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
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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.

New World Record Squirrel

Garth T. McGillicuddy and Henry A. (Bubba) Jablonski were deer hunting on Maryland's Eastern Shore on Bubba's farm last Thursday when they were attacked by "the biggest dang squirrel I ever seen in my life" according to Mr. McGillicuddy. The animal has been identified by a biologist from the MD Department of Natural Resources as a Delmarva Colossus Squirrel. These large tree dwellers had not been seen in over a hundred years and were presumed to be extinct. The biologist also stated that the hunters were lucky to be carrying deer rifles as these squirrels had been known to attack humans and carry off dogs and small children. As this is the only known specimen of the Delmarva Colossus Squirrel, it is likely that the world record trophy will never be broken. When asked what he planned to do with the animal, Mr. Jablonski replied "That baby's going on the wall. I don't know of nobody who's got a giant squirrel on the wall." He further stated that he might be willing to loan it to the Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas outdoor stores for a touring show "if they throw in a bass boat."

My Christmas Deer

After many hours spent in the woods searching for the elusive whitetail deer, this is the best that I could do. I had to have something hanging from my tree this year. Actually, a friend emailed this to me last year and I thought I would share it. I still have the archery season to find a deer. I have forgotten what venison tastes like.

WV hunting trip

I went to West Virginia for a couple of days this past week to go deer hunting. I have been able to hunt the opening couple of days of the rifle season for all but one of the past six years. A family friend has a farm with about 150 acres of mostly woods with some open fields. The farm belonged to his father and he plans on leaving it to his children. I have had success on three occasions and brought home some venison. The largest deer I have taken on this particular place was a small seven point I got three or four years ago. Two years ago, I was able to take my son on his first deer hunting outing to this farm. He wasn't able to get one, but we both had a good time. Last year I had to work and wasn't able to get away. As I was making plans for my trip this year, my sister called and asked if I would mind if she brought her second son JR over to WV and for me to take him hunting. JR really enjoys the outdoors and his father and grandfather do not hunt so I try to help him out in this area if I can. I said "sure" and ammended my packing list to include another rifle and other items we would need. I stay with my mom's sister when I go to WV and this trip was no different. I got in Sunday evening and gave JR the mandatory safety briefing on the rifle he would be using. I had quizzed him on previous trips and just wanted to reinforce the idea of gun/hunting safety. We got up bright and early on Monday morning and drove out to the farm. I knew that there might be another person hunting on the farm, but when we arrived we were the only ones there. We headed out to the woods and began to climb the hill. I was looking for an open area in the woods where I had been successful before. It was slow going in the dark. As I was climbing the hill, I made a resolution to spend more time on my elliptical exercise machine. I was huffing and puffing. We found a spot and waited for daylight. Nothing was moving in the woods. I decided to try an relocate to another spot with a better view of the area. As we were moving I noticed another hunter also on the top of the ridge. I figured this was the fellow my friend had told me about. I decided to let him have the ridgetop and we would move to another area across the field. As we were moving to the new area, I noticed another truck next to ours. This put another wrinkle in the plan. We walked through the area I wanted to try and sat down. After waiting for another hour and seeing and hearing nothing I thought we might try and check out the feeder my friend has. We moved toward the feeder and as we got close I discovered where the other hunter was sitting. Right where I wanted to be. Well, the best laid plans and all that. I thought we might give the area a rest and so we went back to my aunt's house and had some lunch. We went back out that afternoon with much of the same. Tuesday morning was even colder and still not even the sight of a white tail disappearing over the hill. I hope JR wasn't too disappointed, but as I told him, I was twenty-eight before I shot my first deer and he is beginning much sooner than I was able to. I did my hunting when I was his age in my imagination on the pages of "Outdoor Life" and "Field and Stream." I returned home on Wednesday. I will still be able to get out this year in Maryland where I am stationed. I will try and post my successes or failures for those and future trips.

My nerd factor

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Just for curiosity's sake, I took the quiz. I know my brothers in law are much nerdier than I, but that's why I have brothers in law. When I have a computer question they save me money on IT support.