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This year things went better from before the beginning as I had Friday night off and so ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
jmaynard and I could go to Sioux Falls on Friday evening, I could get some sleep, and have a chance of being truly awake for things. After checking into the motel (great location, not so great design) we had supper at HuHot and then visited a comic & games shop I used to deal with much more. This time it was surgical strike shopping for an upcoming ACME delivery.
We also stopped in at a Hy-Vee liquor store to see what they had. I wasn't really expecting much but I wound up getting a few things. The most interesting was a bottle of Chartreuse. We were clearly "not in Minnesota anymore" as behind the checkout counter were taps - you could get a growler filled beer if you wanted. I asked about one brew and was given a tiny sample.
Saturday I had hoped to set up a bit with the mead vendor, but they were doing things different and a key bit wouldn't be available, so I bailed on that idea - and though I had had a fairly large breakfast, did not partake. I found Minos and company and confirmed the centaur bit. It went better this year, though I wound up laying down again, this time I made it to the prep. tent first. I had a water bottle (which looks like a wine bottle) which helped, but not quite enough. To my disappointment the soft drink folks did not have Gatorade there this year. I had been planning to fill the bottle with that, rather than plain water. I do think it would have helped.
There were a few folks that were there not as mythical creatures (though one might have been, but he was simply too big to be the 'baby' dragon). One was a fellow in 'pirate' dress that... well, seemed to me to be from The Department of Not Getting It. He had some great costume ideas - for a convention, not a faire, not even the extension that is the Mythical Garden. But he saw them as faire ideas. Zilch might speak of him someday should any come to pass.
It felt slow, but much was that there were genuine acts going on (I saw Topsy Turvy from 'behind' due to layout). It did pick up with time. When our 'crier' tossed his bell down as we finished and changed back to (renfest) normal I said, "One ringy-dingy" and Minos had some reply I forgot. Later as we were about done with the costume change(s) the crier asked, "Tomorrow, same bat-time, same bat-channel?" to which Minos replied, "You bet your bippy" and I commented, "How 1960s can we get?" "Yeah, I think we pegged the needle on the geek-o-meter."
Afterwards, I went looking for food. Breakfast was big, but it had been some time ago, and I had expended some effort in those hoof-shoes. Despite arrangements Minos had made, I could not actually sit, nor even lean back a bit, so it was quite tiring. W
To my (and Jay's, I found out later) disappointment, Rowdy Hog was not there. We found out later that they had planned to be, but wound up too short on help. They were missed.
Wandering the site, I found a few shops of interest and made a couple small purchases, and mental notes for Sunday. I think the only act I truly sat down and watched was Zilch, and considering what all I got, I started wondering how many references I might be missing.
We bailed a bit early and made our way to a (the?) Indian restaurant, where Jay mused it had been some time since we were there without having to explain things to someone in our party. Since jay was driving, I went and had the Flying Horse Royal Lager which I was very glad to find was only 4.7 ABV since it was a 655 mL bottle. Not my usual style, but works well with the medium spicy (for the restaurant...) dishes. While one person can have that lager all to oneself, with a meal, there is quite enough that sharing it is not at all unreasonable. Somewhere in there was a quick stop at a store for naproxen and sports-drink powder.
Sleep came quickly, but between the hoof-shoe time and the motel mattress (way too soft, I think) I was sore enough I tried sleeping on the floor for a while once when I woke up in the night. That didn't work much better, alas.
After getting ready for the day and final packing, we checked out of the motel and headed out to Cracker Barrel for breakfast again (the motel offering left much to be desired). I wandered a bit and did a bit of preparation, acquiring a bottle of Gatorade from a source I shall not mention here, and filling my 'wine' bottle with a double dose of drink powder and then water. I purposely delayed my appearance at the Mythical Garden some as I didn't want to be standing longer than I really had to.
That, and a delay in setup, helped. I made to the end of the allotted time, but just barely. I need to be in better shape for this and prepare even more with the water and electrolytes. The pirate was there again, now with a newly acquired eyepatch. A couple that had visited the day before asked how he lost his eye and were told, "Taking a ship." "What was the name of the ship?" asked the man. The pirate didn't have a ready answer and I quietly said to the lady, "I believe it was the Lollipop. It was a Good Ship." and she got it. The pirate... did not. To my amusement, when someone else asked about the eyepatch, the lady said it was the Lollipop. The next thing that came up was, why was a pirate ("Pirates are not mythical.") at the Mythical Garden. Our pirate no explanation for that, so I invented a bit more backstory: He was there to assist us, and if he did well enough, we'd see about recovering his eye. It seems I can readily invent backstory - as long as it's not my own.
Once again, part of post-Mythical recovery was a meal. One of the women from the mead vendor asked if or why I wasn't drinking. "You saw where and what I was. Drinking before that is a Bad Idea. After that, I have not eaten for some time, and it is bad to drink on an empty stomach. However, I have now just finished lunch. So..." and I made my selection and paid for it. She poured - into the standard plastic cup for measurement. I was about to pour that into my mug when she grabbed the cup and mug away from me, poured the cup into the mug herself, and then took my mug back to the taps and added a bit more. "You did not have to do that." Reply: *wink*. Well, I wasn't arguing with it.
One bit of street performance was a couple gals as Pose-A-Peasant. This is a risky bit as holding a pose for any time can get tiring. They had been left in crouching positions and one had all but begged to be shifted to releive her back (something I quite understood!). Someone set them up with a prop to recreate the scene of American Gothic (Gothic Gothic?). While that was going on, I had An Idea... and borrowed the colorful sidewalk chalk nearby and drew a few sets of colored circles on the ground. "I am worried about what is going on behind us. Oh no. I think I know what this is." Yes, I left them with a crudely drawn version of Twister.
The last memorable event at the faire was at a soap vendor I (or we) saw last year, not only at Siouxland, but also at Sioux City Riverssance. The gal there was utterly stunned that there was a soap scent we agreed on in a positive way. Generally we do agree, or at least tolerate most selections. We both reject a few (especially patchouli.. eww) but there are some more floral scents that I rather like (honeysuckle, lilac) that Jay considers too flowery. However we both really liked the new 'butter rum' soap they had.
I told the story of very stimulating peppermint glycerin soap a different vendor had and how it could be a bit much. It was fine if lathered up and fairly quickly rinsed off. Let it linger and it could have noticeable effect. And some parts of the anatomy are more sensitive than others. A line from a certain Rock'n'Roll tune could sum up the initial discovery, "Goodness, gracious, great..." "I knew that was where that was going." And I had mentioned this to the other vendor (years ago now) was told, "That's why we don't have cinnamon. It'd be more potent yet." I ventured how a cinnamon-peppermint combination might be excessive. "I could make that." "What, and sell it to the BDSM crowd as..." and suggested a name for it. "I might have to make that now, just to use that name!"
We were told that they would not be at Riverssance this year as they managed to get into the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. Asked if we'd been there, we replied that we had not and with the same owner as the Minnesota Renaissance Festival the idea wasn't that appealing to us. We gave up on MNRF years ago, as we had more fun, overall, just about anywhere else. The acts are good, but the feel is.. off. We were then told that while the ownership was the same, the direct management was very different - and that if we decided to go, they would see we got tickets. While the tickets would be a minor expense of a KCRF visit, it is very kind offer and one which we are at least considering.
It was another very good day, and I truly zonked out on the way home. I barely recall us merging onto I-90 from I-29 if I made it that far awake, and didn't wake up until the exit for Fairmont. Only once we were home was it discovered or remembered that one item had been left behind. A phone call or two and that was sorted out, and Tuesday's mail had the item back where it belonged.
Did I see everything? No. I doubt anyone really can see it all in a weekend, even having free time to roam or see acts from open to close both days. Did I miss something? Almost certainly. But I had a very good time, and that's what really matters.
For a while I thought I might have been missing out on things by participating in the Garden, but the past several years I spent most of the same time visiting the Garden so it really wasn't much different. I just had a very different perspective. This year's lessons are not for the faire, but more for me. I need to be in better shape (less weight, more endurance) for this. I need to apply sunscreen anywhere that might get exposed, even my own garb normally covers that area - I have a bit of mild sunburn on my right arm where I missed a bit.
Having had a very good time at the Siouxland Renaissance Festival this past year, even with the tiredness from working Friday night and possible dehydration issues while trying to be an upstanding centaur, I decided to see if there were other faires or festivals that would be workable in terms of calendar timing and driving distance - and appeal. Most were too far away, a few were timed awkwardly, one was simply not of interest. Two stood out. One was Sioux City Riverssance and the other was one I'd not heard of before: Ren in the Glen near Glenwood, WI. This was relatively close and in late July. That's almost ideal. Really, only Siouxland is more convenient. And it was also close enough for my mother and a friend of hers to make a trip for the faire. What got their attention, and mine, was that one featured act was Pizpor the Magician, who is talented enough to make a great show out of "bad" tricks.
The faire, we eventually discovered, was formed as sort of byproduct of the collapse of the Chippewa Falls faire. "We have a much better idea of who not to deal with now." was said. This was not the first year, for Glenwood, but the third. We were told it has grown considerably, but it's taking a slow and steady approach to growth rather than overambitiously burning out as so many events do. It has a very "small Iowa faire" feel to it, which is a Good Thing. While one isn't likely to see many Iowa folks there, the feel is similar - and there were some Iowa/Sioux Falls people, such as Thread Bear (woven stuff). A "Nishna" feel was mentioned - Nishna being a faire that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, but was a lot of fun.
A couple of the more memorable vendors were a candy vendor with a good variety of fudge and "old time" flavors like sassafras and clove, and a beer vendor who had some good stuff - this was not a place to get Budweiser or Miller or Coors. The main food was of a reasonable selection for the size and location of the event. I doubt even a picky eater would have been left hungry. If that wasn't enough, a few vendors had a snack or drink sideline.
We really only saw a couple shows. I had to work Friday night again and napped (or tried to) while underway on Saturday morning, so I had only a few hours of real consciousness before pretty much collapsing at or after supper (which wasn't at the faire, but at a place - the Norske Nook - famous for its pies, and whose location I misremembered). After a good night's sleep, I was more awake for Sunday and the weather was a bit better, sunny rather than occasional drizzle. And that's when Pizpor had a show where things really, really clicked.
Pizpor's show is quite good, but sometimes there isn't much of an audience due to weather or it's late in the day and the general energy is ebbing. But this was his second show of the day. The weather was ideal. The crowd was, for the location, large, and things just went right. At one point a troupe of belly dancers sat down to watch and I turned, facing away from the stage (knowing Pizpor would find a way to work with it) and told them, "The view is better this way." which they appreciated. Not much later, sure, enough, he asked about the situation. "He says the view is better this way!" and after a bit more of the show, something must have not gone quite right and he suggested, "Why don't we all look away from the stage?" Other bits went on as expected, or rather, as hoped. One bit involves the "infamous" rope trick ("There is no rope trick!")[1] with three bits of rope, which get handed out to audience members for a few moments and then reacquired. "I have long one!" "I have an average one." and for the short rope, "I drive a Corvette." but this guy had seen the show before, and was into it. Instead of the more usual sheepish hesitance, he belted out the line and the audience roared - and Pizpor was as shocked as I've ever seen him. We spoke a bit after that show and he was glowing with how amazingly well things gone. It seemed to more than make up for the morning show where weather had had a negative influence just when he would have passed the hat.
I think we all plan on returning to Ren in the Glen. It's a great way to spend an easygoing weekend in late July. The location works but isn't horribly far away from larger cities, the tickets are very inexpensive ($7 per person, with a discount for ordering ahead). This is smaller than Siouxland or Riverssance, but it has the right feel to it. It might be small, but it's not lacking. It has the "We're throwing a party..." (or having a picnic) "...and you're invited." feeling that good faires have.
[1] The afternoon before, in an off moment, Pizpor had just arrived and was relaxing on a then-unused stage. I got up and joined him, "Now I can say I've shared a stage with Pizpor!" He asked just what we were doing and I replied, "Here we are, both not doing the rope trick." He approved of this.
It's been several years since I was able to visit the Sioux City 'Riverssance' Renaissance festival. It's perhaps the last of the small Iowa faires not run by a certain organizer who, as soon as I see he involved, causes me to lose any interest. I think I have been there twice before - once driving and once jmaynard and I flew (if you think garb gets you odd looks at times, climb out of a private plane in garb and watch the jaws drop...) It's a fun little faire with more than a few familiar faces - some of which we'd not seen in far too long.
Things are finally, just barely, to the point where we have the time & money to be able to enjoy more than just one faire per year. Saturday did not have the best of starts due to not finding a little place for breakfast. It was there, but we didn't find it until after breakfast at an IHOP that had lacking service - I wondered if someone hadn't showed up for that shift.
Upon arrival at the faire, there was (overly) amplified music for a belly dance troupe. It was not the group I remembered or wished to see... and they could have dropped things at least 20 dB and been fine, though it still might have been too loud. I had to stand well away just to be able to tolerate the sound level. I felt ZERO guilt walking away from this bunch.
Wandering some, I found the right group, Danza Mystique, with more appropriate sound (live drummer, anything more now provided by a very unobtrusive tablet). It was near the end of their performance and Nasira pulled me onto the stage almost upon seeing me (the last bit is always an audience participation bit, usually mainly for kids). The stage was in three independent sections and the ground was uneven. I stepped aside after one go around as I was worried my weight on one the pieces acting as a lever might send a little kid flying. After the performance finished about the first thing said was on the order of "We're still using those chairs. Thank you." I had all but forgotten about them. This goes back to 2003: "You brat!"
While the Danzan's were talking to other folks, I gathered some sticks and twigs and shimmed the stage some. The end result was still far from perfect, but much, much less likely to send anyone flying - or stumbling. Sunday, their drummer made a point of thanking me for doing that. I was more surprised that nobody else had done anything of the sort.
Later we caught up with Robert of Orckes & Trolles (Or as Zski calls/called them, "Orckies & Trollies") and learned that they had a third CD out and we'd had a mention in the liner notes of their second. I hadn't realized I had that one and if I saw that, had forgotten. They had just recently sold out of the second CD and on Sunday I suggested a scan of the notes and that was agreed to. I've since sent an email to let Robert know that is not necessary as we do indeed have that CD.
There was a post-faire-day gathering (such things seem fairly common at the little Iowa faires I like & have missed since most of them disappeared) at Golden Corral where the rennies had a room mostly to themselves, but it wasn't enough. I know for sure I missed a few people. I suspect a waitress felt overwhelmed or at least bewildered - but she had more than a little help from some of the rennies gathering plates, and we made sure she got a very good tip.
Sunday started better, as we went to the right place for breakfast. For a hole in the wall known for hot dogs, they do omelets very, very well indeed. The day was also a bit warmer and a bit less windy, but I decided to start the day with woolen Inverness cloak just to be sure. I spent much of Saturday indulging in hot cocoa. The one downside was the not-Danza group had cranked their amp... to the point the Orckes & Trolles decided they wouldn't bother trying to sing over it - and they were half-way across the site. We later learned that they had generated more than a few complaints about that.
Much of Sunday was a repeat of Saturday, with the addition of seeing an Orckes & Trolles performance (without them having to compete with an amplifier), a bit of Shattock's (they're still around - though only Mercutio is left of the original cast) take on Romeo & Juliet. Until recently, I was expecting to see Foolscap and Lady Ampersand as well, perhaps as Concentio Agnorum, though a web site makes it look like things pretty much ended a couple years ago. Due to their recent move far from Iowa, this was not to be.
A few purchases were made. A local winery had some good stuff and we bought a few bottles, and sampled others. And after sampling their chokecherry wine, I made a point of buying a bottle of that, too. Just as we were about to decide on some soaps, there was a gust of wind. This was caught by the side of a tent, which transmitted the force to a open display case which tipped. I just barely caught the case, but the soap went flying all the same. After some reassembly, another gust of wind, and a change of layout so any more wind gusts wouldn't provide a game of 52-bar pick-up, the selections were settled upon and purchased. I also picked up a ceramic 'flask' that has some unicorn imagery - and got the lecture on what NOT to do with it (all inspired by others doing exactly those things, with disastrous result). Jay bought a teeny tiny little ceramic bowl (you could maybe dip *a* fingertip in it) for work, to demonstrate how much he cares about some things, as his caring would not even fill that bowl. We also stopped in at Thread Bear, who we saw at Ren in the Glen (which I evidently didn't post about... yet). I did not see Scots Dragon there, and only now do I find that they have ceased operations. I wonder if their successors were there.
I am unsure which day it was, but Nasira made a point of getting a photo of her with me, with me wearing my "Property of Danza Mystique" tag. This photo is to be sent to Tamalena who moved rather far west many years ago now. The back of the tag reads, "If lost, return to Tamalena." Someone else of the group remarked, "Wow, you have been around awhile. We haven't given those out in years." I am told that Tamalena will be greatly amused by the picture. I hope so.
All in all, it's good to be "back" some. I missed the little Iowa faires and the folks I met at them. This was very, very therapeutic.
I used to go to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (MnRF)* multiple times per season, and for a few years even sprung for the season pass. Eventually I gave up on that as having the pass made it seem an obligation to "get my money's worth" out of it every weekend that had halfway decent weather. And after seeing all the little Iowa faires that used to be, and Siouxland, and WiRF when it was (and even a few truly bad faires that were one-shots or ought to have been) MnRF paled in many ways.
But it's been several years since I went, I had the time this year, and opening day/weekend generally has the most enthusiasm with the least crowd, and my mother and a friend of hers and my sister would all likely be there. So today I went. Before I caught up with folks (admittedly more by chance than plan) it was alright, but did seem like it would be a rather "meh" day.
After that, well, it was this fellow's first RenFest and he was excited about almost everything and that certainly helped things. Having family around didn't hurt either. But I suspect that my one day at MnRF will be enough for this season. A few things struck me:
1. The prices. I know I've not been to anything besides Siouxland for some time, and I was expecting "faire prices" but not quite as bad as what I saw. I think the only thing on par with other places were the pickles.
2. The gravel for pathways is really coarse. I don't recall noticing that before, but then MnRF was my first RenFest and what I went to often so I may have been used to it then. Now I am used to other places and what MnRF has seems of really poor quality. I now wonder how they don't have more ankle injuries and the like.
3. I met Anna (of Siouxland) for a moment and the brief conversation rather confirmed the feeling I've long had, which is that everyone (patrons, vendors, entertainers) has more fun at Siouxland. Evidently at one after-faire gathering someone had tried to poach some the folks who performed at Siouxland only to get told, in essence, "You don't get it. We('d) pay to be here!" (Not that the folks at MnRF aren't having a good time. It's that at Siouxland they have an even better time.)
Was it a bad way to spend a day? No. I might do it again. But not this season. I'd much rather save up time & money for Sioux City Riverssance in October. And if I miss MnRF next year, well, I won't be upset.
I've seen some call it MRF, but I've seen MRF for Maryland too. Gee, multiple states starting with M and someone figures that MRF can only mean ONE thing?
Further Faire Musings
13 June 2012 22:18
In years past, when there were several small one-weekend or even one-day renaissance faires in Iowa, Jay & I would go to them and relax though often it was more about seeing friends and catching up on things than the faire itself. By around 2006 many of those faires had disappeared. Some, like Salisbury, had served their purpose (raising money for Salisbury House) or the organizers had moved out of state, or it simply wasn't economically feasible. As the economy was, for me, already in something of downswing by 2007, our faire trips were reduced to pretty much just the Siouxland Renaissance Festival. More recently, my having a couple jobs, one at night, made things awkward for more than once or twice a year and the economics hadn't really improved.
I missed, and still miss, the little Iowa faires. With one job going full time (at last!) and hopefully no need to have the second one, save on a contingency basis ("Hey, can you cover for a couple hours...?") possibilities look to be opening up again. But now there's not much of any place to go. Not Iowa, but the Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire is now also gone. From an outsider's view it looked like a pretty good thing, but evidently there was something screwy going on, so it does not exist this year. Of next year, I have no idea.
Sure, there is the Des Moines Faire, but that isn't one of the little ones in my mind. And though it might be worth another try, I don't recall being all that impressed with it. Perhaps it's because I know just a bit of what went into making that particular sausage. Amana Colonies? As far as I am concerned it was over when the last event there was rained out and the organizer moved out of state. The organizer of a previous event there has one in the Spring (already passed) that utterly fails to interest me. That pretty much leaves just Sioux City Riverssance which I rather like. Oh, there is also the Minnesota Renaissance Faire, but we stopped going to that years ago as it didn't feel right. It felt like paying to walk around a mall. I might go back for a day this Summer, just to see, but I will have low expectations, save for a few acts.
Riverssance is the first weekend in October, which is also the weekend of the Big Island Rendezvous in Albert Lea. I haven't been to that event in some years either, though some of that was because I was at Riverssance when I could be. Big Island is something I can do as a one day thing, as Albert Lea only an hour or so away. Given the choice, I'll go to Riverssance again (It's sort of like Siouxland in my view, and that's about as a good a recommendation as you're likely to hear), though it does mean greater travel (and also hotel) expense involved.
Thursday, Friday
It was a couple weekends ago and for various reasons I've not gotten around to writing until now, though the outline took shape much earlier. Things began with the Thursday evening arrival of my mother who got to make the trip to Siouxland and back each in a couple segments rather than one long haul from Wisconsin. My work schedule meant that we really didn't have much time to talk until the trip to Sioux Falls Friday afternoon. Still, it was good time to catch up pn things then. After checking into the hotel we went out to HuHot "Mongolian Barbecue" which was quite filling. I had a postcard for 20% a bottle of wine at the Little Cellar Wine Company (from their birthday club thing) so we made a detour there and I made my selection before returning to the hotel. Though it was early, I tried to sleep since I had been up rather early and needed to flip my schedule to diurnal.
That worked well enough for me, but jmaynard had a couple weather-related flight delays and arrived closer to 2 AM than the planned 11:30 or midnight. I didn't sleep all the night, and rediscovered just how annoying I now find TV. After searching in vain for news or a tolerably interesting show (yes, I know, I shouldn't expect very much at 1 AM Saturday...) I gave up and read a book.
Saturday
I woke up early and tried not to make an unneeded light or sound so Jay could sleep, which made morning cleanup a bit tricky though perhaps I needn't have worried. After a shower and dressing in the mundanes I decided coffee was a Good Idea for me and checked out the hotel breakfast. The coffee was okkay, but the rest was, well, if I had wanted a light breakfast it would have been tolerable for me. I figured Jay would reject it as it was all carbs save for the hard boiled eggs. I was right. When he got up, we walked to the nearby IHOP where he had breakfast, my mother and I each had more coffee, and we had an annoying waitress - one of those that uses "we" like she's talking (down) to third graders.
The day improved from there. After garbing up & getting the faire site, the only issue was with Jay's patron pin and that was dealt with typical Siouxland efficiency. Scotch eggs were had and the wandering commenced. I had some of the "Egyptian" mead and later quipped that it had me seeing faeries - though one could see Twig with no need of mead. The patron tent was well-supplied with fudge (I ate too much, even trying to moderate that quite a bit), water, and fruit - and good company as usual.
I am unsure now if I saw any show other one (or parts of a couple) of Zilch the Tory Steller's. A good chunk of the day was taken up in the Mythical Garden where a dragon, a couple fauns (think satyr-like), a very out-of-her-element mermaid, a centaur, and Minos the minotaur were. I spent a good amount of time bantering with the centaur and girls nicknamed "Squirrel" who had climbed a bit into a tree and was harassing the centaur.
I caught up with rillaspins at the volunteer tent since I figured she might only be around for Saturday. As it was, she was around into Sunday but all of it. She hadn't heard the news of my father and was rather shocked by it. She had suggested some kebab place for supper and I told her of plans for an Indian restaurant that I had tried once, though I am unsure if there is any relation at all to the Taste of India that had closed a few years ago. After the fair we did all go there and got a new question as we had not all changed out of our faire garb yet: "Are you a band?"
Overall it was very good day, though quite long, even not staying to closing. Thus upon returning the hotel there was not much done but the very necessary. And then collapse.
Sunday
By comparison to Saturday, I slept in. This time we all had breakfast at IHOP - with a much better waitress. We didn't try to make opening gate (and certainly hadn't on Saturday!) but arrived not much later. This time at the mead vendors I quipped that I was seeing faeries and thus needed a drink. (I had a grand total of two alcoholic drinks each day - and plenty of other fluids, in case you were wondering.) Twig was around again, of course, and I saw her through the day. Eventually I bought one of her books, which she more than signed (I might get another next faire) and a calendar was included[1]. I think she has become a fixture, if you can call anything as flighty as a faerie that, at Siouxland.
Taking my time wandering around, I bought a few things. A wooden-wicked candle that is supposed to have crackle to it kind of like a miniature fireplace (I've not tried it yet), some soaps (the rosemary mint is indeed quite invigorating), and some chicory that I also have yet to try.
Again, I spent quite some time with the Mythicals, and sort of became one of them, according to Minos. He had me occasionally check up on the others as to if they needed a break, water, or whatever, and had me invite the Queen and her party to the Gardens before they packed up - extending their 'stage' time to allow this visit of the Queen and all her followers. When a group photo was arranged, I was almost in it. I was about to step out when Minos insisted that was part of the group and belonged in the picture. As it was, I am not really in it - I was behind the dragon, holding some tree branches back out of the way. That's fine. I think I would have looked out of place in the picture.
Sunday was a bit hotter than Saturday, but the forecast rain never happened and that was good trade. To deal with the heat there were fluid and of course, the "Rennie Gatorade" of pickles. I wound up explaining the Order of the Eagle to someone. I am still impressed by that. And it brings up a story of a morning visit with rillaspins where, when I was leaving the volunteer I stopped to let someone go before and got told, "No, you go ahead" and it (mock?) shocked Rilla, "SHE deferred to someone?!" And got a reply to the effect unless it was a matter of preventing the end of the world, she would always defer to me (and I presume Jay). I don't mind, but it still weirds me out a bit to experience things like that. I don't feel like we really did all that much, and yet I have come to learn that what we did may well have been the critical event in steering things from "close" to "press on" - though I didn't realize it until much, much later.
The Caravan Gypsy dancers were there, which I had hoped for. They had been at Winterfeast and Siouxland was seeking sponsorship for them. I no longer have the resources to do such things, but were it still something I could do, I would have. I saw a couple of their shows and I think they did quite well. I only caught Pizpor's last show and with everyone tired, it seemed like positive feedback just wasn't there. Mind, he wasn't bad, and I suspect had I seen any other performance of his it would have been the usual riot. Other than tiredness and heat and a long day (or two), I can't think of anything that actually went amiss.
Jay left a bit early as he was still recovering from the late flights. My other and I left some time later and talked more on the trip home. Once home, I did a quick shower & change and well all went out for supper - evidently just barely in time as the restaurant was closing around as we were finishing.
Summary
Once again the Siouxland Renaissance Festival was a great gathering of great people, and this year had great weather. Saturday was about perfect, and Sunday slightly warmer. The "You are part of this group." line from Minos seems to be one more thing where I don't really get involved as I see it, but am on the periphery, and somehow still end up somewhat "inside" somehow. This is done mainly by simply showing up.
[1] The Twig calendar is not just a calendar with monthly pictures of Twig. In addition to the usual noted holidays (and the ones many calendars do not have, such as Imbolc) there are some other amusing ones, faerie or occasionally troll related.
On glitter
4 June 2008 21:50
At renaissance faires it's not unusual to find folks dressed as and acting the supposed part of faeries. Some of these use glitter, and not always the nice gel kind. The fine, loose glitter is their "faerie dust." There's a problem, though: it gets everywhere and sticks to garb. Even through washing. A severe encounter can mean finding glitter for quite a long time - even after you thought you were finally rid of it.
So when I found this comment regarding glitter, it was something that amused me enough to quote for the amusement of faire folk:
"...glitter is the herpes of craft supplies." -- sheryl67
Friday plans
3 June 2008 21:45
This past Friday I posted to see if anyone would be in in Sioux Falls for a pre-Siouxland supper. I found out that for different reasons the folks I would usually see then and there won't be around this year. My folks travel plans have also changed and rather than returning from Rapid City or points further west this coming weekend, they're still home this week and will driving to Fairmont on Friday.
So instead of supper in Sioux Falls, it looks like it'll be supper in Fairmont with family. I'm not sure how the rest of the weekend will go. I do know that Jay and I will be doing something different this year. We'll be staying in Sioux Falls Sunday night. This is so jmaynard can catch a morning flight to Atlanta so he can pick up his airplane next week. Then I drive home.
Shortly after Midwest FurFest there were a few postings about how many folks were seen around "headless" rather than in full fursuit. This triggered a few arguments and there seem to be two camps: "It's just a costume, big deal." and "Don't spoil the magic." Each has their points. But it occurs to me that while the visible part is the "headlessness" that it's not the root of issue. The real issue might be a disagreement about what is the stage and what is backstage, or if there is a stage at all.
( All the World's a Stage )
After last year's great Amana Colonies Renaissance Faire, jmaynard and I were looking for to going to ACRF this year. I wanted to go back and Jay wanted to see it for himself as he had to be elsewhere last year.
We won't be going this year, because there is no there to go to:
Due to the excessive recent rain and more in the forecast, the faire has been cancelled. The site is currently under 6" of water in most areas, and there is no drainage.
Not sure what we'll do with the weekend now.
Siouxland No. 6
6 June 2007 16:45I mentioned a few things about the new site last year and some likely still apply. Site issues are site issues and big modern buildings just can't be hidden completely without great expense. This might seem to be a problem, but other faires have similar issues. What matters is attitude and Siouxland, and inspires, a good attitude. The only glitch that I recall was that the patron (for those who sprung for the patron package) parking area was not marked this year. This is easily remedied and most folks wouldn't have noticed.
The Biggest Site Issue Ever, mud, was present due to the rains but not anywhere near to the degree it was for the infamous mudfest a couple years ago. Some kids splashed in puddles, but they were puddles and not ponds threatening to become lakes. I have mud on my boots, but not even up the ankles -- rather than almost everywhere. Whatever anyone says about site issues, the move from Wild Water West to the fairgrounds was shown to be a Big Win this past weekend.
Zilch the torysteller had a small audience when it started to rain and as the sprinkle was turning into a downpour he invited commanded everyone to join him on the covered stage. The result was a slightly abbreviated, but quite good (and intimate) performance.
Jay and I figured something was up as earlier in the year we were told that we had to be at Siouxland this year. Considering Siouxland is our "We are going. And that is that." faire, getting told this made us wonder. We didn't pry, as we knew better and figured any surprise would be a pleasant one. I'm not sure, but it felt like something was supposed to have happened on Saturday and with the weather issue and perhaps a communication or scheduling glitch it didn't work out. Sunday it was suggested (highly recommended?) that we attend the first joust. We did. And we were inducted into the Siouxland Renaissance Association's Order of the Eagle. We had been supportive of the SRA since the very beginnings of it, and a couple years ago were able to aid a bit in the post-mudfest recovery. Evidently it had left a bigger impression than we had thought even if we had been told so before.
Mistress Bawd was back again this year, as were Smee & Blogg. Zilch was not just being a torysteller, but also performing as a musician and doing so quite well. Zilch also now has a DVD, complete with sign language interpreter and subtitles. I have yet to watch it, but expect to be laughing when I do watch it.
The jousters did well in the rain and mud and I would not have blamed them one bit had they skipped the main jousting bit on Saturday afternoon due to the mud. That area was the worst for mud of the entire site. Sunday they were able to set up indoors (Saturday there was a horse show going on in that building). The more controlled, calm conditions let them do more than usually did. I found out later that this was the first time they had performed indoors. They took full advantage of the opportunity.
It was a good weekend and a good faire. The weather wasn't as fully cooperative as many would have liked, but the site has shown that even a downpour won't turn things into another mudfest.
Goodbye Nodaway
26 March 2007 10:05If you attended the 2006 Nodaway faire, you attended the last Nodaway faire. The organizer, Eldorian, was having trouble with getting support from the Corn Carnival folks as it was. He's probably moving sometime this year and has resigned from the Corn Carnival. Without him there isn't sufficient local support for the faire to continue.
Eldorian: if you enjoyed the Nodaway faire and would like to see it continue... please send a letter to us... J. R. Cook, PO Box 94, Nodaway, IA 50857
He needs support fast, folks. If he doesn't get it (and maybe even if he does) you might have attended the last Nodaway Faire.
The letters need to be sent to that address but the letters should probably begin more like Dear Nodaway Corn Carnival. The Corn Carnival doesn't have its own PO Box, but the letters are to them.
Very little, I am told, but I have heard only good things about it. Now that jmaynard's schedule has been confirmed, we've made the requisite reservations and will be going to the Nodaway Corn Carnival Renaissance Faire (you just can't make that up) the weekend after this one.
One of the things that makes Siouxland impressive is a seemingly very simple thing. It's the ability to spot problems and address them. That doesn't necessarily mean that something will get fixed the instant it's noticed - some things require more time than is available just then. When I or Jay or anyone, really, would mention something being amiss, almost every time the response was, "We know. That will be fixed." That same thing happened talking with some folks at WIRF, which made it all the more impressive.
I posted a list of minuses and pluses for ACRF on an active web board and I saw a followup from one of the volunteers who agreed with my list and mentioned that the minuses were things the ACRF folks were already aware of and would be rectifying. Or, as Gilroy put it, "Yes VP there will be follow up care for that Radical Suck-ectomy you discussed... hee hee."
In late July I posted on a web forum that I was looking to share a room for ACRF. A few days ago, having gotten no replies and no e-mail about it, solo reservations were made. This morning I finally noticed the subtle notice that I had a private message waiting to be read on this forum. It had been sitting there since the 10th and I simply never noticed it. I've since changed settings so I ought to get an e-mail alert about such messages. I guess I'm still somewhat used to a different web forum where private message alerts are were more obvious.
I don't know if this will change whether or not the other person can make it to ACRF and I'm not sure what my reaction ought to be. I was the one asking about this and I was the one who didn't notice the reply. Yet this person and I have both been signed into IM quite often between then and now and I'm a bit surprised that my lack of an earlier reply didn't give cause to ask me what was going on.
Faire Choices
27 August 2006 11:25I'd been wondering if jmaynard and I would be going to MNRF this year. He's been pretty busy and I haven't been much excited by the idea. Saturday morning over breakfast Jay remarked that he didn't feel like he was missing MNRF. I replied that neither did I. We agreed that there are some people we'd like to see, but MNRF isn't all that attractive. It has an overly corporate feel to it and isn't as much fun as some other faires. The acts seldom change very much at all and few acts are good enough to withstand repeated viewing if they don't change. And those acts we see elsewhere now. We both know folks who are done dealing with MNRF for various reasons and we see them at other faires. Simply, MNRF just isn't fun for us, so we're not doing it.
I will be at the Amana Colonies Renaissance Faire (Jay has a schedule conflict or he'd be there too) and I'm really looking forward to it. The contrast in my expectations and excitement over ACRF versus MNRF is marked. I had been giving some consideration, though not all that seriously, to attending MFM until I heard of ACRF.
Jay and I are also considering a visit to the Nodaway Faire which we've heard good things about. Due to schedules and distances, that would almost certainly be a one day attendance for us, but we are considering it.
There is also the new Des Moines faire, but considering who is involved with putting it on, we don't have very high expectations. That impression might not be entirely correct, but we're willing to wait for reviews and reports from others before spending time and money on it.
Last night a reservation was made so I have a room for the Amana Colonies Renaissance Faire. I've also arranged to take a few hours off work so I can drive to Cedar Rapids in the afternoon rather than evening.
This looks to be a really fun faire. Not only is it being run by someone other than the guy who ran previous Amana faires over Labor Day weekend, Danza Mystique will be there as they have been at late summer Amana faires past. Minstrosity will be there. And as if that wasn't enough, Mistress Bawd will also be there. I'm really looking forward to this faire.
This weekend: WiRF
7 July 2006 16:40This evening I'll be packing up for faire and driving up to the Cities to stay there overnight, rather like last week. Though instead of flying to Texas, jmaynard and I will be driving to Chippewa Falls for the new Wisconsin Renaissance Faire (Their web site, www.wirenfaire.com is Broken As Designed, redirecting to a non-existent page if javascript isn't enabled rather than having a graceful fallback to actual content. I really hope that is not a sign of how they run things.) where we will see RST and Minstrosity amongst others.
jmaynard has had on-again off-again plans for a work related trip to Knoxville for some time. For a while, it seemed "on" and then "off" and recently was just a "maybe."
Jay and I also had planned on going to the Jubilee faire in Peoria, IL this weekend. We had planned to pick up foolscap001 on the way. It then looked like Jay wouldn't be able to make it, but I'd go and pick up foolscap001. Then something happened and he couldn't go. I looked into going solo, but carrying the costs of a solo trip seemed excessive. Still, I had today off work and it looked like Jay just might be able to make it.
Around noon he got a phone call indicating things were pretty much off next week and he wouldn't be flying anywhere. A quick decision and a last-minute room reservation was made and there was some quick packing. We were on the road fairly quickly.
Just before reaching Clear Lake, IA there was another phone call. The Knoxville work had finally come through. The trip to Peoria was aborted and we drove back, canceled the room reservation, and unpacked.
The downside is that neither of us will be at Jubilee this year and thus will not see RST (or anyone else) there. The upside is that this means that the Knoxville work is finally happening. Also, we can and will go to the "wrap meeting" for Siouxland tomorrow.
