Chapter 2

I knew what I wanted to do from a young age. In JR High I read every outdoor magazine in the library, we also had a good library in town that had a bigger selection of outdoor books. I would get a trapping book and go home and try out making and setting snares. Mom would get a constant supply of small game to cook so long as I cleaned it, she would cook it. The whole family liked wild game, so no one complained. Fishing was something else I did whenever I had a chance.

To get all the things I needed, I started mowing yards when I was about 12 and by 16, I had a truck and trailer to get me and the equipment to all the houses I had. In the winter I would clean up yards, garages, barns, anything to make money for everything I knew I would need. I also bought and traded a lot of what I wanted to take with me. I had good fishing gear, both fresh and saltwater. Living in Florida, fishing, hunting and just general outdoor stuff was easy to come by. So many northerner’s would sale they’re cold weather gear for almost nothing.

I had a 22, a 12 ga bolt action, a marlin 30-30, a 30-06 and a 357 mag revolver. All my hunting needs could be met with these older but solid guns. I also bought up ammo when I found it at garage sales. I remember back and the 60s and 70s were so much easier on getting things like guns and ammo. Camp wise I had a large canvas tent in good shape, several tarps, axes, mauls, hand saws and a sears chain saw. I was happy with what I had and the shape of everything I planned to take with me. I was 3 months from finishing school with only a few things to get. I would need a better truck and a different trailer. An outboard motor for my 16’ Jon boat and the food I planned to take with me. My old truck and trailer weren’t worth much and with a grand total of just over $5,000.00 I knew I couldn’t afford to spend much, but I needed a strong truck that would see me thru a few years of some of the worst roads that could be driven on.

I was talking to my friend and coach about my last big problem. With his help I sold my truck, trailer, lawn mowers, hand tools and gave my yard work customers to a company for a really good price. Up until then I never knew I was a landscaper or had a real business. The only problem now is I had no transportation. But I did have a mom who could take me places I needed to go. I didn’t mind the school bus, so I didn’t cause too much trouble for her. It also gave me a chance to be with my younger brother and sister a bit more. Everyone knew I was leaving as soon as I finished school.

Looking at the Penny Pincher every week and the classifieds in the Orlando Sentinel on Sundays. I would go around and look at the trucks that sounded like what I wanted and could afford. I really liked an International I looked at, but after driving it, a 3 speed manual, it seemed to cruise at too high a rpm. I had several thousand miles to drive, and it just didn’t feel right. But, just like my whole life God was looking out for me. My mom has always been a yard sale person and would go out of her way to find one. She came back from one in Apopka and told me about a truck she saw, so we loaded up for a 45 min drive back to the yard sale she was at earlier.

I fell in love as soon as I saw it but knew I couldn’t afford it. It was a Dodge power wagon, in a green color. I told mom that this would be way too much for me to afford, but she said go talk to the lady about it. It was her brothers who was a real “sportsman” as she called him. It also seemed he had a bad heart, he passed away a few months back and she had just got the estate settled and wanted to get the truck gone. She gave me a real fair price and I told her so, but it was out of my price range. I told her how I’d saved since I was 12 and what I planned to do. That got me a lower price if I would take the camper shell and “old ugly truck bed trailer”. I took one look and jumped on it. I had more than I had ever thought I would get. The camper shell matched the trucks color, and it had a platform fixed that went over the wheel wells and just under the height of the tailgate. Then a carpeted piece of plywood fit on top of the platform, and you had a good place to store things under it and for some things on top, also a good place for me to make a nice bed. The truck bed trailer was a homemade Dodge bed with a solid welded tongue. It had almost new tires, but what she called ugly was just a primer finish. I knew for 10 bucks I could do a fair paint job on it. All this for the most amazing price of $3,000.00. So, I got all this for what I sold my old truck and lawn stuff for, man was I stoked.