TheBanyanTree: One Down Three to Go

[Russ Doden]

One Down Three To Go

No promises here, but I'm going to try to give a "Morning Report" 
during the run of the Muskogee  Oklahoma Renaissance Festival.  
This past weekend was the first of a four weekend run of this years 
Renaissance Festival.  They used to call it a Ren Faire, but 
 well 

 people around here had trouble with the difference between 
"Faire" and "Fair" with some of them expecting some kind of county 
fair or something, hence the name change.  

I got down to The Castle, Friday about a little before 5.  Yeah, I left 
here a bit early.  I have a friend who is a neighbor of mine and she 
and some of her friends do demonstrations of spinning wool.  By 
getting there a little early we were able to put her spinning wheel in 
the Castle that eve for safe keeping.  It also allows me to stash my 
guitar and bodhran in the Castle Pub for safe keeping as well.  

When I got there, I found a little note tucked in the door of my trailer.  
Imagine that, someone found my trailer and left me a note.  :)  It is 
nice having secret admirers!

Friday evening, after we had a bit of supper, we walked the grounds 
looking at all that was new.  I did my usual blessing of the grounds 
with sage, corn meal and tobacco, and received many thanks from 
those who understood what was being done, including the owner of 
the site/event.  

I think my friend really wasn't sure about that little ritual, but she 
didn't say anything since she knows that is part of my path.  Since 
we are simply friends, she doesn't bring religion up, and we can also 
travel together without any complications. Since I have that trailer 
down there, which has two different sleeping areas, by sharing the 
space it helps defray my costs which is a good deal.  It works out 
well for both of us.  

When I was walking through the camp ground with another sage 
wand, one of the workers drove by on a tractor and stopped it and  
came running over and asked if it was sage.  He asked if he could be 
smudged, which I was glad to do.  I could see he had some 
American Indian blood from facial features as well as how he asked 
me.  He thanked me profusely, and told me several times he was so 
glad to know there was someone there to do that.  Every time I saw 
him the rest of the weekend, he seemed to treat me with great 
respect as did many other who saw me bless the grounds on Friday 
night.  

That night it started to rain about 1 or 2ish and I must admit I didn't 
sleep well.  Though I loved the sound of the rain on the tent trailer, it 
was really on the cool side.  Although I was quite warm under my 
blankets, I just laid there listening to the rain and wondering how 
much of a bog it was going to be the next say.   My first night 
anywhere is usually rather poor for rest anyhow so this wasn't a big 
surprise.

Saturday morning dawned damp and chill.  Trudging in to the festival 
grounds from the camp ground through the muddy parking lot, and 
not getting muddy was a bit of a challenge for everyone. I ended up 
driving the little bit from the campground, mainly because my 
traveling companion had a bunch of "stuff" to take in that we had 
neglected to unload the night before. I would have been happy to 
walk in, but was also happy to be closer to the door!  The 
management of this event serves a great breakfast to the cast, staff 
and performers.  We get fed scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits and 
gravy, cereal, juice and lots of laughter and conversations.  
Breakfast alone can carry a person through a full day.

By opening cannon the rain was down to just a light mist.  That is 
what it stayed at for the rest of the day.  It would be dry for a while, 
then it would mist a bit.   Much to my surprise there were quite a few 
determined folk waiting for the opening ceremonies.  The morning 
set for the group I'm performing with (The Bedlam Bards) was quite 
well attended considering the light gate for a Saturday (due to the 
weather).  It is an early set and is more of a "warm up" anyhow.  Our 
next set is performing at the Noon Maypole Dance.  This was a bit of 
a disaster in some ways because of a mix up in communication with 
what songs were planned.  It seems no one told Cedric (the fiddle 
player with The Bedlam Bards) what tunes were to be used, and they 
had put some new ones in.  Oh well, we muddled through the songs 
to everyone's great delight.  Then it was time for a bit of a break.  
Lunch is kind of weird this year, in that each "zone" has a basket that 
has very good heavy rolls, hard boiled eggs, cheese, and fruit.  It 
keeps you from going hungry though, and really, in thinking about it 
is very nourishing, plus is the kind of thing you can walk about eating 
on.

We share the Black Boar Pub stage (inside the Castle) with Heather 
Alexander who is new to this faire, but a very accomplished and 
experienced performer.  She has been performing for years and is a 
friend of the lads I perform with (Hawke and Cedric).  I guess they 
are the ones that put the bug in the event owner's ear about her.  
Anyhow, it is good having someone strong to share the stage with, if 
we can just get people to stay for her shows now!  She has her own 
following, but many don't know she is here yet.  Anyhow, our 
afternoon sets were as rowdy as ever.

I must admit that I surprised myself by remembering most of our 
songs, and being able to fit in the new tunes like I knew them.  
Instead of it feeling like it has been a year, it felt more like just a few 
weeks since my last set with the lads.  

In the evening, they had a Masked Ball.  It was much like last year 
with the musicians being up on the stairs of the Garden Room, and 
the dancers below.  As last year, we couldn't hear each other very 
well, but everyone said we sounded wonderful.  

Saturday night I slept pretty darn good.  In fact I think I was asleep 
before my traveling companion even got herself situated in her end 
of the trailer.  It was cool, but not quite as damp as the night before.  

Sunday dawned gray, but with a promise in the air.  Birds were 
singing when I woke up, which we hadn't heard since the rain 
started.  After walking in to the grounds of the faire, and having 
another great breakfast, I realized I had forgotten my hat.  Boo hiss.  
That meant I had to trudge back out to the trailer and get my fool hat.  
I got my cloak too as it was still a bit brisk.  When I got back in, I 
realized I didn't have my loop on my belt to hang my tankard from - 
until someone told me it was on my belt, in the middle of my back.  I 
guess I wasn't awake yet.  

The gate on Sunday was the typical Sunday crowd, lighter than most 
Saturdays but better than expected for a Sunday morning 
considering the weather.  The rest of the day was the same as 
Saturday.  I realized I had forgotten my extra guitar strings mid-day 
on Saturday and just hoped I didn't break a string.  I didn't break any 
on Saturday and didn't break any on Sunday till the last set in the 
Black Boar.  Then I popped a low G string.  (Yeah, I got a lot of 
comments about breaking a low G string.)  During the pub sing I was 
surprised I didn't break more strings because we were really getting 
with it.  That is one good thing about a 12 string guitar, you can pop 
several strings and keep going if need be.  

By the time we got home Saturday and unloaded my traveling 
companion's stuff at her place, then got home to unload my crap, I 
was pretty tired.  After a shower, I started a load of laundry, and 
almost fell asleep before it finished.  When the washer shut off, I was 
almost gone, but did get up and get that load in the dryer.  I think I 
was sound asleep within moments of laying down after that.

Yesterday I was really dragging my booty around.  My legs felt like 
they are made of rubber or lead, I'm not sure which.  My eyes were 
heavy and my voice still sounds a little hoarse.  I'm not used to doing 
vocals and did much more singing of choruses than before, as well 
as lipping off during the sets and harassing the peasants (visitors) 
than I have in the past.  I could use a day off to recover - as always.  
By Thursday, I'll be good to go and by Friday be heading down there 
with great anticipation again.  Today I am still hearing many tunes 
flitting through my mind and many of them are of the bawdy variety.

Well, I guess I had best get this sent and try to be quasi-functional 
today.  

Till next installment,
Andrus the Bard