Ships from the Past

~ Sails in the Harbor ~

~ HMS Bounty ~

~ Barque Europa ~

Like many others, I am in love with sailing ships of the past!

The above ships, along with 5 others, entered the Duluth harbor this past Thursday, and departed again 6 days later. In honor of their arrival, a great celebration was planned with days full of music, delicious food, plays, an amazing collection of treasure recovered from around the world to view, touch, and (purchase!), a treasure hunt, merchants of all kinds, and of course...pirates and Jack Sparrow flying the skull and cross bones everywhere.

I, along with a large part of my family and friends, spent 4 full days participating in celebration dressed as sea faring folk, some of us pirates, greeting and entertaining visitors, were captured in photos, and revelled in amazing sea shanties from Michael Beans  and more, plus treasure hunting tales from the fantastic Captains Carl Fismer and Scott Mitchen  .

With such an event, it is hard to pick one best moment, but for me there was something that stood out as very special. A crew of garbed pirates were chosen to board a beautiful refurbished solid wood yacht to greet the tall ships before they entered the harbor and to wave hello to the thousands who thronged the waters edge to view the masted vessels. I was thrilled when I was chosen as one of the crew, having not been on the great lake since late childhood, and had longed for it many times as an adult. I failed to grab the camera in my excited haste to board ship, and later so wished I had, because what a site I viewed as we approached the tall masted beauties in full sail far out on the lake, all 9 of them.  Amazing...absolutley amazing... they took my breath away!

 ~ Even now without a photo, I know I will have a memory of them together that will last a lifetime. ~

Of Noble Knights and Sailing Ships

Noble Knights

and Sailing Ships

As director of a renaissance faire my husband and I founded in the late 1990's, my days are now filled with visions of brave knights tilting on armoured war horses, nobles bejeweled in pearls, gold, and silver with clothing made of fine velvets and woven tapestries, musicians gaily playing melodies heard by ancients over 400 years past on bagpipes, lute, drums, and recorder, and children laughing merrily as they dance around the Maypole, ride a royal's pony, or play medieval games, all under the green canopy of beautiful trees festively decorated with coloful flowing banners.

 Preparations for this annual festival, blessed with hundreds of dragonflies, began many months ago. But now 6 weeks away, nearly every waking hour contain thoughts, planning, sewing, sawing, painting, cleaning, constructing, mowing, hauling, placing, and greeting, until the massive gates of the Olde World Renaissance Faire finally open once again to reveal a beautiful re-creation of a land long ago and far away. This will be my life until...

I awake from my renaissance world, but only for a short time, as I look to the east and watch for 8 amazing tall masted sailing ships to arrive in the harbor of Duluth. In celebration of their arrival, a festival is to be held. In preparation, I begin again, with thoughts, and planning, sewing, and cleaning, hauling, placing, and greeting to produce a slice of Olde World for the wonderful creators of the 'Treasure Adventure', an amazing treasure hunting experience during the Tall Ships Duluth!  Time to be a pirate? Hmmmm, "Arrrrr!" :0)