I just want to amend the tone of that last post, because obviously anyone who is on the Facebook, which is about 259 more people than read this blog, has already seen all these pictures and more. So, unless you enjoy long rambly captions, just go check the Facebook! And let us all wonder what the point of this blog is. Anyway, I’m leaving the post the way it is even though the Facebook quite obsoletizes it.
January 26, 2010
Dispatch from Ireland
Let us all imagine to ourselves what Terry and Jennye are doing in Ireland. What kind of adventures, drinks, and treasures they are getting into, following rainbows and paths around to our favorite manufacturers.
The magic of the blog though provides us with some desultory images from their travels.
Killarney street
"Guinness is good." - Tastes even better with a Gaelic tongue.
Proprietor Terry Kast with seamstress at Branigan Weavers, Drogheda, County Louth IRD. "You sure you wanna cut that there?..." No, that's not what she was saying. She was just observing the process in the place many of our finest scarves and hats and wraps are made. Earlier she was petting the alpacas they keep out back, some of which shorn will eventually find its way onto the bodies of our customers.
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Mucros Weavers:
Terry and John
For more information about Master Weaver John Cahill (pictured), check out http://www.muckross-house.ie/weaving.htm.
Good short description of the Mucros Weavers operation, and also embedded in the site of the charitable Muckross House, if you want more information about that stalwart structure still thriving since its inception in the middle of the 19th century.
Sporting Mucros hat, capping the fruits of all this great labor half way across the world. From Killarney, County Kerry to Weston, MO, the style, craftsmanship, and quality of these hats is as apparent to customers in our store on this sleepy sunday here, as it is donning new looks on a special tour during a grey, windswept day in the old Irish public house anchoring the cultural continuum of Killarney and its people and their work of generations. (That was not a run-on sentence. Merely piled clauses freely left to roam syntactal fields)
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As you may have heard, Terry is getting video during their big trip to Ireland... - Is this picture too meta? - Wonder if there is video somewhere of Jennye taking a picture of Terry taping her. - The green fields of Ireland though are on full display no matter which way you point the camera. And really make the picture actually. Without that cool winding road and cloud bunches reflecting on the lake and ethereal expanses of sky in the background and bursting green fields which fill the dreams of Celtic souls everywhere... without all that, I'd have to say this shot is aesthetically indulgent at best, the idea of lens turned in on itself. Ireland though, opens its spiritual aperature all around and fills the frame with ruminations of Eire landscapes. Inspiring without pointing itself out. (This is the caption I would write if I was a repressed art critic forced to write captions.)
A picture from Terry's time with Paul Haggins, who many of you know, and if you don't you should check out his slate carved items all over our website. Paul says these days he has been doing more sculture symposiums, but from these pictures he seems to either be expanding his range of subjects away from just Irish high crosses and ogham and the carvings we are familiar with, or this is the ruins of a crumbled Mount Rushmore by Picasso.
Whatever it is it's kind of cool and strange that it finds its way into the few images we have already received from Terry and Jennye's documentation.
So Terry will be back this Saturday and in the store, and all next week you can come visit with her and Jennye, and check some cool new stuff and stories from our perennial excursions into the place from which our Celtic passion is renewed…
Until next time,
CL Blogistrator
January 2, 2010
Not a look back over 2009
It all started when our horse ate an old-fashioned aviator... Who had accidentally come in through the portal where the fairies pass between the netherworld and the ceiling of the Celtic Ranch forest.
This Viking man also appeared. I didn't get his name, but I'm going to call him Erik.
This is the look I got when I told the manager, Jennye Rose, that there was the reincarnated spirit of a Viking's hair downstairs. (This was up in the offices and craftmaking area.) By the time we got back downstairs again, Erik had disappeared, though not before a troll crawled into his beard and made it into its own scraggly den.
![And then Joan came in, with her little doggy too. The Lord of the Leash. (get your LOL canine bandanas today!) [hey bananas are in for cat's this season, not dogs... get with it Celtic Ranch Pet Accessory Purchasing Senior Rep]](http://blog.celticranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/img_0856-200x300.jpg "img_0856")
And then Joan came in, with her little doggy too. The Lord of the Leash. (get your LOL canine bandannas today!) [hey bandannas are in for cats this season, not dogs... get with it Celtic Ranch Pet Accessory Purchasing Senior Rep
And then the Reibers were in. Kim and Terry pictured. "Did you hear about Vikinghair?"
Dennis Reiber and our newest employee, Ryann, a real dear. Come get your picture taken with Ryann if you're one of our favorite customers.
And finally Ms. Jan Specht, from the Bank of Weston, models one of our Mad4Hats selections. You know, Patsy O'Connor's handknitted horned hats. Jan briefly shows how good they can look during a blog picture break while taking care of some business at the bank.
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Oh and don’t forget everyone as of this Saturday our Sale Room is still going upstairs. We’ll keep it open at least another week, in honor of the two thousand and tenth year of the Christian calendar. Hope you had a good birthday Jesus!
And if nothing else you bah humbugs, at least give a hallelujah it’s over!
Until next time,
CL Blogistrator
December 22, 2009
Christmas at the Celtic Ranch
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- The infamous Father Christmas meets with King Half Pint
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- A Family spending time together in Weston for the holidays
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- Carolers regaling us with their wonderful voices!
December 3, 2009
Christmas Party Dec. 5 & 6!!
Terry Kast, head honcho and Half-pint's manager. If you need to book Half-pint for any parties or entertainment events, you must go through her. She also runs the Celtic Ranch.
The Green sisters, two of our favorite redheads and customers and friends, model hats (above), and preen with fairies on their shoulder like a pirate's parrot.
Thanks to Peg and Denny Barr, of Red Oak, Iowa, who sent us some of the pictures they took while visiting our store.
Anyone who gets any good or fun shots while visiting should definitely send the pics to us through our Contact Us form on the webpage.
They got a coupla good shots of the elf:
And of the Fairy Horse.
Send em to us! And the more creative, the crazier, the better!
Try to make em wild but informative like our board we put out front. Caitlin Hawley works on the highlighted text for the day.
New leather journals and bags in! Our exceedingly popular selection of rustic journals and slow tanned leather bags has just grown and diversified. Check it out!
Jennye Rose models the new Stetson hat we carry. Called the Harbor cap, it is leather and rabbit fur, very warm, and about the softest thing around a head aside from that mystical glow which surrounds the noggin's of saints. So soft it can only be compared metaphysically. Anyway, it's awesome, as usual with the Stetson selections.
Pat Jesaitis, president of the Weston Chamber of Commerce, admits he is "too vain" to be photographed in a hat. He does have beautiful curly white locks.
The hay's always tastier on the other side of the fence.
If you miss our big Christmas party, check here for random photos from the big event. And if you stop by, drop us a line or a pic after, and let us know what’s going on!
Until next time,
CR Bloggist
December 2, 2009
Christmas Party this weekend!
Big party of course this weekend…
Substantial savings when you bring your mailer… Free Irish coffee and Guinness Brownies for everybody. Served, as usual, by the incomparable Joe King.
Joe King in his Irish coffee nook in the Galway Art Gallery and Coffeehouse.
We also had nice weekends over the Weston Homes Tour recently, and after Thanksgiving, serving untold gallons of Irish coffee… And we intend to continue pouring…
Fourth Annual Celtic Ranch Christmas Party! Dec. 5 & 6…
We have some pictures from our recent rockin weekends, leading up to our biggest sale and party of the year:
Christmas hatted employees at their posts….
Oh yeah and Dawn - Dawn Weston, one of our favorite customers! Anyone who follows or connects with us on Facebook now can thank Dawn for getting it started... Hey Dawn! you can put this pic on your Facebook...
Half-pint has been around quite a bit recently too…
His long face has been in more pictures than anybody. We can only feature the highlights.
Father Christmas and Half-pint... They exchanged business cards in case Fr. Christmas needed an extra couple hoofs for any of his sleigh teams. The card just said "Mr. Half-pint McGee / Mini-horse, consultant / King of Celtic Ranch Forest", and the card had a little tail on it, it was very creative. He took Father Christmas's card in case he needed any help with any of the enchantment going on back there in our little wood.
Now this is just adorable, though clearly posed. Disclaimer: it is not recommended that toddlers ride the miniature horse. Please only faked photos thank you.
And speaking of live attractions and photo ops and Christmas fathers, there was a curious figure in our window over the Homes Tour weekend.
Oh it's a- is that a little elf? Oh, a little elf there, welcoming everybody into the Celtic Ranch. How nice and, if those tights are any indication, merry. Don we now our gay apparel.
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Another mythical creature oddly embodied by a Celtic Ranch employee. *Ding!* but be careful she sometimes gets the spells wrong. And they're often cast indiscriminately.
This is just an imposing angle of our Santa mannequin in the window. This is what it feels like to be an elf-man, under the thumb of the white-bearded tyrant. (Who still pays wages from the Middle Ages... but it's not so bad, gold is strong these days.)
This cycle has 450 mini-horse power.
*ding!* ding* there was a little tiny bell on it, like he's used to on his candy cane striped tricycle he tools around the North Pole on. It has snow tires on it and only goes 9 miles an hour, but it's the same general idea. In that you sit on it, and try to look tough: and either way, it's hard while still looking like an elf. And the toe of the pointy shoe almost melted on the pipes of that yellow beast.
Customer pics up tomorrow…
November 20, 2009
The phlegmy cough of old man winter
Dear Cyberspace,
You do seem to be such a lonely place. It has seemed at least since the Celtic Ranch began projecting its blog into you. There was an echo, a glimmer — but nothing which approached response, or recurrence.
Well recently, I’ve heard a few people say about the blog: oh yeah, nice caption this, or nice picture there that, or how about more blog? they say.
So it’s the blog then, which needs more updating, not the internet’s definition of timely… So I’ll be more attentive, cyberspace, I’ll let you know weekly throughout the holidays what we’re up to.
Today I’ll post some pictures of one of our most consistent bloggists, though he has had little to work with of late.
There he is, Mr. Bob Adkins, with head honcho Terry Kast. (And she likes Bob-- it must just be the picture, which captured that face looking as one before or after a fart.)
Now Bob also commented, in person, about the posts and those one pictures taken but never seen, which was nice, since it is often so cold only talking to the gaping abyss of the world wide net.
Bob and Caitlin Hawley
Bob and Ito at Weston Irish Fest in October.
Our local local Irish Fest was cold, cold, cold this year.
But we still had a great time, down at the booth and at our store, and despite the frigid temperatures, all went off losslessly with smiles and good times.
Heee, is the sound I hear this picture making.
I believe this caption needs no sound effect. O'Malley's Mike confidently assures us: oh yeah, Irish Fest ushered in winter, and here we go!
You know, you’re right Caption of Mike, we are well into winter.
That hacking sound you hear may be our world drowning itself in metaphorical frost. I’m not sure that makes sense, but that’s just the point, winter numbs us and even dulls our finer points.
My point is, it’s winter and we’re happy damnit. Thankful. Thanksgiving is here, with Christmas following behind it like the stench of rotten bananas with cinnamon wafting and vaguely trailing a troll. But in a good, yuletide way. (Trolls feet smell like Christmas trees — enough said.)
CR mascot Liam is getting into the spirit.
Meanwhile, back in the forest, new troll communities are forming.
And don't even get me started about the troll civil rights movement. You're not even civil! I say to them. Yet still, their lawyer, who's a sharp little leprechaun, keeps pressing their suit against us. The ACLU is on their side, even though they agree it's a complicated case, their first non-human rights campaign. Certain neighbors of ours have also sided with the trolls. Although we suspect they may have been in cahoots with the trolls all along.
Yeah well your whole 'area' smells like rotten bananas with cinnamon -- on a good day. On a bad day, rotten bananas still dominate, but with a complimentary aroma of puke.
And this was actually a paparazzi shot from back there, there was a rumor this guy used to know Owl of Winnie the Pooh. That was a Hundred Acre Wood, this is an Enchanted Forest, it was just a slight adjustment really. "Whoo! whoo! No pictures I said--" And then it gossiped with the Trolls about me.
New clothing displays along the wall by the door. Everybody come check out our constantly improving store. Stirring with life and bursting with fun and beautiful gifts!
See it's nice we got a whole new thing going.
This, however, is only part of a dream the Blog had.
We’ll be seeing you next week then.
Sincerely,
CR Blogistrator
November 4, 2009
Halloween at the Celtic Ranch
Head honcho Terry Kast
The Nunns, Jeff and Terry
Although rare, I had a grade school teacher Sister Carol with a thinner but less trimmed mustache
Colleen Rice and Courtney Gastaudo: everyone agrees we have the best wenches.
Maiden Miranda (laughing) is probably too young to be a wench. Pirate wench Courtney (gobbling) plunders bags of candy with her teeth.
On a fortunate note, Halloween at the Ranch this year saw a sharp decline in troll violence. Over the past few years, we have had problems with all walks of little people, rowdily arriving back through the open borders of the netherworld, and getting into fisticuffs and binge potion drinking and incantation battles in our magical forest.
Due to the recession, which even hit the invisible classes of people, the wild revelry was largely scaled back. There is also, on average, in the forest’s gross domestic spirit (GDS), a 2.1% contraction of whimsy.
Stay tuned, to see if Half-pint McGee, equine ruler of the forest, can deliver on his promise of raising the mystical quotient by 3 points, although these things can be difficult to measure.
September 30, 2009
End of September Wrap-up 1
Greetings!,
from your trusty if sporadic blogistrator. We had three festivals we attended in September, and October looks to be a big local month.
Important upcoming events in October: Applefest, October 3rd and 4th, and Irish Fest, October 9th, 10th, and 11th.
The Wellie Race is also on the 11th, a fun event which supports our local Gaelic Athletic Association and boasts a prize of a free trip to Ireland! All you need is a pair of Wellies and a good spirit! And it’s ok if you’re hung over, it’s Irish Fest weekend and it’s a tradition from Ireland.
Find the entry form on our home page, sign up today.
Now, Kansas City Irish Fest. It was at the beginning of September, and probably the best festival we’ve ever had. Thank you Kansas City! You proved the recession is all hype. You should be proud of yourselves. We’re ready to bring America back one fancy hat at a time!
Kiltman Brian Richards preaches the good word to the panted masses.
Courtney Gaustado hangs a shirt and reenacts a Degree 'sure/unsure' commercial.
Children frollick in the fountain spouts as if they have yet to learn the true hardships of life, and everyone is surprised a camera phone can take that good of a picture. Yes, in the right lighting, day shots and proper perspectives can come out this well.
Yes you can buy those shirts, yes those are our own design. And yeah... I think I have it in a medium... Let me check.
The brilliant Colleen Rice, 6 foot redhead and Celtic Ranch festival ringer, looks for that shirt. In the background, children almost drown in whimsy. Colleen however, would save them if need be with a well placed comment. Buoyant wit.
Brian is still talking about kilts. In the foreground, Mark, another kiltman, chimes in as well. People are listening. People can hear the distant drumtaps of freedom's song, and eventually will follow the pied kilted piper.
Like this man who got one.
And Brian takes care of the payment details.
The Celtic Ranch Cowboy, backlit at the festival register. "Go give that cowboy your money," we say.
Local hurling player juggling in front of our booth. He thought he was cool doing it. But really, this picture is of the few moments when I was levitating the sliothar, the leather ball used for hurling. That was much cooler, and I captured it.
He was just juggling here. I did however conjure the fountains to rise on cue. Anonymous mystical beings we keep in our store were impressed. The kid kept juggling he didn't even notice.
Courtney Gaustado and Colleen Rice.
Owner Terry Kast trying to reach Nirvana.
Molly Nunn, Celtic Ranch festival hand, rocks one of Patsy O'Connor's floppy horned hats.
Aagh!, somebody take my money. I need to save America.
Put on your thinking cap. But which color?, something bright or the muted tones of a purple melancholy?
"The recession isn't real," that was their quote.
"Oh yeah, you got plenty a room in there...Look us man, aren't we awesome in our Carhartt kilts... Ok almost got it there."
Nighttime: an empty Crown Center: Courtney does something terrible to the Irish Fest mascot. Usually you have to go to Tijuana for that. I kid. We don't know who that was. Anonymous bovine, random filthy woman.
August 26, 2009
Late August - Back from Milwaukee
In anticipation of Kansas City Irish Fest, in which we’re on our home turf again, we want to look back at Milwaukee Irish Fest - our approx. 10×20′ booth at the most heavily attended Irish festival in the country. Without giving away too much of our brilliant booth decoration, we want to toast ourselves and this great event.
We met a lot of great people, some of whom have already appeared here on our blog. Hello and thank you and look forward to talking to you all.
Here are some pictures:
Here's Pete Maher of the Irish Focus, giving owner Terry Kast and tent engineer Jeff Nunn some useful and factually based advice as we prepared our booth.
Owner Kast discussing merchandise arrangements and the finer points of bolo fashion. Bolos are back, if they ever went anywhere, and don't forget it.
The only thing that didn't turn out was our fog machine. Just wait other festivals. We're finetuning our non-toxic vapors.
The hat section of our booth kind of extends out into the walkway. Also important here our tiedyed neighbors.
The tiedye people! Tom and Andrea Wei, out of Ohio. Check out their site www.cooltiedye.com
And then, also check out the kiltmaster’s appearance on their website, which designer Andrea posted to our blog in the about section, but here’s the link: http://www.cooltiedye.com/c.html
You probably want to check out this link, because you probably didn’t know how cool the CR kiltman was, before you had seen this beautiful tiedyed spread of the Milwaukee festival. You’re damn right I shop tie dye, and you should too.
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In that same spirit, let us display the other pictures which were taken at Milwaukee and sent to the CR servers, as all the attendees hangovers subsided and they made their way through their digital cameras.
From Paula Hare, businesswoman from Milwaukee. All the best Paula! Enjoy your new Carraig Donn bag!
This one is from C.J., who apologizes for cutting my hat off. It's ok, the hat I wear ends up being interchangable anyway. Thanks and take care C.J.! Hope you enjoyed our booth
This one is from Brenda, who said many nice things. Good photo Brenda! Come see us again, or drop us another little line.
Well I think that’s all for now everyone.
The blogging is to continue once a week, so stay tuned!
Next festival — Kansas City Irish Fest! Crown Center! Labor day weekend!
Home town festival…Labor day weekend…Crown Center…
No excuses.
-From the BACR (the Blogging Authority of the Celtic Ranch)