A Christmas Goose

This is the corrected version of the Story. I did not pay enough attention when Sam originally gave me the details.

My stepson Sam and our pastor and friend John went goose hunting on Christmas eve morning. Sam did not have to work and wanted to scratch his hunting itch. John had been wanting to try his hand at hunting waterfowl with his new shotgun, so he was very excited to go with Sam. They hunted in a blind that is located behind the house of some other friends of ours situated on a creek. Sam said that there were lots of geese and mallard ducks hanging out in the creek, but that they were all staying just out of gun range. Finally, some geese came in to land and were close enough to shoot. Sam and John both shot. Sam's goose folded up and hit the water hard and was not moving. John hit two geese that hit the water. One was stone dead, but one began to swim away. Sam shot it again and then went out to retrieve John's geese because they were farther out. When he came back to pick up his goose, it was gone. Apparantly it had recovered enough to either fly away or hide on the bank somewhere. They both looked for a while, but could not find it. This is John with the geese in front of his house. Sam recommended that he take the geese to someone who would pluck it for him, but John wanted to at least try the first ones himself. I think he will have them plucked the next time. As a sidebar, when I woke up on Christmas eve at around two in the afternoon, I smelled something wonderful cooking in the kitchen. Sam had gotten a goose last Saturday and Melissa was cooking it with my Aunt Marlys's wonderful recipe. It was a delicious Christmas eve dinner. I had to spend Christmas eve night at work, but I was home on Christmas morning.

Wordless Wednesday

Hot Dog Blog

I have a new story on the Hot Dog Blog.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Friday

There were four of us that went fishing last Saturday. My friends Bob, John, John's son Jessie and myself. We fished a small eastern shore lake I have written about before called Unicorn Lake. It was windy and cold. I managed to take a small sunfish on a clouser fly. John took this citation size 14" yellow perch. This is the largest yellow perch I have seen in Maryland. I am sure there are larger specimens here, but I haven't seen any. The others caught a few nice sized sunfish. It was a nice day spent with friends.

Twenty Years

Today is the last day of my twentieth year of service in the U.S. Army. I entered service on November 5, 1987 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. As well as New Jersey, I have been stationed in Texas, California (twice), Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia (twice), Maryland as well as Germany and Bosnia. I have had great assignments and some that were not much fun. I have many stories to tell and perhaps I can begin to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard as it is. I did not necessarily plan to make it a career, but I love being a soldier and I love being around soldiers. It has been an honor to serve our great country and I am but one of a long line of great Americans of every background and station in this, the best country on the earth, to serve with pride. Some day soon, I will put up the spurs and take off the boots and begin another career. But for the time being I will continue to go to work along side some of the best people I have ever known. Thank you for indulging me this moment of reflection, I just wanted to share a personal milestone with you all.

Another new blog

I have another new blog. I listed it as the Hot Dog Blog. Come check it out.

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Friday

My friend Bob and I went fishing on Wednesday. We took the S.S. Minnow out into the bay to try and find some stripers. I have been wanting to catch a striper on a fly for a very long time. Each time in the past something always went wrong. It would be too windy to fly fish or I would forget the flies I needed. This time it all went well. It was a beautiful day. I motored over to Bloody Point Lighthouse and started casting to the base of the lighthouse and letting the fly sink before I started pulling the fly back to me. I caught a couple of nice white perch before I caught this little striper. It wasn't big enough to keep, but it was a beautiful first for me. Bob caught a couple of stripers on lures before he caught these Z's. It was a great day on the water.

I have a new blog

I have created a new blog that I will dedicate to writing about politcal and spritual things that I feel led to write about. I have already posted a couple of items today. You can find it by the link labeled My Thoughts Blog.

Homecoming Time

This is my son Tom. He lives in Kansas with his mother. She took these with her camera phone. This was for his sophomore homecoming. He told me he didn't take a date, but when one of the guys (not a friend) went to hang out with some other guys he did dance with his date. It's good to have a back up plan.

My Favorite Season

I all ready knew that I liked fall the best, but this little test confirmed it.

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

Wordless Wednesday

Shooting Saturday

My friend Wally recently purchase a new rifle and wanted to sight it in, so we decided to spend some time today at a local range. We invited a couple of kids from our church to go with us. We took a .22 rifle and let them shoot a couple of magazines apiece. They both had a great time and we got our guns sighted in for the upcoming hunting season.

FIshing Friday

I hadn't been fishing for quite some time, so I headed out today for a couple of hours. The lake I drove to was still goobered up with algae, so I wasn't able to fish as much water as I would have liked. I did manage to catch and release several sunfish. This is one of the bigger examles. I ended my trip by catching several from the stream below the spillway on dry flies. What a great time.

WVU Marching Band

I just thought I would put this out for all true Mountaineer fans to enjoy. This was at the 2006 Sugar Bowl. This is their pregame "Country Roads".

Melissa's Birthday

Today is my beautiful wife Melissa's Birthday. I had to work, but everyone came to Annapolis to meet me halfway on my drive home. We had some dinner in Melissa's favorite Mexican restaurant. The highlight of the evening was when the staff came and put a sombrero on her head and then sang their happy birthday song.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Our Anniversary

Melissa and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary today. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night at Restaurant Local. It was a great meal. I had told them when making the reservation that it was our anniversary, so when it came time for dessert the waiter informed us that the chef had prepared something special for us. It was a delicious chocolate cake/mouse combination and a small cheesecake dessert with raspberry topping. Mmm, Mmm good. We had decided to have dinner on Friday evening because the first WVU football game was Saturday afternoon at 3:30 and we wanted to watch the game. We enjoyed a liesurely day by visiting the local Amish Market and our weekly farmer's market. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was having their annual boat auction so we decided to drive down to St. Michaels and take a look around. We ran into our friends Tom and Renee who were at the auction hoping to get a good deal on a boat. They were successful and came away with a nice 19' double rowing skiff. We hung around as long as we could and still be home in time for the game. We made it back in time to watch the Mountaineers win the game. We celebrated with some grilled steaks. Our friends Wally and Tina came over bringing some local sweet corn and we all had a tasty dinner out on the deck. What a way to celebrate our anniversary, good friends, good food and college football.

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Friday

(Mom and me in the boat)
My mom and her sister, my Aunt Linda came to visit this summer. My Aunt had told me that she wanted to go fishing while she was here. My small skiff is not large enough to take more than two or three people, so I rented a larger boat at the Ft. Meade Outdoor Recreation Center. We spent the afternoon fishing and managed to catch quite a few croaker and spot.



My wife, Melissa and my mom fixed a lovely picnic lunch that we enjoyed in a park next to the boat ramp. I took Melissa and my mom for a boat ride and then we went back out fishing for a couple more hours before dark. It was a satisfying way to spend the day.

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Friday

We met my friend Bernie at 0600 on Monday morning for a day of fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Bernie has a 20 foot center console fishing boat. I had invited my friend Bob and my pastor John to go as well. We got to the ramp a little after 0700 and quickly got the boat in the water. The wind was blowing around 15 mph steady with stronger gusts. In a small boat like Bernie's we were bobbing up and down quite a bit. I could tell after a while that John wasn't doing too well. Bob had taken a anti-motion sickness pill the night before and again in the morning, so he was doing okay. It wasn't too long before John was feeding the fish over the side of the boat. Oh well, it happens to the best of us.

We had four rods out and were trolling across the main channel of the bay. We were soon marking lots of fish on the fish finder, but apparantly they all had lockjaw. Until. One of the rods on Bob's side of the boat got hit and he was into his first rockfish. We netted the fish and measured it. It was a little over 20 inches and thus legal. The minimum size is 18 inches during the regular season. Not long after that, one of the rods on John's side of the boat got hit pretty hard, but the fish didn't get hooked.

By this point, John was noticeably green, but didn't want to surrender just yet. We continued to troll, but still no more fish. John fed the fish three more times and when he sat down on the deck of the boat with his chin on his chest, Berrnie asked if we should head in. I said something about discretion being the better part of valor and we pulled the rods in and began the ride back in. In a small boat with three foot seas we got a little wet on the ride home. Thankfully, I had my rain suit with me. On reaching the ramp, John got out and kissed the ground. I don't think it has deterred him from future trips. He'll be sure to take a motion sickness pill when offered the next time. Even though it was a short day on the water, it was a good day and sure beat going to work.

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Friday

This was taken over Memorial Day weekend in 1992. My friend Travis and I went hiking in the Sierra Mountains in California. Our plan was to hike into one of the alpine lakes to fish. When we found out the lakes were still frozen we decided to fish the streams. I am holding a brook trout that is maybe the width of my hand. The colors on these tiny fish were incredible.

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Friday

This picture of my son Tom and my nephew JR was taken seven or so years ago on our family's farm in Kentucky. There is a similar picture floating around somewhere of myself and my cousin Jim that was taken when we were about the same age. When I find that picture I will post it. These fish were caught at a pay lake in Bowling Green where we spent an afternoon. The farm where this picture was taken belonged to my Granny and Papaw. My Granny fixes the best catfish dinner and that is where these fellows ended up. My Papaw is the one who taught me how to fish and encouraged my love of the outdoors. I have many wonderful memories of the farm and surrounding area. It is still to cold to fish where I am now, so I am reminiscing about past fishing glories and other fond memories.

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing er Crabbing Friday

Beautiful Swimmers in the cooking pot
No, it isn't time to begin crabbing yet, but I have had a hankering lately for some fresh blue crabs. The latin name is Callinectes sapidus which means beautiful swimmer. I think they shoud be named tasty swimmer. This is about a crabbing trip I made this past summer with my dad and stepson and the picnic we enjoyed afterwards.

Sam (my stepson) and I took my dad crabbing after breakfast today. We loaded up the skiff and headed toward Cambridge. We stopped at the Wawa for some beverages and ice. I had thought we would head out toward Slaughter Creek like Sam and I had done two weeks prior. We had gone out that weekend and caught about ¾ a bushel of smaller crabs with lots of throwbacks. While I was in the store, Sam called his friend Ray C. who said he had done well in the Choptank River recently. I had already started down the road toward Slaughter Creek, but I turned the big red truck around and we launched out of the ramp next to the hospital in Cambridge instead. We ran the boat upriver to the point on the western side just north of the bridge. Someone else was running a trotline in the cove so we headed upriver a little further. We set the trotline in water that ran from 8’ to 12’ deep. We also put out the seven traps we had brought along.

Dad and I with the leftover shells

Dad had only been crabbing once before with Sam a couple of years ago. At that time, it had been too early in the spring and they didn’t raise any crabs. After setting the trotline, we ran back to the first trap we had set out. Dad pulled it up and came face to face with his first blue crab. He seemed to be having a great time. We ran the line five or six times with just a few crabs each time. However, with the crabs we got in the traps, we left with a bushel of big crabs. We had only caught two that were too small, and all but six were nice heavy males. We got back to the house in time to shower and load the burner and steamer pot in the truck to head over to Moton Park for a church picnic. My new steamer was just large enough to hold all the crabs. When they were all nice and red, we spread the paper bags and dumped them out on the table. Every one there enjoyed the surprise and some of the kids got their first taste of crabs. My dad took right to picking. You would not have been able to tell that it was his first time eating crabs. I have to say it was a great day on the water and a better evening at the table with my dad and stepson.

One of the larger crabs that day

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

I have my parents and a good memory to thank for my score.

Four decades of Hondas

After making the purchase of our minivan, I got to thinking about the Hondas I have owned in the past. When I lived in Dallas, TX in the mid eighties I owned a 1976 Honda Civic like the one in the picture. The only difference is that mine was canary yellow. I moved from Dallas to West Virginia and back in that car. I stuffed all I could into the car and put the rest in a large wooden box that I tied on top. It was a great little car and its demise is one of the reasons that I am in the Army. But that's another story. When I met my wife she had just purchased used a 1998 Honda Civic. This is a much nicer car than the one I drove those years ago. When I took a position in DC I decided I didn't want to drive my big red truck in that traffic, so I looked for an economical commuter car. I found what I wanted in a 1985 Honda Accord coupe. It was a one owner vehicle and it has been great. So, I have owned Hondas from the 70s, 80s, 90s and now the 00s. I also own a Honda outboard for my boat and a Honda powered pressure washer. I guess I just like the products. We will be getting rid of the Accord and I will be driving the 98 Civic. There just isn't room enough in the driveway and our house looks like a used car lot at times. I have also owned two 1975 VW buses, but that is a story for another day.

Ebuying a Car

We had been thinking about upgrading our vehicle status by adding a minivan. For those who know us, the fact that my wife was even entertaining the idea of a minivan is a miracle. Recently, she accepted a position as a nanny for three small children. The family is very flexible about allowing my wife to take the kids to the park or zoo. Her car at the time was a Honda Civic. It had enough room for her and two of the kids in the back seat, but not room for all three. Our pastor had purchased a van on Ebay and recommended that I try to see what I could find. I began my search to see what was available and where. I did not want to have to fly half way across the country and drive back. After searching on Ebay, I found a dealer that seemed to have what we were looking for. He specialized in Honda Odyssey and Toyota Previa vans. He had several nice looking 2003 Odysseys. Best of all he was only about three hours away in PA. The couple that my wife had previously worked for as a nanny had an Odyssey and she thought they were nice. I did a price comparison with dealers in the area and found that the online dealer was asking $1,000 to $2,000 below what the local dealers were asking. I did a NADA search to see what the retail list would be for the van and found that the online dealer was asking for $500 below list. The van in the picture had a Buy it Now price and a button for Make an Offer. I offered $1,000 below the Buy it Now price and shortly thereafter received a notice that my bid was accepted. I applied online for a loan through USAA which is also my insurance company and within 30 minutes a check was overnighted by FedEx and we received it less than 24 hours later. We drove the three hours to the dealership, got in the van for a test drive and spent about ten minutes filling out the paperwork. In no time at alll, we were back on the road home. The van was exactly as advertised. It is the nicest vehicle my wife or I have ever owned. She is very pleased with the purchase and that makes me very happy. I must say it was the most positive car buying experience I have ever had. If anyone is interested in purchasing a late model Odyssey or Previa, email me for the dealer's info.

Success! Finally.

I was able to go goose hunting this past Wednesday. For those of you familiar with my goose hunting history, these were the first legal geese that I was able to "bag." My friend Lenny asked if I wanted to go hunting on the farm that he and his sons lease on Kent Island in Maryland. I of course said "sure" and met him on Wednesday morning. We went out and set out the decoys in front of the pit blind in the middle of a cut corn field. We got the first one in the first half hour or so. It took us until almost noon to get the other three. The chocolate lab in the picture is my dog Gus. He didn't accompany me on this trip because I was hunting on someone else's lease. He loves the smell of the birds and had fun chasing the feathers as we were dressing the birds. The season ends on Saturday, so that was my last waterfowl trip for the year.