these instructions to join
Times: 8pm, ACT, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania 7:30pm NT and SA 6pm WA
All are welcome, so mark the 23rd of September in your diaries, grab your favourite snacks and settle in for some “Music in Middle-earth”.
There are also plans afoot to hold an online Middle-earth Trivia Night in November, and a national face-to-face dinner and conference in 2022, so stay tuned for further details.
I bet you all thought we forgot the Baggins Birthday Bash amongst all the other things falling by the wayside during COVID-19. We did not, we’ve just been working out a fun way to move it online. The advantage of moving it online is that everyone who has wanted to come to LA for the party each year but could not, can now celebrate with us.
When, you ask? The Baggins Birthday Bash is going to take over TORn Tuesday, and extend it.
When: Tue. Sept. 22, 2020, 5:00-7:00pm Pacific Time/ 8:00-10:00pm Eastern Time. That puts it at 1:00-3:00am UK time/12:00-2:00pm New Zealand time.
Where: All the normal streaming places like FB live, YouTube, etc that you normally find TORn Tuesday on. We will post links on Tuesday, like usual, so you can watch, chat, and maybe skype in, or zoom in. This will be a multi-media event so that as many people as possible can participate, one way or another.
Birthday cake from 2013
We can still have some similar fun and games as the ‘in-person’ party, such as costumes, trivia, readings and Middle-earth themed desserts, only we can’t share those desserts. You can wear a costume and watch the live event, and maybe we can zoom some of you in, or you can send in photos of costumes that we can share. Same goes for Middle-earth themed desserts. We normally have a context to judge the best looking or best tasting, but in a virtual party, all we can do is look at the dessert and judge that way, so take a photo and send it to us. And if you have other Middle-earth inspired recipes, such as Lembas Bread, Poppyseed Cakes, stuffed mushrooms, etc, send them in and we can share them, and if you take a photo of the food item, send that too.
Feel free to email at Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net if you wish share costumes, Middle-earth decorated cakes or cupcakes, or any other Middle-earth inspired recipes. Let’s make those two hours on Tueday, September 22 a Virtual Party to Remember, full of fun and good fellowship.
Congratulations! You are a true Rider (or runner, or maybe a walker). You answered the call to traverse the miles from Dunharrow to Minas Tirith. Here is your Finisher Certificate. Print it out and share a photo of yourself on our World and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien Facebook page, and tell us a tale of your adventures, or perhaps share a poem or song.
If you complete all four races by May 31, you can download a final additional certificate that shows you completed all four races. Congratulations again! We hope you had fun.
Certificate design/illustration by staff member Mithril (Nancy Steinman). Additional illustration by BSGStudio and freedesignfile.
Whether you have run the previous two races or not, you can still participate in this one, so limber up and join your fellow ringers and take on the 5 Meters Through Moria Challenge. This course will follow the fellowship of the ring’s dark and dangerous journey through the mines of Khazad-dûm. Once prosperous and echoing with song and the ringing of pick-axe, these dark caverns are now inhabited by orcs and cave trolls and something much, much worse. So be on your guard as you make your way to the final bridge and cross once more into daylight.
This Virtual 5k Race (3.1 miles) can be run or walked at any location you choose (please follow your town’s current rules). You can run, jog, walk in your neighborhood or your backyard, use a treadmill, climb the stairs in your home, or use an elliptical – whatever is most convenient and safe for you. 30 minutes of exercise can also count as 1 mile. Run your own race, at your own pace, and time it yourself – our 5k’s are on the honor system.
Before you start each race, download a RACE BIB here or from TheOneRing.net’s “The World and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien” Facebook page. Write your name or nickname and/or race time in the white box, then you can stop by our Facebook page and post a photo wearing your bib, or post in the comments below.
Once you have completed each race, let us know! Download your Finisher Certificate here and share another photo.
Also, check back next Friday for the fourth and final race. If you complete all four races, an additional special certificate can be yours! If you’re so inclined, reading the section in “The Fellowship of the Ring” that corresponds to this race might add a bit of color to your journey. Above all else, have fun. On your mark, get set, go!
If you weren’t able to join the first two races, don’t despair! Click on these links to earn your Shire Sprint and Racing to Rivendell bib and certificate. Complete all four races by May 29 and earn an extra crowning certificate.
Bibs and certificates designed by TORN staff member Mithril, aka Nancy Steinman.
TheOneRing.net is hosting a series of four VIRTUAL 5K RACES in May. Each race will reflect a leg of the Fellowship’s journey through Middle-earth (though not in actual miles, of course). A new race will be posted on the first four Fridays in May.
The 5k races (3.1 miles) can be run or walked at home or any location you choose (please follow your town’s current rules). You can run, jog, walk, use a treadmill, climb your stairs, or us an elliptical – whatever is most convenient and safe for you. 30 minutes of exercise can also count as 1 mile. Run your own race, at your own pace, and time it yourself – our 5k’s are on the honor system.
Before you start each race, download a RACE BIB here or from TORn’s “The World and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien” Facebook page. Write your name, nickname, or race time in the white box, then you can stop by the Facebook page and post a photo wearing your bib. Once you have completed each race, let us know! Download a PDF of your finisher CERTIFICATE HERE and share a photo to our Facebook page. If you complete all four races, an additional special certificate can be yours!
Our first 5k is THE SHIRE SPRINT. It virtually follows the footsteps of the Hobbits as they race from Hobbiton to the Inn of the Prancing Pony at Bree with the Black Riders on their heels. If you’re so inclined, reading the same section of “The Fellowship of the Ring” might add a bit of color to your journey. Above all else, have fun. On your mark, get set, go!
Bibs and certificates were designed by TORN staff member Mithril, aka Nancy Steinman.
