Opening Day

[Ronald the Bald]

What a mess! They weren't quite ready for us. Saw lots of people still in line to get their new IDs. From what I heard some people were there for an hour or more first thing in the morning. Being ready with ID in hand when the gate did open up I made it inside very quickly. Once they get the hang of the ID making it should be much better in future years.

Once inside I went off to find the other Scots as we had to do pike arch for a 10:30 wedding. Got there, we talked, planned, and marched off to the wedding garden, then waited. And waited. Until some went to find out what was wrong. Turns out the 10:30 wedding is Sunday.

Had an hour of so free so I went off to say "Hi!" to everyone. Didn't make it everywhere before needing to get back for parade. Always fun seeing old friends and finding changes at the faire. There are a few.

Parade went backwards as starting and ending places were reversed. There are a few kinks with that still to be worked out, such as getting water for us near the starting gate. As the Scots carry weapons, many 2-handed, in parade we can't carry mugs as most do. So we need to drink up until time to start. Lots of trees on the route so we pikemen have to slope arms for long periods. My arms can feel that today.

After parade I ate (beef roll from the German place) then headed off to Sarah Mullen's show. I hoped to sit and rest before doing the pike arch at the 3:30 wedding. Too bad there were no benches at her stage. Sat on a rock, but that wasn't really comfortable. The 3:30 wedding took place and wasn't too long.

Then it was off to guard the queen. We didn't follow the usual schedule. First time I had been on that duty where we went to the Highland Games. The queen was in a very good mood yesterday.

After the final joust we took the queen back to the front gate. Then it was off to get dinner (pasta from the pasta palace) then see Sarah. After cannon I helped her take her harp back to her trailer, then off to the pasta palace for dessert.

Lots of good things happened yesterday. Got lots of hugs! Ate good food. Met old friends. Today I am sunburned, have too many sore muscles, and feeling very tired. I'm ready to go back out today. Just hope they get a few opening day bugs fixed.

[Kat Rose]

I made it to opening day, and got through the gate fairly quickly since I made use of the emailing it for hub's pass and my trip to the Irish festival for my Friends of the Faire Pass.   I loved seeing some of the changes...keeps each season new and fresh...of course I loved seeing the favorites and friends.  Specially those that didn't recognize me at the Irish Festival, but did at Faire when I'm in Garb....LOL

The only downfall is my daughter got stricken with a headache so we ended up leaving early, (I"ve never left early).  But it was a good thing, I got a migraine shortly after leaving....Better now after a 14 hour nap....

Will be back in action next weekend!!!  HUZZAH!!!!

[Yrose]

Not only did they have problems with FOF photos and pass, but if you had printed tickets from the net the scanners weren't working either! Both days we had to wait to get in even though we were some of the first. Finally after 10 minutes the second day the lady stamped it with the faire stamp and let us in.

[THELADYKAT]

It was a great weekend but at the same time it was one of those weekends.

[Saraya thee Barbarian]

Was a great day after it warmed up a little  As usual it was Great to see everyone again!!!   

[mpullen]

Agree about the problems with the FOF passes for those of us who didn't send in photos.

Went to the booth at the gate that had the prepared passes and after that wait in line, was told to go to the FOF paper pass gate close by. Waited in line there and finally passed in, where was told to go to the season pass gate and wait in line. After 30 minutes, the boss showed up and told us that FOF folks with paper passes needed to get in line at the FOF paper pass line (the one I initially was in). So after 1 hour of standing in line (and bounching back and forth), the line finally started in at 10 AM. Got my package (with the two free tickets that my friends needed for the day) and the FOF admission paper ticket.

If they had started scanning our paper tickets earlier, we could have gotten in far faster.

Went in and put my name on the list for a 4 PM photo shoot, as they reported only 20 passes per hour were being processed. Later I came by at 3 PM and got in within 5 minutes.

For the Queens Own Highland Regiment: Thank you. It was great marching with you Saturday. I guess you didn't need fill-ins on Sunday, as I hovered around the hut Sunday, but no one asked me to join the march.

More on my opinions of the faire on a separate thread.

[SirRichardBear]

mpullen Your always welcome to march with us if you are in kilt just jump in line when we file in.  Many times if we know you have marched with us in the past we figure you know the drill and will just jump in if you feel like marching.   If you see me just come on up and ask we always need good people to march.  I'll make a point to telling the offices to annotice to everyone around is welcome to join in with us.

[mpullen]

mpullen Your always welcome to march with us if you are in kilt just jump in line when we file in.  Many times if we know you have marched with us in the past we figure you know the drill and will just jump in if you feel like marching.   If you see me just come on up and ask we always need good people to march.  I'll make a point to telling the offices to annotice to everyone around is welcome to join in with us.

Thanks Sir Richard. I was almost at the point of asking (begging) to join the march on Sunday, but when I saw the numbers gathered on the Sunday march, I figured you didn't need fill-in marchers.

The Saturday march impressed me deeply, as a retired military member I know the shock and awe of a coordinated military display.

When I purchased the FOF ticket, I figured I would only drive up the opening weekend, since it is a 4 hour drive from Pearland. After this weekend, I was so impressed with Scarby, that I may just drive up another weekend. I'll let you know when I decide to drive back up again to get my RenFaire fix.

[angusmacinnes]

I missed opening weekend due to death in family and an injured back.  Will be there this weekend.  We made the dress rehersal and I thought all the new things were for the better.  We had emailed in our pics and it only took a couple minutes to get our FOF passes but then that was not the Opening Day was it.   Hope to see you all on Saturday.

[SirRichardBear]

mpullen I'm guessing this is your first time at Scraby and marching with us.  Queen's Own Highlanders are all playron we none of us are cast so there is no fill in marchers its all the more the merrier and the more fun for all of us.  We love showing off looking great in kilt and showing the English how it is done.  Just come up grab any friends you have hanging around in kilt and join in we loving having more people,  In fact they don't have to be in kilt if they are just wearing plaid with their grab they are welcome a couple of our long timers don't wear kilts just plaid flys.

To be fair to the English if you have friends who are not kilted or wearing plaid but are in grab the English are also aways looking for people to walk the parade with them. 

So please feel free to jump in any time you are up.  Being a vet you should at least come up memorial day weekend on memorial Monday all vets on the ground are welcome to march in a special parade, grabbed or not. 

here is the link to the group's yahoo site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/queensownhighlanders/ great place to keep up on what we are doing.