Music Monday - The Voice (and May Day!)

I love this piece from Celtic Woman. Seems appropriate for Beltane -

(And oh! I love those drummers! Wow..Want them banging drums in my gardens out back - kind of  every day, all of the time :-).

 To celebrate the new month, a friend and I went to Camlann for Mayfest.

 It's been such a damp, cool spring - everything was totally moss and fern encrusted.

 We spent some time chatting with the village candle-maker. Hearing about her process, and materials (there is a history lesson in every character here!), and it was certainly nice to stand by her fire!

 Heard about the various things used for dyes - especially for those near-black 'corpse candles'...

Also got to spend quite a bit of time talking with the blacksmith. He was very chatty and told us much about working iron vs. working steel... 

 My friend Michelle even got in the act and got to pound a bit on the steel knife blade he was working on.

 There were musicians playing in the background -

 Sheep anxiously awaiting to be shorn -

 Costumes were worn, games were played -

 Floral garlands were made -

-a medieval lunch was had, and then we headed out to a magical garden center, full of plants and animals. 

Pictures of *that* adventure will come anon!

A happy May to you!

Music Monday - Beltane Fire Dance

To continue to celebrate the beginning of May, I give you yet another applicable Loreena McKennitt (live perfomance, with seasonal photos) -

and here is one last batch of May Day/Beltane photos from Camlann -

Participants and performers alike enjoying the day, from big -

- to small....

...although even the small -

- could particpate (much to their delight)....

I certainly enjoyed the anachronisms - gown and cell phones. Robes and tennis shoes....

And here's hoping for spring in earnestness! (we could certainly use a fire tonight. It's be dismal and frigid today. Rain, wind, hail, thunder, lightening!)

Sunday Sketching -

Just some quickies today - to try to stay awake (bad night for sleeping...)

Instead of more sketching, I will leave you with some naturalistic shots from our medieval outing yesterday - showing the green and greyness of this chilly, damp, late-spring....

Succulent Saturday - May Day!

Spent a nice (albeit a bit damp and chilly) afternoon with the awesome Rebecca at Camlann, medieval village to celebrate May Day.

 We had a fabulous lunch, listened to live music, did some people sketching, did more people watching, and ended the day by seeing the May Queen crowned (see the tiny 'Queen' chosen this year - and being thoroughly delighted with that choice! :-) -

- and finally the May Pole being danced around. :-)

Happy May Day to you  - hope yours was lovely.

Mayfest - Part I

Spent a lovely afternoon back down at Camlann Medieval Village for their May Day Festival.

Got to watch sheep shearing -

-and black smithing-

-and May Day garlands made by hand with natural materials-

-Archery contests-

- and dancing around the May Pole.

There were many festive spectators...

-who couldn't be cuter. :-)

Mayfest - Part II

There were various aspects of "Village Life" being demonstrated or out for viewing -

The sheep awaiting shearing -

The resulting wool hanks ready for dying (all with natural, 14th century materials of course)-

And the end-results of of dying.

The new, in-process blacksmith's building, now wattled, but awaiting daubing -

And the Bors Hede Inne (restaurant) where we ended up at the end of the day...

Mayfest - Part III

I got to go today with Catherine Somerlot - lovely, young, photo and graphic artist, relatively new to Seattle, (whom I've become acquainted with via Twitter of all things.)

We had a fabulous time talking about all things medieval - and chatting with the various in-character villagers.

When the festivities of the day came to an end, and the rains once again began to pour, we headed for the Bors Hede and stayed for the May Feast -

(I especially enjoyed the QUALYS ROSTYD with SWETE MUSTARD and the JACK-O-THE-GREEN CAKES - which were cardamon cookies decorated like Green Men.)

'Lovely way to spend an afternoon.

People Watching - Performers

A couple of weekends ago, we spent a nice day at the "Summer Faire", back at Camlann. For me, the best part was watching the people. The most obvious ones to watch were the folks performing -

We watched a medieval-era play. Here is one of the narrators.

The village smithy - hard at work.

Period-specific singers...

"Master Fletcher" - one of the 'presenters'. 'Got to watch various arrow-shooting contests.

And the amazing "Master Payne" - jongleur extraordinaire!