How be thee then, hope, that thy light doth ever shine even in the darkest night? How be it thy light doth ever push back against all odds to win the day? Thou art the flickering beacon upon the hill; the wee flame at tunnel’s end, the illumination from the soul in deepest despair. Hope.

Yesterday  hope blazeth forth across the land as a new era arrived within our midst as it hath done in 1860,   Abraham Lincoln

1932,   Franklin D. Roosevelt

and 1960. John F Kennedy

A new day be dawning about us as hope returneth unto our eyes. Change be possible and we know that,  yes we can, as we have done it before and been the better for it.

Barack  Hussein Obama

‘Twould appear unto the eye that difficult times have visited us for a time. Yea, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse do stalk land bringing woe within their swath.

War, pestilence, famine, and death, itself, make their selves known whenever aetherial portraits from across this world enter our homes during the eve’s tidings as we sup during the last meal of the day.

In this land the forces of nature ravage our shorelines and disrupt the channels of commerce far inland bringing with its destruction shortages of petrol, food, and shelter and untold human misery. 

Hurricane Ike

The great financial institutions of this land falter from gross mismanagement and unmonitored greed by those in they who trust was placed.  The loss of one’s labor, one’s dwelling, one’s sense of the future mounts with each passing day and its end be not in sight.

And there be those amongst us who would tell us that these events be but a foretelling of greater tragedies yet to come as the end of the world be nigh if one would but seek the Holy Writ. But to them, I would say nay, goodly sir, nay; ‘tis not the end, but a cycle we have endured time after time on the turning of the great wheel.

For those without the perspective of historie, the future doth seem bleak indeed unto the eye and the ear as calamity upon calamity doth rush upon us.  We need to look no farther than the previous century with its two world wars and plenteous smaller ones; its abundance of world wide, unrestrained, pestilences; the collapse of its financial system,

and the growing famine upon the continent of Africa

and its increasing social unrest that doth horrow governments’ right to rule.

The 14^th Century Europe be plagued with the same and more I would have beknown. Humanity bethought that the world be at its end by such and did crieth forth unto the Church, that hath split asunder, and did it give not the succor unto those cries. 

New cults did arise therefore – the Flagellants, the Lollards – and so too did more cries for reform storm the heavens, but unto deafened ears, until the land laith prostrate and none knoweth where to turn for safe haven. 

To the able reader, these but be two examples of the turnings of the wheel befound in the annals of historie – there be others to be sure. Therefore, let not the malignant despair creep upon thee and steal from thee thy content, but seek ye the ways of opportunity as did those who came before us, and in finding such, did bemake a brave new world.  And so can we, if we but have faith in ourselves.

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Mine eye hath yet to see a paper upon the riot that be Portland’s Pirate Fest during the last week’s end under the St John’s Bridge.

To be sure the fickle weather gods did play their merry pranks and Sunday late did the heavens open such that would have made Noah shudder. All the same many folk wended their way along the paths that let the river, Willamette where pavilions greeted the eye and pirates beswarmed the land. Many old friends found I and new ones to greet my pleasure thereto.

Hereto wilt thou also find Golden Bough, a Keltic consort of harpist, Margie Butler and consummate musician Paul Espinoza whose arts lift the sprits and gladden the soul. They may be found here upon this writ: http://www.goldenboughmusic.com/  ‘Tis my fortune that they live not afar from my manor.

With the departure of the Pirate Fest, we now turn our attentions unto those feast days that besprinkle the year’s end that doth begin with Samhuinn in October and endeth with the riot that bringeth in the new year.

 Below wilt thou find such portraits that doth attest unto my findings.

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Lords, Ladies, and Gentle Folk all; harken ye unto mine tale this day for Shrewsbury Faire hath come and gone for another year leaving in its wake glorious phantoms and many portraits that ye will see below.

Glorious be the day when the motley colored pavilions greeted me that fair morn with banners beflapping in the breeze as Apollo’s ascendeth unto the heavens giving promise unto the heat that was to become. And yea, there be heat but all the same, it beth Faire and that maketh all right.

‘Twas a grand time to greet old friends and find me new ones and to do a bit of shopping thou shouldest know before having to enter upon the stage with the Queen’s own Madrigal Singers of Salem.  This year there be a special spectacle: The combined concorts of Vancouver, Sherwood, and Salem with the Pearwood Pipers did perform unto the crowds’ vast pleasure. 

 From the bold instruction of the Pearwood Pipers did we learn such country dances unto our musical sport. From the straw  bestrewn upon the ground, I bethink me that I did dance upon ice!  Now that be a feat with sword attached unto one’s hip.

My shopping found me in deep speech with Lady Lea of Adornmynts – a jewelry monger most grand.  My purse be lighter thereby, I would tell thee. Found we too also a mask for Sir Denis courtesy of Dr. Hoolala’s craft. It beth his natal day this month and also a tradition to find him such gifts a-faire!  This Samhain wilt be a grand affair this year. Seek ye his portrait upon this writ.

The Shrew and Thistle be most festive in accordance unto its nature: Two rogues – pirates actually – did invade unto the merriment and sport of the patrons, if not the grayed hairs of the inns’ wenches!

‘Twas a jolly time I would tell ye and then the rogues did invade the Court of Lady Sidney where she did discern the different betwixt a buccaneer and pirate letters of mark not withstanding!   She wilt live to tell the tale I be happy to say.

 ‘Tis inadequate to say the hour was grand indeed and far too short unto my liking.  My thanks unto those whose efforts made such an event possible again this year. “Twas a grand faire indeed and I do long for its return.

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Greeting gentle Shirefolk one and all. It hath happened! Fair doth begin in Oregon – Huzzah! 

 This week’s end past, Sir Denis and I did travail unto Eugene for the riot beknownst to all as Fairy World.  Seek ye here for thy pleasure: http://www.faerieworlds.com/ much merriment was had by all!

 Herein did we meet with the Lady De Mora Grechi, Mistress Prudence, and Sir Gunther – Shirefolk all – along with sundry mongers and players of past acquaintance.

Fae be the theme here a-faire.  In Oregon faires tend to have a single theme – fairey, renaissance and pirate thus have we three faires in summer between August and September.  Four faires if one counteth Eugene’s Country Faire that be most unique and hippy-like and the largest of the four – too large for a man of my eld, methinks, not enough places for one to sit.

 ‘Twas a wonders thing to be back a-faire after a long drought that bringeth famine unto the soul!  Apollo’s fiery arrows bedamned; sufficient water doth cure a multitude of ills as did the folding stools which we bore upon our backs, howsomeever. Sir Denis hath made covers for the stools so they will not be out of place at Shrewsbury in September. Such t’was not an issue at Fairey World.

And so my goodly friends, below ye shall find a sampling of portraits of our time a-faire.

 Fairy World  August 2008

 
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