Ahoy, lubbers! I’m back… and I have tales to tell and pictures to share… (for some reason, the crack squirrels decided that it would be funny to do this adventure in the order that it actually happened… I mean, we might move a few pictures around a little, just to group stuff together)… belay that! It doesn’t matter. Now, if you are finished with your chores… if the decks have been swabbed, the main’s’l raised, and all the barnacles have been scrapped off the hull, then let’s get to it!

We have to go back to the 4th of July, because that is where our tale truly began… (because we left really early the next morning)…

My adventure… (like all the best adventures do)… both began and ended with adorable children…

Avast, me hearties… there she is, my little babysitting buddy, Olivia, with her daddy.

And there is our godson, Willie, with his daddy… buck up, little shipmate! A true pirate flinches from neither shot nor shell… nor camera!

Brave lad!

And yes, Olivia, we should all bolt down some hardtack and grog, to fortify us for things to come.

Now shiver me timbers and let’s prepare to set sail!

And seriously, you should try making some corn in the husk on your barbeque… just soak the ears in water for ten minutes and then burn the outsides… they steam inside the husks… you can’t go wrong… just a tip from your captain.

It’ll build your swabbing muscles.

Oh, and this adventure will be chock full of animals… you know how the captain loves his animals…

Alright… who did this… I keep telling you… that isn’t why it’s called the poop deck… Freshwater pirates! I’ll have the lot of you keelhauled and strung from the yardarm! Now you will have to swab the decks again… sigh…