the dustbunnies are revolting: medieval mud-fest

the day began wrapped in a cloak of warm fog. i rejoiced in the lightening sky all morning; the rain was clearing off and we would have a gorgeous day out in the no-doubt moist woodlands for the renaissance faire. just as i set off from work, the sky darkened again and abruptly opened the heavens upon us all. not to worry. we have rain slickers and wellingtons (boots to all you colonists) a-plenty. well, i opted for sandals, knowing that my feet would be wet. and it poured the whole journey to the festival grounds. good. get it all out of it’s system now!

we were greeted by costumed lords and ladies, advising us that the king of france delivered abundant gifts of mud, plenty for all to be had. and how. we tramped right through the muck, unlike the unprepared who tip-toed in their bright white (for now) street shoes along the very edge of edges of the shops. we pointed and laughed. we took in the shows, laughing at the “hey nunnie-nunnie!” song about the constipated men in the bible and marveling at the jugglers and their knives, glinting in the afternoon cloud-shine. we ate chicken and steak and cheesecake on stakes. and no one poked their eyes out because we are well-behaved savages who eat sitting down. we suffered not one, not two, not three, but FOUR more torrential downpours that afternoon. after the first one, people began to leave in droves. BYE! good riddance, weenies! leaves more dry space for the rest of us! fortunately the temperatures were moderate enough that we were not cold. as far as rainy weekends go, we could not have asked for nicer weather.

we mucked about, spending far too much money on our fun, but not caring this time. how often do you get to wander around in the rain and mud, watching your imps love the fact that they are filthy and allowed to be so? lars enjoyed the mud far more than the rest of us, leaping into and out of puddles and bogs the whole day. he was mud up to mid-thigh. the girls all got henna tattoos, the boys got new sword/shield combos, all the kids got to take a ride on a pony, and we grownups had some quiet moments while the kids played in the wee bairns tot lot. at one point i just gave up and carried my sandals. really. what is the point of sandals in the mud? we ran into a few acquaintances from work and scouts, finished up the day with warm apple dumplings and cinna-buns and headed home into a clear sunset.