Blackbead

The hold is filled to overflowing with swag! The Adventure sets sail for Lawton at the turning of the tide! Come see us at the Faire!!!

And now for the complete song; always been one of me favorites: "Who'll make his mark", the captain cried. "To the devil drink a toast. We'll glut the hold with cups of gold And we'll feed the sea with ghosts I see your hunger for a fortune Could be better served beneath my flag If you've the stomach for a broadside Come aboard my pretty boys I will take you and make you Everything you've ever dreamed." "Make fast the guns tonight we sail when the high tide floods the bay, cut free the lines and square the yards get the black flag stowed away the Turk, the Arab, the Spaniard will soon have pennies on their eyes and any other laden fancy we will take her by surprise I will take you and make you Everything you've ever dreamed." Six days off the Cuban coast when a sail ahead the spied "A galleon of the treasure fleet,' the mizzen lookout cried "Closer to the wind my boys," the mad-eyed captain roared "For every man that's alive tonight will be hauling gold aboard." "Spare us," the galleon begged but mercy's face had fled Blood ran from the sreaming souls the cutlass harvested Driven to the quarter deck the last survivor fell "She's ours my boys," the Captain grinned "and no one left to tell." The Captain rose from a silk divan With a pistol in his fist And shot the lock from an iron box And a blood red ruby kissed "I give you jewellery of turquoise A crucifix of solid gold One hundred thousand silver pieces It is just as I foretold You... You see there before you everything You've ever dreamed." Anchored in an indigo moonlit bay Gold-eyed roun fires the sea thieves lay Morning... white shells and a pipe of clay As the wind filled their footsteps They were far... far... away. "Our sails swell full as we brave all seas On a westward wind to live as we please With the wicked wild-eyed woman of Portobello town Where we've been told that a purse of gold Buys many man a crown They will serve you and clothe you Exchange your rags for the velvet coats of Kings." "Who'll drink a toast with me I give you Liberty This town is ours... tonight." "Landlord, wine make it the finest Make it a cup for a seadog's thirst Two long years of bones and beaches Fever and leeches did their worst So fill the night with paradise Bring me peach and peacock till I burst But first, I want a soft touch in the right place I want to feel like a King tonight Ten on the black to beat the Frenchman Back you dogs give 'em room to turn Now open wide sweet Heaven's gates Tonight we're gonna see if Heaven burns See how she burns... Oh she burns I want an angel on a gold chain And I'll ride her to the stars It's the last time for a long long time Come the daybreak, we embark..." On the flood of the morning tide Once more the ocean cried. "This company will return one day Though we feel your tears it's the price we pay For there's prizes to be taken and glory to be found Cut free the chains make fast your souls We are Eldorado bound... I will take you always forever together Until hell call our names..." "Who'll drink a toast with me To the devil and the deep blue sea Gold drives a man... to dream!"

Blackbead's Show Special!![/SIZE] Drop by me market at the Lawton Renaissance Faire for a special deal. For this Faire, the pass be "on the beam reach." Use the phrase when ye come by me booth and receive 15% off any one item! That includes jewelry, replica flintlocks, treasure chests, and MORE! See ya at the Faire! Blackbead

Aye, m'Lady, it be far too long since these sorry old eyes laid themselves on ye! And far too long indeed since I wore me garb and tread the boards of the mercantile line, don't ye know? Why, I haven't had me hat on me head since PyrateCon! And that be almost a month ago. Lucky for me, it is, that I'll be swaggering down the lanes of Scarborough Faire on the morrow. Spending gold instead of catching it, to be sure, but all's faire, as they say! Till June the first, A Fair wind and a merchantman wallowing low to the scuppers to ye! Blackbead

And the Brotherhood of the Gulf is making a trip there in force!

Well, now, if'n ye be havin' $80 and a strong desire to pilot your own pirate ship, try http://www.thingsyouneverknew.com/website/...h%5Fpage%5Fno=1 Blackbead

Ahoy there, Cap'n Emerald!! The lovely Captain Jasper and I will be vending this year at Lawton!! I paid me fee and takin' me chances! I rented one of the new buildings near the entrance, according to the proprietor, and will be up there selling off me plunder. So, drop by and say "ahoy"! And anyone who drops by and tells me they're "on the beam reach" will receive a handsome 15% off any one item!! A fair wind to ye! Blackbead

LOL . . . well, lass, just don't get pointed into a compasswind and lose your head! Please feel free to take the photo Captain Jasper took of you and your man. BB

Seika and everyone else, Not sure if we be looking at the same forum. I've only posted five pics so far but they all be from PyrateCon I. And there be more to come, including one of you and your man! Blackbead

Check out the Yahoo group for PyrateCon (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pyratecon/) for more pics from PyrateCon!

Log of the Adventure Fantasy April 24, in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seven, may God bless all who read these words. Five days ago, The Adventure Fantasy, with a skeleton crew (not to be confused with “a crew of skeletons” which this writer has actually heard of) raised anchor from the port below Fort Worth and sailed to New Orleans, a truly wicked and fun-filled city which might be confused for Tortuga in the olden days except that there be many more breasts bared on the streets and far fewer hand cannons being fired in-doors. The purpose for this voyage was to join a convention of “gentlefolk of fortune” and display part of the ship’s plunder for sale to finance a desired voyage to the lands of the Hindi and the Khans so that more swag, gee-gaws and treasures can be there acquired, ready for sale. This was to be the first ever such assembly and it was with mixed feelings that the crew set sail, some with great expectations of good food and drink and pleasurable company; some with dreams of great gain; and some with great trepidation regarding the profit to be made on the voyage. The ship made good way and the “Adventure” arrived early on Thursday evening without a great deal of fanfare and without any party to greet the crew. Expectations were that the market would be set up before dawn on Friday but upon reconnoiter, two lonely pirates were discovered in the area set aside for the display of wares. It being agreed that the room would be made open for a longer time, the crew hastily unshipped the “Adventure’s” cargo and set up the treasure that had been brought. This made for a much more genial Friday morning but resulted in the crew missing completely the “Hot Pirate Babes” competition, the rum tasting, and the after party for the “Hot Pirate Babes.” Other members of the Brotherhood of the Gulf to attend: 1. The Reverend One-Eye – who was there in a much more official capacity than any of the rest of us. She was a part of the crew that put this whole shebang on and let the rest of us come play on her patio, so to speak. 2. Cassadass Campbell and King Red (Flamebeard), representing Beaumont and Galveston 3. The Crew of the “Flying Bastian,” Charles, Cindy and Jessica, representing Middlefaire and the lands thereabouts 4. PirateSSe and her mate, Todd, representing McKinney Friday morning dawned crisp and clear and the mercantile portion of the day launched promptly at two bells on the forenoon watch. Not only was the crew’s market finely situated for commerce but the presentations on “tools of the trade,” knot-tying, and the working of a naval cannon were handy for viewing. Also, the Bo’sun of the “Black Pearl” spoke to the crowd not ten feet from the crew’s position. Captain Jasper was light on her feet most of the morning on Friday, meeting both Isaac Singleton and Lauren Maher, getting their autographs and having pictures made with both of them. She also made sure that the crew was watered and well fed throughout the voyage and stay in New Orleans. Cassadass Campbell and King Red (Barbarossa) joined up with the rest of the crew on Friday and worked the booth through Saturday evening. Wearing some of Cassadass’s exquisite creations, the pair were welcome additions to the working of the booth. We couldn’t have done it without them. On Saturday night, the members of the Brotherhood of the Gulf, minus the good Reverend One-Eye who had more duties than she could count, wandered the Vieux Carre or “French Quarter” of New Orleans. We drank heavily, ate more than was necessary, and showed those members of the group who had never been to New Orleans what Bourbon Street is all about. While no member of the group displayed any parts of their body not appropriate for Sunday School, forcibly ejected stomach contents in the out-of-doors, or entered into contracts unenforceable in open court, a good time was had by all, so much so that we missed the interactive version of POTC1 and the international pirate opening of “Pirates of the Great Salt Lake.” Saturday brought more sales and then the Great Pirate Parade through the French Quarter (with an estimated 450 to 500 pirates) and the Masked Ball at the Funky Pirate on Bourbon Street. The Parade was great fun, with beads to throw, bystanders to interact with and the backdrop of the Vieux Carre to give it all that most proper setting. The Masked Ball was riotous but close; a last minute, dramatic change of tack took its toll on the event with the venue being smaller but it bodes well for the coming year that we had such incredible musicians to entertain us. Sunday was more low key but still fun AND profitable (“The Adventure Fantasy” has already paid the port fees for next year’s event!) The convention closed with cheers and applause, and not a few misty eyes, amid promises of an even greater event in the year to come. Sunday night brought a well-earned rest for the crew and we went our separate ways, each wishing the other a “safe home.” Eventually, the “Adventure” sailed back to her home port on Monday, the crew weary and sated but with jingling purses. I pray that this finds all of the voyagers in good health and that the reader will find their way to PyrateCon II in 2008!! (Blackbead's Treasure Chest is already a registered vendor for 2008! And getting to meet all of the wonderful folk from the Pub just made it that much more of a fantastic trip! I mirror Captain William's sentiments! And RhumbaRue - I owe you money! I'll PM you on that. Till later - a fair wind and a full treasure chest to ye all! Blackbead)

Up on the poop deck, a stout figure stood, with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out to sea as the sun slowly settled toward the horizon. Whatever his thoughts were they were interrupted by the approach of the bo'sun, a rugged looking sailor with a scared face and a steady gait. "You can stop your frettin', Blackbead, the final cargo is coming aboard and will be stored in time for the dog watches so the crew can dine well and get plenty of rest before the sun rises." Turning to the bo'sun, a big smile spreading across his face, Blackbead, the master of "The Adventure Fantasy," said, "Well, done, my friend, ye knew exactly when I had almost reached the boiling point. As usual, ye've read me like ye do the skies and I can rest easy tonight. Uh, I assume the flintlocks are aboard . . ." With a loud sigh, the bo'sun answered, "Aye, that they are." "And all of the gee-gaws and pretties that we've acquired over the last few voyages?" "Aye." "And the chests that we had ready for sale?" "Aye, Blackbead. It's all aboard and will be below decks before the next two hours are out." "Excellent! When everything is lashed down tight and we're ready to make way in the morning, have all of the crew summoned to the main deck. Captain Jasper has a surprise for them - we'll eat and drink together and then every man has leave of the ship till four bells on the morning watch. And tell the lubbers that those that don't make it back on time will be left behind. And those that get their scurvy hides back aboard and pull their weight will have the time of their lives. I expect this to be the greatest adventure of our lives . . . so far!" Blackbead whirled back to face the sea and as the bo'sun walked away he could have sworn that he heard the old sea dog buzzing with excitement.

The Phurba (Tib., pronunciation between 'pur-ba' & 'fur-pu', alt. transliterations: phurpa, phurbu or phurpu) is a three-sided dagger, peg, stake or nail like ritual implement traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhism or Bön. The phurba is used as a ritual implement to signify stability on a prayer grounds during ceremonies. The phurba as peg or nail unites all that is disparate or disassociated. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phurba for more information. It's not exactly a pirate implement but a piece of "Treasure From Around the World" which someone looted from a treasure galleon from the land of the Khans. Come to me booth to see the one I have. BB

His name was Short Ben Potato, His friend a chicken did be, Now if only we had a pirate named Carrot, We'd have the start of a fine fricasee . . . Welcome friend musician, privateer and fellow couch lounger! Play us a tune while the barman pours me a rum toddy, if'n ye please. It's raining cats and dogs here at the Fort and this ol' seadog needs something to warm his bones. In me heart I know it's April but with snow last weekend and cold rain today it feels more like October. I can't wait to drop anchor in New Orleans next weekend where the almanac calls for temperatures in the 80's! Welcome to the house, Short Ben, always welcome.

Mates, I can't wait to put some faces with the names; those gentlefolk of fortune in the Fort Worth/Dallas area that can't make the voyage are green with envy and wanting lots and lots of pictures. I'm still getting in wares and will be bringing some of the most beautiful and unusual pieces of jewelry that I've ever made, treasure chests both large and small, enough replica flintlocks to arm a full pirate crew, hat pins both with and without feathers, pirate toys for kids of all ages and at least one unusual treasure from the land of the Hindi - an authentic phurba. It's all coming together nicely and Captain Jasper and I look forward to a long weekend of piratical fun! We're bringing lots of beads to throw at the parade, too . . . hope to see some mermaids along the way!! Till we meet in the Big Easy - a fair wind and a slow galleon to all me pirate friends! Blackbead

On the other hand, since a lot of pirates didn't use their real name to hide their identity, why not just go with one name - "Raven." Let your deeds make the name your own. Or stick an adjective on it if you need to - "Raven Quick" or "RedRaven."

I bid ye welcome to this utopia for gentlefolk of fortune! Sit ye down fer a spell and regale us with your best! The tradition be that ye stand a drink for those in the house . . . make mine rum, if'n ye please! Blackbead

Well . . . Captain Jasper and I just returned from the Chili's . . . and were told that not ALL Chili's honor this offer!!! We got great service but NOT the bargain promised by the email I received. Yes . . . I was angry but I only killed two people and maimed a third. CALL before you go!

Personally . . . I'm thinkin' of a trip to Chili's tonight with Captain Jasper - two cheeseburgers, bottomless fries and bottomless soft drinks for $10. They call it "Twofer Tuesdays" and I just might have to give it a go. It ain't filet mignon but it sure fits me budget these days! Blackbead

Welcome to this fine establishment, mate, sorry for it to be under such a black cloud; my condolensces. Now, let's drink a spot o' rum to your dearly departed kin - make mine rum with water and lime and some of that cane sugar ground in it. To absent companions, comrades in arms and loved ones near . . . and far. Blackbead

Ahhhhhhh . . . if ONLY I had known last night I would have stayed to stand you a cold one! Happy birthday, mate! Blackbead

INAUGURAL MEETING FOR THE DFW CREW OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE GULF Attendees (alphabetical-like, to be sure): Blackbead Captain Jane Jasper Captain Satan Flintlock Jack Iron Roger Kidd Mad Molly Magee Mr. Kirby PirateSSe Shamus McGee Tempest Fitzgerald Parties arrived in dribs and drabs from the beginning of the first dog watch (6:30 PM) and enjoyed the warmth of the pub until approximately the last bell of the last dog watch (7:30 PM). We were then seated and ate roasted and fried meats, huge racks of ribs fresh from the barbicoa, baked tubers (that marvelous Incan vegetable brought to the Olde World in the 1400’s), a rather tame salmagundi, and various deep fried meats, fungi and cheeses. The evening was regretfully closed about the time of the third bell of the first watch (2130 hours.) Discussion was principally of the “getting to know you” variety but there was some business conducted. The crew talked about what they wanted to do with this group. Uniformly, the participants want to have fun and the majority of the activities will be aimed in that heading. This means that the garb worn by our members will not be policed in any way and that, so long as you are presenting the “image” of a pirate/corsair/ buccaneer, you are acceptable. Two other possibilities were discussed – 1) that a portion of the group takes part in charitable activities (a Relay for Life team, walking the Aids Walk in garb, etc.) and 2) that a portion of the group is interested in presenting a more authentic, living history type image to the public. The bottom line is that we want the group to be “big” enough for all three of these ideas to be realized. There will be local area crews with captains in each area. This is going to be a very loosely organized group without a great deal of structure or form. The principals will be a natural outgrowth of the event in planning. If there is an event going on in Fort Worth, then the Fort Worth inhabitants that are members of the crew will take responsibility for hosting the event. On the contrary, when the first member of the group announces that they are attending a particular event then the rest of the crew will depend on them to be the “organizers.” For instance, group ticket prices are available at both TRF and Scarbie – if you are the first person to announce that you are going to attend either on a particular weekend then the group has the right to look to you to organize the purchase of said group tickets, IF enough crewmembers announce the intention of going. (If only six of us are going on a weekend then we’re on our own – you may have to have a few extra beers at your campsite for other crewmembers who drop by but you will NOT be expected to bend the rules of the Faire and get discount tickets for a group of six!) TRF requires 25 or more and Scarbie requires ten or more. Most of our articles will evolve as we go along but that’s probably a subject that we should talk about. The Brotherhood of the Gulf has a group on Yahoo! at : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brotherhoodofthegulf/ and members and those interested in becoming members should join up and get information about the groups doings there. Let us begin an email conversation about articles in that forum. Blackbead announces a pirate invasion of First Saturday on Bluebonnet Circle on April 7th, 2007!! The crew of The Adventure Fantasy will set up their pirate’s market on Bluebonnet Circle (the traffic circle south of TCU on University Drive.) The market, along with some other more mundane shops and tents, will be open from the fourth bell of the forenoon watch (10:00 AM) to the eighth bell of the afternoon watch (4:00 PM). ‘Tween that time, the handsome crew of this fine ship will be set up in the park in the Circle with their tent made of canvas and their flag flying high! Come on out and sit with us, mingle with the townsfolk, and have a glass of wine with some cheese and soft bread. This event will give us a chance to learn each other’s natures and quirks and may make a few ducats for ol’ Blackbead! Please RSVP no later than March 31st so I’ll have some idea of the number of bottles of vin to procure and the number of loaves to purchase at the dockside bakery. Till we meet again, a fair wind and a treasure-laden sloop to ye!

To all who joined us last night at the Trail Dust, whether early or late: Thank you for coming out and I apologize most profusely to those who didn't link up with us till the last minute! Nine adventuresome souls, more than enough to crew the Black Pearl so I've heard, met and mingled over drinks and food. It was a good start and I guarantee that everyone will receive a written report of the proceedings soon in an email through regular BOTG post. It was a pleasure to see those we've met before and a pleasure to meet some new faces. Now, on with the show . . . THIS IS IT! Blackbead

I don't care if we deserve it or not! This is shaping up to be an event for the ages! Check out the www.imdb.com pages on all three of these folks.

Questions, questions! Always questions! And, as the Captain says, I ALWAYS seem to have all the answers! I'll be there in non-garb (shorts and a t-shirt probably) but you are free to dress however you wish so long as you don't expect anyone to post your bail if it's more than we be carrying in the wallet! Furthermore, Captain Jasper and meself plan on having a sizzling hunk of grilled meat straight off the barbicoa but feel free to eat afore ye arrive and simply sit and chat with a frosty beverage to hand. This be a meetin' of discovery as much as it is of organizin'. Blackbead