The Ren Fest was lots of fun, although we got a later start than planned, and didn't get there until 1:00. We had a good drive up, although El Burrito didn't nap in the car like I'd thought he would. We saw a B-2 bomber flying over when we had a pit stop near Whiteman AFB, and had our usual pre-Fest pit stop at the Farm & Home just outside the gates. (Last flush toilets for 400 years, plus a great selection of Breyer horses, my collectible of choice.)
The front gate (although this was taken as we left - the lines were longer when we got there).We did a few things that we always do:
Gotta have some Kettle Corn, which I'm still munching on today. Delicious stuff. The microwave popcorn version isn't comparable, and I don't waste my money. I just buy the good stuff two or three times a year. The fresher the better.
Also, Cinnamon Crunch Almonds. There's got to be a recipe for these out there somewhere. Too yummy. Cinnamon, sugar, almonds, and something else that we couldn't identify yet.
We watched a few performances:
Tartanic, which is why we were too late for seats at the last joust. Guys with bagpipes, drums, and kilts. Wicked funny. :)
A few minutes of the Jolly Rogers, which we'll probably have to skip for a year or two now. They're a touch on the bawdy side, and the show is marked "Not for Little Ears" in the program. But they're hilarious. Also, Tullamore was back at the Fest - they were one of the first groups I remember watching there, and we've got all three of their albums now.
The World Bird Sanctuary near St. Louis usually has a birds of prey demonstration. This is the acrobat eagle, native to the Sahara. The real name is some French word that I didn't catch. They also had a Harris hawk, barn owl, and a few other, including
Heritage, the perigrine falcon. He didn't fly - he's 22 and has cataracts. But he's gorgeous. The sanctuary is only a few hours away and is having an open house this month. I'd love to go up and see the birds, but this month is already packed. Maybe next year.
The usual signs with puns. :)
And we did a bit of shopping. We made our annual stops at Nene Thomas' booth - one early stop to check out what's new, and another stop right before we leave, to do the actual buying. Gives us time to consider what we like, and we don't have to either haul theprints around with us, or remember to go back and pick them up before we leave. We ended up with four matted prints this year, thanks to living in the Land of Indecision. Three larger ones, and a small unicorn (Petal, companion to Treasure, which I'll have to order online).
One of the larger ones is called Innocence. I'd seen it online and it was good, but not gotta-have-it. That changed when we saw it in person, because the iris blossoms in the background are amazing. The scan on the website shows some of the detail, but I wish they had a closeup of the irises, they're jaw-droppers.
I also got a spinner like this one, only in gold, from Illusion Spinners. They've got video of the spinners in action on their website; the picture doesn't do it justice. And El Burrito is fascinated by it. Maybe I should have bought two, because I can see him appropriating mine. :)
El Burrito had a good time, flirted with a few ladies in costume, and even napped a bit.
Unfortunately, the wind chime booth wasn't there this year, so I still have no wind chimes. And I can't remember the name of the booth at all. I did find a contact email for the crafts person at the Fest, so maybe I can track them down. Because I've been lusting after those wind chimes for about five years now, and of course I swore I was coming home with a set this year, and got foiled again.
No comments:
Post a Comment