Misson

I'm not really the Mercury's surgeon. I'm an agent of the Archangel camp. Bond. Surgeon James Bond. Hey! I found out something for the three or four of you who remember the long, idiotic thread I created about this guy -> (Phydeaux the icon) Stynky made him! (And all the other pirate emoticons.) Someone (Stynky knows not who) animated it so that it looks like a panting dog. Er, an erotic thing. Er, like it's sticking it's tongue out the side of it's mouth in an anatomically impossible way. All the emoticons used to be on Stynky's site and you had to link to them. At some point, they uploaded them to the site proper and they became the emoticons here. The same person animated them all, which does not in any way explain why the angry and sad pirate emoticons are blinking. (What is up with that?) So there you are.

That's one of the really good stories I failed to tell in my monologues. If you want to hear it, I guess you'll have to ask M.A.d'Dogge when you go to PiP next year.

Why? Are you guys planning to have lots of accidents? Yes, strips of linen scraps (white or natural) will be much appreciated. Thank God Lily brought extra scraps this year or I'd have had nothing to work with. I will need at least two other people for the surgery schtick. One victim who with a shirt that can be soaked in fake blood and who is willing to have chicken duct taped to their person, and someone (or sometwo would be better) to hold the victim down (as well as operate whatever blood squirting devices we can come up with.) What do you guys think about some sort of stretcher type thing to carry someone off the field with? I saw they used boards in the documentary The Good, The Bad and the Ugly...(I really liked that surgeon character and used bits of what I saw there in my imagination in making this character.) What's so hard about that? The good surgeon looks around surreptitiously and then throws the victim over the side. Drowning victim problem solved. (I was captured against my will, you know. Not having a real friendly view of my captors...)

Moi? Thanks for the complement, however... Mission but pawn in game of PiP. (I have nothing whatsoever to do with the organization of the event, I just reported things I saw and heard and fell in love with the folks who I met. In a purely platonic way, of course. ) Harry and hurricane are your men.

Did anyone happen to come across a wee small blue notebook about 3" x 4"with a bunch of hastily scribbled notes on surgeon-barbers? I can't find it in my stuff and I'd like to re-organize and transcribe it.

"Really?" "Yes, really." (I didn't know that. Why not ditch 'em?)

What do you do with a drunken pyrat? What do you do with a drunken pyrat? What do you do with a drunken pyrat, early in the morning? (Anyone else still waking up in the morning with sea shanties in their head? The after affect of PiP is this strange bubble of unreality... Say, was the Stephanie you mentioned in the second picture? Did I, in fact, meet her?)

Really? I'll bring that up to Booty. (She's the admin; I am but a humble volunteer mod.) You can pm me at the Mission or Misson ID if you like. Honestly, though, you usually don't need to - those things stick out like sore thumbs and the first thing I usually do when I get on the site is check for any smiley titled posts. Spam, bean and eggs? Remind me not to sit next to you after you've had that...

Hear hear! And not just once...at least three times. You should see my sutures...

-Put the careening camp in the same place next year -Close the end parking lot if possible -Make up signs directing people from the fort entrance down that path along the fort to the encampment -Put dead pirates in gibbets or some other (protected) display on the path to entice people to take it. -Do the surgeon re-enactment bit after a battle in the careening camp (if M.A.d'Dogge is willing to help me.) -Pub gear at the event (you folks who sell the stuff are missing a great advert. opportunity, I think.)

Just to close up what has apparently become the Mission's First Timer Journal thread... I showed up for the fourth day in my gear to tape the Pirate Soul thing only to find that Amanjiria was passed out somewhere and no one could revive him. (FB ). Actually, we just couldn't get it organized, so that failed to happen. So no film of the Pirate Soul museum surgical instruments and the Mercury's surgeon playing Vanna White. I did talk to Tony Callahan and he said he was going over there later and would take copious quantities of photos of the gear and email me the pics. So it's not a total loss. I went back to the hotel and finally shaved after two weeks of itchy beard. I think I'll keep the mustache for awhile. See how that goes. The crews of the Mercury and Archangel repaired to the beach and took some really cool marooned pictures of Mary Diamond, M.A.d'Dogge and his brother, Captain Sterling and Anna on the rocks. (So did a bunch of tourists.) The captain slipped in full garb and fell backwards into the water. No harm was done, but it was something to see. A girl showed up at the last minute on Friday at the careening camp who I think was named Diedre. (I am so bad with names. Apparently so is everyone else because I asked them to verify this and only William had any recollection of her name. Not knowing, I didn't want to write about her in case she peeks in, but I have to because it's too good a story.) She told us that she came across the PiP website on Thursday and just told her boss she wanted Friday off so she could attend. She packed her gear, jumped in her car (I believe someone told me she was from Orlando. Hopefully she will get online and verify or deny all this) and just showed up Friday morning. For some reason this all struck me as cool beyond measure, especially because she was by herself. She had a regular colorful pup-tent which William asked her to cover with a piece of canvas. She willingly went off to Home Depot, bought canvas and did so. Somebody suggested she might actually be Red Cat Jenny who told William she was going to come incognito and see if anyone recognized her, but I don't know what to think of that. She hung around with Carol, Patrick's boss, a lot and said she had a really good time. As a footnote to the waitress story I mentioned previously, I ran into her again. Emboldened by Haunting Lily and being free from the group, I did find out her name was Stephanya, she moved to Key West from Poland 8 months ago and her sister married a guy in Las Vegas. She was going to Vegas for Christmas. We spent a long time chatting about living in Key West (something I once contemplated - about 15 years ago when I was also young and ignorant.) and I learned she was 18. 18. Useless, bloody useless to me. I need a Watson to my Sherlock. (Or maybe a Sherlock to my Watson.) With hats in tow, I went through the airport processing process. A guy spotted that hats. (They're not too tough to spot.) and asked me about them. So I told him about the event and it turns out he used to be a sailor. His ship was once boarded by pirates in small boats in the sea off India somewhere I forget, which they turned away by using the ship's firehoses with the pressure ramped up. Of course, these were the sorts of pirates who wander around in ragged jeans with automatic weapons and rocket launchers, he noted. We discussed historical piracy and he turned out to be quite knowledgeable. A wonderful ending to a wonderful trip. Thinking back, I must congratulate Micheal Bagley on his wonderful capturing of my character. There were a lot of people running around in movie-inspired pirate get ups in the fort, our group - who were mostly in Captain or sailor appropriate gear - and me, the sole representative of the lower class gentleman turned surgeon abducted by pirates gear. I really stood apart in my kit, which fit my concept of my character well. Patrick's planter's hat completed the effect. Alas, my camera battery was D.O.A., so I am depending on other folks to supply me with photos so I can share (and change my user photo - although not the little dog. He stays. For now. I really like him. Let me close off with this...I got home only to find the following message on my phone (which I will try to edit for language -difficult though that is) left there at 1am on Saturday: "Mark, where the f*** are you? A**hole. We are out here waiting for you. We wanna get drunk and...y'know . We were just sitting there with you at the pub and we got up and...you like disappeared! Where the f*** are you? We're sitting here waiting; we're gonna wait another five or ten minutes and then we're gone. We're gonna' go to the bars or whatever, man. Just f***ing get your a** over here. We're waiting. (Background conversation.) What? Oh...*laughter* (sheepish) it's Stynky, It's Stynky! My real name's (edited to protect the guilty.) I'm here with Stephanie. (Who is Stephanie? Did I meet her?) Anyway, get your a** over here. (Lots of laughter.) F***ing drunk! F***ing a**hole! *laughter* Pirate! Anyway...um, so um, yeah...you suck." How can you go wrong with friends like that? (Stynky, I am saving that message. For $20 I will delete it and not hand it over to the police. In fact, when I get that far gone, I start wandering about. I was chatting with Spike and Scarlett (two ts) Rai as I mentioned in a previous post. If you've ever thought about going to PiP or ever thought about thinking about going to PiP...you must go. It was great. I hope my narratives put the fun across to some degree. The people are fantastic and nearly every pub member I met was so friendly and helpful that I doubt I can really get it into words. Here's to PiP 2007!

Because I wound up taking several things home on the plane which I had mailed to myself along with several other things that people had generously brought down for me, I wound up packing most of my surgical equipment and bloody rags into an extra backpack I was using for the week. The backback contained a lot of weird stuff including a period tourniquet, an 18" long wicked-looking capital knife and several other barbarous, inquisition style medical tools. For good measure, I threw in my fake bloodied linen rags. Upon opening my bag, I found a "Notice of Baggage Inspection" informing me that my bag and it's contents had been searched for prohibited items. They tied the surgical tool pouch much more nicely than I had. (Can you show me how you did that? It was beautiful.) Oh, what I wouldn't have given to have been a fly on the wall in that inspection! I had heard some other funny stories about Mary Diamond bringing the medical chest and all its little bottles (including one labeled 'Arsenic') in as a carry-on and M.A.d'Dogge hauling black powder guns as carry ons. (I'd tell them, but they're much funnier when they tell them. So tell them!)

Actually, I was very happy with the yellow rice, corn and plantains. The folks were extremely generous in providing me with veggie stuff. I don't know that you need to change anything at all. So would skeletons in gibbets (or other displays) along the path leading there. (I do such things for fun for local haunted houses. See my Drunken Pirate, Pirate Prisoner and (for fun), Jack the Monkey props. Keith and Haunting Lily - who were in the careening camp - also do Haunted House stuff. (Incidentally, Buckys are affordable skeletons)) Hurricane...if you decide to do activities inside the fort all day, M.A.d'Dogge had an idea for a surgeon operating routine that would be part comical/ part realistic and explanational that I might be willing to do with him. It would be a good thing to do after the battle when we have fresh patients. It would probably run about 10-20 minutes or so. I intend to get more surgical gear for next year now that I know what I need. (I think.) I do presentations all the time and would be very comfortable with this role.

Harry, I don't know how the other vegetarian pirates felt about the closing feast (presuming there are other vegetarian pirates), but I felt I got my $5 worth. There was plenty of stuff I could eat. Also, if the careening camp is in the same place next year (and it would be really, really nice if it was - I think it's a great location), it would be nice to close the parking lot (which I understood we couldn't this year) and stage the battle across it. There's a great view from the top of the fort in that direction and it would draw more attention to the encampment as people watched the battle. Plus we (the pub people) should make up some signs directing people from the fort entrance down that path along the fort leading to the encampment so they know they don't have to walk through the parking lot. Plus we should put dead pirates in gibbets on the path. (Wouldn't that be cool, Keith and Lily of the many Buckys? I'll provide my 3 Buckys...now there's a project I can contribute to. It would also be fun to explain the undead Buckys to airport security.) And the gibbet pirates would fit right in with the 3 artwork skeleton pirates in the moat. It would be really cool (and more likely to prevent theft of the skeletons) if we could hang the gibbets from the fort wall over the moat somehow...hmm...

Today was pretty relaxed as far as events went. At least, it was so for Mission who does not, in fact, get hangovers, but does get sort of logy and listless the day after a night of extreme frivolity. It was my goal to get to fire the cannons during the battle today, which I did get to do. I had to switch sides to do it, which is actually entirely in character for my captured surgeon. So there. An outstanding local re-enactor named Mark showed me the ropes. First, you seal the hole in the cannon, then you put the charge in (those of you who know proper terms for these procedures, forgive me if I don't get them completely cricket.). You pack it down then you prick it through the little hole in the back of the cannon. You stick the fuse (I think that's what it's called) in and hook a pull to it. You then stand back and yank the pull cord when ordered to fire. The thing makes an insanely loud boom, following which Mark explains that he forgot to tell you to cover your ear when you fire the cannon. (What?! What did you say?!) I was merely supposed to pull the rope once to have the experience, but Mark's trusty assistant apparently wasn't so trusty and we wound up being a cannon team, cleaning, loading and firing the cannon five times. I think Amanjiria filmed much of this, so you may all be able to see the Mercury's surgeon violating the Hippocratic Oath. War is hell. We then all marched into the fort and tried to attack the pirates who held the fort from yesterday. Much gunfire was exchanged and then the shot the cannon at us and we (the redcoats and militia) all fell down dead. Immediately following my untimely death, I was initiated as a "fresh fish" by holding some important guy's sword and having my cheeks marked with the wet sponge used to clean the cannon. (I know Amanjiria filmed that, so you can all look forward to seeing it if he puts the video on-line.) It didn't mark me so much, but the water stunk pretty badly. Mark later explained that from civil war re-enactments, he had learned that this was done to make black marks on the cheeks of first-timers for safety reasons - everyone knew a newbie was on the cannon team. We spent a lazy day around the fort and encampment after that. Several people had to work on Monday (poor folks), so they packed up and left. I got a chance to talk with Captain Jim and he told me wonderful stories about his Huck Finn boyhood growing up in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. He used to sail around the area in his early teens, going until dusk. He would then pull ashore, find the nearest house, and let his parents know where he was. He would then make a fire on the beach and cook fish that he caught and sleep the rest of the night on the beach. He tells it much better than I have, so you should all meet him and ask him about it. Hanging around the wall of the fort tonight, we were all treated to the "green flash" as the sun dipped below the horizon. Both Silkie and I also saw an aquamarine flash right after the green flash, which was really neat. A ceremony took place to officially close PiP with a lot of "Hip-hip-huzzahs!" and a presentation of special bottles of wine to our own Quartermaster William for all his hard work in getting the encampment up and running. Dinner was a roast pig affair in the fort (with yellow rice, corn-on-the-cob and plantains for us vegetarians). Everyone ate alfresco on the fort parade grounds, talking about what a great weekend it had been. I didn't count, but I think there were at least a 100 volunteers/re-enacters in attendance. There was free rum and beer available, but your poor ship's surgeon just wasn't up to the challenge and drank water and diet Coke. After that, we strung up the new Pyracy.com flag that William had painted several days ago across one of the fort archways and took several group photos - some with everyone from the pub who was still there, some with the Mercury and Archangel camps and some with just Archangel. In fact, they may still be shooting those photos as the photographer was getting into some tricky shots when I left. I thought I was done with the period clothes, but Spike, of the Bone Island Buccaneers managed to get me a pass into the Pirate Soul museum to take photos with the real surgical instruments they have there. Amanjiria is going to film it if I can remember enough to explain what I am looking at. (I hope he's a good film editor...) So I must go period for a few hours more. (Next year, I'll bring more pairs of period socks and at least one more shirt.) Well, somewhat early day tomorrow. Ta!

(Well, you can't say I didn't invite you. In fact, I have gotten no SCUBA diving in this week due to all the fun and frivolity in addition to a lack of a diving partner, although there was certainly time for it. I understand that next year is going to (most likely) run for 8 days. ) Another beautiful day in paradise lads and lasses. Last night I got a chance to talk to several of our pubmates. Bilgemonkey and I spent a hour over soup and conch fritters at the Rum Barrel and we talked about how he got into the on-line pirate radio show. He actually is heavily involved in another event up in Wisconsin at Port Washington and was pleased to see how well his event stood up. He's thinking about bringing a more period air to the event since he's on the committee (If I have the right of that.) He made several excellent suggestions about my surgeon character which may find their way in next year if all goes well. I also hooked up with Stynky Tudor in the pub and he told me a great deal about the history of our beloved pub. He's a fascinating guy with a wealth of knowledge and I enjoyed the time spent with he, Patrick Hand and Rusty. Rusty is actually a sailor, although I don't completely understand his job because I only got into the tail end of the conversation. He has a online video site about his adventures on the sea, although I didn't get the address. So you'll have to ask him when he posts here. And then there's Patrick. A prince of a pirate. Anyone who has not met Patrick is really missing out IMO. I've never seen a man with so many bits of fascinating information about so many things. As he put it yesterday, sleeping out under the stars, looking out over the ocean and wandering about town all day in garb - who could not like this? (I am completely paraphrasing, of course.) Much of the Mercury crew actually left the pub last night when I wasn't looking and I found myself talking to Stynky and some of the Bone Island Buccaneers last night. They are all encamped in the fort and are really the point people here. Spike of the BIB was asked 12 weeks ago to coordinate the event which he has done remarkably well. He used to work for the Pirate Soul museum and mentioned that he might be able to get me in so that we could film a bit with me and the authentic surgical instruments that they have in there. He's so busy that that may not materialize, but I really appreciated the thought. (This, by the way, is pretty much how everyone down here has been from my POV. A more fascinating group that are free with their ideas and suggestions I don't think I've met. They really appreciate the effort we from the pub put forth to make this event work from the camp side. I also got a chance to talk to Scarlett Rai (see, luv, I remembered the second 't') of Bone Island who I understand is an excellent swordswoman. She's one of those amazing people who is always in character. (As is our own Silkie who sports a mean Irish brogue.) She and Spike sported me my first mug of mead which lay remarkably well on top of the rum. Spike later brought free bottles of mead around to all the tables, explaining to me that without all the re-enactors the event wouldn't be nearly as successful and it was the least he could do. (Mead is pretty yummy. At least that mead was. I can still remember the honeyed flavor.) I also had a chance to talk with Mr. Silver Hawk who is the Quartermaster from the group of pirates that moved in next door . He lives in Marathon here in the Keys and was a Bosun on a ship for a number of years I don't quite remember. His group is called Pirates of Tortuga and they provide Pirate entertainment. Some of them got up in a quiet moment last night and did a few sea shanties last night. And that's just a sampling of the folks I met. I could write a page about William Red Wake, our benevolent leader. When he arrived, he had been up for 41 hours straight working on details. He has these magnificent drawings of the fictional Mercury that were supposed to be careening that he did in Freehand. (!) After telling us how long he'd been up, he stayed about several more hours working on the huge canvas flag I mentioned a few days ago. He is quite the artist. A better contact person to represent the pub I don't think you could find. Anyhow...I'm off to the camp. First a quick shower, which is a mere formality down here. Three days in the same (wonderfully made) linen clothes in the hot Key West sun. (You may not wish you were here quite as much as think. ) For those of you planning to make this jaunt next year...don't bring your wool garb. It's been sunny and warm for the duration of the event. (Thank God we're in the shade of the Australian pines by the ocean. I mean, right by the ocean. There'll be pics as soon as everyone gets back into home port.

Saturday was indeed as lovely as the other days...all 16 hours of it for this pirate. It was sunny all day...sorry about any indiscriminate blizzards elsewhere. Today was a full day of pirate activity. I confess I arrived somewhat later than the opening time of 10am due to delays in the breakfast schedule at Blue Heaven this morn. (Weekends in Key West are just sucky at restaurants. During the week, you can get anything you want...excepting Alice.) I was sitting at the bar, nursing a coffee (No, I don't want any hair of the dammed dog, thank ye.) when I finally hit upon the strategy of turning around and facing the customers in full kit. I had a table shortly thereafter with three apologies from the hostess...two before and one once the table (for four, not one) was secured. Following another excellent repast, I repaired to the fort just in time for the trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Our dear quartermaster, William Red Wake, was slapped into irons by the traitorous Captain Sterling for crimes he may have not committed. The trial went badly for Anne and Mary and I took several photos for William - what with him being in irons and all. Anne and Mary got out of the charge, but William was chained to a tree in the Archangel camp. Being the surgeon and second officer from the Mercury, I attempted a rescue of first officer Quarter master William using my trusty capital knife, bone saw and tourniquet before being pulled off by the Archangel munchkins (and being kicked off by William. Film at 11. Or whenever videographer Amanjiria splices all the footage together. He really has a knack for the thing) Several other members of the crew also attempted a rescue but the Archangel munchkins resisted and we have the thing up as a loss. This made me the first officer of the Mercury which is just what I...was awful. The Pyrates attacked the Fort later in the day and damaged the outer wall with their cannon as well as damaging the redcoats with their muskets. Several of us than charged the fort from the inside. A pitched blackpowder battle between the redcoats and pyrates ensued and we won. The fort colonists then brought the prisoner (QM William of the Mercury) forward and offered negotiations. Much against my better judgment, I, the now first officer of the Mercury, was elected to negotiate which (unfortunately) was successful. The rebels joined us and the redcoats were left to rot on the field (until they got up which was probably due to the miraculous ministrations of the Mercury's surgeon who's presence was surely a boon to them.) Then encampment folks repaired to a convenient tent while Captain Sterling went to scrounge up the key to the shackles that held William. I got a chance to display my medicine chest and surgical tools to all interested photographers and was able to explain bits and pieces of the info I had learned in preparation for the role. After much audience suffering as I explained my kit for the 12th time, William was released and we went back to camp. Being laterish, I decided to head into town and have dinner as no one in the camp seemed inclined to make vegetarian anything and had a wonderful corn and crab chowder stew. It was so good that I went back later and had more corn and crab chowder stew at the same place. But I digress. Mary Diamond, William and several members of the Archangel crew headed off for a sunset cruise where Amanjiria was apparently photographed naked kissing a mermaid. Wait...he was actually photographed in the rigging of the ship. The mermaid story sounds better, though. (I'm going to regret having posted that. Your ship's churygeon makes bold his statements. If I don't post tomorrow it's because I've been gutted and flayed.) We then repaired to the beach where master photographer Tony Callahan proceeded to take what were probably hundreds of pictures of we but humble pirates. Tony took many, many pictures last year which he and his wife Fayma turned into wonderful posters that are scattered all over town this year. (Perhaps I will rate a poster. Perhaps it will be made into an advertisement for Quaker Oats.) Perhaps we shall see further pictures later on from Tony's album. We then headed for the annual Key West holiday parade where we marched as members of a float for something I don;t even recall that looked like a giant ship with a huge skull figurehead. (No, it really didn't make any sense in real life either, but it was sort of cool for a skeleton favoring ship's surgeon.) The parade route was 17 miles long in period correct shoes (and two miles long in cheater shoes), but great fun was had by all. I will now appear in thousands of peoples vacation photos and videos, which is just charming on one level and disturbing on another. Never in my life have I been willingly photographed so many times. Bilgemonkey and I wandered off together to get more corn and crab chowder at my suggestion and had a wonderful discussion about his pirate music radio show and my surgeon character. We bought a bottle of fine rum after dinner and went back to the Pyrat Pub in the fort which bested any pub on Duvall street. (Sorry, pub owners on Duvall street. Ah, you'll never read this anyhow.) When we arrived in the pub with Keith, we met Patrick Hand, Captain Jim and Rusty Wild Rice, who had been kicked off Duvall for weapons infractions. (Swords, not flintlocks. !!) Much rum was drunk and...ah hell, it's after 3am - time for bed. More tomorrow. I met several fascinating folks, but it can wait until the world stops spinning from the rum. (In fact, William and Mary - I DID ride my bike home from the fort and I did NOT get a ticket. At least not one of which I'm aware at this time.)

Ok, about the battle the trusty, reliable, compassionate ship's surgeon missed...it was like this...um... See, a wonderful fellow who goes by the name of Boo arrived Wednesday morning and set up up camp. His camp is really a sight too - he used bamboo poles for all of his equipment and has a neat little setup rife with details. Even the box to hide his cooler looks spot on. We got to talking, Boo and I, and he starts raving about the Cracked Conch on the island. Even though I am a 15 trip (or so) veteran of Key West, I had never had cracked conch. So I says to Boo, "Boo, next time you're going out for cracked conch, let me know because I want to try it." Well, the day was a might slow and lazy yesterday and Boo suddenly looks up and says "Cracked conch!" It was about 1 in the afternoon according to my insulin pump clock and so I figured we would have plenty of time because the place he mentioned was right across the street from the wonderful Blue Heaven restaurant which is about two blocks from the road leading to the road leading to the encampment. (This is not as far as it sounds.) So we went and the place was closed. "II know another place in town." says Boo, so off we go. Well, town is a further drive and parking is nightmarish. By the time we got our food and got seated, I had lost all track of time. Yeah. My insulin pump has to be hidden under my garb, see? We got to yarning and all thoughts of battle fly from my head. Boo is a fascinating old fellow. Those of you who read my email success newsletter will hear a great deal more about him because he's done some fascinating things. His philosophy is basically, 'You have to try new things.' Boo showed up at the site this year all by himself (although his wife was coming in last night) having never done a pirate period tent encampment and laid out this amazing setup. (He lurks here a bit, I think, but the signing up process has apparently stymied him.) Anyhow....those of you who have been reading this already know what happened, right? The only ship's surgeon missed the battle because he was having lunch. On top of everything else, my pump clock, which slips alarmingly given the fact that it is supposed to be a precise medical instrument. According to it, we arrived at 2:15 and the battle was scheduled for 2:30. (Or possibly 2:00 - now I'm getting conflicting stories, see?) Bloody pirates - where's the ship's bells? So that's what actually and honestly happened. (Don't believe a word that Silkie or Quartermaster William tells you on the topic. Lies. Dammed lies.) The battle was apparently brief. We had one small cannon and several black powder instruments against an unruly mob of settlers at the fort. In fact, they had to recruit a few rogue pirates into the fort because the redcoats were off on a training mission or some such. I'm told (for I, naturally, only saw it as we were driving up) that the pirate kept charging and, despite an incredible amount of shooting and cannon fire, sustained no wounds until Keith pointed this oddity out. So QM William advised that wherever Captain Sterling (who was in the fort - turncoat!) aimed at, they should fall down wounded. Unfortunately he aimed at a group of them (or so they perceived) and about five people fell to her single shot. Silkie had to pitch in as temporary ship's surgeon as myself was not there as explained. (For which I received a wicked tongue-;lashing and will have to hear about for the rest of the weekend. It was a good lunch. You should all try cracked conch - just not during the POORLY SCHEDULED battle ). Haunting Lily was supposed to be assisting...I think...but decided instead to roll the wounded, searching through their pockets. Bloody pirates! When I actually gained the field, all the dead had miraculously been healed. I guess it was something in the water Silkie had. Ohhhhh...that's enough. I desperately need coffee this fine sunny morning.

It was all about preparation yesterday. People continued to trickle into the Mercury camp and the various tents grow in detail (and backstory). Bilge Monkey arrived midday in preparation for his sail on the Wolf which sails out of Historic Key West Harbor. Captain Jim showed up at dusk and set up his Oar House (a tent with oars for poles) and much merriment ensued as we bandied about that name. Our Quartermaster (for he is not captain as I said previously) William Red Wake was everywhere doing everything as near as I can tell. Willie Wobble, the Mercury's cook as it turns out, set up an impressive display of cookware, utensils and whatnot...lots of whatnot. The man has an eye for detail. He was making twine (?) coverings for some of his bottles during the day. One of them had a label made up for the festival which I thought was a neat touch. Haunting Lilly spent quite a bit of time sewing up button holes. She and Keith brought a whole array of haversacks and bags that they made which were really nice. Keith also made a whole variety of rope fids (sharp pointy stick!) before he left home on his drill press (!). He gave me one when I was searching for a much-needed sharp stick. I stuck it in my new planter's hat along with a clay pipe I bought in the fort. We had a safety meeting in the afternoon. Apparently there are going to be quite a number of cannon at the event when it begins. William said that they are always looking for cannoneers, so I am hoping to get over there early enough for the firearm and cannon discussion this morning. (How many barber-surgeons can say they've fired a cannon?) The strategies for the various battles to take place on Saturday and Sunday were discussed - apparently it's win some/lose some for your pirates. Inside the Fort Taylor, the vendors and the local pirate club - the Bone Island Buccaneers - continued setting up an impressive array of merchant shops. I understand we're to take the fort on Sunday after the trial. (Do we get to loot the city as well There is some nice stuff in those booths...) Ten of us repaired to the Rum Barrel restaurant after sunset (which was beautiful last night - especially in the calm solitude of the park where you get an unobstructed view). Patrick Hand and Old Man from the Sea got into a discussion that ranged far and wide. William followed bits and pieces of this involved and somewhat impassioned discussion that included everything from the big bang theory to the CA park black powder laws. Lots to see and do and today promises to be even moreso. I have been studying my role and am now a font of useless knowledge on 17th century medicine. (Anyone want to know about scurvy?) Hopefully I can focus a bit more on the details of the event and future posts can be focused a bit more on the local pirate color. Because there's lots of color here in Key West right now.

I always take American into Key West. Northwest has it's talents (Detroit is a hub), but Key West isn't among them. Bad Northwest. I was hanging around with Haunting Lily and her husband Keith last night. Several of us spent a rousing couple of hours hanging around inside the cavernous section of the fort designated as the tavern for the event (which echoes just nicely) and telling ghost stories (yellow fever, yellow fever, yellow fever. Nope, nuthin') and suchlike. After that, we repaired to the Mercury camp and spent another rousing hour sharing haunted house room ideas (turns out Mr. Red Wake also has a HH checkered past. Lily and Keith...well, they've got some keen ideas on the topic. So far, I've established decided links between Pyrate re-enactors and haunted houses and pyrate re-enactors and belly dancing. Very curious, that.) Keith, Lily and I were driving out the gate and whom should we come across but the good Patrick Hand hiking up the long and winding road to the fort with all his gear on his back. So we turned back around and Lily, the gate-keeper, opened that gate so we could save Patrick from further worn soles. He planned to string up (er, sorry) his hammock in the multi-farious Aussie Pines for the evening. This is shaping up nicely. (Plus Patrick brought me his cool planter's hat which he sold me for a very fair price. Now I will wear it everywhere including to bed. Ok, maybe not... Anyone want to buy a size 7-1/8 tri-corn? It was only worn once on the way to church. ) Following a bracing meal of eggs and the insanely good hash browns at Blue Heaven restaurant, Keith, Lily and I are heading back for another day of set-up. The weather is currently overcast and we seem to have had a night of rain. I wonder how Patrick faired in his hammock?

Quite. There are a great many trees (all leaning in the same direction.) Report from the Mercury camp...Silkie and Captain Sterling arrived and set up camp. Captain Red Wake(and assistants) painted a HUGE freaking banner with the Pub Logo (the little bendy skull with crossed sort of bendy swords) that there is some plan to circulate around the various pirate events at which pub members are in attendance. It is really neat. Also met Haunting Lily and her husband today. Several folks stained the lanterns William bought for the event. Aminjiria and what I believe is his entire extended family showed up and staked camp. They then proceeded to make food for everyone in the site (except us vegetarians...alas.) Willie Wobble set up the neatest spread I think I have seen (he has a very comfy looking cot). The crew is forming up! They're planning a Duval Crawl/advertising campaign tonight in full kit. Alas, I don't have any shoes yet and couldn't scrounge any up, so I am going to dinner at my restaurant in town. Cheers from Key West.

It's a cool site (I helped scout it with William) . Scattered leaning Australian Pines dot the sand. (The park folks don't seem to fond of them, but they look neat, all leaning away from the water (and the wind). Should be a nice breeze coming off the water for all your folks who'll be tenting there. You'll be moving little white rocks around, though. I'm off to deliver a pic file to the crew. (For those of you who scoff at the hotel denizens, I have two words: Free WiFi. At least I think those are two words. Also - A/C. )

I am here and the weather is beautiful. Well, a bit overcast, but nice and warm.

Speaking only for the Archangel, our surgeon is not attending PiP this year, but a lot of surgeons of the period didn't know what to do either... even the ship's carpenter could be called in to aid with an abundance of amputations.... any chance you could pick up some severed limbs prior to PiP? There are a number of sites that sell some pretty good ones.... If I remember to pack a few, I can give you a few balls to use for bullet removal. As it turns out, I am leaving for Mexico for the Thanksgiving holiday today and then going directly to Key West from there. (I may even buy a full-sized Catrina if I can find one I like that isn't too expensive. But that's another story...) So the short answer is: no limbs for me. Had I known, I could have made one up. (While being a surgeon is not truly my hobby, making haunted house props is. http://www.markck.com/artwork_props.htm ) So anything you can bring would be greatly appreciated! (I could have brought a really gory head, too. )

You sound like you know quite a bit. We must get together and discuss this further. (Does anyone know if there's going to be another surgeon? I'd probably make a better apprentice than head surgeon.)