# 294 - Small Steps Toward the Country

The backside of our property has a springfed lake and it makes for the perfect picnic spot. I look forward to the day a table is sitting near the edge of the lake, under a shade tree, and fresh fish is on the lakeside grill.

Who could want more? We always wanted waterfront property...well...we've got it. The problem is being able to relocate to our acreage so we can actually enjoy it on a daily basis.

Winter shot of the lake at back of our property.

This economy is making it more difficult for us to sell our house. Due to several points, it seems to be wise for us to temporarily take the house off the market. First, our oldest daughter's wedding is coming up in October. We are having a wedding shower at our house in August --- we need a house for us to hold a shower for the entire family to attend. Also, we don't want to end up selling in the middle of August and trying to move a household and start the construction process during the worst heat of the year...August in Texas can be brutal. Finally, we think it's best to at least have the barn constructed before we get into a contract to sell this house. We're going to build the barn/workshop with an "apartment" so that we can have a place to stay WITH the animals out on the acreage while the house is put on the market again. Having to deal with three dogs and six chickens for every showing is very stressful.

So, we're going to focus on barn/workshop construction so that we can be on the property more often and make a smoother transition. Everything happens for a reason.

That being said, we've had a young couple very interested in our house. We decided that if they made an offer that is solid, we will move forward with selling right now. However, if that offer doesn't come through, we will give ourselves a bit of time to construct the barn...after the high heat of summer is over. The good news is that the barn site already has major preparations ready for its construction...the septic system is in place, the utility poles are nearby, so we will only have to be concerned with digging a well.

And, I will have a bit more time to keep working on trying to purchase the acre and a half next door.

That little piece of property would be worth the purchase because it would cut down on fencing issues, access road issues would be greatly reduced and we'd not have to worry about someone constructing something so close to our home-site.

Anyway, there's so much to do still. We need to make a daytrip to the property very soon or get an a/c unit to hook up to the generator so we can have cooled air on the nights when it will likely be around 90 degrees. Depending on the heat of the summer, we will see how it goes. It will be a good time to get the foundation for the barn/workshop poured because the summer heat makes the access road more stable for the heavy equipment that would be needed for this stage of construction.

I have a feeling it will all work out perfectly. Even so, I wish the acreage was my permanent address, starting tomorrow morning. However, all of the things we have approaching in our lives makes this a more difficult time to sell the house. If it had sold back in April or the start of May, it could have been more manageable. I hope we will be able to start finishing the barn by the time Fall is beginning to arrive and after my oldest daughter's wedding has taken place, we will be able to focus more fully on the other construction efforts that will follow.

Meanwhile, I am grateful for each step along the way. Selling a house these days is not always an easy task. Truthfully, if they raised the interest rates a tad, there would be more banks willing to make loans because they would actually be making a good income on giving out those loans, in addition, our investments would be increasing at higher interest rates. Not that I want a HIGH interest rate, but just high enough to stimulate the economy into having the motivation to bankroll loans.

This past week, we had a potential buyer ask us if we'd personally carry the loan on our house for them and that they'd pay a balloon payment at the end of a three year period. No thanks.

Regardless, with a daughter getting married, things are very busy. On that front, our family is set to air on TLC's show, "Randy to the Rescue" in the next week or two. I'm not exactly sure. We sit down every Friday night to see if our family is going to pop up. They did extensive filming of my daughter at various locations, so we're curious to see how they will put it all together for the show.

I'm sure it will give us lots of reasons to laugh with gusto. We'll see...we'll see.

Okay, barn/workshop plans are the priority for our transition. Gotta get that barn built. Then, we can put in fencing for the dogs and start on a chicken coop so we can get the chickens moved.

I think we're figuring it out...each step is important. Sometimes, jumping in headfirst is not the wisest way to jump. Since I can't really jump any longer, I'm all for taking lots of small steps!

# 288 - Third Arm Fertilizer

Fishing in the same kayak that sank a few weeks ago, at the end of May, has become a bit easier for Deputy Dave. He's been sticking closer to shore since that incident which reminded him of how small he can be in the middle of the ocean. But, I am thankful he's still enjoying his #1 hobby of fishing.

Contending with sudden harsh waves is something every fisherman dreads. To have rather calm waters around you, then to be hit by hard hitting waves is disconcerting. However, we've all heard the stories where it goes beyond a little boat being hit, there have been ships that have rolled due to rogue waves.

Still, seafaring people driven to be on the water will continue forward, in spite of fears. It's kind of like getting back on the horse after being bucked off. You shake in your boots a little, but haul yourself back onto the saddle for another ride.

Here is one of the channel markers near our house.

Deputy Dave paddles beneath an overpass and gets to see many Swallow nests.

These birds are amazing. I find it fascinating that these birds create homes that are tucked into places most creatures cannot access.

Deputy Dave continues paddling between the two overpasses.

Of course, since he's fishing and kayaking nearby, there are definite signs of industry all around the coastline. After all, this is the Greater Houston area and we all know what that means...OIL INDUSTRY.

Yes, we have these famous icons of Texas oil all over the place.

Like a moving work of art, they plunge into the depths of the earth and pull back to start all over again.

Here's another one in the photo below, but the drab appearance of this rig is not as "pretty" when lacking the brilliant red coating.

Along with industry comes pollution. This area, near Baytown, Texas, has warnings for fisherman to not eat the fish from this area very often. For some, there is a warning to NEVER eat the fish or crab from this area. That's kind of scary. The fish in this location consistently test positive for heavy metals and other toxins.

Needless to say, there are no "keepers" brought home from this area, but it's still a great place to explore and to fish for sport.

Again, I can't wait to explore Lake Livingston once we get moved to the country. Lake fishing is definitely different from fishing in the ocean. Deputy Dave is accustomed to sharks and is not deterred by their presence. However, I must say that I am personally TERRIFIED of alligators. Here in Texas, on many trips in and around several bodies of water, I have come across some VERY LARGE alligators who are fierce looking and it is clear you'd not have a chance to escape their jaws, if you were to get too close.

To be fair to saltwater in our area, there are places that have saltwater alligators. So, I guess either lake water or saltwater may have predators lurking beneath the surface that I would like to avoid.

However, since Lake Livingston has been known to be home to rather massive alligators, I'm still opting for a REAL boat once we move to Livingston. Yes, I have kayaked around Lake Livingston and have paddled back into the recesses of inlets that look more like swamp water than lake water, but after I stop for too long to ponder my surroundings or after I see a log partially exposed from beneath the water...I begin to see alligators all around.

Shudder.

Yes, a boat will be high on my list. I will be eager to have catfish in my freezer for a variety of meals, but I am not eager to come across an alligator while catching that dinner.

Then again, once we're moved to the country and fishing on the lake, we will be away from waters that are continuously inundated with toxins. At that time, I guess the third arm growing out of my back won't get its city fertilizer any longer. Darn.

# 287 - Roseate Spoonbill Moment is Needed!

Deputy Dave has been enjoying this bright, beautiful weather here in Texas because it allows him to go fishing more often. We've been having a few storm systems move through, but they usually pass fast to leave a sunny day remaining. Since he's working so hard, due to a lot of over-time required of many deputies working for the Sheriff's Department that is publicly known as being undermanned, he's needing to blow off some steam on the weekends.

Some deputies rush away from their department job because they have extra jobs in the private sector to attend, but Deputy Dave is one of the guys who stays free from outside commitments, so he's one of the deputies able to fulfill over-time demands, even when he's dog-tired. He's loyal to his job.

He likes to says he's going "fishing" but to not expect him to come home with fish to eat or he'd call the outing "catching" instead of "fishing." We have a freezer full of fish froze while extremely fresh. So, we're not in need of more fresh fish and it's sometimes great to get out on the water and to simply enjoy being in the midst of nature, especially after having to work in downtown Houston every day, inside a skyscraper. It's great to get away from the coldness of working near the 20th floor and to instead enjoy floating on the water while getting back in touch with the more basic aspects of life.

In the distance, he spies a Roseate Spoonbill which is a brilliant bird with pink plumage. Their eyes and legs are red. The younger the bird, the paler the color. You can see the red legs in the photos below. It's interesting to me, as a Texan, that breeding of these birds in North America is limited to coastal regions of Texas, Louisiana and Florida. They feed in both saltwater and freshwater while traveling in a flock and can weigh up to four pounds.

These birds are fascinating to me because they find a mate, court each other with awesome rituals, build a nest together, they mate in the prepared nest (after he carried her over the threshold) and soon, 2-5 eggs are laid. Both Momma Bird and Daddy Bird take turns sitting on the eggs until hatching occurs, then they take turns caring for and feeding the chicks for six weeks. At that time, they can both experience the empty nest syndrome together as well.

(Internet Photo to give close-up of bird.)

It's easy to see why the feathers of these birds were highly prized for use in a lady's fan at the turn of the century, which made them sought after by "plume hunters" and decimated their numbers. Fortunately, they are making a comeback. And yes, Flamingos are a close relative of the Roseate Spoonbill.

This odd bird's diet consists of crustaceans, aquatic insects, small frogs, small fish, and such. They wade in the shallows and keep their bill beneath the surface of the water while swinging it back and forth until they find something to snap in their bill for lunch.

Moments like these make a day out with God's goodness even more exciting. I can tell you that special moments such as these, with a Roseate Spoonbill is much more joyful to Deputy Dave than to be watching inmates in orange jumpers all week, attorneys in their high dollar threads, and politics swirling in the air to make everyone tense at the criminal courthouse.

With that said, it appears the current District Attorney in Harris County Texas is on her way out the door and one of the judges in the courthouse is up for the seat. A lot of people are expected to lose their jobs after the new District Attorney is officially on the job. Sadly, if you campaigned for the losing side, you might lose your job or your position could be impacted. The smart attorneys at the courthouse keep their voting preferences close to their heart and away from their mouths.

Pat Lykos has been our District Attorney. Personally, I like her a lot and am sad to see her being ushered out for someone else to clog the court system that Pat has worked so hard to get moving efficiently. She is also the D.A. in our county who set up a team of investigators to work cold files, I believe they've now solved over 50 cold cases. To me, that is amazing.

So, the tension in the courthouse is thick. Besides politics, the courthouse had yet another bomb scare and partial evacuation this past week. Ahhh...life in the big city. Working in this kind of environment introduces a high level of stress for those who are dealing with the most unstable part of society.

I think that's why he loves to go kayaking, fishing and to simply be at peace while observing everything in nature that works harmoniously together, except when the shark makes an appearance.

For the moment, all of the concerns of yesterday are melting away.

And then it is over as fast as it began, with a surprise. She shared her unique beauty and is now on her way to offer a delighted exhale of content for the next onlooker to savor. She's a powerful beauty with pink vibrancy. Spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched and glide majestically upon the winds.

Away she carries a man's stress, his discouragement with humanity and his emptiness after being drained by too much work and after being too close to the tragic side of life. This feathered friend leaves him feeling renewed at being reminded that there are innocent creatures sharing the environment with us and his contentment with life begins to surge again. Such is the many cycles of life.

This cycle is about balance.

Working or living in a highly stressful environment requires a person to decompress or they will end up like the hot kettle blowing on the stove, eventually the building pressure will start to seep out. It's better to allow the seeping to happen in a way that is positive and in your control.

Take charge of your decompression.

Laugh with your friends, spend some time with the chickens, play a video game or get out the cards or dominoes, listen to some music...work hard at working hard, but don't forget to work just as hard at playing. You never get too old to play. If you have forgotten how to play, then you have become truly "old."

I hope you have a magnificent "Spoonbill Moment" very soon!

# 283 - Acreage Good Times

Over the years, our family has had great times on our acreage. When the kids were young, we'd spend many weekends at our property and most of the summer there as well. Deputy Dave would often catch dinner from the lake at the back of our property.

My father-in-law had run electricity to a pole for our RV hookups. A few years later, during a long spurt of us being absent from the land, someone stole everything.

Sometimes I forget about how young Stefie had been as we were wandering through the woods. The girls would go on hikes together, after they learned the land, and it was such an adventurous task for these girls to take. But, they did live with adventure, that is for sure.

Of course, if we would have allowed the girls to stay in the lake all summer, this would've worked for them. We always had some kind of boat for them to take out into the lake. Again, they had a lot of freedom while I constantly drilled them about water safety. This lake is NOT a swimming pool! But, our kids were allowed to be kids. This body of water comes from a spring, it isn't dormant water or a reservoir with stagnant water, it's moving water that stays cool and fresh due to the spring bubbling forth its goodness.

Deputy Dave would always catch our dinner at our private lake. This little beauty is about to be re-named to "Delicious."

Here I am with my girls. These were times when my health was precarious since I was in the middle of having two cardio-thoracic surgeries (one year apart) that would be brutal and with dire consequences that would require prolonged recovery. Going to our land seemed to offer huge healing benefits. There were times I couldn't make the physically demanding trek to the lake, but I always tried. Along the way, we had to cross the creek which could get deep at certain points...my girls enjoyed quite a few laughs at my expense as I fell into the creek. Then, I would start laughing so hard myself that I couldn't move a muscle to get out of the water.

On the times I couldn't attempt the hike to the lake, I'd be content to sit and to watch the beautiful birds feed off the seed I'd toss into a grove of trees.

My girls have such GREAT memories of pulling up dead roots, picking up dead branches and throwing it all into a huge pile that would later become a bon-fire. Creating the pile of branches to burn wasn't such fun, but the times we had at nightfall, while gathered around the fire, were priceless. I think it served to teach them that some of the best kind of fun will often follow hard work. Their efforts also confirmed that this land belonged to all of us, as a family. Regardless, we enjoyed a few screams and dodging action while sitting around the fire because dive-bombing bats were going after bugs drawn to the fire-light. Yes, the bats definitely provided thrilling moments.

Stefie and Heather were always so tan! I don't know if Stefie has seen her legs this tan since these days of working and playing on the acreage.

We always had scrumptious food while staying on our land. For some reason, the food always tasted better when in the country, maybe it's because our appetites were so ravenous.

The girls and a friend out on the water.

Stefie and her friend take their turn at playing a game of horse-shoe. You can see the beginning of my daughters' TEEPEE in the corner of the photo below. We always had a Teepee for them to use as a retreat. Throughout their years growing up, my girls have taken so many naps in Teepees. I hope they will teach their own children, one day, once they have children, to build Teepees.

Me and my lemon tree. It's still there, but kind of straggly looking. I hope we get moved to our property this year and get to plant many more fruit trees throughout the property. These are the days when I would dye my hair a dark brown...don't ask me why...I also tried to go with straight hair, a true battle when you have naturally curly hair...again, don't ask me why.

Stefie and her little traveling buddy, Liyla...she's still a young dog in this photo. This dog has been a beautiful member of our family.

And what's a trip to the country without shooting a few targets in the pit? My brother, a former Marine who served hard time in the Middle East is so cute while plugging his ears.

The area above, once cleared out by a bull-dozer, is now over-run with thick growth and towering trees. Nature has already reclaimed most of the land that we had worked so hard to clear about ten years ago. That's how it goes.

Once we move to our land, I'm sure it will be amazing for us to see the difference that our constant presence as residents will finally make to its landscape. I can hardly wait.

But, most of all, I can hardly wait to get our cabin built so that we can start having more wonderful family moments together in the woods.

# 274 - Fishing Day Gone Awry

First of all, I wanted to give my regular readers an update. My biopsies came back clear! I have been thankful!! And my youngest, Stefie, has been doing great with her back rehabilitation...she had seen a Neurologist who was concerned that she had MS, so they did more MRI's of spine and brain, which showed everything to be clear! We've had a lot of reasons to celebrate around here! I have a CT-Scan scheduled for this coming week and hope the celebrating will continue!

********

Big Events can occur in our lives. Events of such magnitude that we are forced to stop in our own little tracks as the world itself continues to whirl around us. In these powerful moments, we are forced to confront changes to our personal evolution. Sometimes, find ourselves to be different afterward.

Deputy Dave experienced a Big Event this weekend and he's been taking a good hard look at life and how it can truly change in one blink.

This past Sunday morning, Deputy Dave planned a Memorial Weekend kayaking/fishing trip with his brother. Deputy Dave ended up launching his kayak at Mosquito Island. We live near the bay, close to Galveston, so ocean kayaking is a huge part of Deputy Dave's fishing lifestyle. On this morning, he'd left the house before dawn after he loaded up the kayak with all of his fishing gear, to include his sparkling new rod and reel. He stopped for a cup of coffee on the way to the water, then he set out to fish in conditions that made for slightly choppy water.

Still, it was a gorgeous day, perfect for fishing. As he kayaked, he realized that Kevin, his brother, would not be showing up. It seems his brother had partied too hard the previous night and would not feel like getting up early to paddle through the ocean for hours. So, Deputy Dave kept fishing, solo.

On a roll, he caught four trout. Early in the morning, around 7am, as he kayaked near the shoreline in continued solitude, he was happy to see a fishing guide appear nearby. The guide had one client onboard; fishing next to each other, they began to have a good conversation that included trading stories about their fishing techniques and successes over the past couple of days. Everyone savored the beautiful day at this rather remote location.

Photo from that morning.

Soon enough, Deputy Dave is off on his own again, but the excitement was just getting started because he hooked into an Amber-Jack and the pace of the morning suddenly changed to peaceful to a high pace adrenaline rush. Sitting in his kayak, Deputy Dave hears the reel spin with high velocity to create a screeching whine belonging to a reel being pushed to its limits. There were no breaks in the screaming of the line, it continued on and on, proving that the fight to land this fish would not be easy. So, Deputy Dave began paddling as fast as he could toward the fleeing fish on the screaming line; he needed to get to a point where he could start reeling, but not too soon or the fish would likely get away.

He didn't have to worry about boating traffic or competing fisherman in the area because Deputy Dave was out there alone, except for the fishing guide left back near the shoreline, the disappearing shoreline.

Once he began to reel and to fight the fish, Deputy Dave was fully enjoying his sharpened focus on catching the Amber-Jack, so fully that he'd not realized he was now approximately four miles from shore. As he gained distance from shore, it appeared the waters had also become more choppy and within seconds, the excitement twisted into dread.

An initial large rogue wave hit the front of the kayak so hard that it popped his front cover open and without a moment to gather a second thought, more waves battered the kayak. Since the front hull cover had been popped off by the sheer force of the wave, the following waves filled the kayak hull in an instant. In happened in seconds. Deputy Dave didn't even have time to panic as the kayak's front end dipped down into the depths of the ocean while the rest of the kayak followed into the depths to sink completely, tossing him out in the process.

Since the Texas sun had appeared before the kayak sank, it had become very hot and uncomfortable during the fight with the Amber-Jack, so in the frenzy, Deputy Dave had done the unthinkable, he'd slipped his lifejacket off and it had been laying behind him on the kayak. Thankfully, he managed to grab the vest as the kayak sunk. Slipping his arms in into the lifevest, he then leaned back in the water to get it zipped. He had one old fishing pole, the bag of fish he'd already caught, and he was able to swim to catch the paddle.

In shock that his kayak had disappeared into the ocean, he began looking around and no one was in sight. The shoreline was miles away. He tried to use the paddle to reach the bottom of the ocean floor so he could gauge the depth, which was apparently about 10 feet deep for that particular place. For a moment, he felt as if he might end up to be a Memorial Day statistic. He also knew that I would not raise the alert for many hours because he sometimes doesn't come back from fishing until around 3pm. In that case, if he couldn't get help or swim the four miles to shore, in increasingly rough waters, he might be in the water for 8 hours, at least.

Deputy Dave keeps an anchor on the boat and a miracle for the kayak occurred after it had tipped; the anchor fell out and hit ground to drag on the ocean floor. The anchor hitting bottom forced the kayak to be pulled against the current beneath the water. This action caused the kayak's front tip to again pop up above the surface, but only about three inches of the kayak reappeared topside. Deputy Dave swam over to the kayak to see if there were any way to get the kayak topside again. After many tries, it was apparent that there wasn't anything he could do to get the kayak to float. It remained almost completely submerged, except for those three inches that bobbed above the waterline.

Everything onboard the kayak was gone...the fishing net, cast net, two tackle boxes, brand new rods and reels, but the thing he complained about the most, with humor, was the cup of coffee that was wasted. The kayak went under with the coffee cup more than half full. The ocean finished off his coffee.

Little did Deputy Dave know, the fishing guide he'd left at the shoreline earlier that morning had been keeping an eye on Deputy Dave as he and his client continued to fish that area. The fishing guide had thankfully not rushed off to another fishing hole, instead, he had stayed put while watching Deputy Dave nearly disappear offshore. Obviously, the fishing guide felt uneasy about the entire situation, but he and his client kept fishing. The next time the guide looked up to search the horizon for the kayaker, he could not see the kayak or the fisherman who we all know as "Deputy Dave." The kayaker he'd been talking with earlier that morning had suddenly disappeared completely from view.

Most of us understand that this moment was a pivotal deciding point for Deputy Dave's survival; either that fishing guide could've shrugged off the disappearance as no big deal or he could've done exactly as he choose to do and acted upon the bad feeling with not being able to see the kayaker any longer. Fortunately, the fishing guide had alarm bells ringing, so he told his client that their fishing adventure would be taking a detour so they could go out a few miles to search for the kayaker that suddenly could not be seen in the distance.

Meanwhile, Deputy Dave is in the water, very frustrated. He's realizing how bad things have gone, in a blink of an eye. One moment, the morning was a beautiful fishing day with a nice fish pulling on his line and the next moment he's been forced to cut his line to try to save himself from capsizing, but it was too late...the waves had made up their mind to take him down. He was shocked that the kayak completely sunk.

As my dad said later that day, in this area of water, he'd not want to be out of a boat for ANYTHING. Deputy Dave didn't even think about the sharks in the area. He only thought about being so far from shore while facing the fact that no boaters were in sight. He'd only seen that one fishing guide in the few hours he'd been kayaking that morning. Ships were in the far distance, but he was alone in the water, relying on his lifejacket to keep him afloat. Minutes were ticking by. Personally, I don't know how he kept from panicking. But, he said that God gave him a deep sense of calm.

Then, after spending about 30 minutes in the water near the sunk kayak, he hears the motor of a boat approaching. He takes his paddle and waves it around in the air. He could tell the boater was searching for him because he kept circling in the same area. FINALLY, the guide kept circling until he found Deputy Dave in the water and the fishing guide joined Deputy Dave's shock at seeing the kayak submerged. The guide could not believe it had sunk. The scene must have been eerie.

The fishing guide owned a flat bottom boat. He and his client pulled Deputy Dave aboard, then decided they would try to save the kayak. Deputy Dave didn't care at this point, he was so thankful to be out of the ocean. But, the fishing guide and his client were determined to lug the kayak out of the water onto the flat bottom boat. Problem with that plan is that once they began to pull it onboard, the kayak instantly began pouring water out of the hull, about 400 pounds of water, onto the floor of the guide's boat. To make matters more complicated, the fishing guide's bilge pump was not kicking on, so his boat end started to sink.

The guide's client was determined to get the kayak on board, but Deputy Dave told the guide to start the boat forward so the water would flow off the back of the kayak into the ocean instead onto the boat floor. Frankly, Deputy Dave wanted to leave the kayak behind. But, the fishermen were determined to save the kayak. Finally, with the boat moving slowly forward, the bilge pump kicked on. Deputy Dave said it was another tense moment because he certainly didn't want to be in the ocean with two lost boats and three men stuck at the mercy of the ocean.

So, by the end of the ordeal, Deputy Dave had beautiful rescuers who saved his life and his boat. Everything on the boat could be easily replaced, payday to payday!

The wave hit so hard that it popped off the cover
to the hull, which immediately filled with water
from the following waves battering the kayak. In mere seconds,
the boat went under and Deputy Dave was tossed out.

By the time all three men reached the shore, it was still early in the morning, probably just after 9am. The fishing guide would not give his name because he didn't want to be thanked for saving somebody...he just thought it was all in God's plan, but he was definitely upset by the ordeal. He tried to go back out for more fishing with his client, but ended up making a short circle to come right back to shore and load up as Deputy Dave himself was getting ready to drive off.

Deputy Dave said he'd never forget this man's pro-active mentality that led to life-saving actions. If that man had been flat out lazy or disinterested, Deputy Dave might not be around to enjoy more days of fishing. It's great that Deputy Dave had someone, a stranger, looking over him...God put him in the right place to find himself tossed out of a sunk kayak.

And since the Deputy has means of tracking down anyone he'd like in this area, the thank you is not an issue he'll drop. It wouldn't matter if this man were up for murder next week, he'll be getting a thank you from Deputy Dave. Since the guide didn't have any official signs on his boat, he'll be found through other methods. But after a bit of research is conducted, we will probably set up a fishing trip with him and do it on a personal level.

Even though Deputy Dave's brother wasn't there that morning, it worked out beautifully. I felt, if Kevin had been there, he might have tried o save Deputy Dave and the situation might have been worse. Regardless, Kevin would have had those same brutal waves hit his own kayak. Even though his kayak is newer and more stable, it's still a kayak, subject to Mother Nature's mean hand. Getting a capsized six-plus-foot man back to shore with one kayak between the two would not have been an easy task.

I don't care how "good" Kevin's kayak is built, they are all dinky floating toys compared to the ocean's wrath.

Later that same day, we went to meet my sister at The Top Water Grill for her birthday. We did our best to keep moving through our day, as if the ocean had not tried to claim my husband for its own treasure.

I'm glad we actually got to celebrate a birthday on this day and not be forced to conduct a search and rescue mission. At the restaurant, as we waited for everyone else to show up, Deputy Dave took a few moments to savor his second chance.

And to have a few beers.



Beyond our own happenings, for Memorial Day weekend, I spent a great deal of time thinking about those who have served and given their life in service to the United States of America; I thought about those in the military who have been injured and are impacted for the rest of their lives; I spent a great deal of time thinking about those who served and will be forced to forever confront the demons in their mind...coming home to find the enemy locked inside their own head is something that we should accept as part of serving in the military...I always want to tell those courageous souls that the battle of the mind can be fought and WON --- never give up; I thought about the families of those who serve...the feelings they must face daily that most families can't begin to understand; I have love in my heart and an appreciation for every person who falls into the categories listed above.

I also thought about young Cody Norris, a hometown hero who served in Afghanistan and was killed in action. I stood with townspeople, back in November, to welcome him on his final journey to his resting place located around the corner from our home.

And, I thought about having my husband at home with me as I hugged him goodnight. I took the time to close my eyes and to savor the feel of his body wrapped in my embrace while knowing that it all could be gone, in the blink of an eye.

This weekend, I had many reasons for allowing myself to have quiet, deep thoughts and to give thanksgiving for good people in this world who are willing to sacrifice themselves for others.

For me, as of this Memorial Day weekend, that fishing guide and client were added to my list of heroes.

# 263 - Sleeping with the Fishes

Living near the water offers a way of life that is so different from any other. Being close to the bay means we are given ample opportunities to eat delicious, fresh seafood prepared every way you can imagine. Plus, we get to enjoy the life of a boating community. Of course, as most seafaring communities know...fishing is a big part of our world.

Deck shoes are a part of most people's wardrobes around here; flip flops are worn on a regular basis by men and women alike, mostly to help keep the sand out of our shoes, not just because they like flip flops. Most of our neighbors, family, and friends love water-sports such as jet-skiing, kayaking, surfing, water-skiing, and more.

Once we move to the country, it will be an different world to live farther away from salt water. We'll be living very close to a major lake in Texas along with enjoying a small spring-fed lake at the back of our property, but I will be forced to travel to the coastline, frequently, so I can hear the waves crashing on the shoreline. I love that sound.

Down the street, Deputy Dave and I have this view at our disposal. The picture below is only about two miles from our house, only a bike ride away. Bad side of this view is when a hurricane is approaching and you must decide if you need to high-tail it away from water...again. Since hurricanes can be unpredictable for a while, until they approach the coastline and are more "chartable," it can be a hard call to make. The best thing to do is to stay prepared for evacuation and also stay prepared for hunkering down. Either way, you'll be prepared!

At our country home, as a hurricane approaches, we can relax a bit more. However, since we're prone to tornado spin-offs from stormy weather, we'll still be on the look-out.

Regardless, our master bedroom in the country will embrace the theme of "water." I'm putting together a series of photos to have blown up to poster size for framing so we can still see the ocean every day as we're dozing off to sleep or getting ready to start our day.

However, on most nights, I think we'll be drifting off to sleep to the sound of crickets.

If the bats haven't gobbled them all down...