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Blackbead

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Posts posted by Blackbead

    The Horizon

    in Poetry

    Posted

    Thank ye for the comment, me lad, but the name is "BlackBEAD"; not "BlackBEARD." As the Captain often says, I be the pirate "without the rrrrrrr!"

    Blackbead

    Blackbead's Treasure Chest at Billy Bowlegs!

    in June

    Posted

    Aye, mate! Well, it might have been me or it might have been Tyger Lee. We were both there but I don't think that either of us will go back. If I go back, it will be to have fun, not to try and make any money. It was a "county fair" crowd that were more interested in the beer and corny dogs. As an example, a woman came up with three kids and wanted to buy eyepatches. We had 'em for a dollar a piece. She wanted to know what kind of deal we would give her if she bought three. People wanted flea market prices and I paid an art show booth fee. Quite a few of the vendors had never vended at this event before, including me. Of the nine that I spoke with on Saturday while we were waiting for the torrential rains to stop (they never did, I wound up loading the car in heavy rain) none of them are planning on going back. I at least made a few bucks (>$200). Some of the people lost money and the poor girls next to us packed up Friday night after losing ~$2,000 in materials. If I am there next year, look for me to be wandering the event, mug in hand, enjoying the show. But, since I can do that 45 minutes away from the house, at a real pirate festival, I'm not sure why I'd go 12 hours to get to Billy Bowlegs.

    Blackbead

    Pirate Limericks

    in Poetry

    Posted

    This be an excellent thread! If we ever get enough, we'll have to take this on the road . . .

    The Andrew survives on their grog,

    I hear they keep it in the "head of a hog"!

    But bumbo's the drink for me!

    It keeps me happy while I be at sea,

    And it don't taste like the piss of a dog!

    Keep 'em coming!

    The Texas Pirate Festival

    in May

    Posted

    The Texas Pirate Festival is born!

    With tremendous weather (lots of sunny skies and strong, cool winds) the heart of Texas was home this weekend to The Texas Pirate Festival. It was the first year of this event but it was full of pleasant surprises for this vendor/performer and it's one that I hope grows and grows as the years progress. My pirate fort was actually full at times as we had more patrons than I expected, although I am sure that was the result of a large contingent of the cast of Four Winds, a Renfaire over in Tyler, Texas, joining us for the festivities. The French King came in and bought a flintlock. When I asked him why he rattled off something in that Frenchie talk they have but his interpreter told me it was for his protection in the village since it seemed to be full of pirates, privateers, buccaneers and scalawags!

    The Bilge Pumps, the Ladies of the Salty Kiss, Without a Net, Willy's Wiley Wenches, Brendanna's Dream, and The Iron Hills Vagabonds provided lots and lots of entertainment. Two different belly dancing troupes showed off their . . . skills - Sultan's Dream and Tribal Evolution. And the Blue Moon Boucanniers "fought the good fight" with live, black powder reenactments of a pirate crew claiming the town for the weekend!

    In addition, there was, on each day, pirate costume contests with Grand Prizes of over $240 in prizes going to the winners!

    The village was full of vendors and there were several food vendors to feed you. Management still doesn't have their liquor license, yet, so the beer and wine were complimentary.

    I did my "Devil's Tavern" show on several occasions, and while one of them was attended by only two patrons, another was full and the audience gave me that rare gift of rapt attention as I told them the tale of the Sabre and it's ghost! This was an auspicious beginning to what I believe is going to become a hit! Make you plans to be there next year - the Santa Teresa should be finished, docked at the wharf and ready to take on boarders!

    The Horizon

    in Poetry

    Posted

    The Horizon

    "When you look at the horizon, do you see the waves? Or do you see the sky?"

    All right, all right! I hear ye, mate!

    When yer sixty feet or more off the deck,

    High in the riggin' and a gale's a'blowin' and

    The ship be heeled over to a fine point and

    The cold has turned the horses to iron bars and

    The bos'un has ye dancin' a jig in the wind . . .

    There ye'll be starin' straight into the face of God!

    But, listen to what I have to say:

    When yer sittin above board after a fine mess,

    With a clean deck to yer backside and

    A fresh wind coolin' off the fo'c'sle sweat and

    Weather fittin' and proper for twelve knots and

    All the doggies and their masters are up on the quarterdeck . . .

    With the proper bearing, ye'll see Him there, too!

    Stephen Sanders

    ©2010

    Editor's Choice: "It's In Me Blood"!

    in Pyrate Pop

    Posted

    Blackbead Books is proud to announce that one of our poets, Stephen Sanders, won an "Editor's Choice" Award at this year's Canis Latran Writing Competition at Weatherford College. The poem he took this honor with is "It's In Me Blood", an old pirate's reminiscence of a mate named "Ben Hawkins." "It's In Me Blood" was originally published in Echoes From Other Worlds. The Award included a certificate and publication in the annual Weatherford College anthology of poetry and fiction.

    The poem is also a part of the Brotherhood of the Gulf's stage show entitled "A Night at Devil's Tavern."

    For more information, and to purchase a copy of the book, catch up with Blackbead Books at The Texas Pirate Festival; Billy Bowleg's; Middlefaire; Pirate Days in The Colony; the Granbury Pirate Invasion; Middlefaire's Fantasy Faire; or the Texas Renaissance Festival.

    Top 5 favorite beers

    in Galley

    Posted

    1. Koenig Ludwig Dunkel

    2. Budvar

    3. Ugly Pug

    4. Guiness

    5. Stormcloud

    Yes, I know; I'm partial to Rahr and Sons but, hey, they make their stuff here in town and they have hellacious party's where you get to drink all the beer you can for $5!

    Every Pirate Has a Mother!

    in Thieves Market

    Posted · Edited by Blackbead

    Now, in time for Mother's Day, Blackbead's is having a sale on piratical Mother's Day cards!! Go to http://www.zazzle.com/Blackbead ; look down the left side of the page and find the link to "Pirate Mother's Day Cards"; pick out the card(s) you want; when you check out, use the code ZAZZLEMOMDAY and you'll get 20% off your order!! :blink: This sale ends Monday, April 26, 2010, so get your cards now! Your ol' mum will love 'em, and you, to pieces!

    And, thank you!

    pirate themed restaurants?

    in Galley

    Posted

    "The Buccaneer" in downtown Charleston is the sister restaurant of the "Queen Anne's Revenge". I met one of the owners the last time I was there and he loves us!

    There's "The Pirate's Landing" down in Port Isabel, TX. Never been there but I hear it is an excellent stop if you're ever down that way. They have a "pirate ship" that will take you on a dinner cruise at sunset.

    You can check out http://apiraterestaurant.com/index.html for the beginnings of a list and some reviews.

    Insect of the Moment

    in Beyond Pyracy

    Posted

    Ah! The Texas mosquito!

    I remember back when I was a kid and we were down at the beach, on the Bolivar Peninsula, we used to talk about the fact that only the males make noise and only the females bite. You could tell, of course, when one had landed on you just by the weight of the things. Eight or ten pounds they were - the size of small dogs with these huge, billowing wings. I remember hitting one with buckshot from a 20 gauge - it hesitated for a moment and then headed off for a Volkswagen that was motoring by.

    The Texas Pirate Festival

    in May

    Posted

    When: May 1-2, 2010; 11:00 to sunset both days

    Where: Middlefaire, 5 miles outside of Hillsboro, TX

    What: $12 for adults, pirate tales and poetry, pirate songs, pirate games, a pirate costume contest, pirate vendors, pirate food and drink, pirate camping, pirate reenactors with cannon and black powder blazin'!, and lots and lots of pirates!

    I'll have me market open there and will let ye all know the possibilities.

    Blackbead

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