Despite the chaos and destruction left in Katrina's wake, Ryleh's faire family at LRF was still just as friendly, generous and hospitable to him as always. Even before he arrived at LRF's gates, for instance, they were offering him places to stay during each faire weekend! Considering what they all had been through only a few months before, Ryleh was most grateful and truly appreciated all their thoughtful kindness -- you can't beat a hot shower followed by a warm bed after twelve hours on the road, after all -- but he was also just a wee bit embarassed by their generous hospitality at the same time (Photo, Right: Lady Tanya, for example, not only provided "crash" space with a very comfortable air mattress on her living room floor, but also cooked up a delicious supper before his arrival, then invited Baron Stefan (aka Joe Martin) over to share our meal while we all watched the two Inayashu videos which Lady Tanya owns). During the previous summer, you see, Ryleh had finally invested in a campershell for his little Nissan truck. Outfitted with a futon, several foam pads, sheets, quilt and pillows and it became a most-comfortable "tent on wheels." Throw in a sleeping bag and Ryleh was good even for the frostiest morning Louisiana could throw at him. Even better: because all the local inns, hotels and motels were now filled with homeless refugees from Katrina, faire management decided to open up onsite patron camping for the first time ever in the history of LRF. That certainly beat out the prospect of camping the Wal-Mart parking lot during Ryleh's visit there (Photo, Below: Ryleh's camp setup at the Texas Renaissance Festival 2005. Both tents and his pavilion were used strictly for storage that weekend, while he slept in his truck)! Ryleh, however, had sadly underestimated both the hospitality and the generosity of his LRF family. Because of his age, you see, they were absolutely sure he wouldn't be comfortable sleeping in his truck all weekend long. In fact, they were quite positive he would lose sleep, suffer from the cold, and be downright miserable every day of the faire. They certainly would have none of that! As might be well expected, Ryleh did not protest overmuch when Lady Tanya, Margaret and Louis pressed him to accept their much-appreciated hospitality. Central heat and indoor plumbing has, after all, a very big and very real advantage over primitive camping any day of the year!!!

As strange as it may seem, it was downright gratifying seeing the l-o-n-g lines at the LRF ticket booth on Saturday morning of Second Weekend (Photo, Above: patrons eagerly lining up to buy admission tickets to LRF while Cedric of The Bedlam Bards -- at left in photo -- entertains them with a little fiddle music). After Katrina's fearsome rampage thru southern Louisiana, Ryleh wasn't exactly sure how many faire patrons would actually attend the Louisiana Renaissance Festival this season at all since so many had suffered serious financial losses during the storm while still others had fled the state for safety sake and not yet returned home. Fortunately for LRF, Ryleh's fears were quite unfounded. As faire management rightly predicted this year, both mundane patrons and playtrons alike were eager indeed for the kind of entertainments only a renaissance festival can offer. They literally appeared in droves every weekend, rain or shine, sometimes stretching the ticket line as far as the parking lot! Some even came from as far away as Texas and Florida, supporting the festival enthusiastically all season long, filling the lanes every weekend with a boisterous, mirthful throng and making 2005 a true "banner year" for the Louisiana faire. As always, all the faire players greeted everyone entering Albright, both high and low, with open friendliness, genuine hospitality and spontaneous playfulness (Photo, Above Right: Ryleh grins broadly as lovely Bonnie MacKinlay tags him warmly -- for the third time that morning! -- in merrie greeting). As you can well imagine, Ryleh's progress thru Albright was slowed considerably by his need to "meet and greet" all the cast, players and playtrons present, starting with the Gate Keepers at the Main Gate (Photo, Left). Of course Ryleh had to speak with everyone assembled in the forecourt behind the Gate, too, nor could he pass by the official LRF souvenir booth nearby without greeting Mistress Stephanie Hight. With a most appreciative chuckle, he noted the latest souvenir T-shirt being offered for sale -- an amusing T-shirt which read: "By order of Her Majesty, Lady Katrina and Lady Rita are hereby banished from the Realm forever." What with all the meeting and greeting of friends and family there, it took Ryleh a good hour simply to walk from the Main Gate, down the Queen's Promenade and on to the Royal Food Court by the lake!

Of course there were the usual obligatory stops along the way: sampling "The King's Nuts" (ahem!); listening to one of Craig of Farrington's outrageously funny ballads in the lane; and greeting Rigor -- one of the Knights of Chaos from TRF -- who was working the Guinness Beer cart along Blacksmith Way (Photo, Right: Rigor at work, with a most lovely wench looking on with sincere admiration). He wasn't the only member of Chaos present at LRF that weekend, however. At least a dozen others rolled in from Texas to take advantage of LRF's new Patron Campground, setting up a drum circle amid the RV's and pavilions and introducing the Rennish traditions of the TRF Campground to the good faire folk of Louisiana. Considering how raucous their enthusiastic celebrations can get at times, it was probably well indeed that good Sir Ryleh didn't camp LRF this year. Most certainly he wouldn't've have got very much sleep carousing around the campfires every night of faire 'til dawn! The Knights of Chaos weren't the only faire friends who showed up during the 2005 season at LRF, however -- Ryleh was both pleasantly surprised and right pleased to meet his young friend the Purple Jester, AKA Elizabeth (Photo, Below Left)) again this year. He was even more surprised when she revealed her own personal secret: a wond'rous talent she had kept well-hidden all this time. It turns out that she is a most-skilled and talented musician who treated Autumn, Lord Durka and Ryleh to a short performance on the tinwhistle when they paused for lunch at the Royal Food Court. Her playing was so good, in fact, that Lord Durka was even moved to offer her a tip afterwards! As for Ryleh, he was both delighted and impressed with his young friend. So much so that, indeed, he began encouraging her to practice more, refine her repertoire and finally audition as a cast member at LRF. By way of a footnote, Elizabeth not only auditioned for the Lousiana Renaissance Festival in the Spring of 2006 but she so impressed the cast director there that she was immediately accepted as a member of LRF. She is slated to make her first appearance as "The Queen's Own Court Fool and Musician" on Opening Weekend, 2006. Needless to say, Ryleh is looking forward with much anticipation for that event! The 2005 season at LRF was also noteworthy in that another friend, Ben, finally put in an appearance. Ryleh had been trying to get his TRF friend to visit Louisiana for many years, so it was a real delight when he showed up in full "demon" garb (Ben AKA "The Grinning Demon of TRF": Photo, Below). As for Ben, he made a great hit at LRF. Faeries of all alignments were drawn to him, irresistibly; the young Rennish folk at the Gypsy Camp absolutely lionized him when he put in an appearance there; and even the puppeteers at the Hobgoblin Hills Puppet Theatre managed to work him into one of their shows! At the end of the season, he joined us -- sans garb -- at the impromptu and highly-unofficial Cast Party at Brady's in Hammond. While waiting for our supper to arrive, the LRF players put on an enthusiastic and extemporaneous "floor show," singing and dancing to such faire favorites as "The Mermaid Song" -- much to the frank amazement/amusement of the more mundane diners present. At the end of a most-rollicking evening -- which even included a couple of the Brady waitresses joining in briefly on a chorusline-like dance number -- Ben turned to Ryleh and said "Now I understand what you've been trying to tell me (about the Lousiana Renaissance Festival) all along!" Ryleh could only grin in reply. LRF is, indeed, one of those rare faires you have to really experience firsthand as mere words simply fail to convey the full ambience -- and one of the few faires of which Ryleh can truthfully say:

"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!"

RETURN TO RYLEH'S RENAISSANCE WORLD...

Standard Disclaimer: This webpage is strictly an *Unofficial* look at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival held near Hammond, LA in the Parish of Tangipahoa. All opinions expressed herein are strictly this author's own. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2003-2006 by George Laking.