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Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion, Dec 2014 - Key West, FL

Chapter 6: Saturday, December 6th, Evening. Of the forge and 1st Mate Matt; leaving the fort with Michael and Kate with a plan to stop at the condo; almost but not actually doing that; deciding to shop instead (poor Kate, having to shop with us); a (very) brief shopping tour of places around the Turtle Kraals; dinner at Café Sole in the shadow of Darth Maul, returning to the fort for the auction and hanging around the campfire in the Mercury camp.

Photo: Captain Jim - Steve Tending the Mercury Pig
The Mercury camp had been ripe with the scent of cooking pig, which increased as the day wore on. This was to be dinner for our crew and anyone else they liked who happened to wander by when it was done.

Towards the end of the afternoon, I had heard that 1st Mate Matt of Baltimore Knife and Sword was at the fort's forge making a sword. This seemed like something I must see, so I closed up the surgeon's table (by which I mean I threw a tarp over it) and beetled off in that direction. Of course he wasn't making a sword at all, probably because it is a precision operation that requires a lot more time than he would want to spend at the outdoor facilities in the fort. They were making some small forged item instead. However he was being assisted by our own Tim Clark, so I took several photos as you see.

Photo: Mission

Photo: Mission

Michael Bagley wanted to leave as soon as possible for Café Sole, but I told him I thought they didn't open until 6 pm. When I first started coming
Photo: Mission
Christmas Lights Seen At Key West Bight During Our Trip
(This has nothing at all to do with the text. I just liked it.)
here in 2007, that would have been the end of it - we'd have waited until 6. However, this is 2014. so Kate got out her phone and checked the hours – they open at 5:30 for dinner. Then she decided to make reservations. I always like to try new things in Key West and this was an example of that - the reservation idea was completely novel to me. (You would think I would have tried it at some point in my 20 odd trips to the island because the first thing they ask you when you walk in the door at Café Sole is if you have reservations. But my method of planning (sort of random) does not include such behaviors.) She scheduled a 6pm seating. 

I suggested we go back to my condo to wait rather than have to deal with the confusion that occurred when they closed the fort and shepherded us all inside so that the rangers could push and prod the public to the Fort exit. Which we did... except I forgot my keys. So, actually, we didn't. We did get to see my parking spot, which is precisely as exciting as it sounds.

The Naval Officer Quarters Compound Entrance (Wrong) So we started driving to Café Sole at about 5pm. Kate had earlier said she wanted to find a Key West gift for her mom, so I suggested we go over near the Turtle Kraals/Half Shell raw bar area which was six or eight blocks away from Café Sole and see if we could find something there. They asked if I knew how to get there. "Well, I know roughly where it's at. We can use Mission Dead Reckoning™, although the system has been known to be faulty." They agreed to try it anyway and we ended up going the wrong way and almost driving onto the naval officer quarter's compound. (I did warn them.) Fortunately I knew which way we needed to go once we got out of there, so we made our way back successfully.

Not finding much street parking, Michael paid an exorbitant fee to park and we started walking around the area. There was a bunch of neat little shops in an alleyway called Lazy Way Lane along the water near the parking lot. I had often seen them, but never actually stopped at any, so we checked some of them out. Kate explained that her mom liked nautical things "in the Cape Code/New
The Way Lane Stores Near Key West Bight (Right) England style." Kate found a shop which I believe is called the Dragonfly Import Company that had sugar skulls, Catrinas and little statues of frogs doing unmentionable things to each other and we naturally stopped in there to make a purchase (albeit not for her mom.)

We left the quaint alley shops and their perverse stores and continued our little shopping tour, finding a charming little place on the street that had just the sort of stuff Kate's mom would appreciate: Key Accents on Caroline Street. So we made the mom purchase there which I won't reveal here in case Kate's mom is reading this. (There's probably a better chance that the Pope will be reading this, but I don't want to be the one who spoiled anyone's Christmas.)

Now, for those of you who were paying attention way back in Chapter 1 (admit it, you weren't one of them), we have the firing of Pern's ashes. Wait... Hmm. Maybe you were paying attention, but I wasn't. I forgot to mention that we discussed this at dinner. OK, let me catch you up. Dutch and Grace had brought the ashes of one of their crewmembers, Captain Pernell Taylor, who had requested that they bring some of his ashes to 'cool' events and fire them there in his memory. While we weren't there to witness it, I found photos of this, and it was well attended. Fair winds to Pern.

Photo: Poppa Ratsey - Watching as Pern's Ashes Are Fired Into the Gulf With Many Well-Wishers Watching

Back in the city, Michael, Kate and me made our way to Café Sole where there were plenty of tables available. This is actually why I never make reservations; I've never had a problem getting a table. Café Sole has the most wonderful food imaginable and a charming atmosphere, but it's a bit
Photo: Mission
Yoda & R2 on the Café Sole Roof Tarp off the beaten path so it tends to be light on first time tourists. It cannot be found except by those who already know where it is. Well, and those who have a map or have been there 27 times in the past. (But it definitely cannot be found with Mission Dead Reckoning™.)

Now, if you have been following the pages in their proper order, you may recall that the tarp on the ceiling over the restaurant had Star Wars characters on the opposite side that can only be seen when the light shines through it. Since they don't open until 5:30, there is a small window during this time of year in which it is light enough to see them. We were in that window. Here you see the photos to prove it – one of Darth Maul's mug and one of Yoda and R2. Café Sole has long been my favorite restaurant in the world and now it is twice my favorite. Or something.

We had a pleasant dinner that for me included the mushroom bisque (which must be tried to be believed), the hogfish snapper (which you still won't believe, even after you try it) and the trio dessert including the most wonderful key lime pie and homemade whipped cream, a fruit dish and crème brulle. Kate and Michael are going to Europe in the fall of next year, so
Photo: Mission
Darth Maul on the Café Sole Roof Tarp we talked a bit about that, a bit about the Put-in-Bay event coming up in late June (which is named Bagley's Bounty as a way of recognizing him for all his hard work in getting reenactors out to the event) and other bits and pieces of life in the pirate reenacting world. It was a lovely dinner.

We had the same waiter, who turned out to be from Poland. We learned because Michael and Kate play this game where they try to guess the waiter's accent. He recognized me immediately – here I was, once again, with another guy and a single woman. He must think I lead quite the after-hours social life. Kate was facing away from the traffic, so she didn't notice any waiters winking at her. However, she insisted on paying for dinner, so I think my reputation as a man slut is secure at Café Sole. (It they only knew the truth...)

We got back to the fort and were able to get in with some difficulty because Searle's Buccaneers were tending the gate. There were about a dozen people and a dog there (really – an honest-to-John dog) and they surrounded the car loudly stating that they were looking for undocumented Cubans. I didn't mention this yesterday, but a plastic blue boat filled with Cubans made it to the beach of Fort Taylor early on Friday morning. The pirates who were awake in the fort were delighted by this and there are photos somewhere on the FTPI Facebook page of the boat. (But, curiously, not of the Cubans.)

Photo: DB Couper - Searles Gate Crew and Dog

Photo: DB Couper - The Cuban Refugee Boat

Photo: Mission
Michelle Murillo and Captain Jim Auction a Pistol At the fort, the auction was going on with Captain Jim and Cannibal Chrispy presiding. Captain Jim was actually one of the first Fort Taylor Pyrate auctioneers in 2008, (when it was called the Dead Man's Chest Auction) which you all know because you lovingly read and re-read all the Pirate Surgeon's Journals which appear on this web page. Am I right or am I right? We did miss William and several people tried to start a round of "What's it made of?" in his honor but it just wasn't the same.

Photo: Mission
Mamasabi and Chrispy Auction a Chest The auction itself was the usual ribald affair with Chrispy reaching ever greater heights (or, perhaps better stated, depths) and Captain Jim trying to be something of a leavening factor for Chrispy. They were assisted by Michelle Murillo and Mamasabi and several others who got dragged in to model. It seemed to be raising a lot of money for Fort Taylor, which was wonderful, although it ran a bit long.

I was sitting with the Mercury crew with Tim Clark and Jeremy Nichols. Tim said he had seen enough and got up, so I followed him. There were a few things I might liked to have bid on, but they either went for too much or Iron Jon (who knows a good period correct item when he sees it) had the winning bid and I didn't want to bid against him. So we headed back to the camp fire and rekindled it.

Photo: Mission Key Wester Kali Trying on a Tiny Corset

Photo: Mission Syd Trying on a Waistcoat

Photo: Mission The Crowd Admires the Auction Action

Photo: Mission - Chrispy, Telling Lies About Whatever He's Auctioning

Photo: Mission - If Chrispy's Not Sampling Wares, He's "Helping"

Those of us at the fire talked about the possibility of going to Lucky/Jhode/Jodi-Lynn's Fort Rodman Pyrate Invasion in New Bedford, MA. It sounds like a neat event and it would be fun to get in on the ground floor. (As Michael Bagley put it, anyone there would be instrumental
Photo: Mission
Dave in the Patrick Hand Original™ Planter's Hat on Saturday Night in setting the tone for the future of the event.) But it's so far away from where I live and the date is so close to Put-in-Bay.

I also chatted with Dave Neville and learned that he didn't drink very much because he was the Captain of his crew. I have been going very light on the alcohol myself because my liver numbers have been wonky of late. (Mostly due to diabetic complications, I suspect. They can find nothing wrong with me other than wonky numbers.) We talked about the various members of his crew, particularly Vinnie Mendicino who is in love with a blue haired cartoon. Everybody knows that they could never pu-pu-possibly MEAN anything to each other!  (Vinnie: YOU.... and yer EDUCATION!)

Eventually (about an hour later, I think) the auction broke up and people trickled back into camp. The fire was going again (thanks mostly to Steve, who fixed the fire the I had badly set up). The little keg from last year's auction which had been made by Wasabi had been repaired by Captain Jim and inscribed with our crew's message
Photo: Mission
The Wasabis Visit For the Rum Barrel Tasting and refilled with Mount Gay rum for re-auctioning this year. It had fetched $100, being won by some crew I don't know the name of.

They brought the keg over because (apparently) the rules of the keg were that you had to give Wasabi the first snort and then the Mercury crew was invited to each have a dram and whatever was left went to the crew who had paid for the thing. If this continues for a few years, I can see the winners not getting any. But the ceremony was observed. I had a taste (not wanting more than that with all my liver issues) and I can firmly state that I don't need to have another. Ever.

So we settled back around the fire. Eventually Key West locals Ant, Mad Maeve and Calamity Grace appeared to join our merry crew. I was fascinated because I have only met Grace for brief instances in the past. Regular readers will remember the profile I assembled of her last year for the 2013 FTPI Journal based on the accounts given by Deadeye, Maeve and Scarlett Jai. Grace is INCREDIBLY shy and tends to disappear when a camera is pointed at her. Until tonight, I was half convinced she was actually one of the fort ghosts. (Or she would be If I believed in ghosts, of course.) Turned out that "someone had showed her" the account and she said it was generously written and her friends were very nice in giving account of her. I was just glad to hear that she had at least seen it.

Photo: Mission The Ever Smiling Mad Maeve

Photo: Mission's Camera Calamity Grace Poses (Apparently Reluctantly) With the Author

Photo: Mission Why Cameras Have a Flash

 

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