St. Thomas, Part 2...

During my life, I have been to many places, seen all kinds of things, and experienced so many things that have given me such a wealth of memories.  And each time I go somewhere new, either with my wife or back in my military days, I often find myself sitting somewhere saying "How do you suppose a little boy from Zanesville ever ended up here."  Most of the time, I end up just shaking my head and sit back taking in the sights and smells.
Well, that was the way it was when I was sitting on the deck of a catamaran in the Caribbean, taking in the sights of the beautifully blue water, waiting for the captain to drop anchor so we could begin our snorkel adventure at Buck Island (well, actually, they do not drop anchor out there -- the coral on the bottom would be destroyed if they did that, so there are maybe a half-dozed permanent tie-offs that the boats tie off to while people are diving and swimming there.).

Neither Pam or I has ever done any of this before, let alone where we were.  I have a friend, Dave, who was an accomplished scuba diver, and used to repair swimming pools as a side job.  But this was all new to us and what a great adventure it was.

Pam picked up a couple of underwater cameras before we left Ohio, and we got some pretty cool pictures.  None of them are gallery quality, but it sure was fun seeing those little pencil-nosed fish right in front of my diving mask, and the sea turtles and sting rays swimming a few yards away from us. At one point, I was trying to focus the camera on a turtle on the bottom, and looked to my right and saw one (the one in this picture) that was swimming right up toward me, going up for air and actually swam right below my feet.  I was only about a foot from it (no pun intended). This turtle was called "Greenie" and is a regular here.  They say they can tell it is Greenie because of the little triangle on it's back.
We used the motor on the boat on the way to the island, but were able to sail back to the dock, a distance of about 15-20 miles, give or take.  That was so refreshing, just sailing along, no motor noises, just the sound of the wind in the sails, and, of course, the people on board having fun, eating and drinking and getting to know each other.  We met a very nice couple on the boat who come from  the Youngstown area.  They too were escaping Ohio's last blast of winter.  They had two teenage daughters, one who was getting ready to graduate from high school and one who was a junior.  The dad said this was kinda like their last vacation trip for a long time (tuition bills !!).  It was easy to meet people and talk to them.  And most of them, like us, had never done anything like this before. 


What a great time.  We were both tired after this day.  Lots of sun, and plenty of swimming.  Hadn't done anything like this for a long time, and forgot how tired you can get after swimming. 

The name of the boat was the "Cat."  One of the things they do while you are on the trip is offer you one of those fake tatoos (they use it for advertising).   Pam and I both got one, and then took these pictures.  We sent them to all of our relatives and neighbors.  Told them we had had too much rum on the ship, got these tatoos and signed on as ship's crew and would be out to sea for a couple of years.  Lots of reaction from the family and friends!!

I have always said I would never want to take a cruise, but that was on the big ocean liners.  This "Cat" trip was just my style.

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.      

Mark Twain

Hooah

St. Thomas, Part 3...

It was the Thursday of our trip before we got into the town of St. Thomas.  Tuesday and Wednesday  saw several cruise ships in the harbor, 6 on Tuesday and 5 on Wednesday.  And just in case you don't know how that works, each of the big ships carries about 5,000 passengers and 1,000 crew, so when these 6 ships hit the port, there was the potential of 30,000 +/- hitting that small town for a whole day of elbow to elbow shopping in a duty-free port.  Our travel agent, all the hotel people, and the restaurant people all told us that this was something we should avoid if possible.  So we held off until Thursday.

In order to get to town from the hotel, one has two options -- the kamikaze cabs or the water taxi.  We chose the water taxi as having the greater chance of getting there and back alive.  It cost $14 per person each way, but very enjoyable and relaxing.

The actual "downtown" area of the town of St. Thomas isn't very big -- only about three blocks deep and maybe 15 blocks long.  However, as I mentioned before, it is a duty-free town so prices there are quite a bit lower than they are back on the mainland.  St. Thomas is part of the U.S., so it's is sometimes easy to say back in the states, but they will correct you on that.  It's "back on the mainland."  Three very interesting things that pop up quickly are 1) there are reportedly 95 jewelry stores in this small town, 2) I did not see any trash on the streets anywhere, and 3) you can barter on prices and not fear getting ripped off.  The tourist business is way too important to allow tourist and ship goers to get ripped off and not come back. 

 All of the shops are connected with little shaded walkways in-between.  This is very appealing as the breezes just gently work their way through the "alleys" giving the tourists a place to cool off, have a drink and savor their purchases.

At the far end of the town, there was a little "tent city" where local vendors had a flea market.  This was the area where you could buy all the T-shirts and trinkets you could carry.  If you were looking to do some bargaining, this was the place. 

There was also a very nice Italian restaurant that all the hotel people recommended.  You needed to make reservations, but since we were going there for lunch, we were able to walk in even though our reservation was for an hour later.  Good food and good atmosphere.

As we worked our way back to the water taxi stand, we came across an old fort that overlooked the bay.  It was being restored, and the guy standing out front had no idea when it would reopen.  I get the feeling that the term "island time" is a universally accepted way of life there.  Things move at a much slower pace, but people are very friendly and easily approachable to talk to, ask directions or just pass the time of day.  That was refreshing and seemed pretty genuine.

We only spent a day in town.  Not really there for a shopping trip.  Besides, I remembered an old Army saying  that I "learned" in the desert -- "If you bring (buy) it, you have to carry it."  I suppose one can spend a great deal of money in this small town, but, again, I am a firm believer that you shouldn't measure the worth of a vacation by how much money you spend.  If that's the case, then something is out of kilter. 

Vacation: a period of travel and relaxation when you take twice the clothes (true) and half the money you need. (Author Unknown)

Hooah

A weekend project completed...

Back in February, Pam and I went down to the Troy Home Show just to look around.  It was a pretty crummy week with lots of clouds, wind, and cold temperatures so we just wanted to get out of the house.  Besides, we had not been in Hobart Arena for quite a while, so it was good to be in the old building again.  I used to coach high school wrestling tournaments in there, and it was where we held our high school graduations when I was employed at the Troy City Schools.  They have spruced it up a bit, and the displays were pretty good.  Home show was pretty small -- probably too early in the year for a lot of the contractors.

One of the displays did catch my eye, however.  It was a guy and his wife selling flagpoles.  I had been looking to kinda consolidate all of the flag displays at our house and this looked like the perfect way.  Going to a home show and looking at a display you kinda, sorta want anyway is like going to just "look" at puppies. Everyone knows you cannot just go and "look" at puppies without bringing one home.  That's the way I bought our last Trailblazer.

So, this weekend was the planned project date.  Pole - check.  Flags - check. Cement - check. Posthole digger - check. Advil - check. Rainy forecast - check.

I put 340# of Quickcrete in this hole which should hold it pretty well.  While it was setting up, I also had to scrawl our initials in it along with the date I put it up.  Just like some kid,  Also checked it several times that afternoon while it was drying just to make sure it was level.  Nothing worse than a leaning flagpole.

Finally got everything done, mulch re-positioned and raked, excess dirt taken down to the pond to fill in a low spot by the bank that I had noticed, and flags attached.  This is a telescoping pole, so I did not have to mess with a rope.  The pole is a 20' pole when extended to it's full height, but I put it up at that height and thought it was too high, so I brought it down to the first stop on the telescope which put the pole at 15". I think that looks better, so it will probably stay there.  The picture at the left is the taller version, and the one to the right is where it now stands.  After everything was completed and the area policed, I saluted the flag and took all the others down.  I am not sure if the old lights from the small flag that used to be in the front of the house will sufficiently light the new one at night.  We'll see.

Oh, yeah.  So if you remember, I had a check list earlier in this report.  Well, guess what -- this project has been completed now for about 45 min. and it is now raining. Guess a new U.S. flag and a new Army flag should be broken in properly.  Kinda like the old Army sayings, "If it ain't raining, you ain"t training." Or "If it ain't raining, you ani't having enough fun."  Oh well, I am sure there will be plenty of sunny days ahead -- and maybe some snow, and lots of wind.


Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
(Francis Scott Key, The Star-Spangled Banner)

Hooah

Published...just in case...

When I started my blogging back in 2007 I always thought that I would like to have a hard copy of all of my writings someday.  Not that I didn't trust the electronic gods to preserve my work, but I am one of those people who likes to have something in my hands to read, reread and think about .  I also didn't want to count on some electronic nook or cranny saving my work.  So, I spent several weeks copying my entries, putting them in a binder by chapters, and printing them.  I did this with a sense of urgency -- something not to be put off because you never know when something is beyond your ability to recall and recount. I guess I am just selfish enough to not want my life to be lost in some pool of ones and zeros somewhere.

I now have a printed -- published (well, sort of) copy of everything since the beginning. Here's what it looks like.  Probably the only place you will see these books.

I'm actually kinda proud of this accomplishment. I know you cannot tell from this picture, but these binders are each 3.5" thick. I plan to pass these on to my son and grand children at some time down the road. Some of them are pretty good.  I hope they like them. 

Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.  (Saul Bellow)

Hooah

Man trip 2016...

Did you aver have something you have waited for for a long time and when it finally comes about it doesn't live up to your expectations?  Well, that was not the case with this year's Man Trip -- our annual golf outing to somewhere in North Carolina. We had a great time.  The weather was beautiful and the golf courses were all decked out in budding flowers and trees.  Of course the pine pollen was pretty high, but that didn't seem to have any impact on the flight of the ball, so we tried not to take notice. 

This year, we went with 12 guys.  First time for that, and I wasn't sure if it would work out.  I know how hard it is sometimes getting the family organized to go somewhere (kinda like herding cats).  But that was not the case.  Maybe it's just that the group was made up of all easy going, friendly types, who just wanted to get away from our Ohio winter and play golf. No agendas, no PC preconditions, no "holier-than-thou" issues.  Just a common pursuit of those elusive pars and birdies.

We stayed at the  Village Inn Events Center in Clemmons, NC.  They put together a pretty nice golf package and the price was right ($249 per person for three 18-hole rounds of golf, carts, and 3 nights rooms). They also included breakfast each day, comp. drink nightly at their bar, and a meeting room for our group to use while we were there.

We played the Reynolds Championship course, the Reynolds Course, and Salem Glen golf course.  The Championship course was super tough.  95 sand traps ... big, deep, tough traps that took a bit of skill to avoid or (lacking that) get out of.  I cannot guarantee that there were 95 traps, but the group I played with can attest to at least 80 of them !!  There were a couple of different kinds of sand in the traps too.  Some had white fluffy sand, while the others had a redish sand.  The starter at the course told us that the club was looking to replaced the redish sand with the white kind, and it was going to cost in excess of $1.25 million just for the sand.  One thing that they did do was to redo all the fairways.  When we were there last (maybe about 5 or 6 years ago), the fairways were rough and brown early in the year.  Now, they all have been redone and play spectacularly.  When I was in the fairway (which surprisingly was a lot of the time), I never had a bad lie.  As a result, I didn't play too badly.

This was a pretty good test run for doing the same thing next year.  There are still several courses in that area that needed to feel the wrath of this group, and since the accommodations and food were both pretty good, and the drive is not hatefully long (only about 9 hours), we will probably look at this area again next year.

There were not very many people around on the Salem Glen course when we finished, so Dave took one for the team and took this picture of the group.

It's a road trip...it's about friendship, adventure and fun...it's not like we have to be somewhere anymore!
 Hooah

Range Fire, II...

Well, a little time has passed since our first range fire trip, and it was time to get back to it.  So I called Warren and my brother, Walt, to see if they were ready to try again.  Sure enough, they were set to test their skills again.  Actually, if the truth be told, it was such a crummy day they both may have just wanted to get out of the house for a while.  No matter -- a trip to the range is worth it on its own merits.

I must say, both of them improved quite a bit. Warren really didn't shoot with his eyes closed.  He's just one of those people who always has their eyes closed when they get their picture taken.

When we went this time, he said he wanted to use the smaller target because he concentrates more.  OK.  Well, it seemed to work because he managed to put a bunch of rounds in the center of the target.  The picture to the right shows his shot groups for two different tries.  The black patches on the target were the first ("warm-up") rounds, and the uncovered ones (the pink ones) were from the second attempt.

Warren is using a .40 cal. pistol (1911 model) that he picked up. I asked him why he carried a .40 cal. and he said it's because they don't make a .41 cal.  Good answer.  Good answer.

It seems to fit his hand real well and he is pretty much comfortable with its firing mechanics and kick.  Quite frankly, for a WWII Vet (almost 90 yrs. old), I am impressed he is able to fire any sort of gun.

Now we turn our attention to my brother.  If you remember the last time I wrote about his range fire, I said it was a good thing he was a cook in the Army.  At least he could throw a spoon at the enemy and maybe do more damage.

Well, he certainly improved over the last time.  Check out these pictures. 

He also decided to use the smaller target.  Maybe Warren has something there.  Anyhow, he did pretty well on his "warm-up" shots considering he was using a rented pistol from the range. 

You can see (to the right)  his shot group was climbing a bit to the right each time, which was just from pulling the trigger a pit to the right each time he fired.  That is easily corrected and shouldn't happen once he gets used to the trigger pull.

The bottom picture shows that he started to get comfortable with that rented weapon and put several in the center ring.  Maybe he could be considered for a reenlistment, s'pose? 

So that pretty much wraps up another morning at the range.  Again, I know this probably isn't for everyone, but so be it. 

I recently saw an article in our rural electric co-op magazine that there is a local group that has started a clay pigeon shooting club for high school students.  They talk about the confidence and excitement it has generated in the students who belong.  It also talks about the respect the young people have for shotguns, their sport, and the older people who serve as their mentors.  Seems like a great success all around.  I have never participated in clay pigeon shooting.  Might have to make some contacts and if this is something I might be able to try.  Could be embarrassing at first, but what the heck.  Maybe I'll take a spoon along, just in case!! 

If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

If guns cause crimes, then matches cause arson. 

If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

 Hooah

Boy are we getting close...

There are lots of things a mid-winter thaw and a handful of sunny days with temps in the 50-60 range will bring to mind -- like our spring golf trip, riding my bike, taking a vacation, boating on Lake Loramie, and fishing.

But this is Ohio, and in the next couple of days we'll get cold rain and some snow.  So, other than planning, not much of these things are going to take place.  I know people fish in winter, but not me. Tried riding my bike in snow once.  That didn't work very well at all -- a couple of times in the ditch told me to try something else.  The boat is still covered and sitting in the driveway, and is likely to have snow piled around it for a while yet.  So, planning is the extent of my activities for now.

I went out to the pond the other day and the water looks really clear.  No floaters, so that is good. While I was out there, I dropped in the barn and checked on the fishing poles and gear.  Things looked in order, so I thought I would get down the fly rods and "stuff" to clean it and inspect the lines.  Looked pretty good.

If you enlarge the photo, you'll see that I use lots of dry flies.  I really like fishing for pan fish in local ponds and lakes walking around, flicking that little bug around docks and weedbeds to see if I can entice a fish to take the bait.

One of the reels I plan to try this year is the old automatic reel (center).  This is an old Montgomery Ward offering (if you don't know what Montgomery Ward, or "Monkey Ward" as we in Southeastern Ohio used to call it, was ask your parents or grandparents.).  This reel cost me all of $2.95 at a flea market in Nelsonville, OH and works well. Should be fun.

Another thing I had to check was to see if I still had good sunglasses -- the kind with magnifiers in the bottom of the lenses.  These really come in handy when tying flies to the line while standing in a river or stream.

Do I have any unfulfilled fishing dreams?  Yep. I am still planning to try my luck at some Montana river -- at least it's on my bucket list.  That's kind of like the Holy Grail of fly fishing and usually requires hiring a professional guide for a couple of days.  This is another thing I am not really all that good at, but one that I have fun doing so maybe the expense of a guide will be worth it.

This isn't the only kind of fishing I like to do and have lots of hours and fun bait casting for bass, crappies and other fish.  In fact, my brother-in-law, Chuck, and I are in the tentative stages of planning a fishing (and maybe golfing) trip to the Kentucky Lake area.  We call this "Bass-n-Bogies."

OK.  So for now, I'm off to take another dose of cough medicine and listen to the OU Bobcats take on Bowling Green in basketball.  I've read all the fishing books I stockpiled last fall, and now I plan to dive into a couple of Jeff Shaara novels.  These should get me through this next spell of cold and snow.

All the romance of trout fishing exists in the mind of the angler and is in no way shared by the fish.  (Harold F. Blaisdell)

Hooah