Fishing With Karl

I feel so fortunate to have a friend like Karl who invites me out from time to time to catch Grouper. This year was no exception as I leave for home in a week and the call came to go fishing. Karl is a golfing buddy but is captain of his fishing boat and knows where on the Gulf to catch these great eating fish called Grouper.

The morning was perfect and the four fisherman were ready to go at 6.30 am.As we left the dock the weather was perfect but a storm was expected late in the afternoon. We stopped about 15 miles out to catch bait fish. These were less than a foot long and we managed to catch about 50 in twenty minutes. After they were safely in the wet well Karl said we were heading out to one of his special places over fifty miles west. At that location the water was 125 feet deep and there was hard structure. Perfect for Grouper.

We travelled at close to 30 mph and since the water was calm the sail was quite comfortable. As we arrived Karl decided to drift with the current so we began our routine of baiting up and trying to be the first to catch a fish. John had a instant hit and attempted to pull in his fish. He was unable to get the fish up and eventually the fish snapped his 65 pound braided line. We all began to catch fish and personally was lucky to catch 8 Grouper, four keepers and four had to go back and grow a little.

Karl is very strict with the fishing rules and even half an inch short and back it goes. Our throw backs are handled in a manner to ensure their survival. We fished for hours and laughter and excitement filled the boat. Fish after fish was caught and returned to the Gulf with only legal fish kept. The largest fish caught was a Gag Grouper but it was out of season so had to be returned. I caught a small shark and happily it broke the line and escaped at the side of the boat.

We were joined bu porpoises who stayed with us for a while playing and ate fish we threw to them. As the day went on we discussed the merits of the political scene, the banking system and other topics that were of interest to the group.The day was wonderful and as the time came to return to shore we had 8 keepers and a day memories are made of.

Travelling at a slower rate due to the roughness we saw the approaching storm closer to shore. Karl's boat is very sea worthy and well handled through years of practise  so there was no need to worry. We passed the shore markers and docked at his house without further incident.

The fish were cleaned and cut to perfection and divided equally to all members of the group. It was now 7.30 pm and as a tired but happy group we left for home with thanks to Karl and his wife for sharing their joy of fishing  with we who expressed our thanks once more before leaving.

Shutter Time

It is time for us to start preparing for our journey home. This year I am not able to work as hard as usual so Theresa must fill in and help with the task. There are so many things that have to be done to make your home secure and give you confidence in your task

The shutters are the biggest job as they have to cover every opening and have to be put on securely to withstand a hurricane should one occur. With the heat we decided to stage the work over a period of time and perform the tasks early in the morning to escape the heat and humidity.

We do pretty well do everything together so our work really does not sound like that but just becomes part of our routine. We had Henry to help us take the shutters off but with the extra weeks of healing we thought we could do it OK. When the heat goes up to ninety we wish he was here to do the heavy lifting.

We still have a week before we head north so everything should be completed in a few days so we may enjoy our last days here without thoughts of work.

Brown's Grocery

That picture brings me back a few years. That picture was probably 1974. Gas was 37.9 cents a gallon. Hard to believe. We as a family worked long and hard to keep the store open and successful. All the kids got their business sense by working there. Lynda worked the most and longest but everyone chipped in. I remember I had the early morning shift at seven am and travelled by ski do in the winter.We sold everything you could think of and then some. I really believe it helped to bond our family. The summer with the fruit business was a high point for me and I know all of you had a trip down south at one time to purchase those great peaches from Mr. Fritz.

This store was more than a place where people purchased items . The folks from Quebec were some of our best and consistent customers as they called in when leaving Pembroke to cross the bridge. They would buy their gas there because it was the least expensive in the area and we had items that they forget to buy at the larger stores. Because we stayed open until 11pm every day people used to come at the last minute to purchase needed for school lunches and sometimes pop for mix at late night parties.

My wife was the manager but her mother, sister and all of our family put in time there.We socialized with the customers and got to know many people during our years at that location. It will always be fixed in my memory the first few weeks of ownership. None of us had any experience in the business except Roma and she held the fort until we learned enough to become useful.

It is only a memory now but a happy one, filled with hard work, long hours and a feeling of identy. Browns was the west end convenience store and a true family business.

Rain Makes a Difference

Since October of last year Florida has experienced a drought. About 2 inches of rain fell during that period of time. On the last weekend we experiences a succession of  rain and wind cells that gave us 5 inches of beautiful and needed rain.

The yellow grass  and withered plants and trees made our landscape unattractive. The golf courses turned from luscious green to brown and fires were a daily occurrence. Water restrictions we put into force  and even Lake O had to close its locks to boat traffic.

Then came the rain and within a few days everything became green and healthy again. We poor golfers liked the hard dry fairways as we could boast about our 250 yard drives because of the roll. Today we were back at 180 if we were lucky.

Florida from the air looks like half water but believe it or not there is a shortage of potable water. Here in Cape Coral much of our water comes from desalination plants. Water is our most prised  and valuable natural resource.Countries like Canada, Russia and Brazil have an abundance of this resource but much of the world has little or no fresh clean water.

I was surprised to see a report here in our city which stated that 75% of our fresh water is used to grow grass and water golf courses and flush toilets. They are working on this problem and now use recycled sewage water for watering our lawns and the newer low need for water in toilets is making a huge plus in our water usage.

We who are older would laugh at the idea of buying water for drinking other than that piped to our homes. If you look at the shelves in any store today you would see just how big a deal is for drinking water Bottled water is almost the same cost as gasoline and someday it may be much more valuable. Since a few countries have the lions share of fresh water there will come a time when water will become as much an international issue as oil.

In the meantime consider the value of water when you see the magnificent changes to mother earth when it rains.

Anniversary

Today was our special day and it started off with a very windy welcome. Theresa and I planned a cruise to celebrate our wedding day and it was great. However the exact day has to bring special meaning and as the day started we talked of the past and the adventures we experienced along the way.

It is good to look to the past but always see the future as the focus in a marriage. We have had a wonderful life with our children and friends and look foreword to many more. Today we received calls from our children and relaxed with Theresa and I  receiving calls and just sharing this day together.

The pool was filled to the top after the rain storm as we received about 5 inches of much needed moisture. When we had our swim the water was much deeper and we had fun with the change. To celebrate this day we decided to go to the Outback and have a special meal. As usual the food was great and we over indulged but it was really a time to have a slow meal with no dishes to wash

Our day was wonderful and we had the server take our picture to document the event. The only thing that could make this day better would be to share it back in Oakville with family and friends. .

Detroit Red Wings

It is time to once again suffer that 48 hour dreaded depression. The Wings had a wonderful year but slipped a little towards the end of the season. The team is older and tired and with such a emphasis on goal tending we could expect a problem. The winning team had full value for their play and will do well in the future. All we wing fans can do is wait for next year and hope that with a few trades we will find our winning ways. My friend Doug has not been in touch since the loss so he is probably sharing in the 48 hour depression as well.

AMEN.

Cuba, Land Of Promise

Our neighbors are former residents of Cuba. Since we have known them I have been so enlightened about conditions on that island that I was embarrassed.  I always thought that the island was a beautiful place with a healthy agricultural presence and a growing tourist trade.

On our recent cruise were sailed all along the north western coast of Cuba and I was amazed at the size of this Island. With a population around 7,000,000 people and an excellent educational and medical system the people are well served. The great natural resource for the future is the existence of huge , sandy beaches. The tourist trade is strong now but when Cuba becomes free there will be a great boom all over Cuba.

Because Cuba is a dictatorship it has been cut off from most countries for trade. The USA embargo had hurt Cuba but is not effective. The people suffer from lack of bare essentials and the government has control over all aspects of life. The people who visit for a week or more get a picture of a beautiful tropical island but in reality when you do not have freedom you are missing a essential fact of life.

Florida is home to over a million Cuban exiles who have settled in the Miami area. Their contributions are considerable and they have become a power in the political arena.I wonder if they would return to Cuba if it was opened up in the future.

I keep hoping the end would come to the dictatorship so Theresa and I could travel with our friends in Cuba.I feel that the embargo is not working and the exclusion of Cuba in the American federation is ridiculous. Cuba is no worse than other states within the federation and perhaps if they were included they could be convinced to change their ways. Canada has always been a friend of the Cuban people and I was surprised that Canada along with the USA once more used their veto to keep Cuba out of the federation.

I view Central America as a potential stable area but we have neglected this area so long that it has remained as a economic wilderness. It will become and has become a potential home to unrest and terrorism..Maybe , just maybe we in Canada and the USA will treat this area with more respect and a partner rather than a burden and It will become the land of promise rather than poverty.