TalesOfTheSevenSeas

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! Saber me lovely, I knew ye' would be capitulatin' o're either the threat o' force-feedin' ye' me cookin' or o're the nookie!!! So grab ye' skil saw! Grab ye' drill! Grab ye' level! Grab ye' tape measure! We's a-headin' to the bedroom lad!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

LOL! Wish I'd thought o' blastin' the fence in me dream!!

Aye El Pirata, ye' be right on that 'count! An' I be married to the scurvy dog who started the whole idea! I shall have to devise a fittin' recourse... Hmmmm... Lemme think.... Gotta make it good.... Make him eat me cookin'? Witholding nookie priveeeeleges? Lose the remote control on Superbowl Sunday?!!!! Ah, the wicked forms o' torture a wench can devise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AVAST!!!!!!!!!! STAND DAWN YE' DAMN SKALLIWAGS!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! If any o' ye' so much as fires a cupcake at me poor little Land Shark, THIS is what will happen to yer friggen automobiles! Ye have been fairly warned!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

When I was a kid, I had an awesome dream where I was a pirate involved in an Errol Flynn style sword fight on the deck of a ship. No fear, no sense of danger, just all the fun and excitement, swinging from the rigging and battling other pirates with a cutlass! After sailing the Royaliste backwards through the Americas Cup Race, I had a dream that was based on that. In real life, as I was at the helm of the Royaliste and we realized the bad spot we were in, with a whole line of racing ships heading straight at us I shouted out- "Tell me what to do Captain!" Gary shouted back "Hold her steady, just keep doing what you're doing! You're doing just fine!" So here is how the dream went- I dreamed that again, I was at the helm of the Royaliste and we were out sailing. The first part of the dream was about that and feeling the ship "speak", communicating the current, the wind, etc. But suddenly, the water disappeared and we were sailing through the streets of San Francisco during rush hour traffic, with honking horns, making U-turns, cars all around, LOL! I called out to Gary, just as I had in the Americas Cup situation: "Tell me what to do Captain!" Gary shouted back "Hold her steady, just keep doing what you're doing! You're doing just fine!" And I called back "But how did this happen?!!" Gary laughed and shouted back "Hell if I know!! Just keep doin' what you're doin'!!" So I sailed the Royaliste through traffic, attempting to find and access to the bay. I finally located one, but it had a chain link fence across it. But upon seeing the water, the front portion of the Royaliste turned into a horse, and she started dancing and prancing, wanting to run into the water! (this comes from my dear departed horse Cocoa, who would prance at the bottom of a hill, wanting the race to the top!") So I now found myself holding the reins of the Royaliste, instead of holding the helm! "Easy there girl!" I told her, keeping the dancing ship in check!! That was about the time I woke up!!

Wow... surprised that the repros have come down in price so much since I checked a while ago. I'm gonna try to get a good casting of Royaliste's though, since I'm partial to her. I may go with the unfurled sails, I had considered it and was going to try it before I shreaded the sails. I just wasnt sure how it would look with a bedsheet- maybe canvas drop cloth instead, eh? That might do the trick and I already have one now that I think of it!! Unlike the Carnaval parade we did where I dumped buckets filled with confetti on the crowd, the SJ parade is really touchy about this. We are cleared to have choreographed swordfighters and our pirate with the whip, but they don't like the idea of anything coming out of the cannons, not even baking flour. So I may go with a fog machine or smoke pots in them or sparklers on the touch holes. We also can't fire the flintlocks due to the fact that there are animals in the parade who might shy at the noise. I think smoke is the way to go.

And what if women join the game? Maybe you should simply call the group "Those Damn Pirates"

Hmmmm that's a good idea. Might just do that when we get to that stage!

Hey I just found blue metalic fringe skirting in 30" x 14' lengths to add a nice finishing touch when it's all done- $7.25 for each 14' length. 4 of those should wrap around the trailer nicely and give a nice rippling effect like water. :)

Aye lad- 'tis a sad thing when a corporate machine sinks it's teeth into a good thing because they think it will make them money. They end up poisoning it with their lack of care for it's welfare, not realizing it was the soul and spirit of the thing that makes it fly. I'm watching that happen at my work. The vocational school where I teach was bought out by a corporation that was formed for the sole purpose of purchasing private schools and forming a large collective of schools. One of the new owners made a speech at the annual holiday party. He stood up in the midst of what was supposed to be a unifying celebration and after talking about how disappointing our financial performance had been in the last quarter, told everyone "We're not your family" I never thought I could hear 4 words that could rip the heart out of sound institution

The pirate faire is generally held late in September, around the 3rd or 4th weekend of the month. I don't believe a date has been set for it yet.

If you get out to some of the old historic California missions, be sure to ask to see some of the original roof tiles. They were Spanish style tiles, made by the local natives. The tiles were formed by spreading the clay over the maker's thigh- so you'll see tiles of all different shapes and sizes because the are actual casting of their maker's legs! Additionally, the missions were constructed of adobe brick, which is clay mud, reinforced with straw. It provides excellent insulation and those adobe buildings are as cool as an air conditioned house in the summer and warm in the winter. Amazing stuff and it's cheap. Just as a side note, Father Junipero Serra who founded the California Missions is posthumously at the center of a modern contraversy for his excessive tactics he used to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. So when you see those tiles, the people who made them had a much deeper story that went unwritten.

Here is a terrible one- “...Hear that Inca God...cause we’ve got a God worth a thousand of yours. A gentle God, with gentle priests and a couple of great big cannon to blow you out of the sky.”- - Francisco Pizarro - in The Royal Hunt of the Sun

That's what all the nanny-goat-like cries were about- T'wasn't the goat at all that was a-shoutin' "OH Ba-a-a-a-a-by!!"

*looks about from side to side* Um.... goat? What goat? In addition to loosing a few items, Bully gave one away- (no not that, least-wise not that I heard of) But he gave us a wonderful gift- a piratical version of the wooden Russian dolls that fit one inside the other. Five little pirates. I'll have them at Ojai next year, but until then, they be residin' on me dresser!

Definitely a different faire. But nonetheless, I sent out an invite to the renaissance folks on the CIRGA email list, letting them know that they're always welcome to come out and pirate with us.

Do you have a website, photos or descriptions?

Yeah I've been going to that one since I was a little kid, off and on. It is sad to see it go. By the size of the crowds, I'm surprised that it was not a profitable venture and even more surprised that it was operating at a loss. It does, however, open up a whole new reason why we should have good attendance at a northern CA pirate fest- all those ren-faire goers with no place left to go, eh? And a new source for pirate recruits :)

I see that Johnny Depp made not one, but TWO pumpkin designs!! There is an architectural organization which holds a contest among their architects to construct 'buildings' out of pumpkins. I remember one year when I was a kid, I did Cinderella's pumpkin coach, using one of those Breyer plastic horses and a Barbie doll (OK so I was'nt always a pirate but I've changed me ways, haven't I?!!!)

Four of us went last year. It was a lot of fun. Lots of kids in costume. It's a bit far to make the trip this year, having just done Ojai, but I certainly give it my recommendation for any southern CA pirates!

An EXCELLENT idea lads!!!! Or just a microphone and a speaker hidden in Jeff's barrel, then he could make random comments at wenches who pass in the night!!!!! Now this could be tooooooooo much fun!!!

Have a howlin' good birthday mate, ye sly fox ye!!

I just received the following email and wanted to share it. It comes to me via Bill Watters, who leads the California Independent Renaissance Guild Association CIRGA: Dear Guildmasters, Directors, Performers, As you have been aware, the fate of our Northern Faire has been uncertain. I am sad to announce that we are, indeed, closing the Northern Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Below is a letter from our management detailing the situation. Please know that Southern Faire will go on as planned, and that I am continuing as Entertainment Director. I thank everyone involved in creating our entertainment. You can be proud of the fine job you have done and proud of the effort you exerted to make this Faire a success. The memories of Northern Faire, including the times we shared, certainly will live on in my heart. I am looking forward to our next meeting. I apologize for the lack of a complete e-mail llist. Please forward this message to all concerned parties. Gerald Zepeda Director of Entertainment REC California (408) 847-1138 ext 241 Renaissance Entertainment Corporation Renaissance Pleasure Faire 10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy 152 Hollister, CA 95023 (408) 846-6446 Dear Faire Family, As you are aware, we have been fighting a losing battle over the last few years with attendance and loss of income with the Northern Renaissance Pleasure Faire. We have had a steady decline in attendance since 1991 (with the exception of 1994, our first year of "Farewell to Black Point"). There is no one factor that we can isolate which has contributed to the failing of the show. The decline began during the Patterson's administration and has continued through a series of General Managers who have been unable to stop the hemorrhaging of revenues at this event. No ad campaign nor marketing schedule, including Phyllis Patterson's legendary marketing skills, was able to deter the decline. Our attendance failed long before we moved from our home in Blackpoint and has suffered greatly while we tried to find a permanent home. Since 1994 we have looked at over 200 sites and have spent over $500,000 in an attempt to find a home for our Faire. Not only has a property been impossible to find, the one exception (American Canyon) proved too costly to make workable and the California environment regulations work against any sincere efforts to create a business which by all accounts, "lays lightly on the soil". The Northern Faire has lost $900,061 in revenues during the years 1999-2003. Our attendance has declined 62% since 1991. The losses incurred by the Northern Faire have placed a continual drain on our Southern, Chicago and New York Faires, which are healthy shows and consistently create a profit. It is unfair for these healthy shows to bear the burden on Northern's losses. It, therefore, is which great sadness that we announce that we are closing the Northern Renaissance Pleasure Faire. We must ask that you remove all of your personal possessions from the site by November 2nd, 2003. As performers and entertainers the show has rested on your shoulders for many, many seasons. Please know that this failure does not reflect upon the amazing grace that you have given the show. We are all so appreciative of the energy and level of entertainment that you have contributed. The show sparkled brightly this season and it is bittersweet that even though we have never looked or performed better, this has become our final Huzzah. We thank all of you for your continued support through all these past years. For as long as the show lives in our memories, it shall never fade away. -- The staff and management of the Northern Renaissance Pleasure Faire and Renaissance Entertainment Corporation.

Thanks guys, it's just a start, not much to show at this point. I'm hoping to have some significant progress this weekend.

OK here's a crummy after-dark photo of me humble lil Land Shark... you'll still have to use a lot of imagination to visualize this when it's all done, but this should give you a pretty good idea of the shape of the back cabin. There will be a rail around the top also. We'll build up the front this weekend and should have another photo of the progress at the end of the weekend. The forward deck will follow the curve of the hull, but won't rise up as high as the back cabin. You can just baaaaaaaaarely see where we're headed in this photo though and it's gonna take one heck of a lot of black paint to pull this off, LOL (Gads... my back yard looks like the Salty Sue's Home for Wayward Boats!)