Ahhhrrrgg! Florida Sea Base National High Adventure

Ahoy Mates! My oldest son and I just returned from a trip to the Boy Scout Florida Sea Base National High Adventure Camp, Islamorada, on Lower Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys. The word adventure only begins to describe what fun we had on the open seas. Captain Jim of the Midnight Dragon was an exceptional host and taught our crew to sail, snorkel, and fish, while sharing his knowledge of the history and splendor of the keys. The staff at Sea Base was top notch and treated the boys like royalty.

Our crew of 9 spent many wonderful days cruising the reefs, reading books, sharing in conversation and enjoying beautiful sunsets. What really made the week special for me is that 4 of our 5 scouts have known each other since they were wee little cubs and our newest member "Action Jackson" fit right in. All the boys did great and earned their Adventure patch, snorkeling patch and the Captain's Crew patch. We also managed to win an award for the largest edible catch of the week, a Mutton Snapper, shown below.

A scout is clean, and so we were upon arrival. It was all down hill from there! Left to right; Ben, Harrison, Dan, Jackson, Matt, Danny, Bill, D.C. (picture courtesy of Sea Base)

Off the coast of Key Largo.

Hard to beat Florida Sunsets.

An awesome crew toughing it out in the first of about 5 storms. Well done boys.

Although the Captain credited me with landing our fish, everyone had a hand in reeling in Mr. Mutton. He was rather stuborn. The Captain filleted and seasoned our fish. The boys grilled him up. Mmmm good.

I've said it before, "I love Scouting and all the opportunities it creates for our young men....and seasoned Dads like myself." I am working on many more photos and will post them in the coming days. Enjoy.

Viewing Rock, Goshen Virginia

A traditional hike for us is always to Viewing Rock. This outcrop overlooks the majestic Lake Merriweather. Its a great two mile hike pretty much straight up. Just enough challenge for our youngest scouts....and our more seasoned older leaders. The reward is worth the effort.

Click the picture for a larger view.

Shots like these remind me of the classic Norman Rockwell Scouting Artworks. Brings a tear to my eye when I watch. No kidding!

Retiring the flag after another great day.

My tent by week's end......a mess.

Trading Post, Camp Olmsted (PRIDE!)

Every scout loves the trading post. Always stocked with sugary goodness to get them through their next merit badge class. Click the picture for a larger image.

Good Morning Goshen

Just returned from the beautiful Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen Virginia. Lots of pictures to share. In fact I'm way backed up on processing. We had 33 well behaved scouts that worked on well over 150 merit badges. Weather was fantastic. I am now packing up with my oldest son and headed to Sea Base High Adventure Camp in the Florida Keys. Its been a great summer for shootin' pics. Now if I could just find time to sit down and look at them. Boy Scouts Rock. You get out of it what you are willing to put into it. I am a firm believer in the program. Cheers.

Introducing Joe Joe

Spent some time with this delightful young man while in Louisville. Joseph is my wife's, cousin's son or "first cousin once removed." I looked it up. He was a pure delight and as the photo tells, he IS the cat's meow.

Eight More Miles To Louisville

Louisville is approximately 612 miles from our front door! We took a little walk through town on our way to the Children's Museum. The architecture was fabulous with a great mixture of new and old. The city is doing a great job reinventing itself. Rumor has it Paul Bunyan once played ball here. I think he left his bat.

A corridor along the beautiful Humana building.

Old meets new.

Got Paint?

Caboose That Got Loose

The family and I took to the road last weekend and traveled to Louisville KY to visit with relatives. My children spotted this caboose nestled on the side of the road near a truck stop on I-64 somewhere in KY. There was not a rail to be found which begged the question "Where did it come from?" I wished it could tell its story :)