5 days off, 2 days on, 3 days off

We ended up getting Weds free of kids too. It was nice. Then we had a 3 day weekend for labor day, but the weather has been a little cloudy and wet. Which has bumbed me out a little because I'm in the mood for some sun and fun. I did manage to go out on the boat for a little on both days, but not long enough to satisfy the itch.

CO went up to New York for a cousins wedding this weekend. She is enjoying the break from the keys. So this was my chance to go out on the sailboat for a couple of days. The weather and the fact that my motor still isn't fixed kind of slammed the door on that whole deal. There are too many stories down here of people wrecking boats or never being seen again to push a bad situation. I guess I'm finally growing up :(

Before CO left she gave me permission to buy a Hawaiian sling. It's a 7" long round piece of wood with a whole down the center and a rubber band tied to it. It's basically a sling shot for a steel spear. I stick the steel shaft through the whole and put the end of it in the pocket of the band and pull it back, point at a fish and let her go. The 3 barbed tip on the other end hopefully sticks in the fish. If it sounds fun, you understand what I'm trying to say. If you don't think it sounds fun, then you need to wait for the picture, I didn't explain it in a way you can understand.

The past 2 days I've been shooting fish. I haven't shot any keepers yet, but I sure am having fun practicing on the small ones. I have to be careful at the size of fish I shoot, because the spear isn't attached to the sling, so the fish could swim off with my so called bullet. I know this; but that didn't stop me from shooting a 20" jack yesterday. I hit him square in the side, but he was a little out of range to stick solid. So he darted off with my spear stuck in his side. Lucky for me he turned a little and the spear hit the bottom and it was knocked out of him. I'm going to have to rig up a way to attach the spear to the piece of wood with a line or something.

The thought of a fish pulling me around in the water makes me laugh a little and I wonder if I have enough sense not to shoot a big fish or enough sense to let go when I run out of air.

Yesterday I saw a 3-4 foot wide sting ray sitting on the bottom, next to a ledge where I was "hunting". The first thing that went through my mind was to shoot it. I didn't because of the mean factor, loose my spear factor, and this thing might attack me factor. So I left it alone, but later on I almost swam into it while chasing a fish. So I decided it needs to find another place. It's tail seemed to be 7-9' long, but seeing how things are bigger under water, who knows? I really wasn't sure how I would scare this thing off without it getting offended and then offensive.

I knew the tail was the dangerous end, so I came up behind it and poked the very end of it with the tip of the spear. It swam off in a cloud a smoke. I felt kinda stupid being so cautious about something so simple. Everybody says they won't hurt you.

Well this morning I just found out that the crocodile hunter was killed in a "freak" attack by a sting ray. SO! Now who feels stupid? Not to be mean or nothing, but I'm scared to death of all these water animals, because it seems like all of them have a tendency to freak out. Everybody down here thinks I over react to the big animals that have a tendancy to freak out and hurt people.

The other day I was out with some fellow teachers getting lobster and there is a 4 foot nurse shark hanging out with us. Everybody is treating it like some harmless clown fish, but it's bothering me, A LOT! I'm trying not to act like a panzy, but I just make sure everybody is aware that there is A SHARK! swimming around with us. Everybody knows and is completely not bothered by it.

So... I get on with my lobster hunting, just trying to block out the fact and definitely not send any electrical fear signals to prompt the harmless shark to FREAK OUT on me. So I'm looking under this coral head trying to get a lobster out and just look to the right for a second and sure enough, this STUPID shark is about 6" from my face, looking at me.

I jerked backyards and blanked out with a rush of horror, while pushing him away out of pure reaction. He swam away and I went up for some much needed air. That's enough! I'm going back to the boat.

John Moeller, an old salt, was sitting on the boat drinking a beer. He had no sympathy or understanding to my uneasiness. John said the shark was waiting to eat the lobster that I was going to pull out. Did it not dawn on John that the lobster the shark wanted to eat would be in MY HAND! ... This isn't Sea World! Nothing in here is trained not to hurt me.

So I sat there and acted like I was just going chill out and wait for the next spot we were going to go to.

CO almost will not get in the water anymore because of all the big fish we see. I don't blame her, it's just absolutely nerve racking to me too. But there is a little adrenaline that pumps through my system that kinda keeps sucking me in the water.

No fear ... No fun.