Days gone by...

As the 4th of July approaches every year I start to get that excited feeling I always got as a kid when we were getting ready to go on a trip of some sort. This weekend in particulary is one that brings back great memories from over the years as it is the start of scalloping season in Homosassa. You see Homosassa has played a huge part of who I am as an adult. It started back when I was a youngin' with us taking a pop up camper up there and camping. I can almost go back to that time as a kid. It would start with a trip that seemed like it took three days, but in all actuality it was probably a little over an hour. We'd arrive and all the kids would jump on their bikes and ride the campground, which seemed like it covered three states, but again in actuality is pretty small. There were the ever famous owl lights, egg toss, greased watermelon and pancake breakfast at the "hall". We kids would "con" our Uncle Chris ( family classic story about him ) into taking us to the GIANT game room ( about the size of a great room in your house ) and take his beer money to play games. The "Uncle Chris Sory". Let me first start off by stating that Uncle Chris was a severe alcholic, though we as kids had no idea. When he'd passed out we were always told he was just having a "fit". One time we all went camping, well Uncle Chris had a pop-up as well and anyone that knows pop-ups knows you have to put the jacks down in order for it to function properly. Well Uncle Chris in his drunken state over looked this little detail. He was a big man and that night when he decided to go to sleep the tongue of that pop-up shot straight up in the air. How he didn't roll out of the end of it I'll never know. God rest his sole.

Back to the experience and how it helped shape me into who I am. This is were I learned about the great outdoors, for which I love so much to this day. I learned to build a camp fire, bait a hook, catch a shiner in a live well, bait a trot line, drive a boat, dock a boat and to appreciate nature in it's purest form. Homosassa trips have always been about family and fun and it's these two ideals that I hold so dear. As my wife can attest I am the kind that when I do something such as go on vacation I like as many people to go as possible and have a good time ( i.e. my honeymoon! ). I love sitting around a camp fire and recalling the old days. At some point I want my kids to experience all of these things that I experienced and to learn about life the way I did. I know it's not the only way, but it's a way that I fully believe and a way that I have my family to thank for. So as I prepare for this trip I am excited to be with my family and to know that we will make memories for my kids and nephews to cherish and refelct back on twenty or so years from now.


On a side note a very close friend of ours has found out that they are pregnant, but they have a long road to hoe for this dream to come about. So I would like to ask that you keep them in your prayer

Until next time, happy blogging.