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. 

09.10.26 New places to sit for everybody...

     It was furniture delivery day in Bluffton. The boys came at 8 o'clock and made quick work of putting stuff together and getting rid of the tons of cardboard and packing. Moving into a new place and then furnishing it is not an easy task. And moving into a relatively smaller place can make it even harder. 

     To me, there's fashion, and then function. If you can get both in the same things that great. Now Martha Stewart might not have picked the above sofa and loveseat for our place to grace the cover of Hilton Head Living Today, it works for us. They're a little big, and a tad dark, but most importantly they are comfortable and functional, which to me is what matters most. 

     The thing about downsizing, like really downsizing, is there's no place for a formal dining or living room, separate from what we would call a family room or den in houses past. Every inch needs to be planned out for maximum usage. That goes from the rooms down to the closets and the garage. 

     And since we got new we got Luke a new dog bed as well. Hopefully that'll keep him off the leather furniture. The stuff we're buying now will hopefully be our last, of everything. 

09.09.26 A rainy low tide scout and a visit from the Town...

     Took a ride up to The Fly Barn before the rains moved in. I finally got the skiff under the cover of the barn and in a ready position for a good cleaning and readiness. I still have to get these two registered here in South Carolina which I have come to learn is a PItA. SCDMV handles the trailers and SCDNR handles the boats. 

     While up there I installed some motion detectors and cameras just in case someone wanted to sniff around when I'm not up there. With the neighborhood now filled in it's good to have a bunch of sets of eyes on the place. I stopped Town Hall to apply to the water and sewer departments to get those services up and running. It was funny when I was explaining to the two ladies which property it was and one referred it as, "Oh, the fence". 

     Ah, the fence. Or the fortress as some may describe it as. I got a visit from the Town's Zoning Officer today and we walked the property and I shared with him my plan of getting it into compliance. That will include moving one section and and then cutting it down from the current six foot height down to four. The above section that's considered the back of the property can remain at six foot, Thank God. But I'll angle down the last section from six to four feet. I got an estimate for $1,200 from the guy who built it to do the work but this is something I can do. How hard could it be? We'll see about that. I hope to start next week and have the relocation part be done before we head back to New Jersey in the beginning of October. 

     I again had to laugh when I Googled The Fly Barn, Ridgeland, and saw what AI or whatever computer data base spit out. On this search they referred to the place as, "... a private, classy multi-use outbuilding...", and, ... "a private retreat after outdoor activities like local fishing". 

     No doubt AI shares my vision for the place although I don't know how "classy" it will be in the end. After the morning there I headed over to the river for some low tide scouting. On this trip I decided to park way away from the puddles and soft sand that had become saturated with the recent rains and hard east winds which pushed the high tide water up on the sandy road. I wasn't getting stuck again that's for sure.

     As I took the walk down I could hear the clatter from the fiddler crabs walking to find safety in their protective burrows. These are the crabs redfish seek when there's enough water up on the flats. While I have seen a lot of flys tied with imitation claws I don't think they're necessary here. 

     These aren't the crab flies we toss on sandy bright colored bottoms. It's heavily vegetated, muddy, and most times off color. Dropping temps and the winter months bring the gin clear water where flys are more visible. 

          By the time I got done the wall of water (rain) in the distance was making its way to me. I didn't care, and it actually felt refreshing, as this was more of a fact finding mission than a fishing trip. Most of the time I've spent here has been two hours before and after the flood tide so it was interesting to see the structure along this beat. One things for sure when these waters get muddied, they get muddied. 

      With the water low to incoming I was able to see where the oyster beds are located. They're mostly the points along the beach with muddier and grassier runs in between them. One things of sure, without good foot protection, or if one of your boots were to fail, you'd be in a bad way. 

     And if you were to take a fall here, coupled with that daily 81 mg baby aspirin you take, you'd bleed out before the ambulance could come and save you. Razor sharp doesn't describe these enough.  

     One of the best things I was able to learn was the importance of identifying the feeder creeks to the flats. Again, I've been there on higher waters but seeing it at low, still with water there, identifies the highway that brings bait and bigger fish off the main river to the skinnier water flats. 

     The above image shows that area on a wind driven early incoming. I stuck my fly rod tip down to see how deep it was and it's likely 2-3 feet so getting to the other side will require a kayak, tube, or a quick swim. 

     And like most days when it monsoons, it clears, and then the sun comes out. I was able to pull Theresa away from opening boxes and organizing to head over to one of the pools. We usually go around 7-ish and today was more of the same. We spent some time in the hot tub before a dip in the pool, and then, a tour of the gym. Yes, I was in the gym. 

     When people hear about Sun City and the fact that 10,000 people live here they get visions of people tripping over one another. Well last night was like most nights. Empty. We were literally the only people there, and it was open. We thought we must have been missing something, like a free concert, barbecue, or money give away, somewhere else. Nope just a regular night in paradise. 

     We've only been here for about two weeks and if I hd to describe the overall feeling, just weird. Not the place. Not the people. Just kind of like a fish out of water. They say it takes time to get settled in and organized, and then more time to get your flow going. I do think there is a difference between living, while still working, in a 55 and over community and just plain flat out retiring. We both need, and want to work, so maybe that'll help with the weirdness we are both feeling.