Rock & Bird come to town.

This weekend is the reunion I have anticipated for weeks.  We have canceled our fishing trip and await my old friends arrival.  Friday I take Sarah to Ole Miss to visit,  She will be there for her Athletic Training  internship which begins in January.  Sarah also hopes to be hired as a GA there after graduation.  A long day that began at 7am and continued until our arrival back in MGM about 8pm.  My first visit to Oxford, a beautiful place that lives up to expectations. Harvested an acorn from the Grove as a momento.

The gathering is to take place at Karen's who is as always a gracious hostess.  When Sarah & I get there the crew has gone to stock up on supplies, mostly cold beer & ice.  Karen sent out to Mr. G's for lasanga and salad, it was wonderful.  Sarah stayed for dinner then made her way back to Troy.  She commented she wanted to stay for the stories.  I hurried her back to Troy, some things are best untold.  The tall tales then began.  I can't remember when I have laughed so much.  An evening to remember.

The crews woke up about 7 and begin to make ready for the trip to AU for the game.  Rock's sister Nancy arrived and She, Bird, Mel, Rock & Julie head for Auburn about 9.  Karen & I regroup and began to prepare for their return.  The Auburn game is on at 2:30.  Sarah has asked me to keep her informed about the game.  She is working the Troy game.  As soon as I would send her an update, another score would follow. Hope I didn't exceed my limit..

Donnie Vassar, an old Selma friend of Rock's showed up about half way through the game.  I had not seen Donnie for 30+ years.  We watched the game and await the groups return from AU.

The crew returned in time for the Bama game and a replay of Friday nite begins.  I brought my Palladiums from 72-75.  Much fun was had looking at them and reminiscing.   

Sunday all but Rock & Julie go their various ways.  We have a quiet afternoon and evening.  Monday Rock & Julie leave for ATL for their flight back to Maine.

It is such fun to reunite with old friends.  Some I have been remiss in keeping up with,  I hope that does not happen again.  We are already thinking of a trip to Maine & ATL.

Friends, Family, Fish & Shrimp

The Shrimp Festival is this weekend and we are going.  Monday is a holiday so I leave from work and meet Karen at TPOS Friday afternoon.  Karen's friends, Cathy, Lucy & Cathy's daughter are coming along with Ellie & Sarah.  We have a Full House.

Sarah & Ellie arrive first.  We go to Publix to stock up for Saturday am.  After Karen arrives we head over to GS for the festivities.   We make our way through the crowd and the "Fair Food".  Catch a fun band on the stage, Mustang Sally.  An all girl band lots of energy, fun.  Cathy & company are going to meet us there.  We see them there, remind them of the entry code and head back to Bayview.    Every bed, couch and blow up bed is taken.  The place is full.

Saturday I make Grits & Gillades for brunch.   Cathy & crew head out early to the festival.   It is a football weekend and we plan to go over for a quick run through.   Ellie has a Statistics exam and stayed behind to study while Karen, Sarah & I head to GS.  

The crowd size seems good but some memorable vendors are missing.  Hopefully they will be back.  We stop by to get some ribs to put on  the BGE and settle in for some football.

Bama goes down to South Carolina, Auburn outlasts Kentucky and Troy had won earlier in the week.  A perfect weekend...

The 3 Stooges???

Sarah & Ellie had to leave early Sunday, about 7am.  Karen & I had been invited to go fishing with Rick & Annie and we were off by 8.  Lauda joined us making it an all girl fishing team with Rick as the Captain & your scribe as deckhand.   


It is a nice day & we head SW to our coops that always produce quality fish.  It is about 29 miles to the spot and we relax on Sea Legs for the ride out.  Rick does a great job holding us on the spot and we begin to boat nice snapper.  As we close in on our limit of 10 snapper we begin to lose fish to Sharks.  We had a couple come up tail less.  We move on to another spot and pick up our final 2.  We head back to the dock.  A great day and lots of fish.

Shark Food

Traditionally this is last full weekend for me until after Pecan Season, it may be this year too.  It was great to spend it with Karen, Ellie & Sarah. 

A Labor Day of Love...

It's Labor Day weekend and NOAA has opened the Gulf waters we love to fishing. This has been long overdue since all testing has proven Gulf Seafood is safe to eat. Where is the news media now that we need to get the word out?

We made our way down Friday after lunch and made a couple of stops in Saraland & Daphne at Aleghri's Market.  We arrived at TPOS to find a full parking lot, something that has been missing all summer.  With NOAA's blessing the Gulf is a fun & safe place to play and work again.

We meet Saturday morning with our friends Big Rick & Annie on their boat.  Rick has finished the helm station air conditioning for a comfortable cool ride.  The seas were a little nastier than expected but Rick handled them well. The wind laid down after lunch for a very nice afternoon.  Our catch was a few triggerfish and numerous red snapper which were thrown back.  

Annie showed Karen her trigger rig. Smaller hooks, smaller baits, and a bank weight dropper rig proved to be very productive. We will use it Sunday.

Sunday we have plans to fish on the We'll Sea with Dave, Daniel, his new GF, and Tommy.  The young guys and new GF spent Saturday night at the 'Bama getting in about 3am.  This would prove to be a bad choice for the new GF.  Lines off at 9am.

Once again the seas were a little rough in the morning and improved all day.  At the first stop Karen began boating Trigger while the rest released red snapper.  This continued at each stop. Finally after the guys swallowed their pride and asked her how she was fishing. They rerigged and began to catch a few.  Tank#66 proved to be the most productive trigger spot of the day.  We will be back there.

We missed an opportunity to load up on dolphin.  At the Tank we noticed dolphin in the water.  Dave got rigged up, put bait in the water and immediately was hooked up.  We could not get enough rods rigged up and the bite turned off.  Looked to be some bigger fish in the school, unusual for that close in.


Daniel's new GF, Nancy, was overcome by seasickness at the first stop.  She tried all day but was elated when we made our way North to the pass. Me thinks she will decline all future invitations.

Our take for the day, 20 Trigger, a beeliner, and a couple of dolphin.  Karen caught 3/4's of the fish as usual.  Our thanks go out to Annie for sharing her Trigger rig and technique the day before.  It is the only way to consistently catch them.

It was a wonderfully enjoyable 2 days on the water but we are beat. Looking forward to a relaxing Monday.

   

"Have you ever dated a Sailor?"

The day of the family reunion has been fast approaching for weeks, this weekend it finally arrived.  It was appropriate it followed Friday 13th.

The gathering was held this year at Uncle Ezell's place here in OB.  We made our way there during a pouring rain to greet all the McLains.  Karen was a true sport about the whole ordeal, happily attending and being pleasant, truly the opposite of me.    I fret & obsess about it so much it gets me down.  The small talk that goes on for hours drives me crazy. 

We greeted Uncle E at the door.  I told him as always he is my favorite uncle.  I leave out that he is  my only uncle.  Aunt Georgia was the gracious host as always.  My cousins, Pat, Mike & Jo Ann were there.  It was good seeing them again.  Not sure I have seen Mike & Pat since Grandmama died,  more than a few years ago.   Many others were there as well, perhaps we were related, perhaps not.  


Uncle Ezell charmed Karen as he does most these days.  He asked her if she had ever dated a sailor?  When she said no he replied "You have not lived until you have dated a sailor".  Later when she was talking to him he told her "Young lady if you are going to flirt with me you need to speak up!"   After she bought one his walking sticks He told her "Thank you, the wife is hungry and the kids need new shoes".   He is much more personable these days rather than when I was a child.  Not sure who has changed, he or me.

Mama had informed me in no uncertain terms that it was from 10-2.  Apparently my brother did not get the message, arriving at 1:45, 15 minutes before I was eligible for parole.   We stayed until 2:30 and made our way out.  After all, we had the shortest distance to drive, perhaps a mile.   Came home changed clothes and headed for the boat.


Karen had told Linda they had to stay for 4 hours like we did.   They served their sentence and arrived at TPOS about 6.  We had cruised about a little making our obligatory run to Pirate's Cove.  We cruised through and headed for home.  Later Karen prepared a great dinner which was enjoyed by all.


I had invited my group to go to church with me this am, everyone bailed even my mother.  After church we gathered together and cruised over to Tacky Jack's for brunch. 

It was good to see everyone this weekend.   I fret and worry so much about these things they become an unpleasant affair for me.  Because someone tells me I must attend & enjoy  it becomes worrisome to me.   Being so vocal in my unpleasantness only makes it worse.   

Stick a catheder in me, I'm done..

The day of my ablation finally came,  July 28.  The theory here is that my arrhythmia's have been causing my episodes with cardio myopathy.  Dr. Kay & company at UAB can fix it.  


We left MGM about 6am and headed to UAB.  We were assigned to prep room #13, not the best of omens for a superstitious fool like me.   Later we met with Dr. Kay and he drew out the plan pictured above.  I got a chuckle out of him when I told him my brother said he wore the "longcoat."  The resident & medical student laughed even more.  

Shortly afterward they wheeled me back, put me on the operating table, and gave me the pixie dust.  Next thing I know Karen & company are standing around me saying I had survived!!  They kept me sedated the rest of the day & night. 

The next day we drove home and I slept most of the day.  Today is Friday & I feel great.

We will see if this is the root of all my cardiac troubles.  My cardiologist is hesitant to commit to it also believing alcohol is in the mix.  I have sworn off the libations since May 3 but still had another episode July 20.   This was clearly caused by atrial fibrillation so maybe this will cure it all?  Time will tell.


Lastly and most importantly Karen has been a wonderful caregiver & cheering section.  Without her I could not have done it.   Thank you, ILY!!

Jimmy Buffett

Our friends from MGM arrived Saturday evening for the Buffett show.  They were excited and looking forward to the show while we could hardly get out of bed from Saturday's adventure.  It was a hot July day in Alabama.

They left early to shop at the Wharf and then catch the shuttle to the concert to arrive when the gates opened.   We decided to take our chances and wait till later & find a parking spot.  The local media had promoted the bus system so well the traffic was less than a normal summer day.  We made the trip to GS in 10 minutes and parked 3 blocks away.  The bus riders walked much further than we did.

When we arrived we grabbed a spot on the deck and out of the sand.   It was a loooong way to the stage and he was the size of an ant that far away.  We could see the giant screen.  The distance was so great the picture was a second or so ahead of the sound.  The  Karma was good last night.  Lots of people  having a good time.  Hopefully America will see our Gulf Coast is still a great place to visit and vacation.   No oil was anywhere in sight!  

Rumors were rampant as to who else would join Buffett.  The list was long and varied.  Brooks and Dunn, Brad Paisley, Kid Rock, Alan Jackson were the most prominent.  Some even heard Bruce Springstein.  Maybe the Beatles were coming.  In the end it was just Jimmy and a couple of relatively unknowns and it was good.


The concert started promptly at 6 and continued until 8:20.  We made a dash back to the truck and were back in OB in 15 minutes.  We even gave Lucy & Cathy a ride to the bus stop to pick up the car.  Thanks goes out to the local media for encouraging everyone to ride the bus!!!  I got called a "jackass" because I would not let a couple of guys ride back in the truck..

Blue Angels 2010

Sarah, Karen  & I arrived in OB Friday early evening.   Karen dropped off Sarah & I at the marina to bring the boat around Bear Point to the condo.   It was a beautiful evening and we had just enough light to get past the tricky part & into the channel.  Our new chartplotter makes night navigation a breeze.  

 Saturday morning we began to load the boat for our trek to Pensacola Beach.  Leonard Gray joined us and off we went.  It was a smooth ride over and we returned to the same spot as last year.   About waist deep it was perfect.  We fired the grill up and Karen cooked delicious ABTs and Sliders as we watched the crowd.

The show was outstanding as usual.  Next year we have decided to walk over to the beach for the actual show.  Much of the low flying is missed from the sound but the party is much better.

A little storm started to brew off to the west after the show.  We managed to find a way out if the mess and headed back to OB.  The XM weather saved the day.

A fun day with friends. 

A weekend with the girls, at least 2/3 of them.

We made our weekly trek to OB Friday evening.  Ellie, Sarah, Chelsea & Kieth were already there.  It was off to the pier for fishing.   Hardhead cats and white trout were the victims.  Later we stayed up late(for me) and got ready for Saturday.

We arose Saturday to a beautiful hot day.  We decided on Tacky Jack's for lunch.  The Obama table was ours, Karen even got the Obama chair.  The waitress laughed that he smelled like "Afro Sheen & Fried Chicken"  while he was there,  some said he had watermelon for lunch.  We all had a hearty laugh about it but my faithful readers may not. Its just a joke!!!!  Watched the World Cup and continued at the condo.  Never watched a soccer match in my life but I was mesmerized. 

Later we took Miss Elisa over to Pirate's Cove for cocktails and iced tea.  Between Kieth & I she was loaded to the gunnell.  Good thing it was a calm day.  They all partook of bushwhackers and other libations while I sipped on iced tea.   Years ago I would sit on the deck there, watch the girls swim and drink beer.  These days they drink bushwhackers and watch me drink iced tea.  Life truly does come full circle.

Later that night I took them to the Flora Bama so they could catch a cab home.  My teetotaling ways  have transformed me into a Designated Driver.

Sunday was the normal clean up and trip home.  What a wonderful weekend with my twins.

Brandy is gone.

Yesterday was a very bad day.  Brandy had not responded to treatment by the vet and Karen had to make the heart wrenching decision to put her down.  She went for a last visit and the always necessary paperwork.  Not sure how she managed but she did.  Got her a few chicken strips, her favorite snack.  

I only knew Brandy the last year and a half.   I have always liked dogs but never loved them, with Brandy it was different.  She was a great dog and a great companion for Karen.  I shed a few tears yesterday but nothing compared to Karen.  She is devastated.

Karen will miss her for a very long time.

An Oily Day in OB...

On arrival last night we learned the Pass and all surrounding waters had been closed to recreational boaters.  As much as I don't like it, a good decision to keep us gawkers away. 

This morning we saw the oil firsthand at the beach.  It got worse during the day.  As this moves eastward past Pensacola to Destin more will be impacted and more will become vocal.   This is a bad blow to the economy here.  It has officially impacted me.  Mike at Sam's didn't want any pies until business picks up.  It will be a while.

We took Miss Elisa out to Perdido Bay and Tarkin Bay.  Ran into our friends Wayne & Brian.  Later we went swimming over by Barber's Marina.

Brandy, Karen' Golden Retriever,  has taken a turn for the worse this weekend.  She can't get up by herself anymore.  At 16 years she has had a good life.  We put people in a nursing home, nowhere for dogs to go.  Karen is devastated with this development.

Back to work tomorrow....

Saturday morning we went with our friends Rick & Annie on his new 38' Rampage. It was Rick's first time out and her handled her like the experienced Captain he is. A nice boat that will be enjoyed by the Partains and their guests. Still has his Pursuit for sale, a unique smaller boat, 26'-28' with diesels. It will be a great boat for someone. After lunch we came back to the condo to rendezvous with some friends. They got a better offer so we stayed and watched the rain.

Sunday morning. I went to church but slipped out early, shame on me. The bilge pump on We'll Sea had failed and she had accumulated a good bit of water. Took the boat over to Sportsman, gave the kid a 20 and he lifted her out to drain the water. Ran for 21 minutes. Lots of water. Don helped me get the bilge working again.

Late afternoon we went over to Pirate's Cove. All the locals were there and well lubricated. People were swimming back & forth across the channel. A dangerous thing. Saw a couple doing the dirty deed in the water for all to see. They had attracted quite a crowd. Saw her later prancing around inside the cove. Her Daddy must be a proud Papa...

After a short trip to our fav spot, Ingram's Bayou, we came home, cleaned up and off to Cafe Grazie's for dinner.

NOAA has done us in....

This was to be a long fishing weekend, BP had other plans. NOAA has closed all Federal waters eastward to Navarre. One of the guys at Sportsman has promised a couple of spots in Florida waters. We'll Sea. The weather has not cooperated anyway, high seas and thunderstorms through Monday.

We brought the boat around and went to Lulu's for lunch. The Wharf is on the way. They have a "Please No Wake" sign there. It is not a No Wake Zone and I don't slow down there. I got the one finger salute and had a spirited conversation with a couple of boaters and the guy at the Fuel dock. My temper got the best of me. 2 best lines of the day. A Baldwin County redneck with a mullet told me "Go back to Michigan" WTF??? The fuel dock guy told me he would never sell gas to me. Big hairy deal.

I called the Marine Police and asked about it. It is not no wake, period. I asked them to ether make it no wake of make those guys quit harassing everyone. The officer agreed, said he has made that recommendation many times to deaf ears. Great minds think alike...

Tonite we go to Pirate's Cove for Grayson Capps.

No Oil. May 29,2010

It was a beautiful, hot day on the GOM. Our crew was Dave, Leonard, Tommy, Mike, Karen and your humble Captain. Dave and I shared Captain's duties and we both fished. We hit APC #2 & 3, the Limestone(aka limpstone) spot, Tank 46 & and of course Boo Boo.

We managed a few White snapper, Several Trigger fish, a Beeliner and many ARS. We stopped on the way out and picked up a few Greenbacks for live bait. They were very productive today. Since we were targeting Trigger & Beeliners we used squid and smaller hooks. With bigger hooks we would have caught many more ARS.

Tank 46 was loaded with very nice snapper as was Boo Boo. We were boarded by Marine Police looking for snapper at the Pass. One of the Triggers was 1/4" short, he was nice to let us go. Funny thing, he asked did we see anyone else keeping ARS, like we were right next to someone.

We need to be able to run SSE to the Edge and Yellow Gravel but NOAA has that area closed. We continue to hear of people fishing in the no fishing zone but also have heard of people being caught. Who knows?

I'm glad my feet can't talk.

May 23, 2010

Sunday we try again. The crew consists of your faithful Captain, Karen, Tommy & Brenda Gray, aka Mrs. Leonard Gray.

A beautiful morning with slick seas. Again we head to Tommy's spots. First one, APC #1 held fish. We took a couple of white snapper and a trigger or two. Many endangered American Red Snappers. Next we try a few pryamids and a tank. Those Snappers must be following us, we catch many. They are also getting fatter from our baits. Nice fish.

Next we head to "Boo Boo". Very nice triggers and more ARS. This is a nice spot. Remember for later.

Nice trip back in. A good day with good friends.

May 22 2010

We begin the day Saturday with Karen, Tommy Mims & Lisa. Nice day with rollers from the South. We headed South to some spots from Tommy. Little bumpy & slow headed into the swells.

Decided to stop by a tank on the way out. It was clear Lisa was struggling with sea sickness. While I was positioning the boat over the spot the sickness took over. She was in dire straits. To the chagrin of my crew I decided we best head for home. The ride in was swift & smooth with a following sea. As is usually the case when we go under the bridge all was well. We will try again Sunday.