Tag Archives: medieval

A Throwback to King Richard’s Faire

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“Person dressed in medieval-style armor with chainmail and metal shoulder plates, resting a hand on a polished helmet placed on a blue wooden structure. Colorful flags and people appear in the background at a renaissance fair setting.”

✨Medieval Madness – King Richard’s Faire✨

Armored jouster riding a white horse draped in maroon and white cloth, holding a red‑and‑white striped lance. The rider wears a red tunic over armor. Spectators stand behind a blue wooden fence watching the event at an outdoor renaissance fair.”

 

Being Behind the Camera… Except This One Time

I don’t step in front of the camera very often. Most of the time, I’m the one behind the lens, chasing the moment, lining up the shot, and making sure everyone else looks good. But every now and then, someone catches a moment of me, and it becomes one of those rare photos I actually treasure.

This picture — taken years ago at King Richard’s Faire — is one of my absolute favorites. It’s not glamorous, it’s not staged, and it’s definitely not one of those “I planned this” moments. It’s just me, standing there with a Harris’s hawk perched on my arm, looking like I wandered straight out of a medieval falconry guild.

Holding a Raptor for the First Time

“Person standing outdoors with a large hawk perched on their shoulder, wings spread wide. The person is wearing a jacket and small horn-like accessories on their head. Green bushes and a dark fence appear in the background.”If you’ve never held a raptor, let me tell you: it’s unforgettable. There’s a weight to them — not just physical, but presence. This hawk was calm, steady, and absolutely aware of everything happening around it. Meanwhile, I was trying to look composed while thinking, “Wow… this bird could out‑hunt Banner and Balboa without breaking a sweat.”

The cats think they’re fierce hunters, but this hawk had the real credentials. If“Black cat sitting inside a cardboard box while wearing a metallic knight-style helmet that covers most of its face except the eyes and ears. A wooden bedpost and light blue wall are visible in the background.” WMEO ever expands into a “Raptor Division,” Balboa would volunteer immediately… right up until he realized the bird is bigger than he is.

The Faire Has Changed, But the Magic Hasn’t“Person dressed in a green medieval-style outfit with a white undershirt, brown belt, and pouch, wearing pointed elf-like ears and a leafy headband. They are walking outdoors on a sandy surface near a blue wooden fence at a renaissance fair.”

I haven’t been to King Richard’s Faire in years, and so much has changed — new location, new stages, new shops, new experiences — but the heart of it is still the same. It’s still a place where you can step out of the everyday world and into a kingdom full of jousts, jesters, artisans, performers, and yes… birds of prey who look at you like they know all your secrets.

 

You Still Have Time to Visit

If this post sparks a little nostalgia — or curiosity — you still have time to make your own memories. King Richard’s Faire runs weekends through October 25.

If you’re thinking about going, don’t wait too long. The kingdom doesn’t stay open forever.

Group of people dressed in ornate Renaissance-style costumes standing outdoors among tall trees. They wear velvet and brocade garments with crowns, hats, and capes. Timber-framed buildings decorated with colorful banners are visible in the background at a renaissance fair.”

 

Holiday Feasts of Yesteryear

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🎄 When Peacock Was the Turkey

Ah, the holidays. Today we gather around golden turkeys, honey-glazed hams, and pumpkin pies. But if you think your great-aunt’s fruitcake is the strangest thing to hit the holiday table, history begs to differ. Let’s take a stroll down the dusty roads of festive feasts past—where the menu was equal parts impressive, bizarre, and slightly terrifying.

🦚 Turkey’s Flashy Cousin: The Roasted Peacock

Forget the humble turkey. Medieval nobles wanted something with flair—literally. Enter the roasted peacock, served with its dazzling feathers reattached after cooking. Imagine carving into your holiday bird while it stares back at you in full technicolor glory. Talk about dinner with a side of intimidation.

🐑 Scandinavian Smalahove: Sheep’s Head Supper

Meanwhile, in Norway, Christmas meant Smalahove—a sheep’s head, boiled or smoked, served with potatoes. Yes, the whole head. Cheeks were considered the delicacy, while the eyes were… well, let’s just say they were reserved for the bravest at the table. Forget “who gets the drumstick”—this was more like “who dares take the eyeball.”

🍲 Plum Broth: Sweet Meets Savory

If you thought mixing cranberry sauce with gravy was bold, meet plum broth, a 17th–18th century concoction. The recipe called for a leg of beef and a slice of mutton boiled together with prunes and spices. The result? A dish that was part soup, part dessert, and entirely confusing. Imagine sipping beefy prune juice by the fire while carolers sing outside.

🎁 What We Can Learn

Holiday feasts of the past remind us that tradition is always evolving. What seems normal today—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes—might look downright tame compared to roasted peacock or sheep’s head. And who knows? Maybe in 200 years, people will laugh at our obsession with pumpkin spice.

So this season, when you’re staring down a plate of fruitcake, remember: it could be worse. It could be prune-flavored beef broth.

 

Sights, Scenes from King Richard’s Faire

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To wrap up my series on King Richard’s 30th anniversary faire, I leave you with a few more images.

One of my favorite costumes…Puss – In – Boots

My Favorite Jousting Picture. I think it captures the speed and movement.

Pensive knight

Stilt People

Now where did we put those beer steins?Spock’s little Sister?

Kitty Kisses?

Snowy Tiger

And that’s a wrap for another year.

Joust to the Death, the Final Chapter

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Well I can’t just end the tales from the Court without telling you about the last joust of the day.

 This was the Joust to the Death. I have no idea why all four knights had to joust when the challenge had been issued just between the two main characters but when I arrived at the field for Part 3, all four knights were present and accounted for.

No wooden rings or jousting dummys this time. The knights and their steeds squared off, lowered their lances and charged.

There were several glancing blows before the first knight was unseated.

 That’s when the fighting moved to the ground.

 That’s also when it got really confusing.Something happened that I missed because the “Bad Knight” was winning when all three of the other knights came after him.

There was much yelling and I couldn’t make out what they were saying but as the scene wound down it became clear that the “Good Night” was cleared of the accusations and that the real thief (surprise, surprise) was really the “Bad Knight”. He was dragged off to be put in chains.

The Good Knight took his bows and no one died. The crowd began to disperse and make its way to the exits.  It was a really good day.

Well that about wraps up my posts of my day at King Richard’s Faire. I have a few more images to share  and then it’s on to the next adventure.