09.16.26 "Reunited and it feels so good..."

      That title should bring you back to the 1978 Peaches and Herb song, "Reunited". After weeks fishing without I finally found my sling back and my box of crab and shrimp flies. There was also a box of small minnow flies, both which will help, they just didn't yesterday. 

     It's been a bit since I fished and I wanted to really have a good morning, and I did. I got down way early before the flood tide. When you have such and expansive area, with mixed vegetation, mud, and depths, it's always beneficial to scout it out and know it like the back of your hand. If there was a straight line across this flat it's probably 1/4 mile long. 

     With the times I've been there, on low and high tides, I have a pretty good idea of the layout, and more importantly, how and when the water fills in and then drains out. And with the water comes life, and a lot of it. Yesterday it was a sheepshead convention in front of me. If I see the same today I'll video tape it, it pretty cool to see. 

     It going to be a week before I get back to fishing for real as after today it's go-time up at The Fly Barn. Luckily it coincides with the work just about wrapped up at the real house. We just have some crown molding left to install on the top of the kitchen cabinets and that'll be it. 

     One thing I can't wrap my ahead around is why 80% of the refrigerators sold these days are not counter depth, which means they stick out like a foot past the end of the counter, ie, see above. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And to boot they are hundreds of more dollars. Do you get more room? Yes, but talking about not fitting in. And down the road we'll get rid of the old school Volkswagen sized microwave. That'll mean getting that tile guy back....um, not. 

     In the evening we took a ride to Georgia, sounds weird right? We had to return two lamps we had previously purchased. As soon as we bought them home we were both like, yum, no. 

   

     It's a store called At Home which is mostly found down south. It's like a Home Depot for home decorating. The only problem is it's so big you kinda have to help yourself it you need something. Luckily we the style of lamp we thought would be perfect, and for 25% off each of them, it only

 solidified our choice. And luckily when we got home they fit both in size and look. We're basically all set with the big stuff and the next focus will be the garage and master closet, and you can forget those pretty $8,000 California Closets, not happening. I've got a truck with a blown tranny to buy. 

09.15.26 Had to jump in and then head to the water....

 

     Before we moved in and while we were back in New Jersey we had a line up of contractors doing work before we moved in. We had an electrician, a painter, floor guys, and stone workers putting in a new countertop. All went as planned, except the countertops when a little sideways. 

The gist of it was they chipped away the ceramic tile backsplash that we planned on keeping. They owned it and agreed to have a new one installed after we picked out the tile. 

     One things for sure, you gotta be there when the work is being done. Most "places" have a list of subcontractors they use and the checks and balances aren't checked and balanced. So for this round of work we made sure we were back from Florida to supervise. Around 9 am Juan showed up and I showed him around. He needed to cal his boss so she could translate what I was saying. When we opened the boxes we noticed the tiles were of varying shades of the color then the ones we picked out. Not a big deal, if you lay them out right, and have the colors kind of complement each other. 

     So the guy started the demo and I went outside to tidy up the plants around the house and check in with our neighbor. On Friday, as we were on our way down to Florida, their house caught fire. They had just moved in and renovated it and their new stove had an electrical malfunction and that was it. Of course the fire department had to rip out the kitchen and use water to extinguish it, so it's a complete mess over there. 

     When Theresa arrived back home I wanted to accompany her inside to show her how nice it looked.... crash, boom, bang. WTF? Well, the installer thought it wouldn't be a big deal to just run 

the tiles as they came out of the box. Needless to say it was a shit show dealing with the tile supplier (never told us about color variations), the tile contractor (who couldn't understand me), and the countertop company ( "Yes, I see what you mean"). As we were on the phone the guy who they sent basically surrendered and said he was going to lunch. So we had two options, tear it out and get different tile, or see if we could salvage what we had there and make it right. 

     So while he was away I pulled the tiles and had to take the mastic off the wall and back of the tiles before it dried. I them opened the boxes, laid out all the tile, and arranged them in a better color flow.  Now I just needed him to return so we could get this done, correctly. 

     I basically laid out the entire job and handed him each tile. In the end I think it looks better, and more importantly Theresa was happy. There was only a couple of rows remaining and I told Theresa I wanted to catch the outgoing tide. It's been a few days since I checked out the water so off I went.

     The water looked good in height and color, but there was no one home, or no one to be seen. I walked about a mile through the grass just waiting for a tail to pop up. One thing, senses wise, is what I hear when I walk. It's the sound of an army of fiddler crabs trying to avoid getting stepped on and munitions going off from Parris Island, the training grounds of the United States Marine Corp. 

     I had a good time although the real feel temperature was about 190 degrees. We're coming off the New Moon which was on Friday so fishing should be kinda good, somewhere. I'm not worried, I'll get em', but it is getting a little frustrating not even seeing anything.

     And then on my way home I stopped by a used car lot that's within a solid golf drive from my house. I wanted to see how much a Chevrolet Silverado in the front row was going for. 2018...$22,000. Okay, never mind. But then she caught my eye. A beauty located in the woods behind the lot. 

     "What's the story with this one?". "Not for sale. Blown tranny". "Okay, tell me about it". "2010- 218,000 miles, basically perfect condition and purrs like a kitten". Mmmm. So there might be a chance with this one. They guy loved, just loved, the Suburban. "Never saw one that old and so clean". He added, "That's worth some money". And that's when I said "I'm planning on leaving that here and driving that Silverado out". So we'll see what happens. He's talking about bringing it to a transmission place and having one put in with a warranty on it. Might be a good thing in the making.

     And then I got back home. As soon as I turned the corner into the kitchen I dam near shit myself. "You had one job to do...." And he blew it. I explained it all to him but the language barrier must have had his wires crossed. Are you kidding me? 

     If you didn't know it's the one in the upper right hand corner. I took my time and got it out and he can replace it when he comes back to grout it tomorrow. I always question whether I can do these things myself, and then I say, let me stop being cheap and just have the professionals do it. 

09.14.26 A three day tour of Florida....

 

     We left the heat and humidity, and rains, of the Lowcountry, and traveled down to Florida for some heat, humidity, and rain. Actually the purpose of the trip was to visit my Mom in Bradenton and the kids in St. Augustine. On Friday we loaded up the Suburban with stuff of theirs, that we had the movers bring down, and delivered it to their respective final destinations. With their stuff gone it opened up some much needed space in the garage for us to be able to breathe a bit and have some operating room as we continue to go though our stuff, a lot of it which shouldn't have made the trip down to begin with. 

     My Mom had been doing her own version of editing down her stuff which is down to tons of pictures, awards, and bad artwork from my siblings and I early childhood. 

     It's more of the same, "What do we do with all of this stuff?". Like for most of us these memories are stored in bins and boxes which rarely see daylight until it's decided to drag them out and open them up. That's me below after waking up to my first real bike on Christmas morning. I was probably five years old there (1973) when we lived at 538 Mackey Avenue in Belford, NJ. Remember those banana seats?

      Needless to say I came home with a box full of memories that one day my kids will have to go through when I croak, but they shouldn't complain as we've done our fair share of the heavy lifting that goes with downsizing and relocating. 

     The above picture was taken in 1972, when I was four years old. If I could go back now and advise my younger self on what to do, and not do, for the next 54 years I wonder what I would say. Looking though old pictures and stuff makes me think of the end of the movie Saving Private Ryan. In that scene an older James Ryan, played by Matt Damon, is seen standing over the grave of Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks. At one point he turns to his wife and asks, "Tell me I'm a 

good man", which is his way of affirming that all of the sacrifices other's made to save him, and the decisions he made in life, were worth it. While we all have our life stories, filled with triumphs and regrets, in the end we all hope we did good for others, a lived a good life. 

     And in between the stacks of reports cards and SRA results, remember those dreaded tests, were the reminders that even as young man I was a lady killer. The above is proof of that, a love letter from my early days at St. Rose of Lima grammar school in Freehold, NJ. 

     And then this picture fell out of a stack. You know what that reminded me of, right? Well, first The Fly Barn as I've been using the same type of lawn mower to keep the yard neat since I took over ownership a month or so ago.

     And then it reminded me of the bad hat I wore this year up on the Vineyard while waking the flats. Same goofy hat, same goofy look. I think that's one reason why I keep all

of those love letters from my youth. Truth is I never really had style, or any kind of game, and really no girlfriend until high school. And if you look at me in the below picture from Disney 

Disney World you can see why. Yes, that's a Peter Frampton t-shirt I have on, "I want youooo, to show me the way...." I can't imagine why I couldn't get chicks....

     And then yesterday we braved the rains and took the drive from Bradenton to St. Augustine. It was weird visiting family and passing Disney World. Most times that I've been to Florida have been on a plane and in a rental car. In the end we drove 6 hours to Bradenton, then 3 hours to St Augustine, and then 3 hours home, give or take an hour or two. We had Luke on board so we had to stop for him along the way. 

     When we pulled up to the kids place it looked very much like Sun City. Homes that were done and homes under construction. There were Pulte signs everywhere. That's the home building company that does a lot of these communities down south. And while the kids unpacked their stuff I went and looked at the home under construction next door. Anytime I see a home covered in Hardie Boards or planks I stop and take a few pictures. 

     I'm always looking for ideas on how to trim The Fly Barn. As I made my way around the house I just had to take a look inside the dumpster, because that's what I do. Well that led to a quick dumpster diving session where I scored probably $100 with of Hardie stuff. 

     The amount of waste was mind blowing. The way it works is each one of these homes has a set amount of materials that are delivered, used, and then discarded. No one is picking through and saving pieces or sheets to save a buck. I guess it's not worth the time. Unfortunately people who live in the neighborhood use the dumpsters as well so it got in the way of my picking. 

     If I could I would drive around and pick through all these dumpsters and save a ton of money along the way. Like the other day with Ray and the refrigerator, "One man's trash is another man's treasure". 

    

09.12.26 “Take Exit 343….”

     Had to shake my head and sigh when Siri told me to take Exit 343 in the middle of Florida on the anniversary of 9/11. 343 FDNY firefighters died on that day. Twice a day the clock hits that number as well and it's another reminder of those who passed trying to protect others. 

09.11.26 Productive visit to The Fly Barn, a future ride?, and a great long walk...

 

     Well, that didn't take long. After a few days soak on Facebook Marketplace the refrigerator that smelled like someone's body was stored in it, without power, found a new home. Raymond (above) was excited and thankful to be the one who scored it. Ok, Ray, it's all yours. 

     Besides being vile it was in the way on the barn floor. Luckily, I have a replacement in waiting. Remember that fridge we scored for Cape May? Well it's a bit undersized so it'll be coming down here on our way home from October's Jersey visit. That one will go inside, and surely won't be kept like this one was. 

     Ray was a one man operation and obviously had done this before, although doing it in flip-flops was interesting. He needed no help loading it up onto his trailer that was pulled by his trusty car. They say one man's trash is another man's treasure. 

      After he left I did some work around The Fly Barn. This place hasn't had a landscaper's touch in a bit and it needed to be raked out and the brush removed. Without a pick-up I hd to rely on the old paper leaf bags to get rid of it all. 

     The bags at Lowe's run about .50 a piece and they were well worth it. There's a "garden area" just beyond the cover of the barn roof that's going to be a cool place when I'm done. My idea is to build an outdoor shower so I can leave Sun City clean and return the same way, no matter how much playing in the mud I do. 

     Erin sent me a photo of a rowboat/shower she had seen and I think that would be cool to replicate. Now I just have to find the boat that will work. I'm thinking a 10 foot aluminum row boat should do it. All I have to do is run a water line and get a shower head and curtain and I'll be in business, and return home clean. 

     The area cleaned up nice and all of the bags and branches fit in the back of the Suburban. It's killing me not to have a pick-up, but I'll wait until the time is right, and I find the right one. I think I found her, but we're not making any more big purchases just yet. But boy, isn't she pretty. 

     That's a super clean 2011 Duramax 2500 HD with 250,000 miles. That's a lot of miles, but remember, it's a diesel, and a beast. Great for towing, great for yard work, great to go to the 

lumber yard, and dinner, and the beach, and to the outlets, and great for travel back and forth to New Jersey. While the Suburban is sweet in herself, she's just not the vehicle I need and she doesn't tow all that well and is only 2WD, which we know isn't the best when you're stuck in the mud. 

      They dropped the price from $16,900 to $13,500 yesterday. While we have been super blessed with everything, like everything, I did ask God for one more blessing. I'm thinking I could sell the Suburban and scratch enough funds to get it by October 1st. If it's till around on Monday we will be taking a ride to Beaufort for a visit. God, she's nice.  

     But in the meantime I'll just be grateful I don't drive a car and have to load up pick-up kinda stuff. I'm also thankful Jasper County takes just about anything you bring over to the dump. So getting rid of stuff isn't a problem, you just have to get it there. 

     And then it was time to look and see what mowing down the six foot fence to four would look like. I took some measurements and strung some lines. It's not a big deal, just a PIA. 

     That project will start next week after we spend the weekend touring Florida visiting my Mom and the kids. It'll be good to have a quick change of scenery and to see our peeps again. 

     The clouds rolled in and with it the usual daily downpours. My plan was to hit the mid-outgoing tide so I planned on getting saturated. But these rains down there either come and stay, or come and go. This one came and then split, which was a nice break for a change. 

     I went light with just a stripping basket and a fly rod. I was looking for trailers and saw one right under my nose but it didn't stick around for long. It actually was more a cruiser in skinny water so it's back and tail were out of the water. I made a bunch of casts but I think it was gone. 

     I found this spot where whatever water that was left up on the flat was draining into the river. You can see the rush if you look closely. I could picture predator fish stacked up outside of it but I didn't see any bait or bigger fish, but it was a good find. 

     And as with other lower water scouting this one also produced a gem. Again, on the outgoing, just look at how the water runs along the oyster bed. At some point it has to be an ambush location. I don't know what it would be like on the flood tide, but next week I'll come back for a visit. 

     Some people ask why I post all of this stuff? I get it. Nobody cares. But to me it's all a part of the journey of a fly fishermen, both through life and fishing. And as far as the day to day about The Fly Barn? I say shut-up because one day a lot of you will say you've been, or even slept there. And you'll have a nice refrigerator to store your eats and drinks in, and a sweet place to shower. 

     And then another surprise. Call it water weight or whatever you want. When I tell you I'm being good (eating wise), and sweating my balls off as I work around The Fly Barn, well, here's the result. 

09.10.26 On the day and on the eve...

 

     As I scrolled through Facebook I came upon a post from a grammar school friend. We lost tough over the years but reconnected in 2015 after her son took his own life. Two years later I 

joined her in the same kind of two-pronged grief, losing a child, with the cause of death suicide. In her post she reminded us, and me, that today is World Suicide Prevention Day. I know, every day, and every month now, every second is a something something. It's nice. It means well. But really does it matter?

    Suicide sucks. Actually it fucking sucks. I've seen it from just about every angle you can, EMT, FF, RN, APRN, ambulance, fire rescue, ED, inpatient psych, private practice, my cousin, and my son in my own home. While there's things we can do about it and for the person, in the end we can't protect people from themselves 24/7. We can try, but it's their choice, and their life. If you know someone who is in this population, thoughts, attempts, or success, I feel for you. If you need help, call the suicide prevention hotline to get them or yourself on the road to wellness. That number is 988. That's the national number and your state may have its own resource. Reach out. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, or so they say. 

    And it's the eve of September 11th. I discuss it every year as I remember it like it was yesterday. My service started on the 11th at University Hospital in Newark, followed by a night tour in the firehouse, and then my driving at dawn on September 12th. 

     The above image was captured shortly after my crew arrived. Past me is the once Winter Garden Atrium, a 10 story glass atrium that stood at the former World Financial Center. We came in from the Hudson River side and on the other side was West Street, which fronted the World Trade Center. 

     The 25th anniversary of some things can be good. Wedding's are silver. For police and fire 25 is the mark you hit for retirement. And for anything else they can be painful. Deaths, wars, and terrorist attacks. The television and social media will have all the content you need as we remember, and we do need to remember. 

     So many lost at the WTC, Shanksville, and the Pentagon. So many families and friends left with sorrow and pain. And so many responders who were injured or made sick, some who have died, others living with the effects. We were a strong country after the attacks on our people and soil, how quickly we have forgot. 

     I spent five days at the World Trade Center. On Thursday the 13th I brought my father and brother over. They were both ironworkers and were ready to help. No doubt search and rescue operations couldn't have gone out without heavy machinery and cranes and workers to operate them. 

 I have two images of my Dad and brother at the site. Both poor in quality but they will always make me proud when I look at them. Since I have been playing with ChatGpt I asked "them" to clean them up a bit.

    While the likenesses are a bit off the cleaned up version sharpens some of the details. These images are ones I posted here on various 9/11's since I started this in 2009. One image that I'll 

keep original is one someone sent me of the three of us together taking a break in between time on the piles. Everyone has a 9/11 experience, and while painful, it is important to listen when someone shares their story. Soon the years will pass and first hand accounts won't be readily available. I hope the United States of America never has to experience this again.