Pirates in Paradise 2009 - Key West, Fl
Photo: Mission
Epilogue -The usual fluff, guff and stuff you tend
to find on the Epilogue pages of these things. Thank yous, last thoughts
and a wodge of photos that didn't fit elsewhere. You know the drill.
First, I would be completely remiss if I didn't recognize the organizers who did such an amazing job pulling this all together. Fayma (below far left) and Spike (below left) handled a lot of the details with the fort in Key West. If you enjoyed this event, you really owe it to yourself to thank Fayma who spent more hours in meetings and scurrying around getting things organized on the island than anyone can even begin to imagine or appreciate. Back on the continent, Lily Alexander (below right) and Captain Sterling (below far right) also did a fine job marshalling resources, herding cats on the Pub and helping to see that registration, work details and such like went smoothly once the event started. I understand the the park was impressed with our behavior which is due largely to these folk's work.
 Photo: Mission |
Photo: Mission |
 Photo: Cutter |
 Photo: Nicole's Photos |
Photo: Clint Beach
Having personally enjoyed the park and still filling bad about
Fayma's stolen bicycle, I would like to hereby establish Mission's Own Fayma's Stolen Bike
Memorial Fund, all proceeds of which are to benefit Fort Zachary Taylor.
If you want to participate, send your checks, boats and jewelry to:
Friends of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
P.O. Box 58
Key West, Florida 33041.
(Note: Never send cash through the mail. Boats and jewelry, yes. Cash,
no.) Be sure to include a note explaining how much you enjoyed your Fort Zachary Taylor PiP experience.
They sometimes get bored there in the FoFZT office and a cheerful little missive adds just the right
touch before their midday snack.
The Surgeon's Journal webpage would not be nearly as interesting without the generous donations of photos by many photographers who agreed to let me steal their photos. I think I've set a new record this year using 15 different people's photographs. I want to give these folks their props, however. Please remember that all photos are copyright of the photographer, so please ask them if you can use them like I did before stealing. Below are photographers whose material appears in this journal.
BRIG
Photo: MA d'Dogge
|
MA D'DOGGE
Photo: MA d'Dogge |
JETGOFF
Photo: Mission |
MADPETE
Photo: Mission |
DIOSA
Photo: MA d'Dogge |
MOOSEWORTH Photo: Ivan Henry |
BAGLEYS
Photo: Mission |
MORGAN DRAKE
Photo: William |
IRON JOHN Photo: William |
POPPA RATZI
Photo: Mission |
MARY DIAMOND
Photo: William |
WILLIAM
Photo: Mission |
SHERRY WALP Photo: Sherry Walp |
ISLAND CUTTER
Photo: Island Cutter |
JAMAICA ROSE Photo: Mission |
Photo: Jessica Bagley
Sansanee with husband Island Cutter with their son Youngblood. Or not.
Let me close the formal narrative with one of the many interesting things Sansanee said to me.
I asked her what she thought about the whole PiP experience. She said she didn't completely get
the whole pirate thing, and she really didn't like the loud noise of the cannons.
She noted that the neat part seemed to be the people.
This is probably not exactly a huge revelation to those who have been there, but it's the absolute truth.
The great thing about PiP really is the people - the whole disjointed, distended, dysfunctional PiP family. They really do put the 'fun' in dysfunctional.
And now a last gathering of photos that I wanted to use in the narrative, but didn't for some reason. So I'll use them here now...for no reason. Let's begin with a few lovely pastoral shots...black powder cartridge rolling detritus and a cannon at the fort facing the ocean.
Photo: William
|
Photo: Iron Jon
|
Since the people are the key to the event, let's follow that with a few wonderfully captured characterizations. Below, from left: Red Jessi, center left: Fionntan Murtaugh with stogie, center right: Celeste, who is "a tad bit leery" of M.A.d'Dogge so she can't be all bad and, right: Iron John.
Photo: Jamaica Rose
|
Photo: Clint Beach
|
Photo: Clint Beach
|
Photo: William
|
Below left, a cat on a hot tin roof. (From breakfast with Jessi at Blue Heaven. You cannot believe how hard I tried to work that stupid joke into the narrative. Fortunately...well, maybe not so fortunately, I was able to use it here.) Below right, art on the beach; some feathers, leaves and other items stuffed into the crevice of the picnic table. I figured one of the kids might have done it, but when I think about it we only have Anna, who's probably too mature, Youngblood, who's too social and Josh, who's too busy learning to sell fake masterpieces. So I am still wondering who actually made it.
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Mission
|
Below left: Lily Alexander at her campsite; hers is a very nice set up that you must see while you're at PiP. Below center, Sansanee working on something strange and mysterious. (Actually I just can't tell what it is.) Below right, Robin protecting her goofy little dog. I don't actually know his name and since I don't think she reads this stuff, so let's call him Crumb.
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Mission
|
Such placid, calming photographs. It's like looking at someone's vacation photos of tranquility... Continuing in that vein, at left we have Jill-Handed Red and Shay of the Keys, Florida natives both, putting on long underwear no doubt as the weather heads for the mid 60s. At right, we have...YOW! Er, that's Rats. (Well I didn't want you to nod off while reading this, now did I?)
Photo: William
|
Photo: Clint Beach
|
Wait, peaceful and calming...like the picture of...well, I have no idea who this is a picture of, but it's a very nice picture. William is so good at taking night shots as the pub shots from the 2007 Surgeon's Journal attests. (Do not, on the other hand, compare his night photography skills with mine, which are on sad display in this year's journal.) Yes, soothing...such as Brig's photo of the beach through the palms below right. Nice. Agreeable. Sort of like someone paused their television and then took a photograph of it. (Is this a thing with Blackberrys or what? I'm sitting here waiting for the TV credits to start rolling.)
Photo: William
|
Photo: Brig
|
Below left, from the files of Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators we have The Mystery of the Fairy Sticker. I was talking with William on the way to his tent where we found someone had put this fairy sticker on his bar of soap! Who? Why? Is it a sign? Like, 'The Fairy Hand of Justice is visited upon you!' Quick, find Jupiter Jones! But, as you can see below right, we failed to figure out the mystery soon enough allowing the fairy to work her evil magic! Come Watson, the game is afoot! (Wait, I'm mixing up my investigators...)
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Mission
|
This year saw a lighter side of the Archangel crew as evidenced by this photo of Dutch with Hamish in the photo below right. Who knew? We see further evidence of the Archangel crew's peacemaking side as M.A. d'Dogge and Captain Sterling are... wait... Where IS Patrick coming from? Did he dig a foxhole or what?
Photo: Mission
|
 Photo: William Pace |
But this can't all be peace and calm. No! Pirating is deadly serious and the bodies tend to pile up as you'll recall from the chapter on the Sunday Battle. (Actually, they appear to have piled up to the point where Braze is tripping over them (below left). I've been told that that's Gareth Pugh who came all the way from Wales to play dead.) Being such serious business, you want your weapons kept serviceable and ready, constantly under guard by crack, ever vigilant crew members like...Youngblood. ? Your cannoneers should also be steadfast and serious in their duties, just like the All Girls Cannon Crew below right.
Photo: Nicole Andreyko
|
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Jamaica Rose of NQG Magazine
|
Yes, when there's pirates about, you've got to be cautious or you might be attacked in any place at any time! You could even be a victim of the stationary, non-articulated, missing one head pirate skeleton sculpture along the pathway! Just like happened to poor Michael Lampe, Jamaica Rose's husband! (Say, what is that skeleton holding the sword with? His leg?) Oh! This just in! Gareth apparently recovered from his wounds and was last seen striding through the campsite selling mugs to try and raise money for his return flight to Wales. So all's well that ends well. (I probably healed him.)
Photo: Jamaica Rose of NQG Magazine
|
Photo: Mission
|
Then, of course, there is the problem that is Stynky. As you'll recall from the explanation of the Mission mugs, he was responsible for putting your ship's surgeon to a lot of trouble over other people's mugs, like the one belonging to Deadeye (below left). Fortunately, I came up with a cure for that particular behavior problem. Feel free to try this with your cats at home when they start clawing the furniture.
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Mission
|
One of the major functions of playing a pirate is acquiring new junk to wear around. Below left, we see Callenish Gunner fixing some of Israel's garb...or something...for him. He must have been very proud, because I found a photo of him later showing off something in the same vicinity to Red Jessi. At least, I assume that's what he's showing off. (Right?)
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Jessica Bagley
|
Hmm...maybe that's not what Israel was trying to show off... Anyhow, being that I have a new secret identity that I don't want anyone to know about except the 23 people who will read this webpage, I thought I'd reveal my secret method for changing into my superhero uniform (below center - Superman has his phone booth, I have any random borrowed canvas tent.) I mysteriously emerge as that mysterious man of mystery...the Round-Headed Kid! (Seen below right with that other round-headed kid.)
Photo: Jessica Bagley
|
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Jessica Bagley
|
|
.
|
Photo: Mission
|
Photo: Clint Beach
|
Photo: William Pace
|
lJuly 2011, When I upgraded this site to the new format, I had to lose the old title graphic. I considered this a particular shame in that I spent hours and hours turning a scanned photo of Stupendousman into Calvin the Pirate Surgeon. So here it is for all to enjoy: the old Title graphic for the PiP 2009 Surgeon's Journal. It is probably one of my favorites.
