Hoggetowne, Some Thoughts, Some Photos

[madshutterbug]

Weekend in a nutshell:

Up to damn early. Out to feed the Ranch critters, while Herself trundled on down the road to Faire. Followed after, helped Skippy of fatfred sell puppets. Back home in the evening, fed the kidlets and the Bros. Crashed. Up too damn early again and did it one more time.



First:

Fat Fred & Popper Bein' the Horn Otterz,
originally uploaded by Mad Shutter-bug.

For a long time, the booth right next to Skippy's is this cart, and a fellow known as Louie the Horn Guy. He needed a break following morning coffee and other fluid intake, so Popper and Fat Fred offered to help him out. This is a combination which should have raised the hairs on the back of Louie's neck. Unfortunately, Louie is bald.


Why Worry About This?:

Fat Fred & Popper Noze Jobz!,
originally uploaded by Mad Shutter-bug.

The two of them congratulated themselves with a noze job when Louie got back.


Next:

Horny Otterz,
originally uploaded by Mad Shutter-bug.

Popper snagged one of the sets of horns I bought from Louie as a studio prop, and started sneaking up on people and puppets and scaring the bejeeburs out of them.


And:

Checkin' Out the Fuzzies,
originally uploaded by Mad Shutter-bug.

He really is good at scaring the bejeeburs out of the puppets, too, The little bird puppets were scrambling all over the place. The wolf though, rather nearly nipped his nose.


But wait, there's more:

Popper Tries Out My Camera,
originally uploaded by Mad Shutter-bug.

Popper's camera is a very simple old point and shoot 35mm. One shutter speed, one f-stop, one focal length, no bells and whistles. He wanted to borrow my camera because it's got a self-timer and he wanted to try some self-portraits of himself at the Faire. To be fair, he did get some. But this was his first attempt.


Hoggetowne is interesting. Particularly if one works the Faire. Over time, certain things stand out. Like, remembering faces over the years, of someone wandering by in ...
- Really bad elf/pixie/fairy costume
- Ninjas. Right. At a Medieval Faire with the theme of either King Arthur and the Round Table, or Robin Hood (alternating years). We're gonna see ninja in Merry Olde or Older England? I don't think so. Furthermore, Ninja? Actually, a real, and a good ninja, you aren't gonna see. He/She is gonna look like that person next to you. Or that otter.
- Middle Eastern Dance Troupes. Which ones are good. Which ones aren't.
- Music Bands, likewise. Empty Hats, if you get a chance, are a pretty good listen.

Or some other outstanding experiences, like ...
- Elephant urine. Oh. Baby.
- Some people really shouldn't wear bare midriff bondage outfits in public. Really.
- Some people Really Should. It's more ... attitude, I think. Just wearing it because it's a place you can, eh. Actually getting into the character, that carries it off.


I'm not being totally fair. There've been some really cool things over the years. This year, though, the energy levels felt really low. I know Skippy says she did OK and she did. But then again, I've been with her at Hoggetowne a number of years, and I can recall much better opening weekends, much better sales. And I know ichthyus was really excited by her first jewelery sale. Overall, my big thing is it's time I get to spend with friends, helping them do something that makes parts of their year better (extra spending $$ is always good), with opportunities to play off each other as well.

snookum, you were missed. Would've helped a lot to have another set of eyes and hands to help keep those otterz under control.

Comments

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

Remember the Morphine Fairy?
LOL.

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

LOL OMG yes!

And then there's others, like I said. One of the Crowd, the one dressed as a fairy, that interacted with the puppet yesterday. All 'mime', no words, but messages between the two. She pulled it off.

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

Fred's whiskers were twitching.
He wanted to make a comment about the "bounce and giggle" bit that she was doing. I don't think that part worked very well. Something about anyone over the age of 10 doing that...

[i-amsherlocked.livejournal.com]

is that you holding the otterz Miz Skippy?

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

Sigh. Yea.
I HATE photos.
Grrrr.

[i-amsherlocked.livejournal.com]

you look lovely! you should let madshutterbug take a proper photo!
Your hair is a lot longer than I thought it would be!

Mz Skippy

[jehannamama.livejournal.com]

I love your pics!
I'm looking forward to seeing more from that madshutterbug!

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

MORPHINE FAIRY?!

I don't wanna know.

Oh, all right, yes I do.

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

She came to the Medieval Faire dressed as a fairy. She looked, and acted, strung out. Waaaaaaaay out.

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

There was this tall, skinny lady, with lank hair, and sunken eyes, who walked with a hunch. She usually dressed all in ragged black and these droopy, dragonfly-like wings.
It made me think of how Shakespears' fairies had names like Rose and Peasblossom... One day she walked by and I couldn't help but remark: Oh look! It's the Morphine Fairy!
I don't remember who was standing next to me but I think they aspirated their entire lunch.

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

I think they aspirated their entire lunch.

Maybe you are the Anoxia Fairy.

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

Later, a couple of us talked about doing costumes for a SF con.
Going as 3 "Modern" fairies.
Caffeine, Morphine and Nicotine.

[jehannamama.livejournal.com]

OMG I love this story!

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

BWAHAHAHA!

I'd love to see that.

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

It was one of the years I was doing lunch relief for you, is what I remember. :)

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

Could have been.
After 30 years they kinda blur.

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

::takes off glasses & cleans them, puts them back on::

*Looks Around*

Yup. They do that.

[jehannamama.livejournal.com]

Love these photos! What a great time was had by all Otters!

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

Wait til you see the ones Popper did, experimenting with my camera and the self-timer feature. :-)

[jehannamama.livejournal.com]

I have been looking!
I like yours better!

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

popperaussie hasn't posted his yet. I'm nudging him.

[popperaussie.livejournal.com]

Okay okay - hold your horses mate. they are up.

[jehannamama.livejournal.com]

Good golly, those are great pics!
You must run fast to beat that self timer so well! And you caught Skippy and Fred, too!
I love the closer self portrait best.

[alienorade.livejournal.com]

I get to come up this weekend!

I'll arrive 4ish (?) Saturday, and have to go home on Sunday afternoon/evening. Or, I could call in sick on Monday...... :P

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to seeing you. I'll be there.