Author: Bill

I REALLY wanted to write a nice long blog for you all tonight because I have been ‘skipping out’ here recently…….. but even I have to admit, with my schedule recently, it has been about all I can do to just keep up… let alone move forward a little bit. I wanted to tell you about what it is like to make 4 dives in one day……. during each and every one of those dives, you are swimming your brains out to catch up to every single person on the dive and make sure you get at least one picture of every single person on the load……… sometimes that can be 12 – 14 people…… and with each having their own different diving profile……… that can turn into quite the challenge…… especially if you’re an out of shape old fat guy…….. but ya know what………..? This old fat guy is swimming circles around “most” of the diving Gods we are getting. I can set my own gear up – I can get my saggin’ old a$$ off the end of the boat without help……. and I have never ONCE put my mask on up side down…….. not even close…… but ya know….. stuff happens…. I show up “suddenly, out of no-where”….. and I can tell pretty quick if people want their picture taken or not………… The ones that do are fun to work with…… God bless them…. they try hard….. but it makes getting a decent picture a challenge at best. There again – they try hard – and it makes it fun [or at least entertaining] for me…… I love hearing the feedback if they are on the boat after they see some of their pictures…… it is almost like ” OMG – I can’t believe the pictures you took”…. I guess they expected lesser quality…… but I don’t do that…… if it’s not at least a ‘good‘ picture – I won’t put it up. I wanted to talk about being bounced around on a 47′ boat like it was a piece of Balsa wood….. how the mighty ocean don’t care about your fragileness or that you paid a couple of thousands of dollars for your diving rig (even more for your camera) and have it tossed around like yesterday’s trash…….. The things that I go through every day…. and sometimes…. find a bit monotonous. Are things most land locked people can only imagine. I should have taken some video today coming back from the last dive……. the weather had picked up [considerably] by the time we surfaced, and we were motoring into 6′ – 8’ swells all the way back……… kinda awesome watching waves break over the top of the bow of the boat – and completely engulf the galley windows…….. you just cannot help but be in awe of the power of those waves….. I want to tell you all about ALL of that stuff…….. but  I’m just too tired…….. and unless you have experienced it first hand…… I could spend days and THOUSANDS of words trying to describe it to you……. and never get even close to doing it….. more diving and more pictures tomorrow………

Good Night Ya’ll ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thankx for stopping in~!

[Embrace the curls ??????????]

Howdy Ya’ll…….

Yesterday snuck up on me after doing a two boat day (4 dives)…… that takes it’s toll on the young guys doing it – it really whoops up on us old fellers…… but I hung in and pulled my weight all the way up to the point I humbly crawled into my truck and popped open a no longer icy cold Budweiser……….. no longer icy cold – but tasted wonderfully delicious at that point. I made a nice long comfortable drive back to my end of the island – nursing that not so cold beer….. and enjoyed every. friggin’. drop. of it~! My Queen was waiting on me and started plying me with Vodka right off the bat. I did manage to get in an extra bottle of rehydrate, so getting dizzy was kept mostly at bay. I sat and dutifully uploaded almost 600 pictures from the long day. I got most of the pictures done before I succumbed to a nice cool shower and crawled into fresh washed sheets. Tonight there would be none of that laying there and rearranging the bed for 3 or 4 hours before finally fading off to sleep. I don’t think I moved after my touchas hit those fresh washed sheets a little after 9:00….. not until about 04:30 when I finally gave in to the pressure on my bladder. Got that taken care of and right back into bed….. snuggled down in all of the awesomeness of air conditioning…. making myself snooze in 10 minute intervals and finally crawling out to start my day today at 05:35…..

One boat today – 2 dives….. kind of an eclectic group – but I did my photographer thing and got a couple of nice shots for everybody on board today. Our visibility in the water has finally come back and we are close to our usual 100+’ for our diving. It’s awesome when you’re swimming just off the face of an long ago water falls, looking at the grooves cut out from years of water going over it, knowing that you have almost 3000′ of water below you……. awesome~! Just signed up to do another ‘double’ boat tomorrow…. so will probably not get much posting done again….. I dunno — might try a little something different. Got to make sure I keep in touch with you all…… and show you what I get to look at during my dives~!

Good Night Ya’ll : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Thankx for stopping in~!

Up a smidge earlier than I planned this morning – but a full bladder will do that for you I guess. Still a presentable night’s sleep…. knowing I didn’t have to get up to do something (other than pee)…… looking forward to a day off with my Queen, enjoying the day together. I was actually looking forward to two of those days – but I have since signed up for working the boat tomorrow as an extra set of eyes for the Dive Master on each load. As it turns out – not only working tomorrow morning – I will be hanging out to help with the afternoon load as well, so that will be 4 dives on a day ‘off’. I don’t mind and I know it helps the shop out – plus gives me LOTS of pictures to be able to share with you all. The original plan was to run into town today and mow the yard at the ATV yard….. but it has rained almost continuously today – and I just wasn’t in the mood to mow in the rain…… especially since a couple of the rains were down pours – – – compliments of Tropical Storm Grace as she mercifully slid South of just like her predecessor Fred did……. and the rain was welcomed by everybody on the island~! (Well, maybe with the exception of the people who sell truck loads of water when rain is scarce…….)

My Bride made us a French Toast with bacon and sausage breakfast and we enjoyed that and spent the rest of the wet cool day doing a whole lot of nuthin’~! I listed some of my stuff on line for sale and then finally moved over to the couch for a couple of movies. Didn’t see any I would really recommend…… they weren’t terrible… stupid maybe…… but they dang sure weren’t good~! We wrapped the movie watching up with a meal of green beans, scalloped taters and porkchops and now have resumed our place back at the table. My batteries are all charged for a long day of diving tomorrow – while my Queen gets to enjoy a day of solitude without me rattling around the house. Tuesday – it’s back to work for her too. So – not much else going on here on our little rock……. I think we have one more disturbance hanging out in the Atlantic that may swing this way by mid week or so – but for now — we’re safe for a couple of days at least…… so for now……..

Good Night Ya’ll & & & & & & & & & & & & Thankx for stopping in~!

I forgot to mention the other day – that yesterday was my Buddy Jeff’s birthday and that we had been invited up to a local watering hole to help him celebrate. I got back from diving yesterday just long enough to edit and put up pictures and a quick shower, before we took off for that event. By the time we got back – I was entirely to tired [and maybe had a juuuuust a little bit to drink] that I wasn’t in the mood (or condition) to try and write anything…….. so apologies for forgetting to say something….. very happy you’re checking back in~!! Up at what seemed like the butt crack of dawn this morning… to prepare for my new day. I guess maybe it’s becoming habit, because I had swapped out all my batteries for fresh ones last night before I left – so a quick bump charge this morning put me back on track for my day of photography. I got everything put together and loaded in the truck. I did make me a couple of eggs and a piece of meat to go with it. I’m getting better about getting that done before I hustle out the door for the marina. My Bride got up in time for me to share part of a coff of cuppee with her before I had to take off….. knowing she was 30 minutes behind me for a day at the Gecko office.

Our day, now over for both of us….. guess it was ‘one of those’ days…. when you have people who don’t necessarily conform to the expectation of the day and it’s rules. I won’t go into details – because it really is unimportant…… just one of those little details you sometimes have to contend with when you deal with the general public…. Both back at the house…. gear rinsed, pictures edited and put up (for Cane Bay). My Queen whipped up a small batch of spaghetti and mixed it with some left over chili….. hey – if you haven’t tried it, don’t knock it~! I have developed quite the taste for it myself……….. The meal is done, drinks are being had and we sit and wait out our “fate” as Tropical Depression Grace is apparently taking aim straight for us. Consensus is that she won’t turn into a hurricane until she is past us — but ya just never know. I’m not real worried….. we are well stocked here in the house, bottled water, non-perishable food stuff…… we should be good to go. A couple of days off for my Queen and me….. well deserved I might add. So with that, my good people – I bid you adieu…. good evening…..

Good Night Ya’ll * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thankx for stopping in~!

Birthday boy in the black hat in the back………

Up bright and early this morning to get ready for my day back in the water…… only been two days – but seems much, much longer. All batteries charged and ready for another day under the water looking for things I think you all would like to see. Surface conditions left a LOT to be desired….. and visibility under the water had it’s moments…… but it was just plain old nice to be back in the water~! First dive I spotted a couple of sharks way below me….. I exhaled real hard, pointed my head toward the ‘bottom’ and away I went… Now the water temperature lately has been a balmy 83 degrees….. but when I hit about 85’…… WOW…. I hit a thermocline (we usually never have those here) and that water temperature dropped about 8 degrees~! WOOO-wee was that chilly~! I made several good efforts to call the sharks in at just past 110’……. but they did not want anything to do with me, so I headed back up into warmer waters……..

The rest of that dive and the second dive of the day was fairly unremarkable….. I got some nice shots of the divers…. some of the local underwater scenery…… but just unremarkable….. the only way to put it. We got back into port – and I helped unload the empty tanks (32 in all) and then helped load a fresh batch for the afternoon dive. I was ready for that icy cold Budweiser when I got up to the truck. Pictures are loaded and I am happy with most of them…… still struggling with back scatter – but getting a little bit better ever day eliminating it. Back here… gear rinsed, my Queen shortly behind me from her day of manning the desk for Gecko’s…….. Drinks made…… she wasn’t hungry, so I fired up the grill and made a batch of burgers and dogs…….. makes for a great addition to morning eggs and quick sammich when I get back from diving starving……. best eating plan out there? No – probably not……. but it suits me…… and for now – That’s enough…….. some pictures for you~~~ More diving tomorrow~!

Good Night Ya’ll : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Thankx for stopping in~!

Due to a last minute change in schedules – I ‘opted out‘ of todays dive. For a much longer reason to explain than I care to go into – the dive got moved out to 11:30 and that is just a smidge later than I care to contend with with if I don’t ‘have to‘. SO – I spent another day here all by lonesome, coming up with ways to keep my self entertained. Luckily for me…. that is very easily done…… after I got all caught up on the FB circus….. I made me a right tasty breakfast and then headed out the door…. for some lawn maintenance. That little slug of rain we had with Tropical Disturbance# 6 blowing by us – sparked some growth in all things green. I was just gonna knock down the one stand of grass that grows freakishly fast – but once I had it evened out – the rest of the yard looked a little shaggy – so I went ahead and done that. That made the ‘around the edges’ stuff look ratty – so I got out the weed eater and launched into that. Then I got to looking at the section on the other side of the big fence that my Queen likes ‘trimmed up’ and it was out of control, so I launched into it and managed to advance that ‘swath’ another 50′ or so. I discovered several more fire ant hills…. dammit Emmit~! About 4+ hours later…. I finally called it a day….. cardio compliments of Briggs & Stratton and a very stuffy 88 degrees………. where is that wonderful wind we had for the past couple of days….. Headed for Haiti. that’s where~! For all my worriers out there – that 4+ hours included a couple of cooling off breaks with water and Re-hydrate. After I cooled off – I took a nice cool shower and came out and sat in front of the fan and ‘nursed’ two “spots” on my legs that I have had for about a month and a half now that won’t heal up…… one of the hazards of spending a couple of hours a day under water everyday….. I soaked them in rubbing alcohol and then Hydrogen Peroxide followed up by Neosporin and Band-Aids.. I’ll keep them on there until about 08:00 tomorrow morning….. that ought to at least help~~~  🙂

Back in the water tomorrow morning and for the rest of the week….. wrapping it up with at least a 3 dive day on Saturday….. I am looking forward to it. I know the [large] crowd already that will be on the boat. They seem to be a pretty good group, so it should be a lot of fun. Batteries have all been charged and everything including me and my gear are pretty much dried out…… for the time being.  😉

Good Night Ya’ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thankx for stopping in~!

P8020177  <—– Shark Video

Up earlier this morning than I cared for due to a really full bladder and a grumbling belly…… got all the necessities out of the way and settled in to catch up on all the news…… biggest bit being TS6 that was coming our way. We had multiple strong rain showers last night. I normally like listening to rain on a tin roof — but it loses some of it’s luster when you have to whizz real bad  😉  I enjoyed a half hour or so of morning quiet before my Bride came stumbling out. She had to man the shop at Gecko’s today so she had to get up and get ready.  She wouldn’t let me make her breakfast…… and soon she was gone, leaving me to my own accord…. dammit Emmit. I made myself a most righteous breakfast because I had the day off…… Yummers…. sausage, eggs, another left over KFC biscuit with butter and honey…… yes indeed. Cleaned up and settled in to get some computer stuff done….. and by golly – I got ‘er done….. Got the Geek Squad engaged and got my new computer all protected and finalized. Got my old Lap top cleaned up, reset to factory conditions AND think I might have a buyer lined out for it already. I got all of my old lights listed on FB for sale. May not sound like much, but those last couple of items took some doing……..

It blew and rained most of the day and there was a refreshingly cool breeze most of the day. Tracking TS6, it slowly dropped South of as it came by us (as I suspected)…… it is mostly past us now and well below us – so I feel pretty secure saying we dodged that one~! My Queen finally came rolling in – just as I finished up cleaning up the kitchen….. I am now feeding her drinks and she has managed to eat some of two pieces of her left over Hawaiian pizza……. I would have already wiped it out….. but eww…. pineapple on pizza ? Got to chat with one of the Damn Neighbors a couple of minutes (the good looking one)…. she was looking for some pictures….. so we chatted a ‘hot’ minute or two before I found the pictures she wanted and got them on their way to her. Always like those conversations~~~ Due to massive change in schedules… it looks like I am off again tomorrow….. dammit Emmit~! That will put me diving the rest of the week and Saturday – which will put me in a good position to line up my days ‘off’ with the same days my Queen is not working. We may have to go out to eat or something….. gotta do something to remind us we are both retired~~~ 😉

Good Night Ya’ll & & & & & & & & & & & & & & Thankx for stopping in~!

Starting the new week off….. stayed up later last night than I intended to finishing up yet another waste of time movie….. but it had SCUBA diving in it – so I ‘had’ to watch it and point out all the crap they were doing wrong….. not to mention berating the very poorly done CGI in it……. but – I finally got in bed and went out almost immediately – so was in pretty good shape when I rolled out around 05:35 this morning. Skies were mostly blue – hardly any wind – but it was cooler than normal from a middle of the night rain shower we got. I got all my camera gear put together and loaded in the truck. Made me a couple of eggs and a warmed up KFC biscuit with some butter and honey and was soon out the door. First dive site — we had an easy 150′ visibility….. OMG – it was wonderful…… kinda like swimming around in a massive aquarium…… made for some great picture taking…. Big crowd on the boat – so I stayed plenty busy chasing everyone down ensuring I got at least a couple of pictures of them…….. Second dive site, Visibility was in and out and ended up with a heavy surge, which just flat puts the kybosh on any enjoyable diving, but I think everybody still enjoyed themselves.

Safely back here at the house – editing and uploading pictures for the day…… neighbors dropped in for a drink and a little chat before heading back over to their place. The big point of conversation now, for pretty much anybody on the island, is that there is a tropical disturbance out in the Atlantic, that has [right now] an 80% chance of turning into a tropical storm/Hurricane and it is apparently heading straight for us….. as I alluded to last night…. “Tis the Season”. I am not overly worried about it…. we are good and stocked up here at the house…… and looking at it… I think it’s gonna go under us….. we may get some winds and [very much needed] rain…. but I think we’re good…….. So, I am not worried – all of you back in the land of plenty that watch and worry about us here on our little rock – shouldn’t worry either  😉  Due to ‘probable’ nasty weather…. boat is not going out tomorrow – so I get an unexpected day off. My bride is working for Gecko’s tomorrow……. and I am really glad now I am not riding trails…… ATV’s on a mountain top in the middle of a tropical storm…… yeah- I’m good where I’m at~!  🙂 🙂 🙂

Happy Birthday Letty~!

Good Night Ya’ll : : : : : : : : : : : : : Thankx for stopping in~!

Slept in ever so slightly this morning – but did go to bed fairly early last night. Up shortly after my bride got up….. waited just enough time to get the bed made and the coffee started and got my turn in the ‘loo’~ Face washed, teeth washed and hair combed and I was as presentable as I was gonna get. A slow casual start to the day before my Queen made us a nice small breakfast…… I finished reading up on the news and disaster that is FB…… I did some home work on QR codes and how they work. A fellow photographer on the boat was talking to me about them last week and mentioned they are an easy way to pick up tip money from grateful folks whom appreciate the pictures I am taking for them.  I figure what the heck…. Turned out to be a heckva lot easier than I thought……. so I now have a couple of QR codes of my own. In case you are really out of touch with today’s technology or just old like me………….. a QR code is those little square boxes you see everywhere. You scan them with your phone and it instantly puts folks in touch with you, your, business……….. or in my case……….. pay code accounts.    Like that —> only bigger~~~ Now let’ see if it does me any good. I put them on my phone – so when I am showing people on the boat…. some of my handiwork…. I can casually slide them into the middle of the pictures……. 😉

I spent enough time on the computer that my touchas started getting numb – so I finally closed the computer and sat down on the couch and watched a movie. Newer, movie with Mel Gibson, Force of Nature — not great, but not bad……… if you’re bored – it would do in a bind. Back on here now writing to you all.  Looks like we have a week or so of ‘weather’ rolling in on us…. 3 different disturbances out in the Atlantic that look like they all 3 are taking aim at our general direction….. Tis the season. I’ll let you know if we are in harms way~~   I’ll be diving most of next week as Schotzie goes into an almost full blown work mode – doing double duty at Blues and Gecko’s for the rest of this month. Since I am no longer part of the Gecko’s equation….. and my bride is going to be working a LOT….. I can dive my brains out….well, already doing that – dive my brains out with less guilt  😉

Good Night Ya’ll < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < Thankx for stopping in~!

Would already be in bed – but I just fired up the A/C and waiting for the room to cool down a skosh. Dove again today….. First dive was the Deep Wrecks…… a couple of fun sunken boats….. rarely ever sharks there….. but one AWESOME turtle. A big ole male Hawksbill…. had several barnacles on him and apparently wanted his picture taken. I was more than happy to comply. Second dive site is probably at the bottom of my list – so I decided to experiment with my camera a little bit. The load was mostly locals – so it wouldn’t matter as much if I didn’t get a lot of “good” shots…. I did manage a couple though….. kinda weird shooting without my big wide angles lens – but it opens up a new style of shooting…. what is referred to as Macro…. very, very, very close up shots of small things. Due to the style of dive – I didn’t get to practice my Macro shots much, but it was still a fun dive and like I said, I still managed decent shots. LOVE getting to know my camera’s capabilities a little more.

For right now though, I’m tired, beat, pooped and or just plain ole worn out….. Belly is full from feeding me and my Queen some KFC……… and have had a ‘drink or two’. Bedroom should be starting to cool of by now – so I’m gonna put up some pictures for you and call it a night.

Good Night Ya’ll > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thankx for stopping in~!