Spent yesterday afternoon at the Texas Renaissance Festival. A mostly good time was had by all. The boys complained some about having to walk around so much, which was a bummer for their parents.

I took a bunch of pictures which are on my .Mac home page. I love my camera. Even though these are really just quick snapshots, a lot of them look really good. The picture to the right just kind of amazed me. It was taken from the back of the auditorium with my lens zoomed all the way out to 300 plus digital conversion. Yet the flame is caught in perfect freeze frame.

The boys both did this thing where they jump on a trampoline with elastic cables attached to them. They can get probably two stories in height with a little help from the guys working the booth. Camera performed flawlessly at catching them in mid air.

Of course there was lots to take pictures of. What are some of my favorites. Mmmm…My favorite light is this one of a young maid with a beautiful face getting paint applied. Though mother daughter princesses was beautiful golden hour light, but a little dark. Best pose has to go to viking/demon guy. Best hottie picture? Toss up between the two girls, one in black, one in red, and the woman from the photo booth atop her horse.

Best costume? Can’t really even award that. I like the dark elf.

Most surprising spectacle? The women getting flogged/spanked outside the welsh pub. We walked up the place next door because they offered the boys free candy. Then the guys was talking the woman into bending over, further and further. I thought it was some kind of birthday spanking. But then he went to work on her butt with the leather flog in the picture. Wish I’d gotten a picture of the expression of pain on her face. I did catch her friends surprise.

Most scandalous picture? What was under the scot’s kilt (Of course I’m glad since I was taking a picture). The Mrs. decided I need a kilt. So next year I will probably go as a scotsman.

What did I go as this year? A monk. Actually forgot to take a picture of all of us in costume together. Suanna took a picture of me right before we got in the car.

She went in a bodice, long skirt and boots. She actually wore that outfit the other day on a date and I commented it would work great for Ren fest.

My eldest went as a monk, and my youngest as a knight or nobleman. Micah had shed most of his costume pretty early on because of the heat. Elijah, like me, shed the shirt we were wearing under our robes and did OK.

OK, .Mac just pissed me off. Turns out you can’t link directly to a particular picture. I’ll spend some time today and pull together a bunch of php code I’ve got in a couple of places and make a portfolio site of my own. Sorry till then.

Chain-mail Bikinis

OK I need to rant a bit about something that happen at work. We have a Friday get together right before work is over. At that I mentioned I was going to the Renaissance Festival. My boss went on this triad about how they bill the Renaissance Festival as a family thing and then let in people wearing little chain mail bikinis. “At the door they should just say, get the F*** out of here.” That comment was so typical. Here he is saying it it poor morals to allow children to see a woman in something that is acceptable at every beach in America and using the most vulgar of words in front of ladies to do it.

I’ve given up trying to understand him. He’s a nominal Catholic, who holds to very conservative values, but swears like a sailor all of the time. Personally I don’t swear that much – though my vocabulary has deteriorated since I’ve been working here – because I think it lacks class. And I cringe whenever I hear it in front of women. Maybe I’m just old fashion.

And just to spite him I made sure I got a couple of chainmail bikini pictures.