October and the OVPR Rendezvous is here! Mother Nature was very gracious to us this year, the weather was absolutely perfect for tent camping & socializing. The day time temps allowed for shift, petticoat & bodices or shirt, breeches & weskit to be all one needed to wear. Of an evening a light matchcoat or sleeved weskit was nice but not absolutely necessary. No wind, no rain – truly Shining Times!
The spring rendezvous is often blessed with a fine informal tea attended by ladies who might not have great earthly wealth but possessed great inner grace and womanly strength. A fine & gentel gathering it is too.
The fall ‘Vous hosts a rather different affair. Oh it looks like an informal (as opposed to high) tea but its participants know the old ways and wisdom. These are witches & wisewoman; loyal above all to their friends, perilous to their foes.
The Witch’s Lair is easy enough to find.
Secure valet broom parking is available to one and all.
What is this? A Masquerade? How devious! Witch or Wisewoman, who can say? How now indeed.
Witches drinking witches brew for sure. Those are not tea cups!
Obviously a Wisewoman, no witch would dare to appear as an Owl Avatar.
A princess perchance in this gathering of crones? Methinks nay.
Truly this is an eclectic gathering.
Apprentices were welcome at the tea. But are they apprenticed to witches or wisewomen? The mask hides all.
Be they witch or wisewomen in training clearly the Old Ways are being learned by the young ones.
Well at least the Future of the Learning is secure. There are many hands here to carry the Traditions.
T’wod be amiss to not honor our gracious hosts. T’was their want to have a Masquerade at the Gathering.
A Grand Time was had by one and all – even if we weren’t quite sure who we all were, or so we all pretended.
This is the (In)Famous Barking Spider Inn. Of a Friday or Saturday night it hosts all sorts of woods runners, casual laborers, tinkers, peddlers and itinerant musicians as well as even less savory sorts.
But it’s Saturday afternoon and the Inn is a reformed establishment. Here a ladies from the better classes are playing a social game of cards. No gambling or cheating here! (Well maybe just a wee little bit. Hee Hee!)
The Ladies Social is open to one and all – as long as they are in truth ladies. No masquerades here!
Spirits and Special Stuff is available for all. (Special Stuff has no alcohol.) Man handling the barkeep is strickly forbidden.
Barb the Alewife (center above) and her 2 friends see that no unpleasantnesses occur in her establishment. Personally I think facing the local court would be easier than crossing these worthy women.
The house band knows many a lively tune to entertain the gathered ladies of the town. The guitar player is even rather handsome although the waterman sometimes needs a little reminder of just what is and is not proper.
Mama Heather capped the festivities by bringing her twins to meet & greet everyone. They are cute as 2 kittens in a basket.
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