My first float... « on: 07 December  2007, 12:50:40 »

"Life is a long list of first; so learn and enjoy each one!!"   a True-ism Dec 2007 

 As far as my time at sea, my started in Boca Ciega bay on the West coast of Fla...  I was about 12, and living only about a block from the bay; my younger brother & I spent much time there...  We would fish off  Ms Francaise's dock and wad along the shore line,  chasing Fiddler crabs...  Caught a large Mullet; took it home and we had broiled fish for a fine supper...  First big fish!

There was Abercombie  park, just down Park street, which had a small fresh water pond, where we caught Bream and Bass...   One day while there on the hiking trail, a family came running shouting there was a rattle snake...  I had a homemade fishing spear,  so we went and killed the five foot Diamond back rattler...  Another first... 

Later I would help fight a forest fire along this strip of the bay...  It was neat seeing the Florida State Fire fighters use Dozer's to cut fire breaks ...   I got my first real taste of smoke and felt the heat of a forest fire...  I used shovels and wet burlap bags to beat out the small fringe fires...  Yet another first!!  Who knew I fight forest fires...

Then we had a next door neighbor who had moved from Texas...  Mr Mason had an airplane; and would take me up with him and taught me how to fly...  It was nice to fly out over the Gulf of Mexico  and look down...  My first flight & introduction to becoming a pilot...

Back to the bay...  There was a guy, about our age name of Ronnie Byrd, we would spend time down on the bay at an Ole fish house...  Well one day we found a ship's life raft floating in the bay...  We soon crafted some paddles and the three of us set out into the bay...   We imagined we were explores or Pirates ...  The weather was calm and we were able to navigate around and had fun, as boys do...  But then for some unbeknown reason; our Mother came down:  BTW:(she never came down except this time) and caught us out on the raft...  Well she thought that was the worst thing and had us promise to never do that again...   So ended our first sea adventure....

Later I joined the Navy and served on four ships, plus hold a Merchant Marine Doc..  So over the years I have  made over 300 trips out to sea covering over 50,000 nautical miles...  

   What we do creates our life; life does not create what we do; it only offers opportunity!!   

See Ya Kermit

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