Festing with the Fairies

Escapism:

[ih-skey-piz-uhm]
–noun
the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.

This is a subject as I get older that I find more and more fascinating. As a young teenager, I spent days lost in books about hero's like Conan the Barbarian, Space Explorers and yes even Luke Skywalker. I still catch myself reading the occasional escape novel as life gets too goofy. And today we are off to spend the day at the Phoenix Faerie Festival with the kids. Well Michael is at Grand Pa's but Colyn's friend Aubrie is here so she gets to come along!


The Girls awaiting entrance to the Fest....notice the 1st Fairy in line just ahead of us. I have no idea what reality awaits beyond the gates but I am going in.


Ahh big mushrooms!! This could be worthy....

The crowd is about 300 and about 2/3 of them are in costume. The vibe is one of merriment but these fairies are leery of any one not from their reality.


Ahh Minstrels! There music is good and we spend a few minutes leaving the shackles of our normal existence and transcend further into the realm of fantasy (or it could be the mushroom I tasted)


Ahh everything seems so normal even when its not.

I decide to ask the locals for some tips on what one must see in this other place. Perhaps it will break the ice.


I look to ask these two fair maidens who surely seem to belong. How hard can it be to ask two ladies where the best shops are for magic dust...

"Excuse me ladies"


Things in this place are not what they seem! But they are friendly fairies and we soon find out there is much to do and see here!


I start to second guess making fun of those guys last week at the BMW Dealer who had guns strapped to their side

Jackson assures me we can take him after all the training we have done in our living room duels. I sense our destiny is to face this knight in a battle to determine the fate of the realm!


We find royals and trees getting along quite nicely as well. I haven't had this great a trip since the seeing the Dead in 89...

...but if Jackson is to face the dreaded knight, I will need a steed!!


score!


And you can see he is a true Destrier!! Now we must find Armor!

We are but poor travelers and thus do not have much in the way of gold. We wander from tent to tent looking for something we can afford

The girls also inform me that to be truly successful in this quest (and it has become just that my friends) we also need to find a pet familiar. Without this we are destined to fail!!


Alas I see what they mean soon enough as many of the Hero's all about us have such a beast at their side. We must divert from our search for Armor and find the mythical creatures.. At once there is a squeal of joy as we find our partner for the remaining tasks!


He shall be from here out be known as Rupert Perez!!! Fear him as you do all the mighty beasts of the Perez line!

I mention to my fair wife, who even the fairies recognize as the loveliest lass in all the kingdom, that Rupert is a good omen and I am sure we shall find armor to help us in vanquish our arch nemesis.

We come to a tent with kingly furniture and a vast array of armor and weapons. Jackson looks me in the eye and full of courage states, "Pops, I shall avenge the loss of our damaged pride and restore hope to all those retched folk who yearn for the return of our rightful claim to the kingdom"... though to those that lack my carefully trained fairy ear it may have sounded more like "He is going down".


Our Little Hero with his new helmet.


She wouldn't sell me hers

Jack strides with purpose to the Knight (without his helmet) and attacks!!


The battle is almost too ferocious to watch dear readers but Jack is channeling all the Good Fairy Chi and soon the evil knight is on his heels.


Thats my boy! Even as he has the Knight on his knees, he has time for the "Hollywood Teen Idol Head Shot" Warner Bros, better be ready!


OH NO!! There is a 2nd knight!! Hey this is my story and if I want a 2nd knight we are going to have a 2nd knight. I have no weapon, and there is no way I can reach the battle field in time! What will we do???!?


The Fairy Queen can't bear to watch from her tower box seat!

There must be someone who can help young Jackson save the Fairy Kingdom!


From nowhere the warrior Maiden strikes a blow to help her brother! The 2nd evil knight breaks off combat and we are victorious!!


There is much rejoicing in the Fairy Kingdom Food Court


Though some try to commercialize things even in this world


Not that our brave Fellowship would fall into that trap.....

We must now dear reader start our return journey back to the reality we share with you. It is a journey that we make with some sadness as we have enjoyed ourselves in the land of the Fairies much more then we thought we would and somewhere in there we learned a valuable lesson.


When you see a flying Frog, you best head back unless you want to really have a different experience.