This weekend is All Hallow's Eve at The Texas Renaissance Festival. Decorated pumpkins both carved and painted can be found at the counters of most shoppes. There are more people in costume today. I saw two Elvis, a miniature Green Giant and lots of beer wenches in mini skirts.
In the parking lot, Jim tells me that he bought new boots since he can't find his old pair. He hopes that he didn't leave them at Scarby and that he just misplaced them during Hurricane Ike. He doesn't know what to do with the excess leather straps which dangle from his boots.
The beefeaters in red and gold take my ticket as I enter the front gate. I slip past the festival photographers who hang out like vultures. They remind me of the cruise photographers who take photos of you as you board or disembark the ship. The photographers would do better if they used the gardens as a background.
A woman is handing out flyers for a free gift at the Pirates shoppe. Rick and Jim walk past, but I bite. The pirates usually have good stuff. We grab breakfast - kolaches and Scotch Egg, before heading out. We pass a new food shoppe. Many buildings have fresh paint. Rick leads me to the Pirate's shoppe which appears as a ship. Wrong shoppe. It's the new one.
I ask the girl at the counter if I'm too late. She says no. Do I want black, blue or red. Hmmm, sounds like the colors for a nasty bruise. What is it? I ask. She won't tell me. Black, I say and she hands me a small black pocketknife and a lottery ticket for the drawing at 4.
I had brought my spurs in hopes that Valentine's Armory can replace the broken leather strap. As we make our way to the Armory, Jim ducks into the store that sold him the boots and they show him how to tuck away the straps by wrapping it around his calfs.
We finally arrive at Valentines. I catch the attention of the armorer who is talking to the conquistador in gold armor. I ask him if he can fix the spurs. The armorer examines the spurs and comments that the leather was cheap. I tell them that I bought the spurs from them. The conquistador laughes. The armorer ignores him and says that he can fix it and use latigo leather which is better. I ask how much. $10 bucks, he tells me and says that I need to come back later so that they can punch the holes.
In the parking lot, Jim tells me that he bought new boots since he can't find his old pair. He hopes that he didn't leave them at Scarby and that he just misplaced them during Hurricane Ike. He doesn't know what to do with the excess leather straps which dangle from his boots.
The beefeaters in red and gold take my ticket as I enter the front gate. I slip past the festival photographers who hang out like vultures. They remind me of the cruise photographers who take photos of you as you board or disembark the ship. The photographers would do better if they used the gardens as a background.
A woman is handing out flyers for a free gift at the Pirates shoppe. Rick and Jim walk past, but I bite. The pirates usually have good stuff. We grab breakfast - kolaches and Scotch Egg, before heading out. We pass a new food shoppe. Many buildings have fresh paint. Rick leads me to the Pirate's shoppe which appears as a ship. Wrong shoppe. It's the new one.
I ask the girl at the counter if I'm too late. She says no. Do I want black, blue or red. Hmmm, sounds like the colors for a nasty bruise. What is it? I ask. She won't tell me. Black, I say and she hands me a small black pocketknife and a lottery ticket for the drawing at 4.
I had brought my spurs in hopes that Valentine's Armory can replace the broken leather strap. As we make our way to the Armory, Jim ducks into the store that sold him the boots and they show him how to tuck away the straps by wrapping it around his calfs.
We finally arrive at Valentines. I catch the attention of the armorer who is talking to the conquistador in gold armor. I ask him if he can fix the spurs. The armorer examines the spurs and comments that the leather was cheap. I tell them that I bought the spurs from them. The conquistador laughes. The armorer ignores him and says that he can fix it and use latigo leather which is better. I ask how much. $10 bucks, he tells me and says that I need to come back later so that they can punch the holes.
People watching at the renfests is a great spectator sport especially at TRF which has the largest number of rennies attending in garb.Glenda calls my cell. She is at the front gate. As I walk over there, I spot a pretty gypsy with long black hair. I try to catch up with her so I can take her photo when I bump into Dave and Gary and lose track of the gypsy girl. We walk to the front gate but don't see Glenda and her family so I whip out my cell phone. Someone snaps my photo. Great. Glenda was only a few yards away. Ily is not in her princess dress and is instead wearing a cowboy hat. This is my nieces first renfest. Ily doesn't know what to think about all the people in strange clothing much less her uncle as a musketeer.
I walk with Glenda's family to the Falconer's Stage. Ily isn't interested in the birds of prey even though one flies a couple of yards in front of us. We walk to Valentine's and they still don't have my spurs ready and I should return in another hour. Music draws me to the Gypsy Show at the Agora Stage. The pretty gypsy girl is here.
The Chainmaille Fashion Show
It's getting pretty warm after the parade, so Mary sends me to the car to drop off her druid cloak. Along the way, I see the Chainmaille Fashion Show in progress. I can't pass this up.
Ily is becoming fussy, so Glenda's family leaves. Mary and I watch the new Tartanic at the Dove Meadow Stage. Only two of the original members are here.
At the Wharfside Music Gazebo, Crannog plays eclectic Celtic music.
Jenny the pretty violist has left E. Muzeki and they reformed the group as Wine and Alchemy. They still play same music, but I'll miss Jenny.
