Arg thar be pirates

This weekend was the Wilmington Pirate Festival, which is the second year they've done it, apparently.  We participated as one would expect.  The temperature was, not exaggerating, 95+ degrees and sunny.

 Here are my pirates next to the Kalmar Nyckel, one of our famous tall ships. 

 Muddy made Benjamin four different facial hair options, so he could switch them out as they got too sweat-laden.

 Here are the kids and Graham pulling some weights as pirates would have.

 My pirates and their pirate-costume-making-Muddy

 Pirate Ben was on the look out for someone/thing.

 Then the pirate parade and costume contest started.  Honestly there were way more adults in full pirate attire than children by any stretch of the imagination. 

 My pirates lined up, as the the "real" pirates judged them for best costume....

 And Addie won! She got called up on stage and she grabbed that microphone like she's an old pro! The lady in the sunglasses is a local radio personality, who MC'ed the festival.

 Addie's prize was four tickets to the Wilmington Blue Rocks minor league baseball team and the honor of getting to say "Play ball" to start the game. She said to me, "I guess this means I'll have to be on tv again." Tough life, eh?

 Muddy and Guppy took them to the game, where Addie was still in costume.  Ben looked thrilled, clearly.

Muddy sent me a text about how Addie was down on the field, chatting up the managers.  Look at how she commands the attention of those baseball men! No doubt who is in control!