Beowoulf

Sure, Mission, feel free to use them! I am really amazed how well the pics came out, myself! I had just bought a new camera on Black Friday and KW was my first using of it. Must be a GOOD camera! lolol

Happy Birthday, WIlliam! What a pleasure it was to make your acquaintance at FTPI !!!

And yet some more! These are from Pirates in Paradise. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066557&id=1396183216&l=ac40a0e5e5

And here be another set of FTPI pics by Beowoulf http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066486&id=1396183216&l=dd4ce955bf

Beowoulf's FTPI pics .... Set #1 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066485&id=1396183216&l=1d57f1a4a4 Please tag ppl you know!

Must get these shoes!!! Where from??

Mission! Happy Birthday, kiddo!

The wonders of Photoshop! Before: After:

Think these are good to modify? http://www.leatherup.com/p/Mens-Motorcycle-Boots/Xelement-Brown-Hell-Rider-Harness-Advance-Motorcycle-Boots/56351.html

Now CANNONS, are a definitely possibility!!! Though, I read in the maze of laws that Black Powder (itself) comes under the "explosives" laws and when you click the link on the RCMP site, it takes you to some Canadian Justice Department site. (At the point I was swearing too profusely to continue my web search.) ALL I WANT TO DO IS MAKE LOUD BANGS!!! Goddamned do-gooders!!! (Ya can't take a BATH without 2 or 3 DO-GOODERS jumping in with you to tell you how to be doing it properly and safely!!) Quebec is so goddamned backwards when it comes to modern movements (e.g. the re-enactment stuff or whatever). They are TOTALLY focused on making sure everyone speaks french .. all else is insignificant and even unknown. Getting friends to hold my pistols in the good ol' USA seems the safest bet ... but, what a pain for the friend/relative. Hmmmm ... maybe if I PAID them for their inconvenience - a yearly stipend. Some guy (from Florida) on the PiP site had a gold-colored, light-weight (50 pounds) mortar with a price tag of $350 ... man, I would love to own that! Would have bought it, but it was his display. These have been tested at 3 times the recommended powder load. So where does that leave me with regard to black powder firearms? I have no idea.... lolol Probably just as well anyway ... I don't have any money left!

Thanks, Gertie! Thanks to you, I like Canada a little bit more! ;-)

The things you do for love! Typical of Canada's timidity regarding EVERYTHING "manly," the rules about guns are incredibly restrictive. I want to own a flintlock pistol (or 50) and as far as I can tell from their "Just TRY and find the answer to your question!" gun laws, it has to qualify as "antique" (that is, made before 1898 .... how they arrived at this magical date, who can guess? &^#$%@*&%$ CANADA!!!! ) I was searching the net for antique flintlock pistols and they want thousands and even tens of thousands for them. No Saturday Night Specials, it would seem. Anyone on this board from CANADA who has found their way through the Canadian gun law maze? Can you help me? And/or, anyone know of a good source or usable/affordable pre-1898-made flintlock pistols? Any help will be so much appreciated! p.s. Have I mentioned how much I hate living in Canada? I had to sell my 3 handguns to move here! That should have been enough of a danger sign right there!

Might one of ye remind me of the name of this fine lass?

Great reply, Hurricane! I am much uplifted to know the groups can and do cooperate for the benefit of all. If I lived in FLA, you can be sure that I would be part of the organizing force - I am a sap like that too! ;-) Just as you old salts have the extremely valuable ability to speak from experience, a noob like myself also brings a unique and quite valuable perspective: how does this (which the old salts have become accustomed to) come across to clueless newcomers (who you need to "impress" if they are to return and keep the event from drying up.) My #1 request would be an easier transfer between sites. There is often so little time to "cram it all in" that the walk, as I mentioned, seems interminable. (Perhaps this is just my issue?) And my #1 suggestion: to have the advertising presented such that each venue is made clear (on each piece of advertising!). Like I said, to a total noob like myself, it took me a few days to figure out what was going on (geography and events, I mean ... not politically!) For example, I arrived on Tuesday and made the acquaintance of Hurricane (and much enjoyed his company!), but then I was quite confused that he was not living in the fort when Thursday and Friday rolled around. "Where is my new friend Hurricane?" I wondered. When I learned of some personal issues, I assumed that was the reason, but no, come to find out now, it can be perfectly normal to be immersed in the PiP grounds without being immersed in the FTPI grounds. To the naked eye (read noob, with no background), it seems bizarre that there APPEARS to be two separate, similar-themed events going on at the same time, only a half mile from each other. It is just natural for the noob to say, "Well, this is kinda odd...." I am guessing that Marketing 101 would say that it is not a good idea to leave the "customer" puzzled. ON THE OTHER HAND (lolol), as I think of it .... In Maine, in the Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough, Saco area, there are many amusement parks ... all a relatively short distance from each other. It would indeed seem odd to see them advertising for each other just for the sake of making their clientele comfortable - unless they owned the other amusement park, of course.... Still, the KW pirate thing is so unique and so short-lived that perhaps it is quite natural to think that "obviously" the two events are one-in-the-same. In any case, I had a fantastic time at both sites! Both sites' vendors profited greatly from my presence! I met and talked to many people. I made a few friends. While I DID feel the need to get home and rest my tired, aching body, after a quick rejuvenation, I was pining to do it all over again. How will I ever make it til late November 2011??? Apart from these small details, it was a FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE and I am EXTREMELY GRATEFUL to all the organizers for all their hard work!!!!! THANK YOU!!! Post-Diosa request to return to topic: Sorry, this IS off topic. The history of the event(s) is quite interesting. I would suggest posting these "suggestions" under another topic heading ... buuuut, on second thought, maybe not! (Hmmmmm ... is there a way to offer well-intentioned suggestions w/o sounding ungrateful? I guess the TONE of the communication makes all the difference.)

Given all that has been said, it still makes no sense to me that each group has to, in effect, ignore the other's presence. I sense little or no willingness to build bridges between the two groups: planning, coordinating events, sharing resources, openning communication, etc. etc. I get very much a sense of "You stay on your side of the fence and we'll stay on ours." I was very confused going into it and it was only after some time that I began to realize the division and began to ask the questions that "explained" the puzzling (and, I feel, maladaptive) arrangement. Seems to me that what you were doing was hurting both of you and leaving many people (I am a prime example) confused. I liked elements of both sides. I liked the "fun" element of the PiP side (FTPI could get oh-so serious about the minuteness of fine detail like, "Well, from 1678 til 1692, it was common to stitch waistcoats from right to left, using the 'hook & loopy-loo stitch', but in 1693 His Lordship Louis de HaHa farted from left to right and, of course, the stitching technique followed suit!" "Yes!!" says the other, "but at the same time, going on in Stratford on Avon, the Great Lord Marmaduke had the most wicked case of the 'trots' and ... etc. etc....." lololol) BUT! I found that I really liked the sense of belonging to a group (group identity) that I felt the PiP side had less of (I felt), with all the coming and going of people. The fort felt like a "home." Being a total noob and not sharing your histories of discontent, you can imagine how strange this all seems to me. Looks to me like a case of "cutting your throats to save your faces." <ducks> Being an adult child of an utterly dysfunctional family, I understand so well the idea of secrets, the "no-talk rule", resentments, feuds, etc. etc. etc. Each group's leaders obviously worked SO HARD to pull this/these festival(s) off. It would be so heartening to see offerings of olive branches, bridges of communication, invitations of co-operation, and overtures of welcome and friendship extended. I spoke randomly with two vendors (one on each side) on Monday. I asked them how things went for them. Each was furious at this "divisional" approach to the festival(s). Each swore that they would never return. Each said that had been at this for many years and knew many, many people in the vendor business. Each said that would make it known far and wide to AVOID AT ALL COSTS the Key West pirate festival offers. (Don't shoot the messenger. I am only telling you what they said .. and I in no way set it up for them to react the way they did!) I really wanted to do things on both sides, and was able to, to some extent. I made good friends on both sides. It was frustrating, though, to have things I wanted to do overlap. The walk between the two sites SEEMED to be endless - especially in those damned "leather on the outside, vinyl on the inside" pirate boots! Next year, if you both still insist on a "demilitarized zone," I am renting one of those little electric cars to haul my sorry a** between sites! Anyway .. those are a few observations of a relatively untainted noob. I wish I hadn't asked so many questions cuz then I REALLY could have said some taboo things under the protective blanket of naivete! :-)

What I came home to: More comment to follow ONCE I CAN STOP SHOVELING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There'll be many a hug an' a kiss goin' 'round, then!

As if the non-appearance of my hat was not enough ... seems gunner has had a major change in plans and I no longer have a place to throw my drunken carcass when I can stand no longer, late into the night. I messaged Fayma (at Gunner's recommendation), butI fear she may be a-wenchin' already and not hear of my plight! Any recommendations?

Size 8+ !! I thot *I* was the only one afflicted with such a huge melon!!!

Oh, calamity!! Just got word from Capt. Jack that my custom, one of a kind, much-much-fretted-over pirate hat will NOT be done for PiP. &%&$#@%$# .. . half of my motivation to go to PiP has vanished ... seriously. How do you mend a broken heart?

Incredible!

Psych nurse Get up at 5:30 AM ... on bus at 6:40 .. 1.5 hour commute to work ... 8 hour day ... 1.5 hour commute home ... 2-3 hours of "real life" ... bed at 9:30 so I can get up at 5:30 AM "refreshed" to do it all again... Who is the crazy one here????

Check this out: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/barbossa-awe-belt-buckle-replica-pirates-caribbean