How did we fare at the Faire? Extraordinaire, mon frère!

Tara invited me to go with her to the Renaissance Fantasy Faire in Buckley this weekend. It was a fine day for a faire -- warm and partly cloudy and full of promise.

Maris Farms has been taken over by gypsies, pirates, fairies, Mary Queen of Scots, and the occasional confused furry.

Under a spreading chestnut tree... err... well, use your imagination... the village smithy stands!

You wouldn't think such a beefy guy could make such delicate little spoons. But you would be wrong.

There were, of course, pirates... who took over the ale house and nearly blew it up with a barrel of gunpowder. My kind of scalawags. Arr!

Sweet music rang from every corner.

We also saw some jim-dandy costumes...

...from the beauteous...

...to the frankly inexplicable.

Best of all, though, were the gypsy equestrians.

These folks stood up on, jumped, juggled, danced, and did backflips off their horses. Their show was worth the price of admission all by itself.

Later, they returned for jousting. (HUZZAH GERMANY!)

The Italian knight gives our side (rooting for Germany) a vicious taunting. THPBHPHTP.

It was loads of fun, and I'm only slightly sunburned from the experience.

Thanks, Tara!