Ransom

Huzzah, Bilgemunkey. This is probably the most intelligent explination of the difference between period and non-period, in both music and garb, that I have ever heard. This should be bookmarked at the head of Twill, and a few other places. As for the music, I like pretty much all of it, except pirate head-banger stuff. Bashing drums, and shrieking and yelling words I can't understand, has no appeal at all. My favorite CDs of the moment are: Live Scallywags by Pirate Charles Down Among the Dead Men by Pirates of New Providence The Paddy West School of Seamanship by The Seadogs (BTW, I hope Bildgmunkey gets my name again for the Secret Santa exchange. I scored big time last year. Some very kewl CDs from the pirate who knows his music. )

Okay, I swore I wouldn't do this again, but heck, like Patrick, I must be a glutten for punishment. Besides, Pew told me he has some kewl new ideas to try, so I figure, since he volunteered to be cat wrangler on this one, I'd go for it. This can be a REALLY FUN project, but one person can ruin it for everyone and cause a huge traffic jam. I hate to sound like someone's crabby high school teacher, but fun as it is... DON'T SIGN UP UNLESS YOU WILL STAY TO THE END. IT CAUSES A REAL HAIR BALL WHEN SOMEONE BAILS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS, OR KEEPS THE BOOKS FOR MONTHS BEFORE PASSING THEM ON. The key word here is... COMMITMENT!!!!! Okay, I'm off my soapbox, and will now hand the reins over to Pew. Ransom....Southern Oregon.

I saw this quite a while back. Someone e-mailed it to me. Thought it was funny back then, and still think it's funny.

Saw/heard them for the first time last Sept. in Ojai. LOVED them. They stayed in front of the Tales encampment and sang with us for at least a half an hour. I bought one of their CDs then. At Nor Cal, they rocked. And even when Eyes, myself and our misguided treasure hunters accosted them while resting between gigs, they played right along with our silly gag. Great guys.

Ya know, the Pub really need a green-faced jealous smiley to use in situations like this. I think you need to wear that bracelet to Ojai, so we can all drool on it.

Happy belated birthday wishes. Hope you had a grand day.

I think the two ladies on stilts have given ol' MadL wench-blindness. Or maybe wench madness?

OMG! I knew I was shovin' my way through a lot of people on Sunday, trying to get to Chain Shot, who was standing right along the rail to save me a spot so I could take pictures. Did they ever say how many people actually attended the event? Oh yeah, it was WAY more fun on the Aldebaran!

Sorta like an onion. I got pretty sunburned at Nor Cal, despite the 30+ suntan lotion, especially my poor nose. Now it's starting to peel. Not those light flakes, but just like onion skin. Guess I better get a bigger hat.

Now I think I've had WAY too much rum. MY EYES, MY EYES........ Sorry, but that's just.....scary!

Patrick, can't you use the tent you have? Or are you making one bigger? Since Steampunk is also into the explorer persona, I don't think your airship pirate would have a fancy tent. If you could use your current one, at least it would be one less thing on your "to do" list. BTW, I really liked your post on BG on the "How old are you" thread. Your answer was perfect!

Looks more like Boba the used car salesman.

Any reason to play dress up works for me! Hey, Eyes, head for the Brass Goggles forum. You'll find a lot of familier faces, even if the names have been changed to protect the innocent!

Not when it's them tall, stilty-wearing girls!

With all my concintration on the ship ahead of us, the sound of guns behind us had me whirling around to look over our stern. In the darkness it was hard to see what was going on, but it was obvious that the galleon was on the hunt, and her first victom had been the smaller vessel Jacky had dismasted. Why the Spaniards had sunk their own companion ship, I did not understand. What was clear, however, was that the galleon was following us. I turned to Africa. "Put this ship on her elbow if you have to, but get us away from that galleon. With the wind picking up, we should out-distance her in no time. But let's get to it." While Africa called the order to set more sail, I sent warning thoughts to Jacky, as if he could hear me despite the distance between our two ships. "Run for it, Jacky. Put up every sail you've got, and run for it." As if nature were on our side, the wind picked up even more, lightening spiked through the sky, and thunder, louder than any cannon volley, boomed overhead.

I really like the picture of "A boy and his gun", as it shows how far the ship canted over during some of her runs. The picture was taken by the captain's wife, with Chain Shot's camera, as were the other shots on board the Aldebaran. And Jill, you can tell Captian Hayden we were very impressed with him too! He was so calm throughout the whole day — even when he suggested that we rub gun powder on our butts and all hang BA's at the shore on our last run!

Start saving your shiny now, Rumba, it's worth every dime! :angry: Oh, and Jill, on Sunday, when we were regrettably on shore watching instead of on board, many of the spectators asked Chain Shot and myself if the Aldebaran was letting the public take sails around the bay. I said, "Alas, no. You can board by invitation only." **Said with a self-satisfied pirate smirk**

I think my husband was only half-joking when he said, while on our way home from NorCal (After just having paid our $4 to get out out of Dodge. LOL), that the reason the gov. isn't doing anything about the high cost of gas, is because it is all part of a secret plan to get the car companies to make more fuel efficient cars. Because we live so far away from, well, anything, we have basically limited ourselves to two events a year — NorCal in June, and Ojai in September. Both cost us an arm and a leg (gas, rental car, hotel) to get there, but we feel it's worth it to hook up with all our pirate friends at least twice a year. Last year we flew to Ojai, but as plane fares have gone off the chart, we changed our plans, and this year will make the 14 hr drive. :angry: It puts a chill in the bones, gas prices do, but if you want to play, I guess you have to pay!

Lady B and Mary, I can't even imagine what you two must be going through. You both have all the prayers I can send, for both you and your families. And yes, let's hope people don't lose their heads and riot — which never solved a problem, but only makes the problem worse. Hang in there, tooth and nail, like the tough pirates you both are!

All I can say about NorCal was — AWESOME! First off, a HUGE thank-you to Iron Jack, Red-Handed Jill and the Captain and crew of the Aldebaran for allowing Chain Shot and myself to have WAY too much fun on board his fine schooner. Even if I hadn't been able to fire cannons and pistols, just being on the ship would have been a treat. Being heeled over, running with the wind, your scuppers only about a foot and a half off the water, while fireing at the poor bast**ds on shore, is a real pirate high! It may take me weeks to get the grin off my face. Red-Handed Jill and I finally got to toast our mutual birthday dates. Shots of Pirate Pistol rum. Killer! To Tales of the Seven Seas — a really great group. I can't say enough nice things about how hard they worked to make a period correct camp. Smee taught a lot of "muggles" that it takes more to being a sailor than donning a Jack Sparrow hat. He showed them how to use a compass to navagate, had a ship's wheel set up to show how it worked, explained how a four-hour watch was marked by the ringing of the ship's bell (he had one). Many adults learned a thing or two as well. Lady Jaxx ran a great kitchen, and even put a dish of water out by the camp entrance for all the poor, thirsty dogs at the fair — including one wearing a hat, belt, and bucket boots. To my good friend Oderlesseye, it was a such a kick seeing you again. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and your sense of humor — although a little twisted (Eyes to the young lady cashier at Pirate Pizza, while pointing to the ugly "wound" over his right eye: "Can you lance this for me?") — always had people laughing. The Treasure Hunt he thought up for Sunday was a hoot, and I'm sure a lot of young kids thought we were the dumbest pirates at the fair! — which was the whole point! LOL. Any time ol' Eyes wants to head north, he has a berth at Ransom and Chain Shot's house, for sure. I credit Patrick Hand for one of the funniest lines of the weekend. While doing gate duty Saturday morning, he points to a man with a parakeet on his shoulder and says, "That's why you should never wash your parrot. They shrink." My apologies to Bilgemunkey for accidentally interupting his interview with Patrick and Eyes. I thought they were just chatting about an upcoming skit we were going to do, so joined them. Oops! However, he took it in stride, and even offered me a sip from his flask. Don't know what kind of rum it was, but I intend to find out. GOOD STUFF! There were many excellent singing groups and bands, but as always, Pirate Charles kicked butt, and Ransom danced her tired feet off. On Sunday, at one point in our Treasure Hunt our group of lost souls acosted Pirate Charles between gigs, and they played right along. Great guys. By Sunday night my feet were killing me, my face was burnt to a crisp (I think my nose glowed in the dark), I had bruises on my shins from scrambling back and forth on the deck of the Aldebaran, and I was bone tired, but it was more than worth it, and I can't wait to go back next year! I will have to e-mail a few pictures to either Red-Handed Jill or Eyes to post for me, as I am currently locked out of my photobucket account. Between Chain Shot and myself, I think we took about 200 pics. To anyone debating on whether or not to go next year — GO! You'll have a blast.

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Good news, indeed, Mary. How do I feel? EXCITED Leaving for NorCal tonight. Pirates, a ship, guns, rum, songs, parties...more pirates. How much better could it get. Oh, and NO tornados, just a good, stiff weatherly breez.

With painstaking, frustrating slowness we traversed the last of the river channel. The mouth widened, and the wind smelled of the open ocean, instead of dank vegetation. I could hear the surf pounding on the shore, and the wind had kicked up again. The Rakehell, like a hound on the scent of a fox, quivered as she made her last quick tack, breasted the waves, and was at last in her true element — the sea. In the dim moonlight I saw one ship. The galleon, earily quiet and with no sign of her crew. We slipped by her like a ghost. Once past the galleon I saw another, smaller ship, dismasted, her crew scrambling over the decks like angry bees. A few of them shouted and pointed at us, but we were already out of range of thier guns. And much further south, pale sails glimmered against the night sky. The sails of the brig Relentless as she left us behind. "Oh no, Jacky," I muttered, smiling to myself. "You can't slip away from me that easily." "Do we fire on the small ship, Ma'am?" Jimmy Cox asked. The rest of the crew waited expectantly. "No. Leave her. She's no threat to us." I spoke to Africa, "Follow the brig. We head for the Dry Tortugas, as was our original plan." "But Dat Man, he leave—" "The Torgugas, Africa. Sharply, before the Spaniards decide to waste a few rounds on us and wake up the crew on the galleon — although how Jacky put them all to sleep, I haven't a clue." Africa glared at me. "It 'cause Dat Man be da devil." I laughed. "Oh, Jacky's a devil all right. And I'm his worst nightmare." I grinned. "It's why we get along so well." Africa just groaned, then gave the orders to follow the Relentless.