Football Begins/Gator Bait!

Everglades, Florida-February 2006

Tonight GM and I head for Lima Senior High School for the annual State Football officials meeting...like baseball, you need to attend 1 state meeting and at least 4 local meetings a season to keep your OHSAA License up-to-date. Scrimmages start this Saturday and the regular season begins August 23rd....my first scrimmage is next Thursday the 14th....had a chance to do some this Saturday, but with The Bar Stool Open on Grand Lake, that's not going to happen.

Oldest son Sam has decided to start football, to go with his baseball license for extra cash, as he starts back to college at Ohio State-Lima this fall...his RV road trips will have to take a back seat. He began his classes to get his FB License last night.

Waiting to hear from Jeff....aka: FHB, to meet up with him tomorrow in DaytonJeff and his girl are heading for Pennsylvania and coming up this way on vacation....he called yesterday, but the call lost power, although I did get a voice mail from him....Jeff, give me another call and we will set up a time.....he was hanging out in Kentucky as of yesterday.

The Everglades 2006

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A couple of years ago I was wandering around Florida, taking a RV needing repaired from one coast(east) to the other(west) and back a couple of times....I made the trek across Highway(Florida) 80 from West Palm Beach to Fort Myers and back a couple of times each way. In between I would crash, drink beer, suntan, and smoke cigars at my sister and brother-in-law's place in Naples. I would also make a run up to the old hometown of Venice to see how things were changing....it took about 5 days to do the back and forth repair runs, so I was looking for things to see and do.

I have been to and through the Everglades on many occasions...one thing I had not done however was take Loop Road off the Tamiami Trail(US 41)...this little gravel and sand road is supposed to be alive with gator and other wildlife....when wet it also makes a great place to run a Jeep if you have one....since I needed to tow the Wrangler on this trip...the time was ripe for a sight-see up and down Loop Road.

It was February 2006, I checked the spare tire(a good thing) and made sure the Jeep was prepared in case of a break down in Gator Country. When I got to the Loop, Alligators were out in full force...so much for this formerly "endangered" species....mankind has proved no match to these million+ year old creatures...they are doing very fine thank you.

I got plenty of photos, a nail in my left rear tire, which did not go flat, as I left it in until I returned to Naples....all-in-all Monroe Station and the Glades provided me an opportunity to get away, and work up a thirst for some beer and cigars when I returned for the night....all this, and I was getting paid to be in southern Florida in February to boot! What more could one ask for?

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back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

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photos--Sunset over the southwest Florida Gulf Coast.....The old Monroe Station fuel stop and tourist trap, now abandoned..but the State and Federal Government, which closed it down, is in the process of renewing the lease{that should be good, we all know how the government runs things better...... :( !!! }..The "Big" Gator, this sucker looked to be at least 14 to 15 foot...he was a daddy, and he was sunning himself right next to Highway 41. Looking south towards the deep Glades down Loop Road. The deep Everglades and coming back north on Loop Road.