hurricane

Thanks Lady. Couldn't agree more. And if you're trying to convince me that my portrayal of myself is wrong, welcome to a brick wall. It is an individual's hobby, not real life. Some find the fun in figuring out the smallest minutia of a moment in time, others love to explore an another side of themselves, which may be flamboyant and outrageous. It's all good. I am wondering, however, why this post was ever in Twill since its very title summons up Non Realistic Garb and fantasy. Perhaps it should be moved by the mods, to keep the intent of Twill on target.

Thank you Michael and Ransom for your attempts to guide. Well said! Perhaps these and other guidelines in the Welcome Aboard section would help others acclimate to the way things are done here. It may help new posters become more effective. I would hate to see newbies shunned simply because they just didn't know the generally accepted guidelines of posting here.

Wish they could be, but not a single man will step forward to tussle with Diosa twice in a day. They'd be fools. Hard enough to get them to do it once - and then some of the poor lads spend an hour spewing their breakfast all over the walkway. She's hard on the menfolk I hear.

Diosa and I had once planned to build the candy cannon for use at events. It is fueled by black powder, true, but it looks like it would be a blast firing a pound of candy to the kiddies. http://stores.sheasmtn.com/Detail.bok?no=73

Interesting to note that in Stan Hugill's "Shanties from the Seven Seas" he writes that sailors never would have sang shanties while on land - it was considered bad luck. Instead, they typically sang popular ballads, love songs and patriotic songs from their respective homelands. If you haven't seen it is is a very thorough book on the subject.

Really? I've never had anyone ask ever. They just hire us and we do the gig, from really big corporate events to local fundraisers. It's never come up. Odd. --

I've never encountered a problem in 30 years doing this. Especially performing at a local charity. If you're making money off someone's song, that is a bigger issue than public performance without money being exchanged. As I've said, done very high profile gigs and never once had an issue. --

Well,we are kindred spirits now, aren't we Beowoulf? I had the same problem. I pulled off period re-enactment and lived life "behind the ropes" and didn't care for it one little bit. I always felt like someone needed to hang a sign on the rope that said, "Please do not feed the re-enactors." My personality is way too big to rein it in and make it period and I really didn't like feeling like I was a display in a museum. Before anyone chimes in, let it be known that I marvel at those who do it and some do it amazingly well, it just wasn't me. I am reminded what Cascabel once told me, and I paraphrase... "What's the purpose of being proper pirate if no one knows you are one?" There will be those who slam your interpretation, but you have to do what interests you, what jazzes you. And if you can't be behind the ropes, trust me, it's not all that bad. While FTPI is strict (although I don't know how a vendor selling fur lined manacles is exactly period) , you're always welcome at Pirates in Paradise, where everything goes. At least in Florida, the same is true for most of the festivals. Only FTPI and St. Augustine's Searles and Drakes are period correct. Everything else is wide open. And this is true all over the country. As others have said, it's a big world and there's lots of room for all of us. There is no right or wrong. Just figure out what you enjoy and plan accordingly. It's all good!

Note: Searle's specifically prohibits Queen Anne's in their event. See: http://searlesbucs.com/eventrules.html So you may want to go with something else if you really want to do shooting.

I have a treasure chest in my house. I thought about building the other, but no one visiting would be as entranced by it. If you're building it for display, a classic treasure chest can't be beat, especially with treasure spilling out of it. If you're planning to haul it around, then a sea chest is the better choice, since it's what would have been used on a daily basis by men of the sea. All depends what you want to do. I certainly know that the people living in the apartment below me at the time loved the construction process. I think they especially enjoyed the sabre saw period, long before the electric drill and hammers. I know Diosa did.

The thing is, you can create any name you want. But it may not always stick. People get names for odd reasons. For instance, Drop Dead was Iron Mariea, then Drop Dead Gorgeous, shortened to Drop Dead, because it's funnier when someone asks her her name. It just happened one day. So, you can spend a lot of time thinking up a cool character name, but everyone may end up calling you something entirely different. I gave up even trying to use mine anymore. It just never stuck. -- Bartholomew Treate (There, got to use it!)

Or you could be Parker Carr, the queen's personal transportation valet. (think, think)

Parker's a fine name indeed. My own cabin boy is named that - but, of course, he's better known in the pirate world as Wrong Way. Named him Parker all because of the musical Oklahoma.

How's this one? http://www.kwsantiques.de/english/cannon/a373.html Here's a blunderbuss swivel http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kOph_d9kpWI/TQJR9vgnrjI/AAAAAAAAAec/VuZouWn1UMI/s320/mm28.jpg

No worries. This won't get you kicked off. If that were the case, they would have kicked me off years ago for some of the things I said. (Everyone reading this collectively nods their head). Basically, my only advice was to ask the local gendarmes about the regulations. Even in the U.S. federal laws classifies original and reproduction weapons as antiques. However, not all local municipalities allow you to carry them around freely, have unfettered access to black powder or fire live rounds. So, it's best to ask, get a name and number in case you run into trouble and realize that different rules apply in different locales, even here in the Wild West of North America. Hell, it's even legal to shoot someone in Florida if you feel threatened on a public street. But that is another topic for another time and another board. And Beowoulf, no she don't!

Beowoulf, Sorry, didn't want to get caught in the Estrogen Crossfire here. I'm glad you read what I said. I think it's the best way to go. Opinions are like you know what... everybody's got one. :)

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I know them well. Didn't you leave them attached to the four poster at your hotel?

You mean people voluntarily go to Spokane, the Inland Empire?

If you are curious about the history of punch and its variations over the centuries, you'll enjoy this book, which is part history and part how-to guide on punch through the ages. Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl http://www.amazon.com/Punch-Delights-Dangers-Flowing-Bowl/dp/0399536167/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293713995&sr=8-1

Both events are in proximity to one another. After going through the Truman Annex on Southard, PiP is on the right near the historic warships. To the left is the road to the fort, which is a good walk, but hopefully there will be a shuttle in the future between the two places. Some people move between the two events, some don't. The beauty of Key West and FTPI and PiP -- it's all good. People can do pretty much as they please, including riding scooters around as pirates. The only thing you don't want to do too much down there is pull your sword out in public. Otherwise, dripping in weapons is pretty normal at both venues and on Duval. The only housing in close proximity to the fort and Truman Annex waterfront is the Truman Annex. You could ask Mission more about that. Most of the hotels are either on Duval or on the side away from the fort. That said, many of the re-enactor camps have extra tent space if you speak up early and often. Someone seems to always be willing to take a new pirate in.

Searles - the real fun battle in St. Augustine is in March. The Pirate Gathering is held in November, but it's not primarily historical - it's for every interpretation and there is a nice encampment there that is period. FTPI, the Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion, is set in the fort and has period traders and daily battles. It has the added benefit of having the Pirates in Paradise Festival (which celebrates the rich maritime history of the city, from the historical to the hysterical), is adjacent to it along the Truman Annex waterfront. So, you can enjoy the period play, participate in all sorts of other cultural events and activities at PiP (which extends from the weekend after Thanksgiving through the first weekend in December) and party your guts our along Duval St along with the rest of your fellow mates. I love the Pirate Gathering, but the combined events make Key West the choice event. Last year I believe there were pirates from 25 states and three different countries there.

I have to go with Crispy and Animal. FTPI/PiP offers the best of all worlds - a place to re-enact, a place to play and a place to party. Can't really beat Key West for pirootin'. That said, it depends on what your interests are. For historical representation, you can't beat St. A and it's the only venue that lets you shoot in the streets in a roaming battle. The camping at both are similar, though the standards for St. A are more strict in terms of period. The FTPI is buccaneer to wrecker, while Searle's is strictly buccaneer. On the FTPI/PiP side, you can have a longer vacation in Florida since the PiP festival is 10 days and the invasion is the last three days of that week. So you can enjoy pirating activities and events during a longer stay, if you have the time and coin. But, if you only had one to choose, it's Key West. And I won't even get into the less historical ones, Stuart, John Levique, Ft. Myers and the Pirate Gathering.

Therein may be the issue, sir. Often the lead has a say over others in the cast. A lead actor rarely wants to be shorter than another in the cast. It isn't a good star quality to be short looking. It's often in the contract. It's always a good call to go in costume, says I. Been doing it since Roman Polanski's Pirates. Adds a little character, especially when you be sneakin' in some rum. :)