07.11.26 For the love of God stop growing...

     My neighbors can't understand why I'm working so hard around the house. Well, to me, the buyers bought the house with an expectation that when they take possession, like in six days, it'll pretty much look like they saw it when they agreed to purchase it on May 13th. May 13th, that was 58 days ago. Since then I have mowed the grass 13 times. That's once every 4.5 days. That's a lot of mowing. That's a lot of trimming. and that's a lot of picking up twigs and branches. 

     And why so much? Well this late spring and early summer have been nothing short of Bipolar weather. Either it's 110 degrees out or it's raining 6 inches in two hours. And when it rains hard, then the sun comes out, the grass, hedges, and weeds grow like mad. Add in the humidity and dew point and it feels like Jurassic Park out here. And one thing I've learned in eight years, don't let the grass get in front of, or behind you, miss a mow and it quickly becomes overgrown. And one thing you don't want to do is keep raising the blade height on the lawnmower to accommodate missed mows. 

     We have just about and acre and most of it is covered in some kind of green. While I had a tractor I could never get the mower deck on it and leveled right so it always came out screwed up. So I have relied on my trusty Toro 30 inch Yardmaster. And to it I owe a great deal of gratitude. 

     We purchased it around 2015 and it's been in the shop for everything just short of a motor replacement. Soon I will turn over the pull start to the new buyers. I have a feeling they have no idea what keeping up with this lawn, and property, entails. Thatching and aerating it in the fall, reseeding in the fall and spring, rounds of preventer and fertilizer, all to keep it in check. During the hot summer months we've been having it's hard to keep it from getting burnt and going into hibernation. 

     When we bought the house it was some time that the lawn and landscaping had seen some regular attention. The grass was overgrown and full of weeds, the shrubs were out of control, and there were several large trees, some dead and still up, and some dead and down on the ground, around the property. 

     I think we were out $6,800 to get the above California redwood taken down and the stump ground away before we even moved in. I have worked that land hard over the years but am now ready to pass it all on and enjoy paying the HOA fees that cover landscaping. I'm also looking forward to having a garage, a two-car garage at that. That'll be a far cry from the Tobacco Road set-up, that's what Theresa called it, that I kept for years. 

     My neighbor's must have really loved me because looking at the above picture I don't know how they didn't call the town on me, and the two boats aren't even in the picture. But now that space is cleaned up and ready for the next owners. 

     Back in the day there used to be a cool garage covering that concrete pad. I wish, and I'm sure my neighbor's did as well, I had that structure to keep things high and dry and organized. Below is a picture I received from the previous owners from years back.

     Maybe the new buyers will get one of those Amish built garages put in its place to store all of the tools and equipment it takes to run this house and property. Maybe finally that old lawn mower can spend bad weather days and seasons in a garage and not under a tarp. Or maybe they'll just punt and contract with a landscaper to handle it all. That would be a good move, kinda like paying an HOA fee, so they aren't slaves to at least the grounds around the house. When it was built back in the 1920's there were house staff that lived in the house. And after eight log years here I understand why. 

07.10.26 It was time to call in for some help...

     The old family dump trailer. It's been a staple during our time here in the country house. Between the leaves and downed branches that had to be trucked to the dump and soil and mulch that came home it has been an invaluable tool we had access to. It was also a must have for those basement flooding monsoons we've had during our time here. Below is a picture of it put to work after a basement flood we had in 2021, just one of several over the eight years. 

     It was always pulled with whatever beater pick-up truck I had owned at the time. And then there are the tools that are needed to go with it, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, shovels, rakes, pitchforks, trimmers, and leaf blowers. I don't think our young buyers have that, and don't even know that they know they will need it. You know you need a beater, and a dump trailer, when you have an old house, right?

     So as we get real close it was time to call in the reinforcements, and today that meant my Dad. Age isn't a factor, but I'll tell you my 80 year-old Father broke his ass helping me out today. First it was a ride to Home Depot to pick up butcher block countertops, which I have to install by Monday. Then it was weatherproofing the wooden basement doors from the outside. And then my final trip 

to the dump where I paid my last $30 dumping fee to get rid of stuff from around the yard. Going forward I'll have no need for a pick-up or a dump body down in Cape May or Bluffton. But I did 

find this little beauty while searching around the country on Facebook Marketplace. It's in St. Petersburg, Florida, only a few towns from my Mom in Bradenton..... I have a plan, and a mental disorder. But wouldn't she and the Suburban look nice parked next to each other at The Shrimp Shack. Oh yes, The Shrimp Shack, more on that, and the name coming soon. Now back to reality, and working around the yard anymore, I'm now all about having another people handle landscaping type things for us, for the rest of our lives. 

     We finished just before the heavens opened up and deluged the area. I was then off to New Egypt to have the new trailer hitch installed on the Suburban and to pick up the boat and trailer. While I like to think I can do anything, it just felt right having a professional do something for once 

in my life. I know I could have serviced the wheels and axles on the trailer myself. All the guy did was remove the wheels, and the axles, replaced the ball bearings and hubs, no big deal, I could have done that...yeah right. But the thought of the wheels coming unglued and falling off somewhere between here and South Carolina made me think that just paying the bill and having it done right would leave me with some piece of mind, and my life. 

     And I know I could have ran new wires and installed the new lights on the trailer, including those side yellow marker lights that have been holding on by a thread. But truth be told I could have never had the patience to run the wires through the inside the rails and forget about doing all the connections properly and having them be water tight. In the end it was $475 for the trailer work and $175 to have the hitch and connector bracket installed. The Curt Trailer hitch ran me $490, so I'm into this portion of boat and moving expense around $1,200. But at least I feel confident now, and safe. 

     And then Theresa asked me a reasonable question, "Do you really need to tow that boat down to South Carolina?", oh, the blasphemy. The idea of starting anew, and getting rid of everything and anything we had, well, duh, applies to anything but old boats of course. 

     The above picture was taken on September 21, 2000, the day I proposed to Laura about the possibility of me buying Jim's boat. Theresa were out for a visit and it just seemed like a good fit. I brought her home a month later and gave her a good cleaning and a once over. The once over became many once overs as I tried to figure out all the things Jim had added and modified. Boat mechanics even shook their heads trying to figure it all out, and most just passed on the opportunity to help. 

     While I was able to use it a handful of times most of her tenure has been sitting in my yard waiting for the moment to get her restored, and that time is coming soon, or at least a little closer. I made a promise to Laura, and Jim, and myself, well Theresa as well, that one day the boat will be back to her original condition. 

      And the picture above shows Jim shortly after he purchased the boat in October of 1996, and that's the way I want to return it to. Stripped down, simple, and easy. Interestingly the boat, above, came with a 130 on it, shortly after they came with 150's, and there's no poling platform. That's why I couldn't find one in Jim and Laura's pole barn, and the one that I did find Jim had designed and built himself. My plan was to grab the one Paul Eidman has in his yard but for some reason he's emotionally attached to it at the moment. In the end I'll probably have to get one from Jones Brother's down in Moorhead City, unless he reads this and changes his mind. 

     So in the next few days I'll be loading up the boat with stuff that won't fit in the Suburban or that the movers aren't taking. Next Wednesday or Thursday we'll leave for South Carolina to drop it and some stuff off before heading back north to Cape May. 

With the boat and trailer checked off the list it's time to move onto other last minute things to do. We're still not out of the woods, and things can always go sideways, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. 

07.09.26 Well we did our part for the closing...and who knew?

     Gettin' real close...and still lots to do. We started off the day heading down to our new house in Cape May. We bought stuff the movers won't be taking and dropped off Theresa's car. It's not officially ours yet as the closing will be after we close on the sale of our home in Titusville next week. 

     And then we drove back up to Lawrenceville to the Lenox Law Firm where we signed the closing papers our attorney Bob Casey and his paralegal Stella had prepared for us. Interestingly our neighbor Lynn, who grew up in our house, has a history with that firm as her late-husband was a partner and she herself worked there with him. 

     So at one point as Theresa and I sat there sweating at what we were signing Bob said, "I heard you're a fisherman", and he added that he was as well, a fly fishermen. Through the process of selling the house we talked and been back and forth a bunch of times never knowing we both love fly fishing. So then I let out a sigh of relief and the conversation became more about striped bass, the Delaware River and the Jersey Shore, and for him, travel trips to overseas destinations.  

     As Stella fed us papers to sign Bob motioned for me to follow him. Above is a shot of an Atlantic salmon that he caught on a recent trip to Iceland. But what got my attention was the photo of him with a nice redfish caught while on his annual trip to Louisiana. When I catch up with Captain Joe "Mazman" Mustari, who runs charters around  the Raritan Baybass, blues, and albies, he always talks about how good the redfishing is down in The Bayou State. He too makes annual trips down there for that bull red bite. I can't wait to one day learn and fish the waters down in the Lowcountry for redfish. 

     Ironically he spends a good part of the summer down in Cape May so we exchanged numbers and hope to meet up in the next few weeks down there after we settle in. Last week he caught a schoolie bass and a fluke so there's fish to be had, probably at first light before the beaches fill up with people. I remember those summer days in Monmouth County, before Sandy and beach 

nourishment, where you could always pop-up a resident bass at first light or get them to eat a mole crab fly on the lip. Sadly, those days have passed.

     So the docs for closing are all signed on our part now we have to finish packing and finishing up some projects around the house. The. movers come Monday. The kids (the buyers) are coming in the afternoon to get a tour on the house, and then it's the closing on Thursday. And then we're off to Cape May.

Soon this blog will return to being all about fly fishing once again.

07.08.26 Found these in one of the bins....

     I remember it like it was yesterday. May 1991. I was living in Verona and working for the Newark Fire Department. I was scheduled for my first of two 14-hour night shifts at Rescue 1. It was early May and I went fishing before I had to be at work and relive the first tour at 5 pm.

     This was when I was in my all-about-trout glory. I had just started fly fishing and was trying to get my first trout on the fly. That day I stayed relatively local and fished the Rockaway River in Boonton in a place called Grace Lord Park. I can't even come up with a number of times I fished there over the early years.

     My trout fishing days grew as I got older and moved from Monmouth County and the Manasquan River to Essex County, which put me closer to waters like the Rockaway, Pequest, Paulinskill, and the Big Flat Brook. A few years after my first trout on the fly, and after The River Runs Through It came out, I discovered the Catskills, and it was all over from there.

     But on this day I fished with some old beginner fly fishing set up from who knows where. I had a box of beginner flies most likely from WalMart. One of those flies was a bumble bee pattern and that's what the above ugly beast of a trout fell for. I sight fished that fish and was lucky to land it. And of course this was the days before cell phones, and moreso the days of disposable cameras, of which I didn't have.

     I was so excited and wanted to get a photo with my catch, which was surely going home with me. I went back to my truck and then drove to a photo shop on Main Street. There they took passport photos with a Kodak polaroid camera. I asked if they would take my picture, actually two of them. Luckily I had some cash on my to pay the bill. Of course this was way before debit cards were around, and using credit cards meant sliding the carbon paper over your card to make an imprint. What a goof, but I'm glad I have them today.

     And talking about goof. Look at that hat, "Trout Fisherman" it says, and I wore it proudly. That vest was my old photojournalist vest from my earlier days working at The Red Bank Register. It was now used to hold my fly boxes, Powerbait, and meal worms. I didn't even know how to hold the fly rod, and the fish, for the picture. But it didn't matter back then as everything I caught was "fillet and release" into an aluminum coffin that layered the bottom of my freezer. 

     But what I also remember about that day of glory was what happened on my drive home. I was so excited that I didn't remember my 1986 Dodge Ram 50 was running on fumes, and on Route 280 in Roseland I ran out of gas. It was 1991 and cell phones weren't out yet but somehow I got a hold of my co-worker Mike Lubertazzi who lived in East Hanover. He too was getting ready to head for the firehouse. Mike was our chef and always shopped for the meal before he came to work so he was around and able to help a brother out. 

     Mike came out and got me enough gas to get me to a station to fill up. But before I headed down the hill to work in Newark I stopped by my house in Vernona. I had just enough time to fillet that fish up. It wasn't fresh from a cooler, it was stored in one of those creels with the tape measure that ran along the outside of it. The thinking was back then that if you kept it filled with water and lined with grass it would be just like having it on ice, yeah, no. It might had been 2-3 hours since it took its last breath in the freshwater, but it didn't matter to me. A few nights later I ate that stocked pellet-fed breeder feeling like a caveman from the old hunting and gathering days. Those stocked trout slathered in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in butter sure do taste good even if they weren't fresh and were coated with a layer of ice from the freezer burn.

That's 35 years ago. It's been a while since I've fished for stocked trout and the taste of pellets. 

07.07.26 T-minus seven days...

 

     You gotta click on the calendar to see it clearer. But we're seven days away from the movers coming to empty out the house and our storage unit. So on Monday night we'll be sleeping on the floor out here with just a suitcase and a dog. 

     Part of yesterdays agenda was sitting for an interview with the Director of Nursing from the Technical College of the Lowcountry, which is Beaufort county's community college. 

     We spoke for about an hour and it sounds like nursing school in South Carolina is like nursing school in New Jersey. Same circus, different clowns. She teased me with a full-time position but I said a hard no to that. One of the things I'll have to do once we move and South Carolina residency is established is apply for my nursing licenses, both RN and APN, which will allow me to practice down there. Just one of a billion things to get done once we're done with the four remaining closings. 

And now we're realizing how much more we need to do. 

     I'm now going from room to room trying to finish up some things here and there. The outside is as tightened up as they're going to get it. And soon, well now, we're throwing things in boxes that may or may not go together. It's chaotic to say the least. 

     On July 4th we had three of the seven sisters over for one last supper. It was a great time listening to them tell the stories of what it was like to grow up in the house, which their parents bought in 1960. We bought it from their Mom in 2018. Needless to say she lived here for a long, long time. 

     And then there's the fly rods. Luckily we had a long box which just about held them all. I kept the two Helios D's out and will send them back to Orvis for repair before we move. One, my 10 weight, I ran over at the Red Beach parking lot, and two, the snake guide of my 12 weight separated from the rod. And I still have my waders that leaked like a sieve while I was up on the Vineyard. Those I'll take down with me and deal with them later. 

     While I did this all to myself, well ourselves, just put yourself in our shoes for a moment. Imagine if I told you that in one week's time you'd be moving out of your house and to another state. People do this all the time so we're no trendsetters here, but it's pretty amazing, and a little scary. And while we're caught up with all the physical and logistical things related to moving we haven't even paused for a minute to allow the emotional aspects to sink in. 

We got seven days to get this done..... if there's no glitches. 

07.06.26 So much for paradise....

     I guess bad shit happens everywhere. Over the last few years we've seen several incidents of flash mob parties that draw hundreds to thousands of people, usually young adults, to venues and beaches where the intent is far from family type activities. It's become a thing, and New Jersey has seen it recently as the summer season kicks off. And with these "mobs" comes bad things, vandalism, theft, looting, violence, and even death.

     Above is a picture of Coligny Beach in Hilton Head. It's a popular place where the water meets the beach meets a little touristy area of shops, restaurants, and bars. It gets busy as there's a lot of condos and hotels in that area. And for locals, and for those that call home off-island, it's a place to go where the parking and beaches are free. Hilton Head, like the Jersey Shore, is a tourist destination, and I can tell you from what I'm hearing, it ain't like it used to be, kind of like the Jersey Shore. Over developed, over populated, and over visited. Like smart New Jerseyans people in the Lowcountry know to avoid the traffic and crowds during the silly seasons. 

     So while mass shootings are a common thing these days, well how sick is that, for some, and for some places, these type of things, "Just don't happen here". Well at 7 PM last night, on July 4th, gunfire erupted on the beach between two groups of people. Seven were hit by gunfire. 

     Some bullets found their targets, other's buried in the sand, and the rest just petering out at the end of their trajectory. And at 7 PM the beaches were full of vacationer's and families enjoying the sun sets that sets behind them. Some in the water, kids playing in the sand, people playing volleyball, and some at the venues near the beach. The victim count could have been far worse. And needless to say, for those that were there, the incident was traumatic. 

     The Beaufort County Sheriff Office Crime Scene was out at first light with metal detectors looking for bullets in the sand, while others were looking for those that fired the weapons, nearly killing other people. The Sherifs Office has video monitors up and down the beach and used that technology to quickly apprehend and charge four of the suspects. Charges range from possession of a deadly weapon to attempted murder. 

     Interestingly, after the arrests were made and they released the mugshots and the ages of those involved, three were 17 years of age. Up here in the northeast names are held when the suspects are younger then 18, I wonder if that's a southern thing. I'm not sure how South Carolina's courts handle attempted murders but I know if it happened in NJ or NY they'd most likely be out on bail by now. 

     But what I found most interesting is that Hilton Head doesn't have it's own police force. Paid fire and EMS, yes, but the area is protected by the counties sheriff's department. Hilton Head has a year round population of 37,000 residents, and swells to over 150,000 during the silly seasons. Some say that number can reach 300,000. And no local police department?

      Many of the properties on Hilton head Island are gated and have their own security divisions. And those security guards patrol and carry weapons just like municipal, county, or state officers do. During our tours of several properties we've seen these officers, and I have to say they're intimidating. These are not your friendly security guards patrolling around in a little white car with a light on top, they look like they are in the military, often carrying long guns in open areas like the tennis courts or near the beaches in the plantations they cover. And all are wearing bullet proof vests.

     But for the open and tourist areas is a county sheriff's office enough? I think of Long Branch here in New Jersey. How would that town, of 33,000 people, tripled in the summer, do during these wilding events without a municipal police department only relying on the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office? 

    Times are changing. People, well we've already changed, and a lot of us suck. And as we've seen bad shit can happen anywhere at any time. Don't taxpayers and tourists deserve to be protected properly, and that's from a police, fire, or EMS perspective. The incident last night happened near the entrance to the beach just a stones throw from the touristy commercial area. Do you think this wold have gone down if there were cops stationed there or on a walking post? I would think not. 

     I guess the grass is not always greener, at least down south, or really anywhere these days.

07.05.26 Yes, that's me tooling around the Lowcountry...

     I think I can get used to this ChatGPT stuff, but deep down I really hate technology. The top image came from the ad on FBM for the Bulls Bay 151 (15'1") and I swapped out the seller's headshot for one of yours truly sitting on the poling platform with my hand on the tiller. I am excited to start so many new chapters down south. Below is a birds-eye view of my future skiff, like the actual skiff. 

     The flats or technical skiff game is a game onto itself. My overall boat knowledge is average, and my skiff knowledge is nill. I know some guides who fish the skinny waters in skiffs for some of my favorite species, Paul Dixon and Andrew Derr for stripers on Long Island's East End, Jamie Boyle and Abie Schuster on the Vineyard, Ben Whalley up in Maine, John McMurray around Jamaica Bay, Dan Schafer in South Jersey, Marc Nutting in the Lowcountry, and Dave Choinard when he was down in Tampa. 

     And the skiffs? Well I've heard the names of the big manufacturers and that's about it. Hell's Bay, Maverick, Chittum, Hewe's, and Beavertail, and I'm sure there are a ton more. When I used to do those long commutes to Essex County College I'd listen to Any Mill's Mill House Podcast, HERE, which is really all about skiffs, sight fishing, and the legends of the game. Sadly, I haven't listened in some time, but it will be soon coming from the speakers while down in The Shrimp Shack. 

     So across my Facebook feed now comes everything about skiffs since I did some searches and now they have me pegged. One that came up yesterday was of a guy standing in front of 

Mt. Houston Marine after he took delivery of a new 2026 Chittum 18' Challenger 2.0. I have seen that flats skiffs either have a side or center console or tiller steer. His choice is below, 

      I know that Chittum is one of the big guns in that market so I did a little search on how much a boat like that might cost. You know I never buy new but maybe it's time. Even though I just dropped a deposit down on a used Bulls Bay why not inquire.

     So, mmmm, let's just say I'll stay in the used and not the top of the line market, for anything and everything. A new Chittum runs any where from $75-100,000 +, depending on the options you choose. I can't do that, wouldn't do that, and never will do that. But Congratulations to Jack and his new ride. 

     In between bouts of working around and in the cauldron that is weather this week I've started looking for resources about skiffs and how to pole them. I've found some videos on You Tube, there's a 1,000, that have been a help as I sit in front of my keyboard. 

     I have to say I can't wait to get out there looking for fish in skinny water. One day I'd love to bring it up to the Vineyard and pole around Menemsha Pond or Lake Tashmoo. I wish I started this new chapter of my life about 10 years ago. But guys who pole seem to stay in the game for a long time. Ansil Saunders died at the age of 91 and stopped guiding only a few years before his death. That gives me, say 30 years to learn it and get it right. 

07.04.26 Happy 250th America...and the deal is done....

 

     Two hundred and fifty years ago the Declaration of Independence was signed. What it meant was that the thirteen original colonies were free and independent states and no longer part of the British Empire. While it was agreed to on July 4, 1776, it wasn't signed until August 2nd, a month later. But the 4th of July is when it is celebrated. 

     It was signed by 56 delegates signed the declaration of which John Hancock was the President of the Continental Congress. It begins with "We hold these truth's to be self-evident, where all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights....". It outlined the political, moral, and legal justification for independence from Great Britain. 

    Our 250 years have seen the best, and some less then best, in our countries history. If you think that some people today are 100 years old our country is still young. In my opinion the United States of America is the best country in the world. That's not to say other countries don't offer their citizens great and wonderful things, and they are equally as proud, but this dam country is one where people are free and can be successful and fruitful through hard work and determination. Just ask the people who came here from other countries. Starting with the names of immigrants 

who came and landed at Ellis Island to those who have come here by any means necessary. 

     As always there's work to be done, and we are a work in progress. And we couldn't be where we are without the countless contributions of so many people from so many places over the centuries, along the great leadership we have had, strong militaries where people have sacrificed it all for us, and citizens, while at times divided, who have come together for the better good of each other and the USA. I can say I'm proud to be an American. 

     And in other news....well the deed is done. The flats skiff is mine held by a Venmo deposit sent today. That's just another exciting development coming with this big life changing move.

     And today my Father came out to help me get the boat and trailer down to the trailer folks at 

J & C Campers in New Egypt. They'll do a wheel and axle service and replace the lights all the way around for the 750 mile tow down to Ridgeland, South Carolina. 

     My Dad's Ford F-150 towed the bare-bones boat like a champ. It goes with no motor, no batteries, and no fuel. She's ready to get completely made over, which should make Jim smile from up above.

     Along with the boat I dropped off a light kit and wiring for the trailer that I got for 40% off at the West Marine in Bensalem. I had brought some of the paperwork Laura had given to me when I finally paid it off. When I showed it to the guy there and went through the heavy duty axle Jim had 

installed along with the HydraStar brake actuator he looked at me and said, "Wow, that's a lot of overkill there". And that made me smile, thinking of Jim, who had this boat rigged and improved and, well, just perfect for him. He pointed to a truck and trailer in the lot, it was a big F-350 with a horse trailer behind it. Adding, "Even this would be overkill for a set up like that". 

     So we're off and running. Next week the trailer hitch for the Suburban comes in from from the Midwest and then I'll be able to pick them both up. And, for the first time, I'll have confidence that the axles won't melt down to molten metal, the brakes will slow the momentum, and I'll have tail lights, and running lights, that will alert others that this Jersey Jones is going to it's new home in the Lowcountry.