Hester

Andie McDowell to John Travolta in Michael?

^Definitely the decline -- I'm a decadent kinda gal. < Still in my housecoat. v Describe your most piratey piece of jewellery and where/why you got it!

crisis

I'm going to christen these little breakfast islands "Eggs Defoe" ... in honour of Robinson Crusoe author Daniel Defoe, who made an early documented reference to Stilton cheese in 1727 (although predated by Stukely in 1722): http://www.cropwellbishopstilton.com/conte...nts/history.htm http://www.stiltoncheese.com/UK/pr/history.cfm

Breakfast: A multi-grain English muffin -- one half topped with grilled Stilton cheese and a slightly runny poached egg, the other half topped with peach jam. Black pudding Grilled tomatoes Ruby red grapefruit juice, and King Cole tea.

During the summer, I read Richard Zack's biography of Captain Kidd and his nemesis, the pirate Robert Culliford, called The Pirate Hunter. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I especially liked Zack's narrative style, in that this work of non-fiction read very much like a novel [and would make a great movie!]. I'm interested to hear the Captain Twill set's kudos and brickbats regarding the accuracy of Zack's historical research (which I'm sure must be controversial in places). Cheers, Hester

Oh, geez, I forgot to mention that the heroine was even supposed to be the granddaughter of Anne Bonny and Calico Jack. Not likely ... they'd've drowned this simpering twit at birth! Cheers, Hester.

Hey, Patrick: I think I might suggest you start with: It's set in the Elizabethan era, populated by sea hawks, including Drake. It involves lots of exciting sea battles. The heroine is a non-virginal tomboy, cartographer, and ship's pilot, aboard her father's merchant-cum-pirate-ship. The hero's eyes are "silver", except when he's angry or aroused, and then they turn blue. The love scenes are pretty hot and fairly inventive (well, at least unrealistically gymnastic -- think "frigging in the rigging".) [My copy didn't come with a free tote bag, though.] Cheers, Hester

This one was so bad, I abandoned it halfway: Charleston, 1780. The hero's eyes were, improbably and amusingly enough, "pewter" in colour. [And the book is so brutally boring that even the cover illustrator apparently didn't get very far in skimming it, since the hero's hair is eventually described as golden-blonde in the text, despite the more traditional raven locks in the pic.] Absolutely no piratey atmosphere at all! While captive aboard the "pirate" ship, the heroine takes up the lady-like passtime of painting, and sits in a sewing circle with the crew's wives. The "love" scenes were utterly absent. I got to page 200 and the most erotic thing the central couple had done was have a fully-clothed pillow fight. Yikes, this one was bad!!!

Well, while I was away, I read: Set in 18th century Madeira & environs. The hero's eyes were "shockingly bright blue". The story was weak and poorly written; however, it was randomly salted with surprisingly accurate historical details (which were probably added as an afterthought on the advice of an editor). The "love" scenes were only medium-hot and infrequent.

Dinner last night ... the Swiss Chalet Southern BBQ chicken special: Mmm... complete with pecan pie! Cheers, Hester

"I hate them [whales]" ... said Ahab. "I'm a lot like that with mimes," said the [Pirate] Captain with a nod. "Can't bear them. All that pretending to get out of invisible boxes. Nonsense." (The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling by Gideon Defoe, p. 83.)

"Grog is all well and good, but it doesn't really beat a nice cup of tea." ~ The Pirate Captain, in The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling by Gideon Defoe.

In Richard Zacks' Pirate Hunter I came across the following recipe for "English Lemonade", which was imbibed by Captain Kidd as a celebratory drink on Antigua in 1690: English Lemonade: Canary Island wine sugar lemon juice cinnamon nutmeg clove a bit of amber essence. Cheers, Hester

Thanks, Pearl: I'll give that technique a try. Cheers, Hester

I read The Pirates! in an adventure with Whaling sitting in the sun on my deck drinking rum one afternoon this summer. I kept laughing aloud, so I had to read most of it aloud to my husband as well to let him in on the jokes. I love the fact that Cutlass Liz sold pirate pedaloes [paddle-boats for us Canucks] among her fleet of ships. Indeed, my current ship is an elderly paddle-boat, which we're constantly having to patch up with our trusty Bondo fibreglass kit. I left it tied to the dock in heavy waves and it got swamped, then it continued to rub against the bottom of the rusted metal dock stantion and wore a hole through the hull. The neighbour's daughters helped me bail and raise it, then my husband "careened" and "caulked" it. Next year, I'm going to christen it the Die Hard and attach a jolly roger. Never mind, it still gets me to the pub (a former marina) and back in [rather eccentric] style! Cheers, Hester

Hi, Pearl: What kind of glue does your son use? I've snapped a few sails myself over the summer (the hazards of playing PotSM while drinking rum) and now that I'm back in dry-dock for the fall, I plan to do some repairs. I was planning to use Krazy Glue ... will that work? Cheers, Hester

Not a recipe, but a place to visit -- the wine vaults in Newfoundland, where they aged port, beginning in 1679: http://www.manl.nf.ca/newman.htm They have a gift shop! Cheers, Hester

Achilles

Here's Jack Lake: ... but that's not me in the photo. Cheers, H.

No time like the present, Siren! I have been skinny dipping -- often -- even once in daylight in Jack Lake along the Hemlock Bluffs interpretive trail in Algonquin Park. [Okay, that's not precisely Jack Lake, that's a neighbouring one. Couldn't find a photo on the 'net of the exact lake, but it does look similar.] Cheers, Hester

Neko Case, "Maybe Sparrow" Maybe sparrow you should wait The hawk's alight till morning You'll never pass beyond the gate If you don't hear my warning Notes are hung so effortless With the rise and fall of sparrow's breast It's a drowning dive and back to the chorus La di da di da di da La di da di da di da Oh my sparrow it's too late Your body limp beneath my feet Your dusty eyes cold as clay You didn't hear my warning Maybe sparrow it's too late Moonlight glanced off metal wings In a thunderstorm above the clouds The engine hums a sparrow's phrase For those who cannot hear the words For those who will not hear the words For those who will not hear the words La di da di da di da La di da di da di da Maybe sparrow Maybe sparrow

Pickerel or largemouth bass -- white & flaky -- yum! Dust the fillets with flour & a dash of salt and pepper, then pan-fry in butter. Cheers, Hester

^No, but can you suggest one? Preferably with real sails! < I covet a long string of fresh-water pearls from the River Ythan v Cutlass or blunderbuss?

Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood