The weekend of April 14th was an extremely pleasant one. Friday the 13th we had thunder, lightning, and rain with nice, cool temps - weather we rarely get here but that's some of my favorite. Ryan and I had an enjoyable lunch at Panera which led into a relaxed afternoon and evening. The next day, Ryan finally got what he's been wanting for months - an Inside Day. We had windy, post-frontal conditions so it wasn't the greatest day for being outside, anyway. We slept in (a miracle in itself), lounged around in our jammies until noon, and spend the entire day relaxing. It was wonderful! I hadn't realized until somewhere in the late afternoon that Ryan and I both just needed a day to relax and recharge.
We set off early to avoid traffic and crowds, and had a smooth and easy hour and a half drive to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. Where the last time we were sitting in stop and go traffic for quite a while before entering the area, this time we just drove right in no problem. We parked close to the gate, arriving at the 10am opening.
The weather was absolutely perfect - sunny and warm, but not too hot. It couldn't have been a nicer day out.
Once inside, I rented a costume for Ryan - or at least, as much of one as he was willing to wear - and then we were off. My parents had headed off and we agreed to meet later for lunch. Ryan and I wandered a short way before Ryan became interested in a stall selling hand-blown glass items. Ryan was quite taken with some of the orbs and hearts, and I wound up purchasing one for him. There was a glass blowing demonstration about to start, so we sat and watched. Neither of us had ever seen glass blowing before. It was pretty interesting. The Queen and her entourage came through during the demonstration so we paused to turn around and watch her go by.
By the time the demonstration ended, it was somehow already time for lunch. Time does that at Ren Faire. It seems like 20 minutes has gone by only to actually have been two hours. Ryan and I wandered down to the food court, impressive in its own right. My parents already had a seat next to a tree. My dad pointed out two women to whom he had recounted a story of a lady hanging herself in the very tree we were sitting under, her ghost still haunting the tree to this day. Apparently while my mom was getting food and my dad was saving a spot at this table, the women were trying to decide whether or not to sit at the table as well. My dad's story made up their minds and they were absent from the table when Ryan and I arrived. The funny thing was, later I saw a women dressed in black wearing a noose around her neck! My dad had not seen her when he relayed the story. It would have been pretty funny if she had walked by just a bit earlier.
Lunch was very pleasant. A family sat with us and a wandering magician came by and entertained us with card tricks. I had "bread, cheese, and sausage," which turned out to be a comically accurate description of the food I received.
While we were eating, a girl dressed as an air spirit was making her way through the crowd, moving slowly and gracefully, leading with pointed toes. My dad said, "Look, a sylph!" I love that at Ren Faire, that sentence is not out of place in the slightest.
After lunch, Ryan and I went to the Kid's Kingdom where Ryan got to make a wish in a wishing well, make lavender-filled sachets, dig for buried treasure, and make his own leather wallet. He also got to play a bowed psaltery, aided by the musician demonstrating the instrument. The musician took my hand and expertly guided me through "Greensleeves." My hand played the notes as if by magic while I smiled at the choice of tune.
From there we met up with my parents again and Ryan tried his hand at archery. His first shot was his best, actually hitting the target. His arms got a bit tired after that. When Ryan had spent his arrows, we slowly made our way out of the Faire. We encountered a juggler with whom Ryan was immediately enthralled. A few minutes later Ryan suckered me into buying him a "pet" shoulder dragon. It's those last minute, on-the-way-out purchases that get me every time!
The overall vibe of the Faire was mellow and pleasant - definitely not as bawdy as I've experienced it in years past. However, it was kids-get-in-free day and a Sunday, so it was definitely more of a family atmosphere.
When we finally got in the car and started home, it hit me that Ryan had a knight costume at home he could have worn to the Faire. Doh! Oh well... next year!
Below are photos from the day. Some were taken by my dad, others by me. My camera had been acting up, so my photos were taken entirely on my phone.
Click to see in a larger size as a web album. Enjoy!
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