There is a pirate in Florida. He rules the Panhandle, sailing the seas, stealing treasure and jewels. He, however, is a nice pirate. He likes to give gifts to children, and arrange extravagant scavenger hunts. Oh, wait. No, that would be my mother, pretending to be a pirate.
My mother has created the mythical figure of The Pirate. Each year, when we meet my family at my parents' vacation home along the Panhandle coast of Florida, The Pirate leaves a series of beautiful, creative, elaborately designed clues, ultimately leading to a treasure chest of loot for each of the children. Think small wooden treasure chests, with fake jewels glued on. Earrings, shiny rocks, animal-shaped squirt guns, goggles, little wind-up horses...The kids freakin' LOVE it, and honestly, I kinda love it too. Even though it, in the end, leads to lots of little plastic toys and random crap laying around my house.
This picture cracks. me. up. This is Rose, circa 2007, wielding her pirate sword after the pirate hunt. And, I notice just now, wearing Little Mermaid underwear. How apropos.
The first clue of the 2011 Pirate Scavenger Hunt.
Finding another clue
Searching...over the bridge
And finally, with the treasures...
I wish I'd taken more, and better, photographs of this year's Pirate Adventure.
It's a great idea, and a nice family tradition.
