Life in Nicaragua

[Cap'n Jib]

JW,

Really enjoyed the latest bunch of yarns. Almost like being there.

On another matter, the title of the thread is ‘Life in Nicaragua’. Didn’t know there was any. When did it happen?

[John Wayne]

Originally Posted by Cap'n Jib

JW,

Really enjoyed the latest bunch of yarns. Almost like being there.

On another matter, the title of the thread is ‘Life in Nicaragua’. Didn’t know there was any. When did it happen?

Actually this is not considered Nicaragua, it is the Moskitia and they for the most part hate the Spaniards on the Pacific coast....

They did like Somoza because he left them alone, I came here in 1991 and the place was inshambles, and International Aid brought the moskita people up a notch, but since the Sandinistas are back in power, HOWEVER they got there, International aid has stopped from the States, Europe, and others....

Two years ago when the Iraninans came here to help in aid of hurricane Felix afermath and raised their flag on Moskitia soil, they run them, saying NOBODY ever done that not even the USA....BTW who was the first in here to give aid and comfort.....

You cannot imagine the pride I felt when 2 hours after the 160Kt winds slacked off to see that "Chinoock" double bladed helicopter droping medical supplies off to the people......

God Bless America.....Chavez and Akmanutjob can go to HELL

[John Wayne]

Ahhh, Lief, a Square Head, my father in law, and had that flat forehead to go with it........

He was very proud of being a Square Head....

If I ever loved in my heart another man besides the "He Coon" ( my father) it was him....

Over a few beers several times in the "City" (NYC) he told me plenty, I consider all that up there above the Mason Dixon line "The City".

Many in the family passed him off to being a sot, but it was not so, he had sired my wife late in his life, and had his right to several beers at the end of a working day....

He was a worker, not a lay about.....

A six pack Joe with a outlook on life that needs to be recorded....

And he never, not once, refered to me as Meat Head....

He was Archie Bunkers predisesior....

I, in them day's did not drink a case of beer in a month, and never even touched Whisky or Rum....

My wife worked taking Edawadian pictures on the 86th floor of the Empire State bulding for the toursits.....

Black and Whites with costumes and background of that era....

The only improvement I could have made to the Empire State bulding was perhaps to put a diving board for Liberals on the west side, and charge admission.....

Lookin' back, I think that would have been a win, win situation for our country....

Ain't nobody made it all the way to the ground yet, but they some once in a whie still trying, I think the 6th floor is the furthest down any of them ever got.....

And I could have offered the prize of 72 virgins to those that made it all the way....

Me, I was by choise a unemployed Lobester diver from Florida, I could have gone back to work, but I chose not
too for a spel, and collected my paid for unemployment....

It was absolutey crazy, once a week I had to go tell 'em I could not find a job diving Lobesters in New York City, and my 65 dollar check would come in the mail........

In those days I made 2k a month when I worked and Gas was 29.9

To stay busy, I did some home improvments to the family home in Queens County......

A volkswagon beatle for a car and I not a hippy but a redneck, the beatle ran cheap and would go just about anywhere with some good tires on it.

People was makin' dune buggies out of them in those days, putting a beer keg on them for a gastank, more for decorations than anything, it was the SUV of the days....

In those day's I could stomp the livin' $hit out of hippies for the fun of it......Do a 2 minute free dive in 45 feet of water, and screw half the night.....

My wife's brother and she had two dogs in the house, a German Shepard and a druling mouthed St. Benard, he slobbered all the way to the floor.

Big as young pony with a head on him the size of a basketball, Jesus that house did stinck and full of dog hair......

The German shepard was named Uri after Uridicy the greek Godess, but the poor 'ole St. Bernard was named Brandy, I couldn't stand that name, sounded like a faggot, so I changed it to Sam.....

Johnny my brother in law couldn't figgure out why the German Shepard was going bald on her back, took her to the vet, put raw eggs in her food,I mean he tried everything...

The dog didn't need the hair sleeping next to the boiler in the basement......

I tricked 'ole Johnny, now me and the He Coon (my Father) at one time had 26 deer hounds, and I did know a little something about dogs.....

They meant to live outside, people live inside the house.....

We made an agreement, I would fix the dog, and he wouldn't say one single word about my method......

I went up to the A & P store under the EL (elivated subway train) and bought a big 'ole bag of Purina Dog food.

Scraped all around that neighborhood for wooden palets and whatever else I could find and built a doghouse in the backyard, BTW it was the only house on the block that had a "Backyard", wasn't much, about 30 by 40 but it was a backyard, even had an 'ole pear tree in it......

I put 'em dogs outside and fed 'em good......

Oh, they didn't like it none and when they cried and scrached at the back door, I went outside and whacked their asses with my belt, and run 'em back into the doghouse.....

They soon learned they was a rednek in the house and he won't gone live with no dog, they won't house dogs like one of 'em little, big googled eyed chahuahuas that got more mouth than a poor sow pig got a$$, and she's all a$$....

(Hey I am trying my best to clean up my writing, please bear with me).....

In sight of three weeks to a month that German Shepard dog had one of the prettiest coats ever been comming back out, Johnny could not bieleve it.....

Now back to the Square Head, my father in Law......

Now my wife was working takin' 'em pictures and didn't open shop till about 10 am and came home late on the subway.

I was by nature an early riser, and she claimed I got up in the middle of the night, when actually it was just before day.

The Square Head was another early riser.....Which is why we got along fine, He used to make what he called Norwiegin coffee, you could stand a spoon up in it......

He was retired and every Sunday brought home a Strawberry Chesecake made by some of his friends at a Mom and Pop delicatessen.

Never had that before I went there, we just had Strawberry shortcake in the South with whipped cream on top.....

So one weekend he and I decided to take a field trip out to as he called it, ******head Long Island, actually it was named Riverhead, and just outside of the town we met some good 'ole boy's shootin' skeet, 'em clay miniture frsbees with their shotguns.......

Had a good time with 'em, just they talked a bit funny to me, and perhaps I did to them too......

On the way back we bought 300 pounds of 'em Long Island Potatoes for $3.00 a 100 pound sack, people was sellin' 'em like we do watermelons along the roadside in the South.

Now I am a Tater lover, Black Irish I am you know, and it is really hard to mess up a Tater where you can't eat it.....

We used to boil up a big pot of 'em whole with the skin on, just scrubbed up with a brush. and keep 'em in the fridge, they made a fast breakfast food in the mornings, 'em and some onions fried up in bacon grease and a Swiss cheese omlet, that would hold ya till middle day....

Oh and that bread 'em yankees made, when ya picked up a loaf of it, the heavier it was, the better it was, what was it, Sprouted wheat or something or other, beat the hell outa that "Lite Bread" down South, Uuuu weeee and smeared up real good with some of that real Cow butter?, make a puppy pull a frieght train.........

But 'em yankees did'nt know anything about Collard greens, Turnip Greens or corn bread, I had to learn to eat Broccili and cheese sause..... They did know about spinach......

Me and the Square Head went to a Columbus Day parade one time and as the Itallians was a passing marchin' down the street with their signs, "We Discovered it and We built it"

The Square Head, looked over at me, gave me a sly smile, and said, "John, we Square Heads came here centuries before 'em Dagos did, we was lookin' for beer, they came much later just lookin' for poontang".....

Now the He Coon loved Eyetiallian food and always sprinkled it liberaly with what he called Parmijohnny cheese makin' joke at me....

The Square Head called it Guinnea cheese, and my wife called it Skinny cheese......

Now I am going to get into the Square Head having a cup of Norwiegin coffee and a cigarette in the kitchen here but I need to do a little back ground on it to start.......

The sayin' in Florida is that summer has got a long hungry mouth, just about all the Commerical Fishing is done from fall to spring.

I had been talking to my brother in law Johnny about fishin' and he wanted to give it a try, being of Square Head stock.....

I and my wife went back down to the Keys, set up in a rented moble home, I went back out diving Lobsters, she took a job workin in the local hospitol and it won't long Johnny showed up looking and finding a place on a mackrel gill netter as a green horn.....

A green horn is somebody without any experiance at all and uasally started out at half pay till they prove their worth....

Johnny lucked up and got a place on the "Northwester" with Capt Wallace Ericson out of Tarpon Springs, I had worked with Capt Wally years earlier and he was a highliner fisherman, Johnny proved his worth and stayed on the boat the whole season.

Watched his money, more than he ever made in life till that time, and decided to take a motorcycle ride back to NYC......

We went down to Key West, and he bought a beautiful CB 350 that didn't have a thousand miles on it....

I rode it back to Marathon and they followed in the VW.....

Johnny got used to it on the road to Sombrero Beach and over on Grassy Key till he had confidance enough to start his adventure going thru the Aliganey trail on up the country.....

He nor I was a long haird hippy and yet we did upon occasion partake of the evil weed, and the occasional cold beer.....

I smoked non filtered Camels in those days much to my wife's dissapointment, later it did become an issue, but I will not get into that, that chapter is closed...

When I was out on the Bahama Moma diving Lobsters, me and Capt Bill rolled cigarettes made of "BUGLER" out of the can, so I could twist one up that would make the Camel factory a bit jelious, pure tobacco end to end and none of that tapered ****.....

Who in the hell wants to smoke paper?

Johnny had his bed roll, and camping gear all loaded on the moto and about to set out on his journey, and I said wait a minute.....

I went in the house and rolled up 3 nice dobies and put 'em in a old pack of camels and gave 'em to him for the road, pure natural leaf, no sticks or seeds.....

He put 'em in his shirt pocket and went on to the Northard on his motocycle, up US 1 to 27 at Florida City and on thru the back country to the Trail....

We Commerical Fishermen call it that, Northard, Southered, to the Easterd, and Westerd..... and a bit this way or that way of 'em....

In the way of bad luck Johnny had an uneventfull trip, spent some nights in the mountains in his sleeping bag, met some nice people along the trail, and really enjoyed his self on the trip.....

To my knowlage the "Trail" runs all the way up into Canada, but Johnny got off to the west of the City and went on home....

Home is home, and it don't make a $hit that in the City everyone tells ya..."Don't make eye contact, Don't make eye contact, Don't make eye contact"

Being a Rebel I ignored all they rules while I was there, and met some intersting people from all over the world, sure, a looney once in a while, but $hit, it don't cost nothing to shake ya' head and walk away when you see they going on off into outer space in a conversation, just don't touch me when I turn to walk away, because I will bust your a$$, but never without a warning first....

Persistant, overbearing, and obnoxus people get my Goat, and if they get in my face too much, it is sure, I gone knock 'em down.........

Just don't grab me, I am a stuborn ass mule, with fire in my blood...

I had a black Lady there, a stout woman in her 50's there that I met in the A&P, invite me, she, from NC. me a NC white boy and I did go to her house for a meal, and she served collard greens and cornbread.....

When I opened my Jones County mouth in the A&P she being from Tarboro and me just across a couple of county lines, she knew right away I won't from Texas which most of 'em yankees up there thought.

Me and she missing a taste of home....

She slid right back into the accent of her childhood....

She cried, and so did I over the meal......Talking real English....

I will never forget her.... that and, and her heart in the right place like a true Tarheel......

Where she got the collards, I have no idea.....

Even had some pepper vinager to go with it.....

We had a wonderfull time with her children, husband, and grand youngins.....

Gettin' off topic here so back to the Square Head.....

Johnny got home, and went to his room and dumped his things, took the Camel pack untouched and put it on his dresser top, took a hot shower and went to bed.....

Next morning he got up early and went downstairs to the ketchin......

The Square Head was sitting there to the table having a cup of Norwigien coffee and a smoke.....

Sniff, sniff, sniff, goes Johnny's nose.......

Dad, what are you doing?

With somewhat of a delay, he replied, I am having an eye opener, a cup of Norwiegien coffee and a cigarette....

Where did you get those cigarettes?

I found 'em up there on your dresser, they are a bit stale but I don't care......

Dad, those are not stale Camels, how many have you smoked?

Thinking about the question for a minute, the Square Head finaly replied, this is the second one I think, and there is one more left in the pack, you want it?....

His thought process a bit delayed, he said, Johnny, when did you start smoking cigarettes?

Dad, I never have smoked cigarettes, those are not cigarettes..........

Square Head....I salute you, although there were things I did not agree with you on...

I still loved you...... as a man can love another man without being queer......

[Cap'n Jib]

"BUGLER" out of the can…- JW

Now you’re talking! Didn’t partake that many years, but I sure remember “Bugler”.

Also I enjoyed rum soaked cigars. Even a pipe for a while. Found a Canadian 'vanilla' tobacco…if you believe it. So smooooooooth!

[John Wayne]

I am glad i struck a chord there.....

I look forward to your posts and either bringing me up to speed, or taking me back in time.....

You have a habit of going both ways brother....

Micky, Get your mind out of the gutter on that last sentence........

[Cap'n Jib]

¨ You have a habit of going both ways brother....¨ - JW

Let´s see now, that could mean….two faced, schizoid, AC/DC, or all/or none of the above.

I, however, prefer to think of it as ¨I´m going every which way but loose…¨

[John Wayne]

Yea right, after the ceiling fan deal.....

Did you give it a good 'ole Tarzan yell?

[John Wayne]

My Boss Lady............

One of the biggest, strongest, load toteinest steel boats in the Commerical Fishing fleet for Calico Schllops, affectionatlyed called "Boss Lady"

Owned by a distant cousin from Marshalburg NC, Edward L Moore and his son Eddie, we called Eddie jr., EverReady Eddie, because whenever we hit the dock, he was right there, day or night to do any repairs to his boats.....

From her anchor to her stern she streched over 110 feet long with a big 'ole 16 cylinder Dietriot Diesel Engine in her belly and would pull hell off its hendges if you could shackle the towing cables to it.....

It was 1980, and I was her Master, John the Baptist, was young, strong, and didn't take no **** off any man, working with a bunch of ruffians, drunks and dopy's in the fleet of 11 other commerical fishing boats working Calico Scholop beds offshore and some 50 men, as Captians and crews of them......

I had come up thru the ranks of the other Captians rather fast, and givin the job by old man Edward L, him and I, not knowing we were distant kin till one day I mentioned who my family was....

He had given me the boat for one week to prove myself, if I could not do it...Bye Bye....

Ahhh, some of the others (Captians) were plenty jelous and didn't like it that a "Woodser" born in Kinston 60 miles inland, was in some cases doubling their production......

A Commerical Fisherman doesn't mind getting beat by a little, but getting doubled? PROBLEM.......

I kept it a secret for a long time, because I wanted them Down Easters to think I was a greenhorn off a hog farm, but I had fished the "Blue Water" with the "He Coon" before any of them even got out of Core Sound popcorn Shrimping in the spring.....

I had a good teacher and mentor.......

Also I had 5 years working as a mechanic from a small engine shop in the rental buisness to working on road tractor trucks in all phases of repairs and could make that boat finish the trip, which most of them could not do and sometimes needed a tow....

That time in my life as a mechanic resulted in a failed marrage from living on the land.....

That is where I beat their waterman's ass's upon my return to sea at 27 years old.......

They had no idea I grew up on the water...

I was not a better fisherman, I just could keep the boat going when they could not......

I had a good crew, a Square Head (Norwiegin) named "Fast Freddie" Freddie Thorkinsen who did the steering back and forth from the sea bouy to the fishing grounds 30 to 70 miles distant, and was one hell of a net man.....

He slept while we fished....

Herbie, right off a chicken farm in NC and I trained him to do things my way....

And John Groat, a bank robber from Kansas or somewhere out that way......

John got me tickled, one payday working in and out of Canaveral, old man Edward L, had changed banks and wrote us all checks on his new bank......

We all climbed in my pickup truck to go cash the checks......

I pulled into the drive in winder, and John freaked out.......

Captian, not this bank, not this bank, and hid his face.....

Seems John had an account at that branch, had only 50 dollars in it and he and his brother wanted to do some drinking, which he was famous for on the land......

Wrote out a withdrawal slip for the entire amount and the poor 'ole cashier made an error and gave them 500 dollars.....

They did haulass and stayed drunk for a week....

One of the best wenchman I ever had, never fouled the rigs and when he stopped 'em, kept the boat straight......

Always had to pour imself in a taxi to make it to the boat on time, fall on his face on deck a time or two before he made it to his bunk, and four hours later, ready to go to work.....

Now I have been in and out of every crack from Cape May NJ to Pasagoula Mississippi that would float a boat drawing 12 to 14 foot of water loaded, and many places shallower than that, on the smaller gill netters......

Seems it was the luck of the draw, or just the Captian of the fleet picking on me because I could do it, would schedule me to come into a strange port, at night, loaded to her bumpers with shell stock.......

If I would have had the balls and the desire for easy money, I would have made an excelente drug smuggler, I had been asked, but was to afraid of the law and my morales my parents taught me would not allow it....

Besides, I was makin' good money fishin' and didn't have to look over my shoulder for no law man....

St. Agustine Florida...

A chicken $hit of a split in the sand and inlet that was subject to change with every tide change, the USCG bouy tender did not come there twice a year....

All there was, was a sea bouy off shore and the changing bar.....on the inside running to the northerd and southerd was the intra coastal waterway and that basturd Bridge of Lions draw bridge that we had to grease up the sides of the boat to get thru, dam, at that time it was narrow..... and the tide flew thru there both incoming and outgoing.....

Going in against the out going tide was easy, steerage and a bit more, and you had it made, but going with the current to have steerage you were flying....

Captian Arvin Lewis from Harkers Island NC. forgot to raise up his outriggers and wiped out them and the electric cables going to Anitasia Island.....

One time Capt Danny Garner from Bear Creek NC come up to the bridge, blew the horn 3 times for an opening...

Nothing happened, fired his shotgun three times, and still nothing happened, put his brother in law up on the bridge to find out the bridge keeper was dead with a heart attack....

Aintiasia Island home Of Trader Jack's, and at the foot of the bridge on the Island side, a place that had all the steamed New Samerna oysters you could eat for 12 dollars......

They are world famous..... will half fill a coffee cup almost, a third anyway, and salty, a little "Tasbasco", and you would look the next one....

To put it lightly we were a wild bunch, in what had turned into a girls Collage town over the years, and two places of business that turned out Shrimp Boats for the International community on a daily bassis........

The Sun does't set on St. Augustine Trawlers......

We used Puck O'niel's (a NC home boy) dock for unloadng operations, at St Agustine Trawlers to ship by truck to Beaufort NC or the new plant at Green Cove Springs 20 miles away, the shell Stock of Calicos to be processed....

It was winter, so I came in with all the boat would swim with, not worried about 'em going bad with the heat.....

Capt. Johnny Saddler from Mayport talked me across the bar and up the creek over the VHF radio, he was a local and a friend....

When I got there he had finished his unloading operations and I got under the knuckle boom to do mine, I was last in line.....

Hey, let the crew have it he said, lets go have a cold beer, your boat will be alright till morning........

I have no idea what day it was, but it wasn't long before daylight, maybe 3 o'clock ......

The Trade Winds Tavern, a waterfront bar not far from the Spanish Fort made of Coqunia rocks that would "Swallow" a Brittish cannon ball and not harm the inhabitants.......

Not far from that bridge that ran to the Island.....

But it was there on that night I met Judy......

My second wife.....

Actually she was my third wife, but the second one didn't count, we were friends that had took up housekeeping together and my family didn't want us to be "Living in Sin" and so we tied the knot, and there, by both of our chocies did not produce any begats...

This is a hard one to tell, but I am going to tell it......

I refer to Shirley as my, "first and a half"..... I called her "Squrrelly".... In all honesty we were and are still friends....

But Judy.... when I bellied up to the bar....

The floresent lights flashing on weak starters on the winders to simulate lightning out in the street, water pouring down the winders by a pump to make you think a storm was going on outside......

The place full with women and hardly no men, most all of them young collage girls.....

She says to me.... What is your sign big guy?...

I am and Aquarian, why do you want to know?

Oh really? I am an Aquraian too... She was a little wasted.....

What day were you born on?

The 4th of Febuary.......

I don't beilive it she said, I was born on the 4th of Febuary.......

I don't give a **** what you bieleve, thats my birthday I said.....

Are you going to buy me a drink?

Sure I will buy you a drink I said, hey beer tinder, bring this lady a drink.....

Vodka was what she was throwin' in herself in somekind of a mixed drink......

I have to go to the Ladies room she said, I'll be right back, and slid off her stool and left.....

I asked the beer tinder, Hey go a little light on her drink, I think she's had a plenty...

I said to myself, what a beautiful Blondie, as she walked on to the back of the bar to the Ladies room.....

When she got back, fell on her ass trying to get back on the stool.....

I rushed to the rescue and got her up on it, and she apoligized for being so clumbsy.......

I said hey, I'm a bit hungry, is there a Denny's around here somewhere?....

I knew she needed some food in her and not more drinks, and I wanted to get to know her better.....

Oh, she says, Trader Jacks over on the Island, always has the best clam chowder, always good, always hot, lets go......

So we took a taxi and went over to the Island....

The clam chowder was heavyly laced with oraganio, but was good other than that, and we got to talking over bowls of it as she sobered up a bit......

What do you do, she asked me?

I am Captian of a Commerical fishing boat.....

Oh really, My father is Commidore of the St. Augustine Yatch Club, I live with them on the boat at the club, and once in a while deliver and retrive yatchs and sailboats to the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands as a crew member of Capt. so-n-so and his wife......

I was really fastenated now, a woman of the sea...... And beautiful on top of it......

Continued.......

[Cap'n Jib]

¨St. Augustine Florida...

A chicken $hit of a split in the sand and inlet that was subject to change with every tide change, the USCG bouy tender did not come there twice a year....¨ - JW


IF anyone ever had any doubt about your seafaring skills or observations, and don’t know why they would, those doubts would have to be set aside AFTER the above comment.

As much as I love St. Augustine, playing ´bump the sand bars´ while coming in or going out, gets dang frustrating. As for the USCG bouy tender, you did not state whether the crew, on that mission, was sober or not when placing the bouys. To be fair, and I hate stooping to THAT level, maybe IF the crew were totally smashed, they would stand a better chance of getting the placement right.

Any city in the world has a whole different perspective, feel or value, when approached by sea. St. Augustine was ESPECIALLY memorable when coming in from the sea. That city is difficult for me to describe under that circumstance. But what an experience!

Drove there by car a couple of times of course, but some how it wasn’t quite the same. Maybe like comparing it to the difference between leftovers and a freshly prepared meal…St. Augustine is ´fresh made´!

¨The place full with women and hardly no men, most all of them young college girls.....¨ - JW

Er,,,forgot again, what your complaint was…´ceptn maybe it is NOW coed.

[John Wayne]

Disclamer, all this is hearsay, but I do have my feet on the ground.....

It is not my fight, but many of my people are at fault in the States, Colombia, Cuba and even Russa..... the drug addicts and pushers.....Cocaine....

If you want to get down for a night on the town....... Cocaine.......

An airplane kicked the bucket in a small coastal fishing village on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua......

It was loaded with Green and White......

The Indians look at it as a gift from God, and it is for them.......

DOS promised during his campain speeches..... If you keep things quiite over here, I will make sure you go unmolested.....

So word got around thru the cocanut Telegraph about the crash, and it was a very, very, rich one........

The military was sent in to take it, hey they need the money......

The Indians feel that as curropt as everything is, they (The Military) wanted it for themselves and not a law inforcement action.....

A fight insued, leaving 2 military dead, and 2 indians dead.....

And all the men of the community faded into the bush to regroup and plan their stragity.......

One woman in the community was found to be in possission of 12k in dollars and a keylo.......

More military was sent in.......

All of the women, children, old people were herded into the local church and....(You are going to have to help me here in a translation)

They are being "Torturado" without water or food by the military to answer questions, they are acting like rabid dogs with them over their two lost solders.......

Their's (The Indians) is a not a demand to DOS, but a simple question to him by the men of the community......

What do you want? To leaves us alone, or do you want a fight?.........

There is a call out right now.... Two Arms.......By the Indian Warriors all over the region....

One of the dead Indians is my wifes cousin.....