louisiana renaissance festival.

Nick had graciously been granted a four day weekend by his CO for Veteran's Day.  What's a family to do with four days of freedom on the Gulf Coast?  The answer came in the form of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival with a promotion for Active Duty Military to get into the festivities for free!  Done and done.

We were greeted by this large sign when we entered.  I'd like to think I know a thing or two about jousting, as it is Maryland's state sport, but apparently in Louisiana they joust alligators.  Typical.

Nick and I are always down to people watch.  Especially here.  Especially with a camera.  So enjoy this photo-documentary of our experience.  And see how creepy we are when we take pictures of strange people.

First Nick decided to do some archery.  I overheard two teenage boys talking to each other about driving up to Maryland where they had just legalized pot.  I wanted to tell them they could drive up there and get married, but they couldn't get pot.  Not yet at least.

Then there was this really creepy teenage boy walking around in a dragon costume.  I initially assumed he worked for the festival, but the moment he took of his mask I decided he must not be allowed near Owen.  It was something about his sparse teenage boy mustache that put me off.

Did you know there is an obesity epidemic here?  I know I'm getting hit by lightning for that one.  This picture clearly illustrates our strategy of pretending to photograph each other, but really we are just trying to capture... whatever you would call this.

Owen couldn't stop staring.  Neither could I, I can't blame him.

Then I made Nick stand in line for chips.  There was no way I was going to talk to the food wenches.  Fellow seagulls, these were like the delicious gull's nest chips that we used to binge on.

My second favorite costume of the day was this demon boy.  Beelzebub.  Lucifer.  I'm not sure, but full black body paint screams commitment.  It also screams "I come here everyday the festival's open."

The rednecks were there.

So was the Queen's fork guardian.  (Did I mention the obesity epidemic?)

And then this happened.  The girl in her underwear covered by some nude panty hose.  What you can't immediately tell is that the man she's assisting is beginning to dress in his Ent costume.  That's right.  That guy eventually turned out to be Tree Beard.  This brings me to my Middle Earth segway.

Nothing screams renaissance like Middle Earth!  (?)  We saw some hobbits, some Ents, and of course we saw Gandalf and Galadriel.  Though to be fair he could have been Dumbledore visiting the past.

My favorite part was the birds of prey booth which I stood at for way too long, looking at this amazing eagle owl and golden eagle and gyr falcon and red tailed hawk and peregrine falcon and... and... and.. then I got scared away by the lady who engaged the falconer in a conversation involving her dragging a ranch in New Mexico and unearthing a golden eagle body which she then took feathers from, but prayed to the Native American's that it's soul would be... that's when I walked away.

Biggest fail?  No Game of Thrones costumes!  Come on now, I know you have HBO in LA!