I’m getting older now, I’m slowing down a lot. I can still drive myself and my wife to the store or doctor, cook meals and still go to Church. A lot of my friends have died or need help getting around, my wife and I try to keep in touch and visit when we can. But an old man isn’t what you want to read about. So let me tell you a story of a young man full of piss and vinegar, with a brain about the size of a walnut.

I’m Jim and I guess you need to know a little of my childhood before you can understand how I lead the life I have. I grew up in Central Florida, S. of Gainesville and N. of Orlando, went to school there and lived the rural Florida life. I started fishing from the time of remembrance and got my first 22-bolt action at 12. I fished and hunted all around our home, living on a canal that led into a rather large lake I could do about every type of outdoor activity that most kids only dreamed about.

I had a 14” Jon boat with a 9.9 hp mercury on it so I could cover miles of the lake and explore to my heart’s content. My parents worked so I had after school and summer days to do about what I wanted to do. I had some choirs around the house I had to do and as long as I let my older sister Susie know where I was going and about when I would be home, I could come and go as I wanted. I learned wood skills from the library and talking to the older people who lived around me. Mr. Mapp would ask me to take him fishing when the specs (crappies) were biting and when the shell crackers were on bed. In return, he would tell me stories and sometimes give me some fishing gear or a box of 22s. I fed a lot of people squirrels and rabbits once in a while a duck or some quail. Just living the good life.

After I turned 15 I got my driving permit and could get a motorcycle as long as it wasn’t over a 100cc. So, I got a Yamaha 90 and put some hard saddlebags on it, and I could go anywhere I wanted. I then discovered my first obstacle to go and do what I wanted I had to have money. I got a small allowance from my parents for yard work and washing the cars. $10.00 a week would buy a lot in the late 60s, but not enough to live the free life. I got a job as an afternoon janitor at my high school. I worked from 3:30 to 6:30 every day after school cleaning classrooms. I got paid twice a month and made about $60.00 per check. I had weekends, holidays, and summers off and could fish and hunt whenever I wasn’t working. I saved my money as best I could, my parents bought my clothes and paid for my school lunches and a lot of other things, so I was doing fine. I was spending a lot of Saturday on trips to the gulf to fish for reds, snook and trout. Sometimes I would be able to camp out Saturday night and come back Sunday. It was hard to carry two rods, tackle, food, drinks and camping stuff on a bike. You can do it but it’s not easy and the whole idea for me was to have fun not struggle.

School was going ok I was a decidedly C-B student, if I liked something I would do good. I liked Florida History and made As, World History Cs. I took Shop and did good on it as I liked to make things and work on stuff. At 16 I got a regular license and found a station wagon that ran ok but was ugly as sin. It cost less than my bike had and had room inside for all my stuff and even for me to sleep in. I sold my bike and bought a 14’ V bottom aluminum and another 9.9 hp motor. At the time in Florida, you didn’t have to register a boat if it was under a 10 hp motor. I was now having to buy a hunting and fishing license so I tried to save money where I could. I liked fishing salt water and started fishing from Stienhatchy to Crystal River. I would spend a few days at a time there in the summer and a couple of weekends a month during the school year. I still fished and hunted close to home too.

So, all during high school I did what other kids did go to ball games on Friday nights and hanging out some. But what I really enjoyed was the outdoor life. I had friends who from time to time would fish with me and go camping. Life was a lot simpler then and kids could go camping by themselves and it was ok. I always had a gun of some sort when out and that was ok too. So, you see how I was raised. I loved my family, they loved me, I was a happy person. Now that you have an idea of my life we can get on with the story.

It was early 1976, I was 22 years old and was spending a 3 day weekend on one of the many rivers that feed into the Gulf. I was catching speckled trout one after another, I was only keeping the biggest ones 20” plus and had a cooler full. I decided to go in early and clean what I had and pack them in ice. I was cold being mid 50s in Florida is cold. Running my boat up on the bank, I slipped a little getting out and looked down for my next step and saw something, thinking it was just some rusted metal I gave it a nudge with my foot. It was a clump of some kind of metal. I tied off the boat and then picked it up, still I couldn’t figure out what it was. I unloaded the boat and got a bucket of water and put the object in to soak the mud off it. I set up and fillet the fish putting them in plastic containers and put my jugs of still mostly frozen ice in with them. I was good for at least another day. I had left out four fillets to fix for dinner along with some pork and beans, I’d use what was left of the breading to make a sort of hush puppy. I got the Coleman stove lit put on the coffee pot and got everything ready to cook. I remember sitting back eating and drinking my coffee. I had built up a little fire to sit by and stay warm. I would be warm enough in the back of the station wagon covered up. I got the can and started rinsing the mud off my earlier find and saw it was a bunch of coins stuck together. I wasn’t sure what they were and decided to wait until I got home to figure it out. I just figured it was some silver dollars stuck together from someone’s change purse.