That's right, friends, SIX.  That is the number of crew that comprises Triton's Fury.  I'm overjoyed that my Quartermistress, Lilly Lightfinger, has decided to remain with the crew despite her health.  Not that I would ever put any of my crew's well-being before any materialistic gain, but her vacancy left a hole in the fabric of the group.  Welcome back, Lilly, it's gonna be a wild ride.

The addition of our ship's bosun, Jasper the Red, is coming along splendidly.  He stepped up when we were in need and filled the afore mentioned vacancy comfortably.  As I promise at the beginning of every season, new shows and a little something special for our audience.  We can't remain stagnant, doing the same show or two season after season.  We just don't roll that way.

As I said, our number is now six, and as I've already mentioned two of the crew it would be remiss if I don't introduce the rest.  First mate and master gunner, Gunny Flintlock has worked up a couple tunes that he will perform solo with the crew backing him.  He's also added a twist or two to our existing repetoire, just to spice things up.

Gunny's wife, ship's watch and our own little spitfire, Ratty Flintlock has moved to take the lead on several selections and has a whole host of new critters to bring to the show.  I've lost count of how many "pets" she has stowed away onboard.  I do know that the fine folks at the Binder Park Zoo had given her a cart to wheel her beasties about,(a special thanx to them, they treated us like royalty when we performed at the Zoo Boo).

Which brings me to my darling daughter, ship's gaelor and helmsperson Tara the Torturer.  Is it no surprise that she is on cloud nine, now that Jasper is part of the crew.  You see, he is her boyfriend, fiance, paramoure, boy-toy, whatever.  As if it was bad enough that I had to keep an eye on her when we are ashore, now I have to be on watch all the time.

Finally, there's me.  Your humble narrator, Capn Rocky.  'Nuff said.

So now that I've summed up the crew for you, when will you get a chance to see us?  Well, our season starts up in two short weeks.  Mayfaire, held in Marshall, MI takes place May 17th and 18th, then again on May 24th, 25th, and 26th.  Like us, the folks at this faire have been busy improving the grounds.  I walked through the site yesterday and they put me to work building our new stage.  Happy work, indeed.

Here we go again, friends.  A new season on the horizon and all sorts of new things in the works, starting with a new face in the crew. 

Introducing Jasper the Red as bo'sun aboard the Triton's Fury.  Jasper has been around for awhile manning our vending booth and making some fantastic jewelry, (and fooling around with the Captain's daughter) so we'd figure we'd put him up on stage with us.

While we welcome Jasper with open arms, we have to bid adieu to our ship's quartermistress, Lilly Lightfingers.  Lilly is going to sit out a season or two due to health reasons.  Don't be surprised if she sits in on a show, though.  Stranger things have happened, especially with our crew.

That being said, we've got new songs, new routines, a new direction, and a new face... it'll be an entirely new show.  Well, not entirely new.  We'll still be doing some of the songs that get stuck in your head and keep going over and over and you can't get it out and you scream "Damn you, Triton's Fury" and that doesn't help 'cause it keeps going on and on and now you're singing the songs and annoying the people around you so they start singing them and pretty soon the whole fair is singing our songs and we just sit back because everyone else is doing our show.

Our new updated calendar should be coming on our website, www.tritonsfury.com.  See you all soon, mates. 

With the dawning of 2008 comes a new season, a new outlook, and hopefully a new show.  Every year the Triton's Fury adds stuff, deletes the parts that slowed the show, and looks for ways to improve everything.  While we will keep some of our more requested stuff and add more music we will move the show in a more comedy-themed direction.

We are currently filling our schedule for the 2008 season and will start updating our schedule page on our website soon.  You can find this information by visiting www.tritonsfury.com.  In fact, if you want to pop over there now and look around, I'll wait.  Go ahead.

All right, I'm glad you're back.  Did you see anything you liked?  Did you see anything you didn't like?  Drop us a line and we'll promptly ignore it.

We finished the "Zoo Boo" run at Binder Park Zoo tonight.  What can you say about a gig where you see hundreds of kids (and some of us oldsters) dressed in Halloween costumes and get them to sing along with the Spongebob Squarepants theme?  I saw some truely original costumes, like a little one dressed as a claw machine, but the favorite costume this year was Spiderman.  Thousands of them, red or black, big and small.  I am pleased to say that pirates were the second favorite.

Just when we figured our season had ended we received an invitation to do a library show in Sturgis, MI.  It will be on Sunday, December 2nd, but I'm not sure what time the show is.  The address is: Sturgis Publis Library, 255 North St., Sturgis MI.  This will be a little different from our standard library show as it is geared for the teen-age set.  We'll get a chance to do a little new material and some standard stuff that we usually do for faires.

This is Halloween Eve, so everybody have a good day, be it Halloween or Samhain or Wednesday.  However you look at it.

In the past, I've used Renaissance Events to mark time during the season.  If the snow is melting and it's raining like hell, it must be time for Mayfaire.  If there is a tornado warning during an event, it must be Port Washington.  If the temperature is 95 and theres a 90% humidity, it must be Silverleaf.  If theres no humidity and still 95, and theres a layer of dust covering everything it must be MIRF.  And finally, if the weather has that wonderful crisp feel to it, when the trees are in full color, and the sun (usually) shines warm upon yer face, then it must be the Grand Valley State University Renaissance Faire.

This is our next booking, kind of.  I made the mistake of setting up a series of performances at our local zoo, for young trick-or-treaters, without verifying the dates we already had booked.  My bad, to say the least.  Anyhow, on Friday, October 12th, we will be doing the Binder Park Zoo Boo (in Battle Creek, MI) from 6 - 8:15 pm.  Then, on Saturday, Oct. 13th, we have to be in Allendale, MI for Grand Valley's Fair from 10 - 5 pm, drive back to BC for the Zoo Boo from 7 - 8:15.  Then, the next day we get to travel back to Allendale for the last day of fair.

The last day of fair is a bittersweet experience.  This means most of the family (merchants, entertainers, cast, playtrons, and the like) won't be seeing each other for about six months.  When you spread yourself out over many small fairs instead of concentrating on one or two large fairs, you take on a gypsy-like lifestyle.  Not that theres anything wrong with that, many folks do this.  Many of the same folks.  That is how I consider these nomads as family.

If anyone is in the area and looking for a last fair until next season, I invite you to experience this fair.  This is (expertly) put together by the students of Grand Valley, and has a long tradition of excellence.  For more information, http://www.cis.gvsu.edu/~haskinb/gvren/festival.php.

Now, I also mentioned the Zoo Boo.  I have been attending this event for the past 6 years with my son.  I remembered them having entertainment provided for the kids, so I contacted them on the off chance they might want some singing pirates.  The crew and I have been looking for a suitable vehicle to get into the local public eye.  When I contacted these folks, we signed on for 4 days, with 3 fifteen minute shows a day.  Later that day I was contacted by the zoo, who found out that the theme for this year was pirates.  We were asked to do 10 days!  How could we say no?  Information on this event can be found at:http://www.binderparkzoo.org/events.htm.