seagreen12
Jr. Member
- #1
Thread Owner
This is how I got the bug, in the early 70s my dad was stationed at Macdill AFB in Tampa, we lived in a subdivision called town and country we didn't have a waterfront home but lived close to canals.
I was 12 when we moved there from Hurlburt (ft walton beach) and already being pretty experienced being in the woods and in the water by myself, I naturally found an old boat and with the help of my old man fixed it up. we found a seagull motor and I used it as a kicker. I would spend my free time spear fishing and exploring all the canals.
During my explorations I would occasionally run into this hermit who would net mullet and sell them at a fish house on the causeway. I secretly followed him on several times only to lose him thru the maze of canals, after several attempts at following him he back tracked on me and scared the hell out of me. I ran off with his angry shouts ringing in my ears.
We built up a casual acquaintance and I would sell the fish I speared or netted to him for a lot less then he was getting paid but I didn't have to cross to the other side of the bay with my dinky kicker, over a period of time we came to a comfortable existence and he invited me to his hootch. He had a propane powered fridge which i thought was the coolest thing in the world, a camp cook stove a single bunk and a couple of lanterns, we would eat fish,oysters and other things he had recovered from the swamps. He was teaching me a valuable lesson and I thought it was neat that he was living on his own cheaply and efficiently.
He was a vet having fought in Korea didn't ever speak of family, was moody and when I think back a probable alcholic, if i ever had any people out in the boat he wouldn't came along side. He got a check from VA and
I would sometimes camp out there in my hammock listening to him tell storys about pirates (Gasparilla) and others that would sail into the bay for refuge, he showed me the mouth of rocky creek where we would go up river and catch brim and bass. He was telling me that these pirates had buried treasure in this region but I never could get him to help me look or dig anything up.
He would rant and rave about politics the environment, the bay being changed by yankees, and commies! He used to tell me stories about combat in Korea and the things he had done, but i sensed there was alot he wouldn't talk about. I was getting in trouble with my folks for spending to much time out in the bay and mangroves and I was smart enough to not tell them about this old man.
I don't remember the details of his disappearance I just remember not seeing him around and I went out to his place his skiff was gone and he was gone and his place was all shot up. I never knew his name and never heard anything about his disappearance.
I remember thinking about the money that he had and so I started looking around,there was nothing in the hooch but I was digging around and over a period of time started finding mason jars, I remember the feeling
of uncovering the first one finding the lid and ripping it out they where full of newspapers cut up some where pretty old. I spent alot of time diggin but never found anything other then garbage, some old bullets,spoons and such. I often wonder if he buried those jars for me as I was always trying to coax him into
looking for buried treasure. I missed him and his cranky compainionship.
Seagreen12
sends
I was 12 when we moved there from Hurlburt (ft walton beach) and already being pretty experienced being in the woods and in the water by myself, I naturally found an old boat and with the help of my old man fixed it up. we found a seagull motor and I used it as a kicker. I would spend my free time spear fishing and exploring all the canals.
During my explorations I would occasionally run into this hermit who would net mullet and sell them at a fish house on the causeway. I secretly followed him on several times only to lose him thru the maze of canals, after several attempts at following him he back tracked on me and scared the hell out of me. I ran off with his angry shouts ringing in my ears.
We built up a casual acquaintance and I would sell the fish I speared or netted to him for a lot less then he was getting paid but I didn't have to cross to the other side of the bay with my dinky kicker, over a period of time we came to a comfortable existence and he invited me to his hootch. He had a propane powered fridge which i thought was the coolest thing in the world, a camp cook stove a single bunk and a couple of lanterns, we would eat fish,oysters and other things he had recovered from the swamps. He was teaching me a valuable lesson and I thought it was neat that he was living on his own cheaply and efficiently.
He was a vet having fought in Korea didn't ever speak of family, was moody and when I think back a probable alcholic, if i ever had any people out in the boat he wouldn't came along side. He got a check from VA and
I would sometimes camp out there in my hammock listening to him tell storys about pirates (Gasparilla) and others that would sail into the bay for refuge, he showed me the mouth of rocky creek where we would go up river and catch brim and bass. He was telling me that these pirates had buried treasure in this region but I never could get him to help me look or dig anything up.
He would rant and rave about politics the environment, the bay being changed by yankees, and commies! He used to tell me stories about combat in Korea and the things he had done, but i sensed there was alot he wouldn't talk about. I was getting in trouble with my folks for spending to much time out in the bay and mangroves and I was smart enough to not tell them about this old man.
I don't remember the details of his disappearance I just remember not seeing him around and I went out to his place his skiff was gone and he was gone and his place was all shot up. I never knew his name and never heard anything about his disappearance.
I remember thinking about the money that he had and so I started looking around,there was nothing in the hooch but I was digging around and over a period of time started finding mason jars, I remember the feeling
of uncovering the first one finding the lid and ripping it out they where full of newspapers cut up some where pretty old. I spent alot of time diggin but never found anything other then garbage, some old bullets,spoons and such. I often wonder if he buried those jars for me as I was always trying to coax him into
looking for buried treasure. I missed him and his cranky compainionship.
Seagreen12
sends
