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awhile. As usual, we hung out in the shaded "dining area" next to the Food Court, where I lurked in ambush for costumed patrons and unsuspecting players to pass by. While waiting for photo ops to appear, Kiko and I exchanged portraits (Photo, Right: Kiko takes a stance on the sward, showing off his rippling thews and mighty Elven war hammer. Photo, Below: Ryleh the Wanderer as a Keltic "Woad Warrior", wearing a BRAVEHEART eyeband as a new addition to his usual Druid garb this year.). It seems I've been repeatedly mistaken for a Catholic priest at faire for far too many years, despite wearing green garb, a seasonal wreath and carrying a moon-sickle dagger at my side! Then, this past season at TRF, the Knights of Chaos inspired me to try facepaint. After all, there aren't too many priests among the Christian clergy who wear Woad as a normal part of their vestments, I do believe! So back around Thanksgiving -- while we were still questing for Aviana's footwear -- I had Regina introduce me to her favorite theatrical supply shop here in Houston. She not only helped me purchase the proper greasepaint and fixative, but then showed me how to apply it correctly while we were at LRF this weekend. The experiment was a huge success! Not only was I correctly ID'd as a wandering Druid by other patrons, but not once during my entire weekend in Louisiana was I mistakenly addressed as "Father"!
After lunch, it was time to wander around again, taking pictures. I really wanted to get a shot of the "Mushroom Man" in action (Photo, Below Left), so I left Aviana and Kiko entwined together at the Food Court and headed off to the Gaming Area on Champion's Quest. Ye Godz, but the crafters at LRF learn fast! The first time we met him, he was displaying his sandcast mushrooms haphazardly: just setting them down as he 
made them, without plan or pattern. With his permission, Regina and I made a "Faerie Circle" at that time using his mushrooms so I could take a portrait of Regina, holding her own 'shroom with the "circle" in the foreground. Apparently, he liked the idea. By Closing Weekend, it seems, he was setting up his own Faerie Circle to display his wares attractively! Now hardly had I left the Mushroom Man but I met Lord Durrka and Lady Ashland again. Naturally, we all had to stop and pass the time of day while they showed me some of the treasures they'd found among the merchants' booths. It seems this was a regular pattern at LRF with us: we'd all go off in different directions but somehow all manage to converge somewhere on site an hour or two later, meet'n greet for awhile and then repeat the pattern all over again! True to form, they were headed for the Adult Pub near the Tournament Field -- the same Tournament Field which I still hadn't managed to visit this day! -- while I was on my way to the Main Gate. So we parted company again and headed off in our own, seperate directions...
Well, hey: I got as far as the Royal Pavilion! The Royals were out, but Kiko and Aviana were there, standing close together, fondly -- along with Lance; his lovely wife, Cara; and their baby son (Photo, Below Right). Now when I arrived, Lance was playing the minstrel role: strolling up and down the lane, strumming his bouzouki and picking out short, lively tunes on the strings (Photo, Below Center, with Aviana looking on). 
To my ears he sounded really good, as if he had been playing the bouzouki for several years. So I was absolutely dumbfounded when Cara told me he'd only bought the instrument just that week, with no prior experience or training on it at all! Apparently Lance has this natural talent whereby he can pick up any musical instrument -- whether it be woodwind, percussion, string or you name it -- figure out how to play it and begin coaxing tunes from it in just a few hours after first introduction. Needless to say, I was very impressed! So -- since the whole gang was together now -- I decided to hang out with them there at the Royal Pavilion, enjoying Lance's music, taking a few more pictures, and just visit, chat and joke around with my friends for awhile. Which was really a whole lot of fun until I happened to check my watch. O Ye Godz: it was well after 2pm -- and I still hadn't visited the Lists, yet! OK, that was enough for me. I was now duty-bound and grimly-determined even to see the Tournament Grounds before sundown this day!! So with a brief word of farewell to my friends, I was off to the Jousting Field -- AND NOTHING WOULD STOP ME, THIS TIME!!!
Standard Disclaimer: This webpage is strictly an *Unofficial* look at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival held near Hammond, LA in the Parish of Tangipahoa. The author of these pages is in no way, shape, manner or form connected with the Louisiana Renaissance Festival (OFFICE ADDRESS: PO Box 220, Robert, LA 70455-0220) and/or any of the sponsors associated with this event. All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own. LRF logo courtesy of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2000-2003 by George Laking.