Monday, November 13, 2006
LAKE MANATEE STATE PARK, BRADENTON, FL
13 November, 2006. We borrowed the tent from Gail and came here with our cargo van filled with everything from the boat. It hadn't rained in weeks but wouldn't you know it, it rained on the one and only day that the tent was our home. We acquired the motorhome the very next day.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
TERRA CEIA BAY ANCHORAGE, TERRA CEIA, FL
10 September to 12 November, 2006. Rocky had the boat pretty much to himself here. I stayed at a friend's house to help work on their yard and also to upgrade my book according to the changes I made while transforming it into a screenplay. During that time, Rocky and I both decided that we wanted off the boat. So I arranged a trade for a motorhome. We bought a cargo van, emptied the boat and made the trade. So now we're back on the road. We going to hang out in Florida and head south into the Keys to wait out the winter. Then (hopefully) it's off to Lake Charles, Louisiana, maybe New Mexico and then into Mexico and Central America. By that time, we should have a nicer motorhome.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
TERRA CEIA BAY ANCHORAGE, TERRA CEIA, FL
11 NOVEMBER, 2006
Joe's Screaming Fast Boston Whaler
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
TERRA CEIA BAY ANCHORAGE, TERRA CEIA, FL
29 to 31 OCTOBER, 2006
But I Like The Blue In This Image
Friday, October 13, 2006
TERRA CEIA BAY ANCHORAGE, TERRA CEIA, FL
OCTOBER 13, 2006
So We Decided To Take Some Pictures And Try To Sell It
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
TERRA CEIA BAY ANCHORAGE, TERRA CEIA, FL
12 SEPTEMBER, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Ellen and Rockys Cruise
August 24, 2006 Ellen Johnston, and Rocky Leeper go on a Cruise together. The four night cruise was a last minute deal. We took Carnivals Funship Fantasy. We went to Nassau and Half Moon Cay. Here are some pictures of our time.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Cops Gone Wild!
So I have no choice now but to vent. A couple of months ago, I was standing on the dock at the Davis Island Seaplane Basin. I looked out over the water and saw a powerboat hovering over the top of a diver friend of mine that I had seen in the water earlier. I saw his head just under the bow of the boat. I was concerned that the people in the powerboat did not know he was there. I seemed obvios that they did not, because you wouldnt want to have the bow of your boat jumping up and down in the water with a person there. I stated to wave my arms and yell "Diver, Diver, back off, back off." That is when the boat backed off turned and headed straight for me. That was also when I could see the Tampa Police cartoon letters painted on the side of the boat. The officers arived at the dock. One of them imediatly jumped off the boat and grabed at my chest with one hand, and held the other in a fist beside his head in a threataning manner. He started to shove me off the dock. He was screaming "Get off my dock, Get off my dock!" I, at the same time, was asking "what did I do, what did I do?" When I was pushed backward toward the land, I pulled out my phone and called 911. I told the opperator that I was being assulted by one of there officers and I requied their supervisor. As all this was going on, the other officer was tying thier boat to the dock. My friend the diver, had rowed over to the dock to see what the trouble was, and what the officers were doing on top of him anyway. The issued him a ticket for no having a dive flag, wich was painfully apparent on his dingy. After wich, the officers started to leave. I yelled that they should stay untill the supervisor arrived. Their decision to stay was only meet by the fact that a supervisor was rounding the corner. The supervisor was not their supervisor but some others. He told me that I would have to contact their supervisor two day latter, then if I was not sattisfied, I could start an internal affairs investigation. I said that I wanted to press charges, the supervisor said I could not do that, and I would have to get ahold of their supervisor. I personally find it obsurd that you cannot press charges against a Tampa Police officer! This steroid rage crazed loon gets to run free to assult others, while I sit and wonder when he is going to come and exact retribution. I am also told that I cannot place a restraining order on him. So what does one do when faced with something like this? I followed the instructions of the supervisor. I called their supervisor two days latter, I stated my name. He then cut me off, saying that he had already heard from his officer about the incident, and that I was responsible for their actions, because I was interfering with their investigation, and that I was attempting to keep their boat from docking at the dock. I expalined that this was not the case, and he again cut me off saying that "my officers dont lie" and said that their was nothing that I could do about it. I asked for the number to internal affairs.
So, I called internal affairs. A detective scedulaed an interview and told me again, that I could not press charges, because an officer has the right to lay hands on the public in the course of his duties. As I had herd this on enough times, I looked up the law. There are some very specific allowences affored to police officers in regards to the use of force. None of these allowances were met. I was attacked by a Tampa Police Officer Marine Division.
I went to the internal affairs office and was meet by the detective. I was ussed into a small office cubical with the rather large detective and another person of the same stature. I was double teamed, berated for suggesting that a police officer could do such a thing, that it was my fault, and then was asked agressive and unusual questions concerning my mental state, my attitude, and my "childish manner." I asked the detective if this was to be a private and confidential interview? That is when the other rotund person said that he would be in the next office listining in if the detective neeed him! The detective then said that he was going to start the investigation and pulled out a recorder and stared the interview. He became very professional at that time.
After this was compleated, he asked If I had any witnesses to the event. I suggested that there were twenty or more people there, and getting some of them to give statements would be no problem.
The weekend insuded and I had time to reflect on the interview. I decied that I would not inflict such treatment on people who would be doing me a favor. So I asked a few of them to write out statements about what they had seen, and had them noterized. While we were doing this, I was called by the detective and asked where my witness were? I explained that after my interview, I held no confidence that the Tampa Police Department was capable of handling the policing of there own, and I would take the situation a different direction.
As for my further actions, I must keep that confidential for now.
All of this has recently come back to my attention due to yet another altercation. This time, at the same location, with either a State of County police officer, I was pulled over and givin a ticket for "not registered" by an unknow officer. I cant read the ticked, he refused to identify himself, and was unfamilir with the law. I had asked "If I take the motor off the dingy, Then Im leagle right?" He said no, all boats have to be registered. This is just not the case. Also, there is no such law or violation called "not registered". I cannot read anything he wrote on the ticket. I dont know where to send a payment. I dont know where to appear to fight said ticket. It seems that he advanced the time on the ticket, maybe to get some overtime?
I think that If your job is to write these tickets, you should be familiar with the laws and violatins. You should also attempt to write legably. You should at the very least provide enouth information on the ticket so the something could be done with it. I have no choice but to do nothing.
I will be leaving this area this week anyway, then to hell with them. I may have to return for civil procedues, but I will return with a entorage of securty, for protection. I do feel that I am risking my life by being in Tampa, and Hillsborogh County.
Theres a nice and happy story for you!
So, I called internal affairs. A detective scedulaed an interview and told me again, that I could not press charges, because an officer has the right to lay hands on the public in the course of his duties. As I had herd this on enough times, I looked up the law. There are some very specific allowences affored to police officers in regards to the use of force. None of these allowances were met. I was attacked by a Tampa Police Officer Marine Division.
I went to the internal affairs office and was meet by the detective. I was ussed into a small office cubical with the rather large detective and another person of the same stature. I was double teamed, berated for suggesting that a police officer could do such a thing, that it was my fault, and then was asked agressive and unusual questions concerning my mental state, my attitude, and my "childish manner." I asked the detective if this was to be a private and confidential interview? That is when the other rotund person said that he would be in the next office listining in if the detective neeed him! The detective then said that he was going to start the investigation and pulled out a recorder and stared the interview. He became very professional at that time.
After this was compleated, he asked If I had any witnesses to the event. I suggested that there were twenty or more people there, and getting some of them to give statements would be no problem.
The weekend insuded and I had time to reflect on the interview. I decied that I would not inflict such treatment on people who would be doing me a favor. So I asked a few of them to write out statements about what they had seen, and had them noterized. While we were doing this, I was called by the detective and asked where my witness were? I explained that after my interview, I held no confidence that the Tampa Police Department was capable of handling the policing of there own, and I would take the situation a different direction.
As for my further actions, I must keep that confidential for now.
All of this has recently come back to my attention due to yet another altercation. This time, at the same location, with either a State of County police officer, I was pulled over and givin a ticket for "not registered" by an unknow officer. I cant read the ticked, he refused to identify himself, and was unfamilir with the law. I had asked "If I take the motor off the dingy, Then Im leagle right?" He said no, all boats have to be registered. This is just not the case. Also, there is no such law or violation called "not registered". I cannot read anything he wrote on the ticket. I dont know where to send a payment. I dont know where to appear to fight said ticket. It seems that he advanced the time on the ticket, maybe to get some overtime?
I think that If your job is to write these tickets, you should be familiar with the laws and violatins. You should also attempt to write legably. You should at the very least provide enouth information on the ticket so the something could be done with it. I have no choice but to do nothing.
I will be leaving this area this week anyway, then to hell with them. I may have to return for civil procedues, but I will return with a entorage of securty, for protection. I do feel that I am risking my life by being in Tampa, and Hillsborogh County.
Theres a nice and happy story for you!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
LeLena Gone Wild!
The crazy woman Lelena, as seen in previous posts, has again, went crazy.
Johnny B sold the buccanner. Hoary! These two young guys bought it. One of them is a trucker, so he is gone throughout the week. The other is looking for a job. This weekend, our friend Ed saw that they were using inflatable emergency dingies. He offered to let them use the canoe of another friend of ours that was only here some of the time. He had offered to allow us to use it so no one saw anything wrong with this.
Where I fit in is: I was returning to the basin with a couple of friends. Lelean was coming to the dock in here dingy with the canoe in tow. As I was stainding on the dock waiting for my friends park, I saw that she was screaming disparaging remarks. I didn't want my friends exposed to the foul language or to some altercation, so I started to walk toward the car. She stated to yell insults and threats at me. I turned and asked what did I do? She said come over here and I show you, as she swung an ore over her head. I then just walked away. I then saw Mike, one of the boys that bought the bayliner swimming to the dock. Apparently she had gone to the boat took the canoe, was screaming at them incoherently and threatening them. She then made her rounds around the basin harassing everyone in her sites.
The icing on the cake for me, was around midnight, there comes a knock on the boat. I woke to find Raymond and Lelean Taylor, Moses, or what ever Allis they are now using in their dingy knocking on the boat with an ore. Raymond said that he didn't like what went on today, and I shouldn't be pointing at his wife. I stopped him with "I don't want to have anything to do with you or her ever again, You ignore me, and I will ignore you." I thought it was over. They went back over to the bayliner and stole the dingy that I had gotten from them eight months earlier. I had traded a large quanta of teak wood, and a new airconditioner for it. I had bottom painted the thing twice already, and fixed it when the hurricane tore it up. I also had just loaned it to the boys because they again were screwed for a dingy.
I now feel that the dingy is just fodder, and if that's all it takes to get them to leave me and the boys alone, great.
Let Thieves lie.
Johnny B sold the buccanner. Hoary! These two young guys bought it. One of them is a trucker, so he is gone throughout the week. The other is looking for a job. This weekend, our friend Ed saw that they were using inflatable emergency dingies. He offered to let them use the canoe of another friend of ours that was only here some of the time. He had offered to allow us to use it so no one saw anything wrong with this.
Where I fit in is: I was returning to the basin with a couple of friends. Lelean was coming to the dock in here dingy with the canoe in tow. As I was stainding on the dock waiting for my friends park, I saw that she was screaming disparaging remarks. I didn't want my friends exposed to the foul language or to some altercation, so I started to walk toward the car. She stated to yell insults and threats at me. I turned and asked what did I do? She said come over here and I show you, as she swung an ore over her head. I then just walked away. I then saw Mike, one of the boys that bought the bayliner swimming to the dock. Apparently she had gone to the boat took the canoe, was screaming at them incoherently and threatening them. She then made her rounds around the basin harassing everyone in her sites.
The icing on the cake for me, was around midnight, there comes a knock on the boat. I woke to find Raymond and Lelean Taylor, Moses, or what ever Allis they are now using in their dingy knocking on the boat with an ore. Raymond said that he didn't like what went on today, and I shouldn't be pointing at his wife. I stopped him with "I don't want to have anything to do with you or her ever again, You ignore me, and I will ignore you." I thought it was over. They went back over to the bayliner and stole the dingy that I had gotten from them eight months earlier. I had traded a large quanta of teak wood, and a new airconditioner for it. I had bottom painted the thing twice already, and fixed it when the hurricane tore it up. I also had just loaned it to the boys because they again were screwed for a dingy.
I now feel that the dingy is just fodder, and if that's all it takes to get them to leave me and the boys alone, great.
Let Thieves lie.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Thursday, June 15, 2006
DAVIS ISLAND SEAPLANE BASIN, TAMPA FL
TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO'S AFTERMATH
15 JUNE, 2006
Storm Alberto's Victims Back Into The Water
The Only Real Storm Of The Season
But It Did A Number In The Yacht Basin
15 June, 2006. Michael Hunt stayed on the boat for a few months before moving up to Chicago. He had the pleasure of riding out Tropical Storm Alberto for 36 hours with Rocky. I stayed at Gail's house. It appeared that we were in for a brutal hurricane season since Alberto was the first named storm of the season and it piled up several boats in the basin. It just barely reached hurricane status (for less than a day) before being downgraded back to tropical storm status. I was telling everyone that this was going to a very calm hurricane season and I was right. After Alberto, the season was pretty much over.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
DAVIS ISLAND SEAPLANE BASIN, TAMPA FL
TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO & AFTERMATH
13 JUNE, 2006
Anchor Or Moor Your Boat Properly
13 June, 2006. During the storm, a twin engine plane came barreling into the Peter O' Knight Airport at about 90 mph and crashed into a house that belonged to the owners of Tate Brothers Pizza on Davis Island. I talked the FAA about 5 hours after the crash as an eye witness and apparently, I was the first person to shed light on the fact that one of the engines was out and the landing gear was not down. The news was even reporting that it skidded off the runway. It may have touched the very end of the runway but this plane came in fast and crashed hard.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
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