First mate's log:

December 6, 1971

Poor Greg Brady got injured in his first high school football game! He cracked a rib! He says it's just a little crack, but I can see why his mom is upset and doesn't want him playing anymore.

His dad suggested he support the team in other ways. But Greg told me he doesn't want to be a water boy or an equipment manager. "If I can't be on the team, then I don't want to have anything more to do with football."

I think he's over-reacting, but I can kind of see why.

He did tell me that what happened with Marcia and the play was Mrs. Brady and Miss Goodwin agreed to take her out of the role of Juliet because of how she was behaving. She got really upset at first, but the next day she was humble enough to volunteer to play Juliet's mother at the last minute. She's pretty much back to normal now.

Carol Brady's diary:

December 7, 1971

With everything else going on, including Bobby trying to follow in Greg's footsteps (fortunately as a photographer rather than an athlete), Alice is trying to remember a fruitcake recipe she adapted from an old family tradition. She's been writing out possibilities on the kitchen chalkboard and then erasing ingredients that don't sound right. She's hoping to remember in time to make it for Christmas. She does know that it contains ingredients that she couldn't have gathered when we were marooned, but that doesn't really narrow it down much.

December 8, 1971

I talked to Marcia today for the first time since I think she was cast as Juliet. She feels like she went through more drama offstage than on with that play, but she'd like to do another play sometime. Right now though, she's focused on a different kind of entertainment. She's on the entertainment committee for the Snowball Dance at the junior high on the 18th. They need a live performer, or group of performers.

"What about the Mosquitoes?" I suggested, since they kind of owe us a favor for not rescuing us or even sending help after they left.

"Oh, Gilligan, no one listens to them anymore. I'm hoping to book Davy Jones."

That made me feel really old, but I am almost twice her age. I defensively said, "Well, the Monkees broke up a few years ago."

"Davy has a wonderful solo career. And I'm president of his fan club for all the islands in the area."

I didn't even know he still had fan clubs, let alone locally. "That's great, but why would he come all the way to our little island to play at a junior high dance?"

"He's recording some tropical music on the Big Island! Jan saw an article in The Blenford Bugle. And a few months ago, he sent me a reply to my fan letter. He said that if he's ever in town, he'll be happy to show his appreciation to me."

"That's probably a form letter."

"That's what my friend Doreen said, but it's handwritten!"

I thought it could've been written by someone who worked for Mr. Jones, but I didn't want to burst her bubble completely. I did point out, "Blenford isn't exactly 'in town.' "

"Well, no, but it's only an hour away. I just have to figure out how I can get in touch with him."

I was about to suggest that she get Ginger's help, since Ginger is in show biz, but I decided that it wouldn't be fair to Mr. Jones, or Ginger, if he didn't really mean the promises in his letter.

December 9, 1971

With Greg recuperating and the play over, the main excitement in our house now is that Marcia is trying to get the singer Davy Jones to perform at the junior high dance a week from Saturday. She's been a huge fan ever since she discovered The Monkees TV show in syndication. (It was on the air for a couple years while we were marooned.) She's president of his local fan club and he's recording over on Blenford this month. It's a bit of a long shot, but I encouraged her to take the ferry over after school tomorrow. That'll be a Friday so I'm not as strict about her coming home late, as long as she calls if she won't be home by dinner.

I did offer to take her myself by boat, but she wanted to be grown-up and independent. And when Jan and Cindy asked to tag along, I said no. They're not as big fans as Marcia, but even eight-year-old Cindy loves his music. (The boys seem less impressed.) Alice says it reminds her of when she was a bobbysoxer crazy about Frank Sinatra. I'm of the generation right before rock and roll, but I do remember buying Johnny Ray albums in high school. His "Cry" still makes me cry.

December 10, 1971

Marcia took the ferry over to Blenford today. She tried to get in to see Davy Jones at his hotel, the Blenford Regency. The place was so packed with fans, she couldn't even get into the lobby!

"That's too bad, but at least you tried."

"I guess." She sighed. "Well, at least I only told a couple friends and there's still over a week to get someone else."

I do feel bad for her, but it was a long shot to begin with. I mean, I'm a dreamer but even I know that sometimes you can dream too big.

December 11, 1971

Well, Marcia didn't have any luck getting anywhere near Davy Jones yesterday. She's decided to wait until Monday at school to tell the other two girls on the committee. She hopes to come up with an alternative by then. That won't give them much time to prepare but maybe they can get some local kids to play or something.

Greg is in better spirits now though. He felt sorry for himself for a few days, but, at the encouragement of both Mike and a cheerleader named Linette, he decided to go to the game today. While he was there, he took some shots of Linette cheering. It turned out that there was a disputed play in the game. I don't know enough about sports to explain it well, and my memories of high school football have faded. But a receiver's feet may or may not have been inbounds when he made a catch. And the receiver was in the background of one of Greg's pictures of Linette. Using the enlarger and other photographic equipment that Greg and Bobby have set up in the kids' bathroom, Greg was able to keep zeroing in on those feet until he proved that the catch counted.

Greg and Mike have gone over to the coach's house to show him. I don't know if it'll change the course of the game, but I am glad that Greg is pursuing a safer sports-related hobby, even if it's also related to his hobby of chasing girls.

December 12, 1971

Greg is happy again. He went to watch the football game yesterday and he took a picture that helped prove that the Castaways (our island's high school team name, if I've never mentioned it before) should've won. So now he's the official photographer for the team. He gets a press pass and a movie camera that's better than the one he used for the Pilgrim movie, very cool.

And Linette likes him for him, so it doesn't matter to her whether he's a football player or a photographer. That's how Mary Ann feels about me. She liked me when I was first mate on The Minnow, and she liked me when the Howells adopted me for awhile, and she's liked me all through the crazy stuff I used to do when I was younger, like run away and hide in caves when my feelings were hurt. Not that I think Linette likes Greg that much, but not everyone is as lucky as I am.

December 13, 1971

Marcia goes back to school today. She's nervous about facing her friends with the bad news about Davy Jones, but it has to be done, and soon.

Greg, on the other hand, is going back to school a football hero of a different sort than he dreamed of. The coach appreciates Greg's game-changing photography so much that he's made Greg the official team photographer. I'm perfectly fine with him attending games in that capacity, although Greg teased me that he might break an eyelash.

Bobby has been taking lots of pictures around the house, although I've had to discourage him from taking embarrassing "candid" shots. I told him, "You are not the Allen Funt of still photography, Young Man."