TheBanyanTree: Four down and thats the end

[Russ Doden]

Four down and thats the end of the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival 
for another year.  

This year the last weekend was Memorial Day weekend.  That 
means three days of playing with the visitors - and three days of 
trying to not suffer from heat exhaustion.  

This year the weather gods have decided that instead of keeping us 
wet and on the cool side of the fence, that they would give us record 
setting temperatures.  Not record setting on the low side either.  All 
three days the temperatures set record highs, or came near to 
setting highs.  The daytime high each day was over 90 degrees fairy 
height.  Your humble bard felt lucky in that my attire, while it 
consisted of long sleeves (except Monday) and knee length trews 
with knee high boots was nothing compared to the Royals.  Those 
who are portraying members of the court are in layers and layers of 
heavy material.  They were under orders to spend 15 minutes 
indoors in the Castle where it is air conditioned, for every 30 minutes 
they spent outside.  Everyone was red in the face most of the time.  
Either from heat from sunburn.  It is amazing how many brands of 
majyk potion (sunscreen) wash off in heavy perspiration!  Either that, 
or it burns like mad when it gets in your eyes.

Anyhow, back to the Festival.  Saturday started out as every 
Saturday does, with large crowds and lots of nonsense.  Everyone 
was in high spirits, knowing it was the last weekend.  So much fun 
had been had already, and the cast was now working like a well oiled 
machine.  There was so much interaction that even the owner said 
he was "blown away" by how everyone was working with each other 
to entertain the visitors.

>From this bards view the day was great.  Our first set of the day is 
always a low key one where we sit down with the audience and play 
sweet songs as well as lively ones and toss in some fun tunes for the 
wee ones.  Usually it is a small crowd but this time we had twice the 
normal sized group there.  That told us it was going to be a busy day.  
After that set, as always we went off to a corner to play for some 
favored people (and to avoid being in the noon parade).  Then we 
went out to play for the post parade Maypole dance.  Oy.  Can you 
say HOT?  Sweat was flowing uphill as they say.  We were glad that 
our sets for the afternoon were all indoors except the very end of the 
day.  The afternoon crowds were large and rowdy (and more than 
just a few were a wee bit tipsy).  All in all it was a grand day. We had 
some special guest performers at the festival this weekend, who 
were led by an old friend of mine.  This is a bagpipe group, and they 
use the war pipes - which are the loudest of all the pipes.  I drummed 
with them during the pub sing that eve - and couldn't hear for a while 
afterwards - those pipes are LOUD.  

That eve the Castle had their Celildh (Kae-lee) or Scottish party.  
What a blow out that was! After the end of a long and busy day we 
had just enough time to maybe get a quick wipe down, change 
clothes and get ready for the evening fun.  Did I wear a kilt to the  
Celildh?  Of course!  It's a Scottish party isn't it?  The Bedlam Bards 
were up first and we played for about an hour, doing our best to wear 
the dancers and visitors out then it was time for the next group of 
entertainers.  That meant it was time for me to relax and visit with 
many friends.  Well, as I was wandering around, entertaining 
thoughts of sneaking out and going out to the campground to get an 
early shower and some much needed rest, the leader of the Rogues 
(that group I drummed with during the pub sing) found me.  He asked 
if I would want to play with them during the last set.  Silly me, I 
assumed he meant the last of their set.  I said sure and went to 
check to make sure my guitar and drum were still where I had left 
them.  Randy (the leader of The Rogues) went back with me to 
check his stuff too.  Then he says, OK, we are up in 5 minutes so if 
you need to make a privy stop, do it now.  Oh, he meant I was going 
to drum with them the whole hour!  Wheeeee.  Ever stand next to 
two war pipes, and another drummer playing at full tilt for an hour?  
Not only was I totally exhausted, I couldn't hear out of my left ear for 
some time!  At last the Celildh came to an end and it was time to 
return to the camp - where a shower was most welcome and I fell 
into a deep slumber.

The next morning came far to early.  It was back into the Castle for 
another day of fun.  It was nearly a repeat of the day before only with 
slightly fewer people.  Another day of fun, music and . . . heat.  Most 
of us were moving pretty slow that morning I must confess.  We try 
to pace ourselves, but we still burn a lot of energy.  The sets were 
again well attended and full of fun all day long.  It is funny how at the 
beginning of the day, you can hardly do anything, but once the gates 
open, the adrenalin starts to flow and you find yourself bouncing 
around like you had good sense again.  

Sunday eve was a quiet one, and that was very needed.  The 
campground was quiet as everyone was worn out I think.  By 10ish 
all you heard was subdued conversations, with the occasional snore 
from a tent or camper.  

Monday dawned with a groan for most of us.  As I was walking to the 
camp privy, I was chatting with a fine lass that works there and we 
were joking about doing the "old person" walk.  You know how old 
people kind of toddle along because everything hurts?  That is how 
we were walking.  Well, hey, I can see why I was walking like that - 
I'm 58 and had been bouncing around like some 20 something the 
last two days.  my walking companion was a 20 something, and she 
had the old person walk going too!  Does that tell you hard we play?  

The last day of some faires is "freaky day" where you stay in 
character but push your costume a bit.  I didn't push much.  OK so I 
wore tights instead of long pants and wore a loose weave short 
sleeve tunic - with a tail pinned to my waist band under the tunic.  
Many people wear tails, but they are tied to their belt.  I pin mine to 
my waist band under the tunic and it hangs like I grew it.  Mine is 
nice and flexible too, so with the slightest "wiggle" I can wag my tail.  
Yeah, you can imagine the comments about getting a little tail or a 
piece of tail that goes on.  

the last day is also the day where everyone seems to "shoot the 
works" as far as energy goes.  Nothing gets held back.  The crowds 
were lighter (it was horribly hot) but those there got a LOT of 
attention.  

At days end it is the hardest time though.  The faire is over and most 
of us won't see many of the friends we had made for another year.  
Many goodbyes are said, addresses and such are exchanged, and 
more than a few tears get shed.  The event is over and we all know 
it.  Few of the cast or entertainers are eager to leave and linger in 
clusters here and there, visiting - not wanting to have this magic time 
end.  

Alas, eventually though people start to wander off, to pack up their 
shop, or to start the journey homeward.  About that time a wind 
picked up and blew dust everywhere.  The dust was so thick you 
couldn't see a quarter mile!  The temperatures dropped a good 10 
degrees in 15 minutes!  I heard later that a storm had developed 
about 10 miles away and we got the outwash winds.  

I was hoping to get this last episode written, but though I was in my 
office I was not functional.  I was so tired I could barely keep my 
eyes open.  Someone asked if I would be doing it again.  I told them 
that right now my answer would be no, but after a bit of time to 
recover,  will be more than eager to once again shout "Throw wide 
the gates and let the festival begin" and do it all over again.

Thanks to thee for listening to these tales of the Faire.

Till next we meet, God Speed and Fare the Well.

Andrus the bard
aka Russ