I was lying in my bed resting one afternoon in 1956,I was 11 years old and was thinking about stuff--and wondered if I would live to see the year 2000,I figured I would be 55 years old--hopefully I would see the big celebration--I also had a sort of revelation, a silent voice came to me in my solitude and told me I would have three sons when I grew up-and one would be world famous--well we do have three great sons and they are all wonderful to us--and their story is not yet fully written.
My wife on a lark went to Casadaga and saw a medium who said we had three sons, and one would be world famous,one a sports star and one a ladies man--well they all have those possibilities--and now all are married--and we have beautiful grandchildren--- The Codger

I have fond memories of South River Park-Edgewater Maryland.
I remember one day sitting on the old weather beaten dock of ours--it was really old--and the boards had been bleached by years of sun and rain. I sat there at the shallow end near shore me and my buddy Nancy,our bare feet dangling off the side of the dock. She taught me that day about the sunfish--and showed me the nest that she made to lay her eggs--it looked like a white tire on the brown sandy bottom and in the middle she roamed--waiting her chance to attack anything that entered her domain--Nancy also taught me about bloodworms--a choice bait for fish in our cove --she broke one in half and handed it to me and it attached to my hand and tried to suck my blood --I couldn't believe how aggressive it was--this tough mean worm stayed alive a long time and as bait its blood attracted many a suitor to our hooks.
Dad wouldn't let me use the motor-yet but the old rowboat had oars in the boathouse--and Nancy is the one who taught me to use them--she could do everything--We rowed out into the cove,it was so peaceful, we were down at the far end--near the farm--a tobacco farm--(more about that later)--we put our lines out and right away caught an eel--I had never seen one--I freaked--cause I thought we had caught a snake--and I don't like snakes---
I didn't want to touch the darn thing--it was a little embarrassing when Nancy had to take it off the hook--I wanted to cut the line--I learned those darn eels were popular food and people actually pickeled them in jars-or salted them--yuck--I developed no taste for eel.
We started to row back toward our boathouse--and suddenly something started whizzing by our heads--they sounded like bees--and hit the water with a hiss and pop--we got hit as well and figured out what was happening--kids were up on the cliff shooting at us with BB guns,Nancy knew who they were--we lay down in the boat to try to keep from getting hit--they had the high ground and we were sitting ducks.
We rowed to the far side of the cove out of range and then made it back to the boathouse--another day of learning and adventure in the books. The Codger

If I write like a feel right now this particular blog post is going to be painful--but it's mind over matter--I really feel great,the sun is out--it's not too hot--and who cares if it is--that is what air conditioning is for right?

Did I say Edgewater was my favorite place---yes it is--favorite place to spend the most important years of my life as a kid--age 8/13.
I love everything about that place,our old leaky rowboat coupled with dads old 10 h.p Wizard outboard--took us out into the mighty Chesapeake Bay----Dads favorite place to fish was in front of the Poorhouse--I can't make this stuff up yall--that's where we fished.
I remember there was a big 2/3 story house---who stayed in it I have no idea--dad called it the poor house--I always thought that place was a mythical location--or a state of being--like saying man-we're just about in the POOR HOUSE--I guess the folks actually in it had really made it --like not half way,all the way!
OK enough about that place--we caught lots of fish in the Bay--I mean blues and croaker and spot--I learned to love seafood in our family-those who didn't would surely starve--and believe me ya can't count the ribs on any of us these days so we got a pretty good start.
When you have a leaky old rowboat and just a 10 h.p motor, it takes a long time to get places--well not as long as if ya had a leaky rowboat and no motor--there's always someone else worse off---One day in the Bay clear out by the poor house--our motor quit workin--now my memory is not that great--but I think it was at least 15 miles back to our boat house--another boater towed us the whole way--it's like maybe an unwritten rule of the road to help a boater in distress--I know it ruined their day but they smiled-and took us the whole distance--Dad said=--first chance we get to help someone in the same boat--funny choice of words,we're gonna do it--and folks that didn't take long.
We towed a cabin cruiser--4 times as big as us-clear to Anappolis-makin about 1 M.P.H--or knot--maybe less--got to where I dreaded the trip out to the Bay if other boats were around--just kiddin-wink-wink.
If ya stare out to sea and don't offically see them does it count--oh come on--I was just a kid--I did learn the nice guy lesson,really!
Here's another lesson from the Bay----when ya get caught in a big lightening storm and you have 15 miles to go and the waves are rough --I got to learn FEAR---and when I got big--I didn't want a darn thing to do with lightening.----whoa--I shouldn't have gotten started on this subject---becausssse--we have to make a detour now---I have to tell a short story--that has nothing to do with Maryland--except the lightening and the fear part--

Don't ya like the world of literature--ya do--then what are ya reading this blog for?--oh yeah back on course---

Through the wonderful world of the written word we leave the Eastern Shore and travel to Texas--where we find two handsome young men in the prime of life traveling from El Paso to Austin-in a souped up Camaro towing a motor cycle trailer with a Kawasaki 750-and strapped to that-- was all the souvenir stuff we bought at the Marketeria in Juarez--just your average stuff, a 6 foot Knight in armour--well not the Knight just his cloths-the metal cloths with the visor--also the ever popular valour pictures framed in rustic wood frames-- the Nina Pinta and the Santa Maria ships-a sombrero,cucca-rochas--and a bunch of other quality merchandise--oh yeah a couple of pinatas--donkeys.
Now before you ask--we were working in El Paso--remodeling old S.H Kress stores and-me and Eddie figured we could make a few bucks driving instead flying home---and help pay for our souvenir shopping across the border--or at least I did--Eddie had driven his car to begin with--but I cashed in my airplane ticket--and off to Austin we went--
We made a mistake on the distance to Fort Stockton----and Eddies souped up Camaro ran out of gas--so here we are in the absolute middle of no-where---not a house a car,a business, a tree---pouring down rain--and lightening---there was so much lightening that it was like a kill zone--where not much could move without getting struck--
OK what would McGiver do?
Flash!!! there's a motorcycle on the back--decided not to drive that--but the Kawasaki had a gas tank and some fuel--enough to get to Fort Stockton--maybe.-
Eddie said he would get out in the rain and lightening and take the tank off of the bike and we could poor the fuel into the camaro--
We had a plan except----we had no way to poor the fuel into the gas tank without losing a bunch--just then another lightening bolt struck near us, luminating the construction area we were near--220 yards away was a orange plastic cone--that would make a great funnel.
Eddie risk his life taking off the tank and little old me would sprint the 220 yards and get the cone and try to get back without getting fried.It's the most scared I ever was--I didn't want to do it but--Eddie did his part--now it was my turn.

I made it--obviously----and the gas did get us to a station--in Fort Stockton---and we made it to Austin-to Eddies apt.--His wife greeted us---I saw his baby---and then they showed me the bunny rabbit they got their child--I think it was an angora--or something like that--God had given us a number of breaks that night--but he got even while we slept --during the night the rabbit chewed on an electrical cord--when we woke up--the rabbit was charred,his teeth still clamped down on that cord.-God spared us and took the Wabbit.
It almost looked like a cartoon--that rabbit was pitch black--and the wire coming out of his mouth---looked like what happens to the road runner-sept he always lives--the wabbit was history! more later the Codger

One short story before bed--I gotta get up at 5 a.m--and do as Grand Pa used to say--make hay while the sun shines!

When we moved to West By God Virginia--our neighbors made it their solomn vow to teach us Florida city slickers the country life and they took particular pleasure in doing it--here's one example.
The phone rings--hello I said--hey Eric --this is Bob,we can use some help over here at the house--with a pig--think you can come over?--Sure Bob glad to help--I get there,Big Bob meets me at the door and I say what ya gonna do to a pig,kill it and make me watch---nah-Eric we're not gonna do that--you saw us do that over at the Engle house--although this particular boar might think he was kilt by the time this little chore is complete--nah we got to somethin else to him.
A knock comes to the door and it Jackie Engle--hey Eric how's it goin? he says stickin out his hand to shake mine--then he starts to laugh--I said OK what have you guys got in mind---they wouldn't say--seems they were waiting for Ralph Engle as well---Ralph came to a screechin halt by the telephone pole guard rail--with his little Chevette---and the crew was there--"Hey Eric your gonna have fun today",Ralph said--I said OK lets hear it----Lets look at the pig in question first. We went over to the small outbuilding on the lower end of Bobs yard--and they swung the door open and there was the biggest pig I have ever seen in my life--he was a male that weighed 700 pounds---Jackie said "Eric,we gotta cut him---do what I said--your killing him?No we gotta cut his balls off and we need you to help hold him down while we do it.You might as well have told me to jump off a cliff---Jackie stood by the door so I couldn't get out--and Ralph opened up a rusty straight razor and I said get then hell outta my way or I'll make a another hole for a door---I just had to think about what that pig would do once they cut off his pighood and I wasn't gonna be around to see the carnage.Eric come on man we need you to help hold him down---no way --period---they were all laughing now--Jackie and Ralph went over to do the deed and Bob helped--and I headed for the door--there was a quick grunt and they smeared grease or somethin on that poor bastard--and out comes Jackie holding giant pig balls in his hand and then slices um open in front of me--see that meat--ummm good--fried up in the pan--want some Eric?

That's just one of countless stories gonna be comin yalls way ---night all.-------------Eric the Codger

I used to live in Galveston Texas--well actually I lived there twice,in the early 70's and mid to late 70's--this story is the mid to late time period!

I worked for the Hoover Company--transferring to Galveston from Houston.We moved into Bayou Vista--a community on canals leading out to Galveston Bay--a great place and I was a fisherman so it was perfect--We had a boat dock and a fish cleaning table--now all I needed was a boat.
I had a really good friend named Ray whom I met on the first tour in Galveston--A Big gregarious guy with a old salts beard--a native Texan from near Comanche Texas--he was huge and tall--his brothers were pro wrestlers at the time--and Ray liked to hunt and fish--I once went up to visit his parents near Comanche--they were great people and I felt at home in the small town--little did I know at the time but a lot of my ancestry had come from that town and many of my past relatives were buried there.
OK lets cut to the chase-----When I moved to Galveston the second time and lived on the water--Ray and I got a boat together--we kept it either in the water or on the trailer in the driveway--We had a blast and took the boat into the bay or Gulf-whenever we felt like it.Time rolled on and Ray got into fishing more seriously--and bought himself a large Penn Reel--12/0 or 16/0--I can't remember--It was a huge reel--Ray wanted to shark fish and catch a huge one--at first we tried going out to the ship channel with large baits at night--no big shark--about this time my brother came to visit and ended up renting the bottom portion of the house--he was into C-1 canoe paddleing--it's like a Kayak--with a single bladed paddle--My brother also drove the big rigs--so on one of his away trips Ray came over--to visit and saw the canoe/Kayak--and said "there we go Rick--can you paddle that thing?"I said probably-I used to race canoes--that's it then-we're going shark fishing! I said what?Ray said yeah man--13 mile road on the beach,they catch 6/800 pound sharks out there at night--they run the baits out in one of those contraptions--then you sit in the back of your pick-up set your big pole in a rod holder and wait fer one of those toothy monsters to take the bait.
Right away I was apprehensive--the thought of paddleing out through the surf at night-with bloody baits and hooks and wire--didn't sound like the way I wanted to spend the evening--but when Ray wanted to do something--he was gung ho and a force to be reckoned with--and I am not good at saying no--He was my fishin partner--I didn't want to tell him-no---maybe it would be a calm night--no waves--I could only hope--To tell you the truth I was worried from the time he brought it up-till the time we got to 13 mile road--
Ray had gone down to the docks and gotten Bonita for bait and cut them up so they would bleed real good--he used more than one for bait,laced then with large hooks and had a 15/20 foot steel leader.
Oh by the way it wasn't calm--it was choppy--2/4 foot waves coming from every which way every few seconds!!!
I tried to him and haw around--hoping he would realize I didn't want to do this--he heard me--but said-Rick I'm way to big to fit into that thing--he said this while setting up his chair in the back of my Ford Pick-up and using the stake holder on the side of the truck box to hold his massive shark rod--he had the baits ready to go-put the clicker on his reel--to on position--eased back into his chair--like the Shiek of Arabee--and said take that bait out about 1/4 mile for me.
I'm thinkin quietly to myself--take that bait and stick up your A--( fill in the blank)but I'm only thinkin it---silently calling myself an idiot--I pick up the fish,hooks and leader and feed them into the boat up under the front where my legs have to go--I would pull the whole rig out between my legs to drop it over the side--1/4 mile out.
I drag this little blue piece of graphite called a boat weighing 37 pounds out to the waters edge--the clicker on Captain Ahabs wench/giant reel starts making racket--yeah I guess so--he had already caught a sucker--and hadn't even really started fishin yet.
I couldn't try to get into the boat untill I had walked out into the water--and then I was getting hit with rough waves and hadn't even tried to get into the boat--I hollered back--Ray this isn't going to work--he just kept motioning with his arm toward the South--go --go--by now my friend had gone from an a----to a Bas---d--
I got into the kayak somehow--got hit by a wave and sent back onto the beach right away--shi---. I hate you Ray--he couldn't hear me in the wind and waves noise.
One more damn time I thought to myself as I dragged the boat to the water again and out into the water further this time--somehow worked my self into it--holding the paddle in one hand and took a quick stroke with it about the time a wave hit me--but I kept digging dammit--one wave after another-bam,bam-I couldn't make any headway--and then there was a few second break in the waves and I paddle till I was about 100 feet out and now the waves were bigger and the wind had picked up--I got knocked sideways-,I tried to straighten and got hit again --this time I flipped--My legs were under the front end of the boat and didn't slide out like they should have cause the steel leader wire and fish laced with all those big hooks was wrapped around my legs-I felt a stab of pain as a hook tip stabbed me but the barb didn't go in--The water was over my head--I was wrapped up in leader and fish and hooks-and finally got out of the boat--and was trading water trying to unwrap the wire from my legs--all the while shouting for help-which never came---and then it dawned on me--I'm out there with bloody baits,my leg is bleeding and there are sharks that feed at night --that could totally devour me--
I frantically start working as hard as I could to free myself--and when I did I started swimming to the beach--but was really tired now
and my legs were getting weak as well--finally I touched bottom and Ray was down at the waters edge---laughing---he had gone and saved the canoe--that had washed down the beach---he said --here try it again--I told him to go to hell--he was serious--he said he was prepared to shark fish and if I didn't run that bait out he wouldn't talk to me again----I was so furious I said fine dude--I don't want to talk to someone who doesn't give a damn about my life--I drove him home and we didn't talk for a long time--but finally did--he never did appologize----We moved to Florida and I've lost track of Ray for years now--I can't find him anywhere--he was a good friend-even if I was almost shark food that night.-------------THe Codger