Hot and dry summer days 

Already now in May, temperatures have been climbing up in the Shire. Weather gammers have been hiding inside their cool burrows, refusing to come out and shed some light on the upcoming summer conditions. This can be interpreted as a sign that the weather will stay hot for a long time still. Farmers should prepare to water their crops when needed, as the summer might be dryer than usual.  

Afterwards, they should head over to the nearest inn for personal hydration and to perform a “water dance” ritual or three, because, well, it probably would not hurt. Some regular Green Dragon patrons are suggesting that farmers could switch to alternative farming methods in the dry season, for example, using an old inn rug as a growing bed for their most precious plants, as this rug probably contains moisture and nutrients from many years of spilling. It remains to be seen if someone (sober enough) takes this suggestion seriously and if the crops produced with this method are actually edible.

A royal break

One of the biggest news in late spring was that the May Queen and King elections are taking a break, which means that we won’t have any new May royals for now. Nannie made this announcement at the Green Dragon in early May, to the surprise of many. Even though the Shire hobbits feel sad about not having brand new royals to celebrate (and to pay a round for everyone at the Dragon), everyone agrees that Nannie herself deserves an earned break from organizing this tradition, and all are thankful to her for carrying it on for all these years. We have seen many royals, all different in their ways, all contributing to the community in their own special way, blessing us with many precious moments and memories to cherish. Also, we just had a Queen and King who filled the Shire event calendar with activities and parties and gave us many chances to have fun with others and be creative.

After Nannie’s announcement, we received the following letter from Rosenbleume:

May or may not royals! 

Saelo and I met up to discuss the lack of new royalty for this new year. After a bit of passing our wreaths back and forth to each other and neither of us feeling like another year was the right solution, we decided to put them up on a shelf and see what comes in the future. And also, people can stop bowing now.

Miss Rosenbleume also wrote a End of Reign letter that was published in the Gazette earlier in spring. Best check The Gazette, if you missed this letter earlier. There are rumours that Miss Rosenbleume might continue with her poetry and lyrics sessions, even after her reign. In future, the May royal elections might return, so potential King nominees cannot sigh of relief just yet.

Higher prices and improved safety for bounders at inns

Certain as the summer sun, our Mayor is at it again. This time he would like to raise rent rates throughout the Shire, at least for those who live in slightly fancier plots. While some are happy to support the good old Mayor, not everyone is glad about this news. They claim that the Mayor is just trying to find ways to get more food for himself and to fund the required structural reinforcements in the Town Hole so that it would not collapse again under his growing weight. Even though the Mayor feels confident, these unpopular changes might soon drive the hobbits to support other potential leaders in the Shire. Some are certainly eager to take his place.

Not that high prices would always drive hobbits away. There is an inn where the prices are so high that even the cow who jumped over the moon could not bounce over the current ale prices – the Green Dragon inn in Bywater. Despite the high price, hobbits are still fond of spilling their ales all over the inn floor. At the latest Green Dragon Friday anniversary, they even included a rug spilling ceremony to the evening’s agenda and spilled plenty of drink on the large red rug close to the entrance of the inn. The organizers claim that it was done for the “safety of the bounders” so that they would not stumble on the rug edges as they arrive at the inn. The rug is now certainly glued to the floor. The innkeep Barmy Rootknot might have looked at the ritual in horror, but he will also benefit from it in time, when more and more bounders can make it to the counter without falling on the floor before their destination. All in all, the bounders make up the majority of the inn customer base.

Summer is lazy

The hot season is a good time to take it easier in the shade, lying in your hammock, or picnicking under a tree with your friends. The Shire event calendar might not be as full as during other times of the year, but there will still be some gatherings every now and then. An odd bunch of hobbits, who call themselves “The Socks”, are having a Socks Pet Show on Saturday 27th June. There are different categories where your pets can win prizes, all listed in the latest issue of The Bramblebury Gazette. The event post also suggests that you should wear a hat, so it might be a good opportunity to try out the hats of shame that the Mayor gifted us during the last fireworks festival. Around the midsummer, hobbits will also gather over The Hill for a grand summer picnic. This old tradition includes the famous pie rolling race where hobbits roll down the hillside to the Party Tree and race back to the picnic area. Not only the fastest will be rewarded – prizes will also be granted for doing some special and personal activities during the run. Earlier, hobbits have dressed up in outfits, greeted Lobelia with fireworks or gone backwards all the way. Of course, everyone will be rewarded with lots of good pie and other picnic food. There are also talks of another historical field trip, this time back to a favourite location of former field trips: Girdley Island. Remember to bring your fishing rods.

In addition to the few special events, there are always the regular meet-ups: markets, Badger rehearsals, The Gala at the Ivy Bush, Fed Poets gatherings, and Green Dragon Fridays, of course. So you cannot escape from the catchy summer earworms this year either. More events might pop up as the summer goes on. It is also a good moment to train your dog, if you are planning to take part in the annual dog show later in September. So if you don’t feel lazy, there will still be many fine things to do in the Shire.

Whatever the weather may be and the Mayor would do, hobbits will still keep coming together and enjoy their own simple way of life, celebrating food and cheer. We wish you all a grand summer and hope to see you in the Shire!

OOC: This is the seasonal Shire forecast where we aim to provide common pointers and ideas for hobbit roleplay in LOTRO. If you have ideas for upcoming issues, please contact Pycella (pycellawoodberry[a]gmail.com).