Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

Okay so I was supposed to write this yesterday or Tuesday - earlier this week - but it slipped my mind. Actually I wasn't quite bored enough at work :)

We (D, her son A and I) got to the Faire, showed a Giant (grocery store) discount card and saved $6 - a good start to our day. Walking in there were two mimes dressed as Jokers. A was a little scared of them and a little awed by everything there. He's only four but he's rather tall for his age, so folks assume he's six or seven and then assume he has issues because he's so quiet. Anyway, one of the mimes breaks character to reassure A. I'm not sure if it soothed him or gave him more angst.

There are a lot of little shops and tons of people walking around. I'd say half were in renaissance garb and half weren't. None of us dressed up, tho A did bring a blue leather mask that he had gotten at a fairy festival back in April. However, it was much too warm for him to wear it very long (read he wore it to the ticket window from the car, then took it off. D carried it in her bag the rest of the day).

I wasn't sure how long we'd stay because of the heat and A's crankiness. He thought we were going to the fairy festival despite D telling him "not the fairy festival but something similar" the entire car ride (20-30 mins). This was D's second trip to a Ren faire (also A's second trip, but his first time was at 18 months, which barely counts) and my first. We walked about ate steak, spidered fries (I say spidered because we both found spiders in our fries - and no I didn't freak out. I found it at the bottom of the paper carton, having died from the vinegar I squirted on them), waffle cone sundaes and drank lots of water and soda.

D bought a little sword (wooden), teal hat with green feather and little horns for A and a wooden musical frog for her other son, Id*, who didn't come (Id turns two on Monday). I was very good and only bought food/drinks. Well, D and I both had a tarot reading but that wasn't something we had to carry around the rest of the day.

There was a lady walking around saying she was the Captain of the Queen's fleet and that she had a pet pinniped. Which I had to blink because 1) I wasn't sure she said pinniped (was talking with an accent) and 2) who actually knows what a pinniped is and uses it in a conversation other than marine biologists and random people like me? Anyway she goes through her spiel and then tells us we've all been recruited to be on her ship and we're to show up at the docks at sunrise on Monday for a three week voyage.

A doesn't get that the Captain is joking and starts mildly freaking out "but I don't wanna go on the boat! She's scary! Mommy don't make me go! It's scary there!" I'm still not sure how much was real fear and how much was A not wanting to look at the capes, cloaks, gowns, tunics, etc. in the shop we were browsing. The more he fussed about being 'afraid' the more attention D paid him and not the clothes and then he'd start "I don't want to be in here. Let's go. I don't like it in here. It smells funny in here." He may be four but he's wiley.

Anyway, the day was spent walking around browsing the shops and people watching. Saw several ladies that were rather ..errr daring in their attire, men too. Some pretty impressive codpieces..... Oh and some seriously wretched accents were heard *grin* There were a fair number of folks (men, women, old, middle aged, kids) that were wearing tails. I don't understand that. People wore tails centuries ago? For what? Or were these people just showing that they're more in tune with animals than man? Saw some folks with fairy wings too.

All in all we had a good time and I would definitely go back. Preferably when it's cooler and I can wear a cloak :)

*Gave first two initials so as not to confuse D's son with me.. I for him and I for me can be confusing :)