Lompoc: Lompoc Renaissance Festival - March 27th & 28th, 2010

Don Juan, Arya and I arrived at the faire site, to find Sir Orion’s truck buried in the sand up to its back axel. There was a large crowd there trying to help get it out of the sand, which was a good thing. Don Juan found a board to put under the tire, which helped. With the group of folk pushing on the back end, and the group of people pulling on a tow cable from the front and the board under the tire, they were successful in getting the truck out of the sand.

They had already unhooked the trailer, so we needed to empty it out before trying to get it reattached and out of there. After unloading the trailer, the guys got it lined up better and were successful in getting it hooked back up to the truck. Don Juan and Arya, standing on the back bumper of the truck, with Sir Orion driving were able to get both out of the sandy pit without further difficulties.

The faire site was unusual in that there were lots of little branches off of the main line. Our branch had a stage on the end of the main line, with a vendor, then a tavern and then us. We didn’t get a lot of foot traffic, and then when we did the tavern next door would steal them. It was the most active tavern I’ve ever seen, they kept pulling the patrons in to play games. Very cool, but not so good for us.

As promised we had a large area in which we could fire the trebuchets, which was nice. We didn’t need to do a lot of policing prior to firing, and because we were firing produce and they have a large native population of free ranging animals (mountain lions and deer are native, as well as snakes), we didn’t need to pick up all of our mess, just the big stuff. In addition to cabbage we were firing cantaloupe, which was fun (and messy!).

At notes on Saturday the faire board said that there were 5 more vendors and 5 more guilds than last year show up. Sunday notes it was said that the gate was down from last year, but they anticipated picking it up on Sunday. I don’t think that happened, though. The crowds seemed much smaller on Sunday than on Saturday.

About noon on Saturday the wind kicked up and took our precarious sun canopy with it so we were without shade for the weekend. Saturday was very warm. The weather said that it was supposed to be 73, but the base camp thermometer said it was 84. We were on the top of a ridge, so perhaps that’s why it was warmer. Sunday was bright, but cooler.

We really needed another two people (at minimum) to work effectively. The Queen’s Ha’Penny Consort were present and begged us to come dance for them, however we just didn’t have the manpower to do so. Even if a few of us could have gotten away, it would not have been enough for a set. So we didn’t dance all weekend. They were begging for folk to do meet & greet, but even that we had to refuse.

Monday morning when we were tearing down, Justin Le Chevaliar came over and I asked if we could disregard the rules next year and put in 24” stakes, and he said that would be fine. If we come back, we would then have a shade canopy. Don Juan made some other suggestions, which I didn’t hear. He was very open to any/all feed back. I think it would be a good thing to attend next year, if we could have more than 4 adults and a wee one committed.

Sonora: Sonora Celtic Festival - March 12, 13 & 14, 2010

If I had to use a word to describe Sonora it would be … crazy!

The school event on Friday went very well. We managed to have enough time to set up the pavilion and the shade canopy, pull out the rugs, the chairs and the trunks before the day began. There were lots of kids, but it wasn’t packed. According to Marti on Saturday morning we had 1,000 kids, but they certainly didn’t make it down to our neck of the woods. We were all alone down south.

The sky was overcast, but it wasn’t too cold. On our end we had Orion, Gavin, Gwen, Detta and myself for the entire thing, and Don Juan for much of it (he had to park the trailer at the RV place as there was no street parking for it, so we lost him for about an hour or so). We had the traction treb set up and were using water balloons for ammunition. Early on Orion was the counterweight with Gwen loading the water balloons and Detta bracing the base. Once Don Juan came back Orion & he were pretty much operating it.

I was either firing Orion’s treb with the kids, loaded with golf balls, or filling water balloons with Gwen & Detta’s help. As I said, crazy. Gavin was being sweet and would fetch the balls for me some of the time. Otherwise he kept himself entertained, which was a big help.

Around about 12:30pm the rain came in, we kept thinking it was going to go away, but it decided to stay. Fortunately for the crowds (and for us), most everyone was in the stands watching the joust. I must say I’m pretty impressed that the Knights of Avalon continued to perform even in the rain. We decided to call it a day at 2:45ish, as the rain wasn’t letting up. We decided to not remove anything else from the trailer and to deal with it in the AM.

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Saturday arrived quietly. The rain stopped during the night and the sun was out. It was very cold, though. Upon arriving at the faire site we found that the shade canopy had collapsed during the night. It had been heavily saturated with the rain and then when everything froze over during the night, the wet ground released the stakes and the entire thing fell. Detta, Merrick and I had the pleasure of trying to move it to the back of Don Juan’s truck. It was nearly solid. When I say ‘frozen solid’, I mean literally.

At this point the ground was starting to thaw, and it was getting really nasty. Our green carpet got the worst of it, I think. We ended up with a large puddle underneath the carpet between the chairs and the pavilion. You didn’t really notice it to look at it, until you stepped there and the carpet would pool. We unloaded some more of our things, but not nearly as much as usual, so it was a weird weekend in that we didn’t have all of our ‘stuff’ to occupy our time. We did get the kitchen out, which helped fill out our encampment (as well as Killian’s chain mail ‘guys’) this really helped since we looked so plain without our shade canopy.

The way things played out we had Detta and Merrick for half the day, Killian, Kieran, Robin, Don Juan and myself. Sir Guy stopped by on Saturday (he’d come for the cardinal-ing of Chris Morgan, however that has been postponed until Tulare) with his grandson and his two daughters.

Lord Bothwell (from Saint Andrews) came up with a gig where he was going to have gentlemen together for lunch in their encampment to throw food at the kitchen staff (or something), however he didn’t limit it to members of St. Andrew’s as it played out he ended up absconding with four of our members (Don Juan, Killian, Kieran & Sir Guy). When we only have eight people in attendance, this was insane. So, I discussed it with him…particularly after I had found out that he was planning on doing the same thing on Sunday! Everything worked out in the end and I got the queen on Sunday…

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Sunday was beautiful…if cold starting. We arrived on site at 8am and were loathe to get out of the truck it was so cold. Eventually we did and trekked up for some hot chocolate and some hall shopping, as I was wearing hoops I knew I wouldn’t be welcome in there later on. Detta was with us all day, which was terrific. One more body is always nice.

At meet and greet I was taught a new dance by St. Genivive’s (however you spell it). I started calling it ‘An Ode to Sonora’ as I taught it to folk later on. I was planning on teaching it to HRM’s Mary’s alas the only one in attendance in our encampment wasn’t adventurous enough to fully try (she gave up after the 'mud' refrain). But that’s okay, later in the day I challenged Dame's Brittah and Annabel and they both bucked up amiably and took the challenge. It was quite fun. Ask me about it and I can teach it to you. I’ve even added two verses...er refrains...er whatever those things are called!

The first cabbage we threw Sunday morning exploded it was so cool. We really needed to have that on video! We think it was because it was frozen...we'll have to try that again! Whatever the only part that was really left was the core.

As I mentioned before Her Majesty came to visit bringing a small entourage. She got a break to eat and then we were able to dance a bit (Hearts Ease) before the other Mary’s caught up with her.

Don Juan drug me out of the encampment in the afternoon kicking and screaming (okay well maybe not kicking and screaming on the outside). He caught me so off guard I didn’t have my cup, but did have my embroidery with me. We stopped by the beekeepers where I got to teach them the new dance along with my first added verse. They’re really good people I’m sad that there wasn’t more time to spend with them this faire. Then we stopped to talk with Justin (Knightlighting).

We stopped by Obsidian Moon so I could ask them how we could best help them with their business. They seemed intrigued by my question. They said that we should be aware of the patrons around us and step out (as in the way we would speak to the queen, with our body half turned towards her and half turned out towards the audience) if there were a patron there to see their wares. There were a few more suggestions, but I don’t want to put them in writing, as I don’t want them to be misconstrued. This is something we should definitely talk more about.

We also stopped to talk to Joyce Roberts (The Queens Favor) and a new vendor that was set up across from them. We got the new vendor hooked up with her to discuss her faires. Last stop we, of course, stopped to talk to New Sterling Arms.

Sunday was hot, I think everyone got sunburned. I’ve still got the chills from mine.

Tear down went well, we’ve got some items that will need to be dried more (like the rugs), but otherwise it appears as if everything weathered the weather okay. We have some new red streaks down the sides of the pavilion, but it held tight through the worst of the worst.

Workshop - March 7, 2010

Here’s a brief overview of the topics we were educated on:

• Review the items we discussed at our last training for folk who missed it.
• Reviewed some new character building spreadsheets, and heard Sir Guy's story. We were all encouraged to draft up a family tree going back to our grandparents.
• Danced: Black Allemande, Gathering Peascods, and attempted Cuckolds All In A Row
• A word search was handed out with key people and places in the life of Mary Stewart, with accompanying art and photos of some of the items in the search.
• Sir Ryk Tucker instructed us in heraldry. If anyone would like assistance in designing their coat of arms he has offered his assistance.