Scarborough Faire 2013

* Mermaids

The year is 1533... There are a number of Renaissance festivals in the US each year. Here in Texas, the place to be weekends during April and May is the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie. As I mentioned last week, the 2013 season brought a new attraction to the festival, Mermaids!

Four mermaids were present in the 'lagoon' when we visited. I shared one photo last week, and I have a few more photos to share with you today.

 

The mermaids spoke only a dialect of mermish, so I could not interview them or ask their names. I'm thinking that this is taking cosplay a little too far. What do you think?

According to one of my readers, "Siren Nasreen is one of the main mermaid's names in the lagoon." (updated 30 May 2013)

Click on any photo in this article to see a larger view.

* Daniel

One act we make sure to catch each year is Daniel, Duke of Danger. The program reads, 'This acrobat defies death, gravity, and common sense.' That just about sums up Daniel.

 

Daniel's antics include fire juggling, ladder walking, and standing on his head. He reminds the children in the audience to stay in school, lest they end up with a job such as his.

Pay attention during the fire juggling. Why do you like the high-throws so much, Daniel?

* Tobias

We first saw Tobias' act at last year's festival, and we made sure to catch him again this year. Tobias The Adequate is a 'Magician, Comedian, and Bombastic Goofball' according to the official program.

This year, Tobias' act included rope tricks, a choking chain escape (above), and a thorough explanation of up and down. Tobias brings an adequate supply of fairy dust to his performances. Would be tragic if he were to run out.

Here is a short video from last year, featuring both Daniel and Tobias.

* Arsene

With advice from a friend of a friend, we caught Arsene's show for the first time this year. Magic and juggling are the highlights of this excellent show. Arsene and his three female assistants kept us entertained with a healthy dose of audience participation.

Sit too far back? Arsene will convince you to sit a little closer to the front. Arrive a little late to the performance? Oh dear!

Arsene and his Magikhana Show is definately worth a visit!

* Fairies

The festival is a great place to experience your Fae side. The photo below shows a number of young fairies enjoying story time.  The adults are enjoying the shade as much as the story.

Here is some background on the photo above, updated June 10, 2013:

I just happened upon your blog to look at mermaid pics.
In, the pic you have of story time at SRF is actually tea time and story time. The group of fairies is The Westwood Fairies of which I am Lavendyre. The other two are Azalea and Magnolia Fawn. Magnolia Fawn is the fairy who's wings are closest to the fairy catcher. The guy to the side of the pic is our fairy catcher who likes to tag along with us.
We come to tea time at Fairy Haven whenever we are there.
Loved seeing the pic, that's an angle of our wings we rarely get to see!!
-Lavendyre

There is so much to see at Scarborough that one cannot see it all in one day. The food, the shops, and the acts make for a perfect family outing.

I hope to see YOU at the festival next year!


RSS Feed

I am experimenting with an RSS Feed for this blog. Here is the address to plug into your favorite RSS news reader. Feedback is welcome. Is this a feature you will use?

http://www.goldmermaid.com/goldmermaid.xml


Treasure Hunt

A Treasure Hunt contest is in progress to celebrate last week's blog post, number 100! Be sure to check it out. And vendors, see how you can get your site mentioned in the contest rules by donating a small item to the list of prizes.


Best wishes and starfishes,
-Mermaid Cynthia
cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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Treasure Hunt 2013

Welcome to blog post number one hundred! Woot! Thank you, dear merfolk and fans, for returning each week to see what is happening in the mermaid world.

To celebrate this milestone, I am having a contest. The link below will take you to the contest page where you can find all the information you will need to play. Be sure to bookmark the page, as you probably will not finish in one sitting. Good luck to all!

Treasure Hunt

Sea Monster?

Beachgoers in New Zealand were stumped by a monsterous looking carcass that washed ashore early this month. It's not every day you run across a carcass about 30 feet (9 meters) in length on your favorite beach.

It took a marine biologist to identify the remains.

Swim or wade on over to io9 for the full story on the 'sea monster' by Benjamin Radford for Discovery News.

Undersea Street View

Google, in partnership with The Catlin Seaview Survey, is mapping the ocean floor. Images are being uploaded to Google Maps, so that they may be viewed using Street View.

The project began four years ago, and helps to document the world's coral reefs to hopefully save them from extinction. An update on the current status of this project was part of the recent Google I/O developer conference.

Find out more in this article by Marguerite Reardon for CNET.

Scarborough Faire

On Saturday, we made our annual trek to the Scarborough Renaissance Faire in Waxahachie, Texas. This year, the Faire's many attractions includes a Mermaid Lagoon. Four mermaids were present at the lagoon when we visited, one of which is pictured at right.

The mermaids were friendly, but as they spoke only a dialect of mermish of which I am not familiar, I was unable to get their names. If anyone has more information, please send me an email.

The Faire wraps up its 2013 season this coming weekend, May 25-27, which includes Memorial Day Monday.

I will have more pictures from the Faire in my next blog post.

Mermaids, Really!

According to io9 columnist Charlie Jane Anders, "Summer TV season is starting, which means television is getting weird."

I'm sure you remember when Animal Planet ran Mermaids: The Body Found. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) received so many inquires regarding the existence of mermaids that they had to release the statement, "No, mermaids do not exist."

Well, it appears that Animal Planet is back with Mermaids: The New Evidence, which will air on Sunday (26 May 2013). Watch the trailer. See what Ms. Anders writes about this, and what NOAA's response is likely to be. The article covers the entire week, scroll down to the bottom for the mermaid related information. (Updated 25 May)

Best wishes and starfishes,

-Mermaid Cynthia

cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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Mermaid Sandy

Join me today as we have a chat with Mermaid Sandy of sunny Florida. You've already met her daughter through this blog, and now you're going to meet a very passionate mermaid tail creator. Please welcome Sandy to the blog!

Cynthia: Tell us a little about yourself, Sandy.
Sandy: I was born and lived in Michigan till my 20’s, but I always went to Florida 2-3 times a year while growing up because my parents owned a home on the water in Weeki Wachee, Florida. When I married, me and my husband moved to that quiet little town Weeki Wachee that I so came accustomed to as a child.

Cynthia: How did you first get into the mermaid world?

Marcy - Sandy - Kylee

Sandy: My connection with mermaids was back in the 70’s. My parent’s home was just a few miles from the wonderful Weeki Wachee Springs Home of the world famous mermaids. My father would take me to see the beautiful magical mermaids swimming in the spring, and whisper in my ear, "That will be you some day, my little fish."

Cynthia: Tell us all about Mermaids R Us.
Sandy: My dream for Mermaids R Us is to be just a great as Toys’R’Us for mermaids and mermen: Offering anything mermaid all in one place. From collectibles - to clothing line - to mermaid books - to mermaid makeup and mermaid tops and tails. I hope one day to have it all. But for now we just sell Mermaid Tops (Shell, Sequined and Silicone), Silicone Mermaid Tails, Sequined Mermaid Tails, Swimable Fabric Mermaid Tails from plus size to men to women to child to infant.

Cynthia: You do work for Weeki Wachee Springs?
Sandy: I do make most of the mermaid tails and tops for Weeki Wachee Springs State Park along with specialty custom costumes such as the Cat in the Hat and Sam I Am. I do special projects with them and enjoy working hand ‘n’ hand with such an amazing team. As far as being a mermaid and following a dream that was mine and my daddy’s little secret. It never happened for me. I became a mother of three and an artist, but never a mermaid. But as a PROUD Mother, I can say that my kind and beautiful daughter had her own dreams of being a mermaid, and I am sad to say my father died before he had the chance to see his grand-baby girl Kylee become Mermaid Kylee, a World Famous Weeki Wachee Mermaid.

Cynthia: Do you currently do performances in addition to creating tails?

Mermaids R Us at Mer-Palooza 2012

Sandy: I do special Birthday Parties, Events, Promos or Magazine photo shots, as far as the performances. I turn my customers over to the PR agent at Weeki Wachee; these Professional Mermaids in my Mermaid Tails make me so proud. Many have no idea how really hard a mermaid life as a Weeki Wachee mermaid is: they put in hours and hours of time and are open 365 days an year. They eat, sleep and breathe Mermaids. I know as my daughter is one. She is often battling a sinus infection, ear infection, or diver’s pressure. They risk their lives to perform. It’s not a pool they swim in but a deep spring and at a temperature of 74 your body gets cold with 30-45 min shows up to 5 times a day. They have to get out and take warm showers just to get their body temperatures up at a safe level. They have been around 65 years and respect for those amazing Weeki Wachee Mermaids is just what I have. However, I do have to say I am always excited when I get to help someone other than a Weeki Wachee Mermaid fulfill their mermaid or merman dreams and they come true with the help of my transformation and a MermaidsRus tail or top. Not all mermaids/mermen can live in Weeki Wachee and be such an athlete as those Weeki Wachee mermaids. So I am ecstatic when I get to help mermaid/mermen performers from all over the world.

Cynthia: Have you done environmental or charity work?
Sandy: I work side by side with Mermaid Kylee and getting people to support the fight against breast cancer. This is a cause my daughter and I feel strongly about supporting and often will do benefits or events. But me as a tail designer; I am all about giving back. God has blessed me the ability to create and I can only tell you that my calling in life is to give back. So with that said, I have donated a Silicone tail to Weeki Wachee Friends Group to help raise money for a mermaid event. I have donated a mermaid tail to the local Art Club to raise money for scholarship for the local youth perusing their dreams as an artist. I have helped support the local high school swim teams first meet of the year with Mermaid Kylee holding the American flag as she swam across the pool for opening ceremony.

Cynthia: What do you enjoy doing when not making mermaid tails?
Sandy: When I am not in the studio creating mermaid tails. I am shooting a wedding, birthday party or maybe a new born baby. Mermaid tail designer by day and photographer by nights and weekends.

Cynthia: Do you have any special stories from your mermaid adventures?

Sandy: I have enjoyed being part of the mermaid community. My adventure to Vegas at the Mercon, the Mermaid Fest, Mer-Palooza and Weeki Wachee 65th Mermaid Reunion were all unique mermaid experiences. I am blessed to have been able to attend these mermaid events.

Cynthia: What else you would like to share with us?
Sandy: My passion is mermaid tails and creating a product that suits your needs the customer. I am not like others in my industry so please don’t judge me until you yourself contact me. I am personable and REALLY DO CARE! I don’t paint my mermaid tails. I am a women and a mom so comfort and shape and safety matters to me, but my personality and style is Glitz and Glam and that is what I try to give to my designs. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on my website, contact me please. I love to create new things and no idea is too crazy or silly just ask.

I do want to take a moment to thank Gold Mermaid Cynthia and her blog. Without caring Mermaids like Cynthia, we all would not be as educated and informed about fellow mermaids/mermen, mermaid communities and mermaid products. What Mermaid Cynthia does for all of us is a GIFT and I just want to say THANK YOU!! for your time and hard work. Love what you do!
“Mermaid” Sandy – (a women who never gave up her & her daddy’s dream)
MermaidsRus

Cynthia: Thank you so much, Sandy, for all you do for the mermaid community! Readers can find out more about Sandy and Mermaids R Us on Facebook.


Mermaid Music - Gravity

AKUA is a new Montreal based artist, and she has just premiered the video for her song, Gravity. It features her as a mermaid, and has been receiving rave reviews.

The video can be found on YouTube and there is a related article at Pigeons and Planes.

AKUA is rapidly gaining attention with her mix of alt-soul and electronic soundscapes. Her debut EP, One's Company, will be out on June 4th.

The video was shot in the Florida Keys. The mermaid tail is by the MerTailor.


Best wishes and starfishes,
-Mermaid Cynthia
cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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Downtown Predator

When someone starts talking about an invasive predator fish, you probably would not think of Central Park in New York City.

A recent Yahoo News article by Dylan Stableford has the full story. "Environmental officials are set to conduct a survey of a Central Park lake for the northern snakehead, an invasive predator fish that can live out of water for days." The photo of the northern snakehead is quite impressive, but be sure to watch the video as well.

I don't think I would want to mess around with this guy.

Oxygen Particle

Oxygen Atom - NASA/World Book

Scientists have developed an oxygen particle that would help keep patients alive that are unable to breathe. When injected, the oxygen particles can keep the patient's brain and heart healthy for 15 to 30 minutes. This is often enough to restore breathing to the patient.

This treatment does not remove carbon dioxide from the patient's bloodstream, but getting oxygen is the first priority.

Take a look at the full story at Fox News. It is also available at other sites, simply search for 'oxygen particle injection'.

I know what you're thinking... Perhaps some day we merfolk can use a simple procedure to extend our underwater stay.

Space Kraken Story

You remember the Lego Space Kraken story from my April 16 blog post? Here is a related article from Kinja in which we learn the story behind the build.

Time to bring out the Lego sets you have stored away and build a mermaid. Send me photos!

Save the Mermaid Parade

The talk on the waves today is the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. The parade is scheduled for June 22nd, but may not run this year due to lack of funding. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to save the parade.

As they say, "Don't be Shellfish!" Here is all the information.

Mermaid Raina Encore

For fans of Mermaid Raina, here is an encore photo just for you. A big hug and splash to Raina for taking time to chat with us. If you missed Raina's interview, you can find it in my April 23 blog post.

Best wishes and starfishes,

-Mermaid Cynthia

cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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