Philip and I did the shopping this morning, getting home about eleven. He bought two tickets to the Renaissance Fair at King Soopers.
After lunch we went for a short lark, and then whenever Phil decides to get moving we're going to Larkspur, for the Fair, and then Denver, for Jim's fight. I hope he wins again, but I do wish I knew more fighters so more of the fights would be interesting. ;p I am going to try to get a t-shirt or something this time.
When we got to the fair, the enormous parking lots were packed. They actually had buses running from the parking lot to the front gate, which was set up to look like the battlement of a castle, with people in costume up on the walkway calling hello, and a couple more in costume taking tickets. A note about the costumes: the theme was not Renaissance. The theme was everybody's favorite movie, either historical of fantasy. The result was quite a few hook-on pointy ears, and even more wire-frame fairy wings. It was really fun to watch. There were hoopskirts, and asymmetrical overskirts worn without underskirts, and monks and wizards and little pink and gold princesses and a little evil fairy who skipped past the Pikes Peak Highlanders with very creditable jigging steps.. There was a man who gave short, fast history lectures, tuition optional, dressed in blue velvets. There were four women who sang, very well, dressed in gowns with the quilted sort of bodice and flowing sleeves and skirt--pre-Renaissance, I think. There were two gentlemen in black vest-cloaks and swords, who made me think of King Charles the Second but would probably have been under Cromwell, in that case. I wanted to ask what period they were from, but they were taking a picture with a fairy. There were jesters. and three people in very long pants on stilts with their hands free, the Barely Balanced Acrobatic Display. They were really very well balanced, and one of the men had the perfect manner for it. There was a short play on the Celestial Stage, where Prince Charming and Charles Dashing, speaking entirely in rhyme, told the story of the hero (played by a girl from the audience) who rescues the princess (he was black--I think they chose a guy with a shaved head so the bright blonde wig with pink bows would have full impact) from the villain (played by Charles Dashing, after much persuasive speaking on the treatment of heroines by villains--this was before Charming said the guy was going to be the princess.) They were pretty good. There was a sword fight, too, where Charming subbed for the hero because Dashing couldn't fight a girl. ("I can't fight her, she's a girl. Remember what happened last time?" (aside to the audience) "He ended up in hospital.")
We went around the fair twice. The first round there was an enormous dog, almost white, near the elephants. I went to ask what he was, and he was an Anatolian Shepherd (working, so I couldn't pet him just then. I did ask.) We also found the Colorado Greyhound Rescue, where half a dozen beautiful dogs wearing cloth collars in Celtic designs lounged around while their humans, looking almost as medieval but much less elegant, answered questions. I made the acquaintance of a very tall laddie shedding fawn fur named Legolas. The short version of this, Leggy, was an accurate description.
We sheltered from the worst of the rain in a weaver's shop, full of absolutely lovely cotton and wool clothing: shirts and skirts (the skirts today were all especially hard on me: the best ones are the priciest), shawls and ruanas (rather like ponchos), scrunchies and pouches. I had a lovely conversation with the lady in charge of the shop, the apprenticed partner in Green Tree Weaving, ably assisted by her two sons, probably about seven and ten. She told me about their sheep, which are California variegated mutants. I looked them up, and apparently the breed is derived from the Romeldale, a hybrid breed developed through crosses of Romneys and Ramboulliets. Multicolored lambs cropped up in Romeldale herds, and from these the breed was developed. Sabine also asked whether I knitted or whatever, the underlying question being why was I interested in all these details, and I said yes, I did knit a bit, but my main interest was because I had a few sheep. Did I use my own wool? It was a goal, but I hadn't learn to spin yet, not having anyone to teach me. She advised me, very strongly, to ask about among the elders of my community and find someone. Sigh. Anyway, after much heartburnings over the lovely garments, I bought a scrunchie. I could've bought a pouch, but I wove myself one years ago. Not as nice, of course.....Anyway, not for next time: have either much more or much less money. Ninety bucks means enough to spend but not enough to spare.
That was on the second circuit, which was when I started buying things. I bought a pewter dragon pendant from one shop, while a girl in a very well-put-together costume asked about protection pendants. That startled me a bit. Anyway, so far so small, but in a clothing shop near the end I buckled down and bought an outfit. It's kind of the simplest design, full skirt with a wraparound waist and ruffled bottom and a tube blouse with elastic around the top and bottom (bottom more than top, interestingly) and little sleeved attached only below the arm. I think of it as the Barmaid Blouse, and am beginning to get my blood up thinking about how to make the thing both wearable and good-looking. The whole outfit, actually, although the skirt won't be so bad. Need to find a color that goes well with light brown--this might be easier if I'd gotten the dark brown one. Oh, well, it should be a fun challenge, anyway.
We left the fair shortly after that, although we stopped to listen to a very good group in green kilts: one piper, three or four drummers, and a guitarist with the brown curls and beard look. I think it may be true what they say about live music: it's stronger, more exciting: live. Of course.
After Larkspur was Denver. Philip fed me at Qdoba, and then we went on to Crowne Plaza. There weren't nearly as many people there this time, which was smart of them, because they had the audio up much too loud. Add to purse: bandaids, earplugs. Anyway, Jim was sixth of ten, and the fight was a complete opposite of his first, except for the main point, of course. His first time, he won thirty seconds into the first round, forcing a submission with an arm bar. This time they went three rounds, at the end of which the judges declared Jim the winner. It was a very good fight--it's much more interesting when one has someone to cheer for--in this case, in common with a very vocal section of the crowd. There were a couple other fights where I managed to pick someone, such as Rutherford the Nebraskan, besides one of the pro fights where I rooted for the fighter eleven years older than his opponent. They both won.
We got home about midnight, and I lay down next to Grandma to tell her about it. I had dog hair all over my clothes in minutes, of course. In the end, I think it was about one-thirty when I went to sleep. A long day.
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