Red-Handed Jill

hammock

...the salmon mousse!

I don't recall that there was any real wind, so there was nothing to fill the sails. Motoring was the only way to go that day - well, towing was the only way to go that day.

Yikes! I heard that the ragweed is really in force this year and causing all kinds of trouble. My allergies hit me late spring/early summer, so I'm not affected by allergies right now but Jack is having a heck of a time. Have you tried Claritin? I've found it works really well - better than I expected it to, since it was over-the-counter.

Hmm... don't have any pictures of my food, but right now I'm eating something that is described by the restaurant as "new Asian" - it's kind of a mix (like meself) but ya do get a fortune cookie with it. My fortune says "Simplicity and clarity should be your theme in dress". That clashes a wee bit with my pirate sensibilities.

Good thing there was a fisherman handy; Jack had brought an inflatable with a motor on this trip and we considered running back to get it. We felt pretty badly for you. Okay, not badly enough to not fire our cannons at you once you got back, but pretty badly. Were you firing the small cannons on the boat or pistols??

history

Iron Bess - I've figured out why all this happened in the first place. I was wondering why this incident in particular was bugging me and then I did a bit of digging. I recalled something I had seen awhile back on the PRP website: pictures of past events. In a 2004 event are a couple of pictures of her with a bodhran, in one case sitting next to a woman who appears to be playing it properly. Now, my vilification has been based on me commenting on someone who has just recently taken up the instrument and has so far not been given the opportunity to learn it. The photos tell a different story. From my experience, playing an instrument competently involves three things: time, either opportunity for instruction or demonstration and a respect for the instrument and other musicians who play it. She's had both the time and the opportunity for instruction. At any rate, that's what touched a nerve and brought about my comments. At any rate, I'm hoping that if she is truly interested in learning how to use that instrument that she will avail herself of all that is out there and next year she'll be playing like a pro.

Iron Bess, I admit I was too flip and harsh in my comments I have to admit that part of my bias is from one too many persons being demeaning towards drummers and assuming that it is easy and this caused me to be hasty in judgement. And I've seen too many of these people manhandling a perfectly decent instrument. So am I a bit defensive about good drumming? Yep. All I can say is tell your friend that if she can't find someone to show her how to use that bodhran, there are a number of websites that are very good. Also, there were two bodhran players at Ojai besides me and it seemed that at all times at least one of us was playing. If she was shy about asking, just watching someone can be a heck of an education. Rumba, I saw you a couple of times on Saturday and tried to get your attention, but you disappeared into the crowd both times. Sorry I missed you - your outfit was magnificent. Great hat!

Yes, I know better than most about the learning curve behind learning the bodhran, having been through it myself and am still on it. Much of what I've learned has been from watching other folks and I've tried to help out newer bodhran players when asked. I've approached enough people with the best intentions of assistance and have had them thrown back at in my face so that I've learned not to approach anyone to help, even cautiously and kindly. Where I was coming from was that I was told by several people more experienced at this thing than me was that I had better spend a lot of time practicing in private and getting it right before performing publicly. It's a matter of having respect for the instrument and the music. I saw that she had some other drums and I could tell that she was good at maintaining a beat, so there's no question that she knows her way around other drums. It's just that there were a number of other bodhran players at Ojai demonstrating proper technique and it would have been useful for her to spend a few minutes watching them. Her technique would have been very different if she had and if she had asked me to help her out I would happy to go over some things with her and I'm sure the other bodhran players would have as well.

sharp

I'm sure we'll be hearing from other folks as they recover... Arrr - great group of piratical folks. Diego, I'm sorry to have missed your party. Tales had its own party and Jack and I were exhausted afterwards and partied out. It was great to meet folks that I had previously only knew electronically, so to speak. :) I'm sorry ya missed our cannon firing on Saturday evening. Jack and I have a miniature signal cannon (miniature as in it fits in the palm of the hand) and we were firing it on the shore - it was our first chance to try it out and it performed admirably and provided no end of amusement to the folks who were with us. It was also part of our cannon battery on Sunday. And although we would have been happier to see Ace on the stage, we had a good time performing on Saturday and Sunday. Don't be looking for a Bloody Scupper Plunder Club CD anytime soon, though... We've gotten requests for t-shirts, so I guess we'll have to start working on those. If you happen to be in the area, we perform at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Cupertino on Thursday nights. I have to admit having an issue with one thing at the festival, though. One of the groups performing had an Asian woman manhandling a bodhran. She had the tipper clenched in her fist as if it were a mallet and smacking the drum as if it were a child's tom-tom. As someone who actually knows how to play a bodhran, I gritted my teeth and resisted the impulse to snatch it from her hands. Manhandling an instrument is fine in your own home, but if you're going to perform in public, ya need to learn how to play it properly. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.

Yay - I'm so glad to hear that it wasn't as serious as was once thought. Lisa must be happy to be going back home. Ace, you and Lisa were in everyone's thoughts. The lads did you proud; some of them dressed in drag to be auctioned off as "pirate queens" - I'm sure the pics will be available soon. Redd camped it up and was hysterically funny and I can't begin to describe how Bob looked in a coconut bra and grass skirt and Patt in a gold sparkly bra top and bracelets. And Redd and Rich stayed in drag to help auction off the rest of the items. I saw them all in a whole new light! To everyone who purchased our items at the auction, thanks! And if you were smart and got one of my rum cakes, I hope you enjoyed it.

Just got back from a LONG drive from Ojai. Exhausted, but wouldn't have missed it. Ace, lots of folks came through and we've got a good start towards Lisa's lift! She's been in our thoughts this weekend - hope she's been feeling better.

Van's packed, one more cannon to pick up and we're headed down to Ojai! I've been chuckling all morning about what we'd say if we were pulled over and they asked us what was in the back of our van. "Well, officer, we've got three cannons, some skeletons, black powder, pyrotechnics, rum, swords, guns, knives..."

chewy

That makes for a heck of a mental picture, Ace. I finished all six of my rum cakes. Jack and I are trying to figure out how to fit yet more in the back of the rental van. We have A LOT of stuff to take.

hot apple pie a la mode

Writing a financial plan for someone who wants to retire early. (Like who wouldn't??)

Minced nuts

He he (I'm sure y'all have the same mental picture that I have right now.) Peanuts

Wow - I've been going to ren faires and the like for almost 25 years and haven't seen much in the way of buttons up here. Must be t-shirts up north, buttons down south or some such thing. I've seen the buttons of the type you've mentioned for sale in stores, but haven't noticed folks here at faires wearing them. Kilt inspector

And speaking of cannons, me better half Iron Jack is working feverishly on his cannons so that we'll have a goodly battery of them for Ojai. And speaking of rum, along with some other pirate swag, I'll be selling (or auctioning off) four of my legendary rum cakes. Ace, how good is my rum cake?...

Ah, but that's the issue - the public. For the most part, they don't want to be educated. They want to be entertained. I find that as time has gone by, I'm satisfied with having a foot in both areas: authentic for myself and more flashy/hollywood for the public.

...with a cherry on top!