A Fair Amount of Pictures from Fairhaven

I had a tremendous time at the Rennaisance Faire! It took me years and years to actually get to one but now I think I'll make it a regular practice. I'm considering a trip to Atlanta in April...There's a really big one there. I think we'll end up with a gypsy caravan if we (Beth & I) go. Already Shannon and Shepard have expressed an interest and Andy, good natured man that he is, has said he'd go, too ~ AND dress up!

This is a picture of Shannon and Shepard. (Some of you may have seen it on Shannon's xanga.) Shannon abandoned her royal roots and went "gypsy" on me. She looked great, though. Near the end of the day she was hanging around some guys who were playing drums. She started to dance and got a lot of attention, to include someone video taping her! Shepard looked so sweet...

By the time Sunday rolled around I abandoned my royalty as well. As you can see I wore a "sqush and push" and ended up with a henna tattoo. It was fun, though I got a strange sunburn ;o)

The tattoo is nearly gone now. I didn't really take care of it. It's okay, though. I know where to get more - and I don't have to go all the way to Fairhaven to get it!

I saw so many things - the shops, the foods (and the aromas they created), the shows, the people...the dust, the noise ... I really can't wait to do it again!

This is the storylady and her friend the unicorn. They were very cute. The unicorn informed me on Saturday that being able to see her meant something - I spent the rest of the weekend stating I couldn't see her every time I saw her! It's sort of a delicate matter. If you want to know what being able to see a unicorn means, email me & I'll tell you!

The Chicken Man was amazing. He got the audience to participate with nothing more than chicken noises, hand signals, and a whistle. He made the best facial expressions!

Don Juan and Miguel were quite funny - if a little tiresome by the time their show was over. Don Juan was really good with a whip. They have shot a full length feature film that won some sort of award but I can't remember what...

This dear fool was hilarious! He'd sit around and bang himself on the head, spouting jokes and other funny things in order to get a tip. He was a beggar of some sorts but I don't know if he intended to come across as lame or just a fool. Either way, he was funny. On Sunday I jingled my pouch full of change and asked him for some words of wisdom. This is what he said: 'Never remove a hemorroid by using the string and door knob method. It hurts a lot but you get a nice Christmas ornament out of the deal!" Needless to say, I dumped my change into his bucket. He thanked me by whapping himself on the head with his pan. Oh - and he reminded me of someone I know!

There were three parts to the jousting tournament. I saw just the first one but it was entertaining. Some of the "knights" were much more comfortable on horseback than others, but I still enjoyed it. I'd like to see more of the 'competition' next time.

This is a shot of Beth and me on Saturday. You see where we are? Right outside the privies! I think the funniest thing that happened to me that day was when I walked out of a port-a-john and this cavalier gentleman saw me. He swept off his plume-laden hat, bowed deeply with one leg extended and chivalrously said, "Milady."

C'mon! I'd just come out of a port-a-john! I held myself together though. I inclined my head, curtsied slightly, and murmured, "Kind sir." It wasn't until after I'd walked 20 feet that I burst into laughter.

As we were walking out that night, one of the employees stopped me.
Seeing as we closed the place he had been very busy telling people to get out! Leave already! When he saw me he touched me on the shoulder and said, "Except for you, milady." I was really surprised. We all stayed and talked with him for a few minutes before moving along. When we turned to leave he touched my shoulder again and said, "Really, this is very sweet." He was talking about my outfit, of course. (Though I wasn't a true lady as my shoulders were showing!)

Beth and I left early on Sunday. We had a long drive ahead of us and had to work on Monday. As we were leaving, Beth met the local friar. She proposed to him and he accepted! It seemed strange to him to perform his own marriage ceremony, but I thought he did a smashing good job of it.

I think the friar picked quite the hussy, don't you? Ah well, everyone deserves some fun now and again. Honestly, Beth's head gear - feathers, feathers, feathers - got her lots of attention. At one point she was stopped by a guy who wanted to take her picture. Then he was kind enough to take mine.

I stopped at a fairy's cart to purchase a piece of tail. Okay, not a piece of a tail but a whole one. It's a sagey green fox and went well with the brown, pink & green that I'd put together for my Sunday outfit. Having a tail swing from the back of one's belt means something, too. Feel free to email me if you want that information.

As you can see, the fairy wasn't all that thrilled. He was willing, in the spirit of fun, but I think just about everyone who worked the faire was worn out. It was the last day of a two month long event. Most were going to have a two month break before starting up again in Arizona. Most of these people are independents who travel from place to place living in tents & RVs. I think this kind of life would appeal to Shannon, but dancers mostly live on tips alone and don't make much money.....

This is an ent! I saw countless Lord Elronds and Arwens. No hobbits, though. It was neat to me the way all different "types" of people were in attendance and participating in one way or another. There was a large "pirate" contingency on Sunday, many more than what we saw on Saturday.

Some of the costumes were extremely elaborate and must have cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I think given a little time I could make costumes. I'd love to make a cloak! Don't put it past me. I already have the pattern for one. Does anyone remember the cape Pat wore to my party last October? I made that - from the same pattern that could be made into a cloak for a 'lady' such as myself!

The friar took this picture of Beth and me as we were leaving on Sunday. I had a really smashing time and as stated previously, look forward to doing it again. I'd recommend attending a Rennaisance faire to anyone! Even if you don't get into the spirit of things by dressing up, I still think you'd have a good time walking around and watching people, eating the food, watching the shows, and looking at the amazing handiwork of the vendors. Many of the items were hand made.

Yep. It was well worth the trip.