William Brand

Aye. Keep them in the loop.

Keep the crew of the Mercury in the loop as well.

You are most welcome. It was a good trade for the efforts of all your lads who lent a hand to set up tents, cook food and help us feel welcome at an event very new to many of us. If there's interest, I can make up a nice Mercury cookbook and distribute it as a pdf.

You need to attend and bring ten of your friends, because the Highlanders kept coming back to the tug-a-war with bigger and bigger guys, so they'll be out for blood next year.

Well. It's a Friday. I'm at home. Doing nothing.

Durand watched the men of the Navarra busy themselves with what he could only assume was their version of manning the sails. It was a sloppy affair and the ship's bosun seemed more concerned with looking capable than actually being capable. To be fair, the bosun was not a poor sailor, but life aboard the merchantman had strained even the best of the men and life under their tyrannical captain was showing in the face of every weary sailor. Durand sucked a little air through his teeth when another man very nearly fell from the rigging. Durand was not a man of the sea himself, but he knew poor direction when he saw it, and while he was not actually afraid of the wide, uncertain ocean, he still maintained a healthy respect for the medium and ground his teeth a little at the thought of drowning with the Spanish. "Rhum et un pistolet..." he muttered quietly.

After seven years.

We dragged the Highlanders till their kilts were up over their heads.

Fantastic shots, Mike and Kate, and my many thanks for shooting so many with my camera.

More pictures... June 5, 2010 http://picasaweb.google.com/williamtpace/FortDeChartresJune5201002?authkey=Gv1sRgCNDboLvDq6HrIQ# June 6, 2010 http://picasaweb.google.com/williamtpace/FortDeChartresJune62010?authkey=Gv1sRgCM6w86GB57_goQE#

From Paris with Love. "I fear we have no vanilla."

Raise a loud and lively cheer for Mister Keele! Fifty years and as fine a sailor as you might hope to meet! Extra rum rations all around.

Welcome aboard. I'm from Northern Utah, so I share your longing for a coastline.

Done.

Welcome aboard.

No, but I sent the pdf to Michael's email.

François de Pas de Mazencourt is the Governor of all the Windward Isles, while de Hurault is specifically the governor of just Martinique. This is why there seems to be two governors at once. The titles are different by added definition. François de Pas de Mazencourt is a the Governor-general les Îles du Vent, which gives him jurisdiction over all of the island holdings of France in the Caribbean. Martinique's local,immediate governor is de Hurault.

The North County News paid us a visit in camp during the event and did the following write-up.

Professor Death was in fine form and left but few witnesses, those who remained being hand chosen by the same. The lamentations could still be heard as we left Fort de Chartres. I still cannot explain the sudden and seemingly irrational argument that started the matter, but I shall certainly never forget it.

I have uploaded images from the first full day on site. I took the time to photograph the fort itself from as many angles, directions and unique perspectives as I could find, so that people planning to attend in the future would be able to see the lay of the land. http://picasaweb.google.com/williamtpace/FortDeChartresJune42010#

A long day sorting pictures and only these three to show tonight. Some bad news in the sorting. A number of my pictures were corrupted. I think they're from the tug-a-war the first day. Still, here's the crew before the flag.

Wait...wait. I should rephrase. We advertise for the fort, as we want to help the park as long as we may. We just don't tell any other groups about camping.

We keep the event a secret. No more advertising!

After the tent burning? You'll be lucky to be allowed back in the state without armed escort.

Quoting from Fayma. "This year’s event will focus on a period correct time-line approach. We will not be limited to just portraying the Golden Age but piracy from the Buccaneer era all the way through the early 19th Century and Florida's Pirate history as well." There were over 130 pirates, but not all of them were camping. Lily and I discussed that very thing this morning and it looks like we have some wiggle room this year.