The weekend is at an end, and my first thought (other than wishing a wee bit of 16th Century justice upon my web host -- can you help with that Sir Edward) is extreme gratitude to the cast, directors, and many friends that have made me feel very welcome at the faire. That truly is my first reflection upon this past weekend, as I'm sure it is for most everyone that walks through the gate on the opening day of the year. Saturday was a great day. The sun was out (that's bad for taking pics as you may tell by the hard shadows), it wasn't too hot -- though Sunday made up for that -- and there was an energy about that exceeds the previous two years. While some old favorites (vendors, performers, and individuals) are absent this season, the faire has filled the gaps new talent that is sure to please. Speaking of that, I was chatting with an older fellow at the gate this morning (Sunday) and he asked me, "So what's new this year that's a must see?" "Ahhh, well...," I replied with confidence, and for some reason the first thing that popped into my head was Piccolo the Pony. I'm not certain what use he'd have for that particular addition, and went on to tell him some of the other additions. I rather dislike when once-a-year visitors ask me, "What's something that's must see?" That's because the faire offers such a diverse amount of entertainment that anyone can be happy. And, my "must sees" vary with my mood. Today, for example, I watched the dialog between Sir Edward Coke and Jack Bottoms and enjoyed that quite well. I also stopped to watch Zilch the Torysteller -- very humorous, but, because of the heat, found that it was taking too much mental power to fully enjoy it. At some point in time, I sat to watch a musicians gathering up at the gazebo and am looking forward to listening to some more of those "open" sessions. Broon! made me laugh -- and touched my heart at 3:30. Moonie's show is always a joy. Both Saturday and Sunday I was at the Chesire Chase at 4:30 for the scenario. I caught a little bit of Minstrel Woode, the Gypsy Guerrilla Band, Seelie Court, Tourdion, Musicke's Merrie Companions, and Consrte Bella Donna -- but, not as much as I would have liked. I played a game of chess against Raven and Black Dragon Pewter. I spent more than average time this weekend in the Friends of Faire garden beneath the new Pavilion (thanks Magic and everyone else that put their sweat into the effort to keep the rest of us cool and dry). I could ramble on and on about what made this weekend special and memorable for me, as well as, talk about the great many things I didn't get a chance to do, but I'm getting kinda tired now. So, what's a must see? A season pass and all 18 days.
As Always... click on the image for a larger view...
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