William Brand

I'm doing updates to the calendar, so if there's an upcoming event you'd like to see on the list, or an event that I failed to archive, please let me know.

Just ruminatin' on the questions that the public would come armed with and hoping I'd make a good accounting.

Watching the gathering crowds at the gate for second day of the Utah Pirate Festival.

Welcome aboard!

I believe the Port Washington Pirate Festival is near your neck of the woods.

Welcome aboard, James! What can we do to lure you out to an event?

Will do.

Patches are in. Please send your addresses by private message.

That's a fun idea. I like the texture that you've achieved on the bottles. I think the jute looks a bit hairy and unfinished and recommend hemp instead, but I'm glad to see more grenadoes out there.

I can send these anywhere. The patches are in route from the company and should be here early next week. I'll have them on stock until they run out, so anyone who wants will be added to the growing list and you should pm your address to me for shipping.

And...they are 2.75" tall by 4.25" wide.

The page remained blank for me, but it did allow me to save a hard copy. Thanks for the set-up!

Welcome aboard, Crobin.

Nice!

Goldmine! Thank you so very much.

Well, it's bone of a color. All bone ages differently. It looks great.

I'm glad to see so many returning from so many places and crews. Since we just entered September, we're 3 months out and this is a good time to remind everyone to start planning their kit and finalize projects while you have time to complete them. It's also a good idea to get in shape and get used to being on your feet for long periods of time. For suggestions and ideas on preparation, see the offerings here...

It's a beautiful piece and a generous gesture.

Words to live by.

That...well that there...is a very fine design. I like that you've charted the sounding depths and the sparse vegetation decorations and minimalistic civilization marks. It has a nice period flavor. Will the surface be this 'bone' color?

You should refer to them as your skull gimlets and dental wimbles, making them sound whimsical and disturbing.

This is sadly true, which tends to be a personality issue, not a training issue. The point that I was making is that too many people skip the meeting and the inspection of their guns expecting to be fully embraced on the field. Last minute changes to battles lines, skirmishes and the like can happen in a moment and too few people skip the meetings where such things are generally announced. I can think of one gentleman in particular who skipped all the safety meetings and inspections and presented himself on the field expecting that his mere presence alone (not his understanding) would be enough to allow him access to the field. And, you can't teach some people. I've handed down safety rules only minutes before a battle, only to see them blatantly ignored. We now return you to your regularly scheduled topic of flash guards.

I went ahead and ordered a good sized run, so we'd have patches down the road. Please contact me by email for ordering.

More important than any rules are the safety meetings and attendance at such meetings. Too few people assume that they know the rules and have them well in hand from one event to another. Attendance and Safety are key.

I was considering a 'Mercury' patch to be produced in November in time for Fort Taylor, but with enough crew members attending at Santa Maria, I could get a run done in time for that event and save everyone shipping be sending the lot to one location. The patch would simply be the Mercury flag, so white embroidery on a black patch. These would run $5.00 each. Is there enough interest to do a run before International Talk Like a Pirate Day?