Better Off Wet Water Lifestyle Magazine November 2022

PUBLISHER

Benjamin Chewning ben@betteroffwet.com

SALES

Megan Chewning megan@betteroffwet.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Theresa Barzyk TIBCreativeStudio@gmail.com

WEB Juan De Leon info@webdevelopmentanddesign.com

CONTACT

Better Off Wet Media Group 352-238-7009 www.betteroffwet.com info@betteroffwet.com

Better Off Wet , all rights reserved. No part of this magazine or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the express written consent of the Publisher.

ARTICLES

HOOKED ON HEROES – FISHING IN STEINHATCHEE FLORIDA

Hooked on Heroes is a wonderful non-profit with a straightforward message about what they do…They take Veterans fishin’! B.O.W. had the pleasure of taking out two Vietnam era Veterans and had a wonderful day on the water with them.

VISIT ECOFINA RIVER STATE PARK

Econfina River State Park is a Florida State Park, covering 3,377 acres located on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Econfina River. What a beautiful place to spend the day or an entire vacation!

WELAKA FISH HATCHERY AND AQUARIUM

Learn about how the U.S. Government helps out local fisheries at this hatchery as well as gives a head start to many non-fish species.

STONE CRAB SEASON IS OPEN Stone Crab claws are absolutely delicious and a true delicacy in the eyes of everyone at Better Off Wet. Check out the Florida regulations and some great pics provided by Shawn May of his family harvesting some Jumbo and Colossal claws.

HURRICANE IAN Hurricane Ian put a beating on the landscape and infrastructure of Southwest Florida. But, many tens of thousands of workers and volunteers came in force to help the many communities and cities affected by the storm.

HURRICANE IAN – A SHEEP DOG’S VIEW Sheep Dog Impact Assistance’s motto is that helping others is a way of life for them. B.O.W. got to see this first hand by joining up with them in Southwest Florida, to help them help others affected by Hurricane Ian.

B.O.W.had

the pleasure of captaining one of the many fishing vessels, for the Hooked on Heroes fishing tournament in October. We have to say, from start to finish, this was one of the most organized events we have been a part of, especially being a volunteer based event. We arrived at the boat ramp, to launch our boat, and there were Deputies there to give us window hang tags, then once at Sea Hag Marina, there were plenty of volunteers guid ing the way, and if you still couldn’t figure it out, they had a ton of signage to point you in the right direction. What a great event for our Veterans!

Our boat had two Veterans, both Vietnam era Vets, who are now in their eighties, Bob and Errol. These two gentlemen were full of life and funny as all get out. We had great conversations while fishing, the entire day. The wind was on us the entire day of fishing, but we found a nice spot to anchor in a productive grass flats area. Between the two anglers they must have caught 8 different species of fish. Errol had the largest Spotted Sea Trout We’d seen all year hooked up, only to have the fish back-flip his way off the hook just as we were about to net him. And, all Bob had to do was get his line in the water and it seems like he hooked up on a fish of some sort every time. It was an honor to be able to spend the day with these two Veterans on the water and we look forward to doing it again.

HOOKED HEROES VETERANS FISHIN’

A Note from Hooked on Heroes President

My name is Ronnie Cadle, I would like to introduce myself and Hooked on Heroes organization. Doing some thing like this has been a lifelong dream of mine, to be able to do some thing for our Veterans. Whether they are just returning home or have been home for years. I know all too well the feelings of being alone and forgotten after coming home from Vietnam. It is a feeling I do not want any Veteran to experience, so I started Hooked on Heroes a nonprofit organization dedicated to making Veterans feel that they are a part of something and that they are not forgotten.

Hooked on Heroes

Our goal is to take all Veterans with or without disabilities, young and elderly on a day of fishing at absolutely no cost to them. It is an opportunity for them to relax and have a stress free day alongside other Veterans. We strive to make them as comfortable as possible and give them the best opportunity we can to catch fish and have fun. With our support these Veterans get to do something that might not otherwise be possible. We plan to have two trips a year about six months apart. Our next two trips are scheduled for April 1st, 2023 & Sept 30, 2023. We hope to be taking 200 Veterans on this trip. Hooked on Heroes would like to ask for you support, 100% of your donation is tax deductible and will go to helping our Vet eran on their next adventure with us. Our organization is run by only volunteers. We have no paid employees to ensure every cent goes to helping these Veterans have a memorable day fishing. We supply them with rod and reels, bait, food and drinks. We supply the boats which are captained by volunteers from our community; we supply them with fuel and the opportunity to make a Veterans Day. We would like to thank you in advance for considering us and taking the time to hear what our organization is all about.

Please consider becoming a sponsor for this organization. Please contact Ron Cadle at 386-688-3216, if you have any questions. We cannot do it without your support, so your donation will be greatly appreciated. Veterans wanting to go fish ing please call Carolyn at 386-288-4445. More information is also available at: https://hookedonheroes.com.

Hooked

American Picnics and Better Off Wet Charters have teamed up to offer unique and customizable on the water picnic cruises and sunset cruises! American Picnics has created a time-capsule into another era with their Luxury Picnics and are sure to bring elegance and charm to your special day. Combine this extraordinary picnic experience with a comfortable cruise along Florida’s Nature Coast and a beautiful West coast sunset, to have an unforgettable day. All trips are customizable, be sure to let us know your thoughts. Swimming, island exploration, and fishing are available for those who want to maximize their day of adventure, on the water.

Call today to start planning your amazing American Picnic!

B.O.W. and Brian Brijbag recently had a conversation about the number of licensed charter captains in the State of Florida. There are over 5,000 licensed fishing guides alone, not to include sight-seeing, diving, and other charters. That being said, Brian Brijbag and his Team were nice enough to draw up a waiver, to be used by charter captains and offer it for free. You can find the waiver for download on his website, under the boating accident tab. There is also a lot of good information on the site, any boat owner operator could benefit from reading. https://brijbaglaw.com/boating-accident-attorney/

WAIVER AND RELEASE FROM LIABILITY FOR BOAT TOUR

I,_____________________HEREBY WAIVE AND RELEASE, indemnify, hold harmless and forever discharge _____________________and its agents, employees, officers, directors, affiliates, successors and assigns, of and from any and all claims, demands, debts, contracts, expenses, causes of action, lawsuits, damages and liabilities, of every kind and nature, whether known or unknown, in law or equity, that I ever had or may have, arising from or in any way related to my participation in any of the events or activities conducted by, on the premises of, or for the benefit of,_____________________provided that this waiver of liability does not apply to any acts of gross negligence, or intentional, willful or wanton misconduct.

I understand that the activities, in which I will participate, are inherently dangerous and may cause serious or grievous injuries, including bodily injury, damage to personal property and/or death. On behalf of myself, my heirs, assigns, administrators, executors and next of kin, I waive all claims for damages, injuries and death sustained to me or my property, that I may have against the aforementioned released party to such activity. I fully recognize the dangers inherent in sailing and/or boating and I hereby voluntarily waive and relinquish any and all claims of any sort whether in tort, contract, equity or otherwise.

By this Waiver, I assume any risk, and take full responsibility and waive any claims of personal injury; death or damage to personal property associated with_____________________including but not limited to receiving boat tours at the club, using the facility and its equipment in any manner, form or fashion, and practicing and/or engaging in sailing, boating or water activities, events, or regattas or other related activities on or off the premises. I am a capable swimmer and familiar with the dangers of sailing and/or boating.

This WAIVER AND RELEASE contains the entire agreement between the parties, and supercedes any prior written or oral agreements between them concerning the subject matter of this WAIVER AND RELEASE. The provisions of this WAIVER AND RELEASE may be waived, altered, amended or repealed, in whole or in part, only upon the prior written consent of all parties.

The provision of this WAIVER AND RELEASE will continue in full force and effect even after the termination of the activities conducted by, on the premises of, or for the benefit of_____________________, whether by agreement, by operation of law, or otherwise.

I have read, understand and fully agree to the terms of this WAIVER AND RELEASE. I understand and confirm that by signing this WAIVER AND RELEASE I have given up considerable future legal rights. I have signed this Agreement freely, voluntarily, under no duress or threat of duress, without inducement, promise or guarantee being communicated to me. My signature is proof of my intention to execute a complete and unconditional WAIVER AND RELEASE of all liability to the full extent of the law. I am 18 year of age or older and mentally competent to enter into this waiver.

Welcome to Econfina River State Park

Welcome to Econfina River State Park

When the B.O.W. Crew arrived to this absolutely beautiful state park, there wasn’t an other soul in site. But, that could have to do with the rainy conditions, the fact we were there during the middle of the week, or who knows why. But, selfishly it was very nice having such a beautiful pristine place all to ourselves. It is places like this that give us the motivation to showcase destinations around Florida and elsewhere. There is no shortage of cool locations, for the entire family to play and get outside. We found this particular park just as we were traveling and decided to check it out. But, if you are more of a planner than a “let’s see where we end up” kind of person, there are many resources available to find cool outdoor spots

near you or near the areas you plan to visit or vacation next. If you find yourself in the Northern Gulf Coast area of Florida, be sure to stop by and check out this gorgeous park or stay for a while.

Ecofina River State Park is nestled along the northern Gulf Coast, this park protects a mosaic of diverse land scapes. The Econfina River meanders like a dark ribbon through pine flat woods and oak-palm forests to broad expanses of salt marsh dotted with pine islands.

Nature lovers can explore the scenic beauty by foot, off-road bicycling or horseback on 14.8 miles of wooded trails - or drift along the river in a kayak, canoe or boat. Trails lead to a panoramic view of coastal Florida

where lush islands and sand dunes from a bygone era dot the horizon. The Econfina River empties into the Gulf of Mexico 2.2 miles south of the park’s boat ramp. Picnic facilities are near the boat ramp, and the park offers numerous opportunities for wildlife viewing and bird-watching. Native Americans took advantage of the great fishing and hunting that the Econfina River and the Gulf Coast provides. Since then, people continue to enjoy the park’s easy access to the bountiful Gulf of Mexico fish and natu ral resources.

In 1989, the property opened as a state park to forever preserve the natural ar eas found within this 4,528-acre park. Some of the text for this article is from www.floridastateparks.org

VISIT THE WELAKA FISH HATCHERY AND AQUARIUM

Since 1871 the National Fish Hatchery system has been at work improving recreational fishing and restoring aquatic spe cies that are in decline, at risk, and are important to the health of our aquatic systems. Across the country, the network of National Fish Hatch eries work with states and tribes to conserve, restore and enhance the fish and aquatic resources of America for future generations.

Visit the Welaka National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium

The Welaka National Fish Hatchery was built in 1926 and originally oper ated by the State of Florida. In 1938, the hatchery was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The hatchery is located South and West of St. Augustine, FL and North and West of Daytona Beach, FL on the St. Johns River. We have ponds at two locations along County Road 309. Ponds near the aquarium are called the Welaka Unit, and a second group of ponds about three miles south of the Welaka Unit is called the Beecher Unit. The Beecher Unit is named for the spring that serves as the water supply. Beecher Spring has a flow of 4,000 gallons per minute at a con stant temperature of 72 degrees Fahr enheit. Water for the Welaka Unit is pumped from the St. Johns River. Since 1871, National Fish Hatcheries have been applying science-based ap proaches to conservation challenges. We work with our partners and en gage the public to conserve, restore, and enhance fish and other aquatic resources for the continuing benefit of the American people. Conservation is at the heart of what we do, and we recognize that we do this work for the American people–both the present generation who benefit today and future generations who will inherit our legacy of conserving America’s aquatic resources.

Welaka National Fish Hatchery is charged with producing Atlantic Striped Bass for the St. Johns River in order to maintain the population for ecological, historical and economic purposes. The hatchery also works with Gulf Coast states to produce and protect Gulf of Mexico Striped Bass from Florida to Georgia and Alabama. Recently, the hatchery has begun work with two federally listed species, the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake and the feder ally endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow.

Visit the Welaka National

The Welaka National Fish Hatchery was built in 1926 and originally oper ated by the State of Florida. In 1938 the hatchery was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2018 the hatchery began working with the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake. Welaka NFH grows out the snakes before they are re leased into the wild. Welaka NFH began working in 2019 with the feder ally endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Like the Indigo snakes, the hatchery receives fledged sparrows and rears them until they are released into the wild.

Text from fws.gov

Visit the Welaka National Fish Hatchery

Stone Crab Season is Open!

Please, follow the rules when harvesting your Stone Crab Claws, to ensure there are plenty for everyone.

Requirements for Recreational Traps: Recreational fishers age 16 and older (including those normally exempt from needing a license) are required to complete an online, no-cost recreational stone and/or blue crab trap registration before using stone or blue crab traps.

To register, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida. com and add the Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration or the Recre ational Blue Crab Trap Registration to your fishing license account. Upon completion, each person will receive unique trap registration num bers that must be included on each trap along with the owner’s full name and address. Registration numbers for stone crab traps will begin with the letter “S”; registration numbers for blue crab traps will begin with the letter “B.” This information must be legible and must be permanently attached to each trap. This no-cost registration will allow FWC to collect important informa tion about these recreational fisheries needed for future stock assessments and management decisions. Harvesters under 16 are not required to register but still must mark their traps with their name and address.

Regulations:

Minimum Size Limit: 2 7/8 inches; only claws may be harvested.

Daily Bag Limit: 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.

Harvest from egg-bearing crabs pro hibited.

State Waters Harvest Seasons: Open Oct. 15 - May 1 (closed on May 2) Traps may be placed in the water 10 days prior to the opening of the sea son, but once placed, you may not tend to the traps until the start of the season, at which time you may begin harvesting.

Gear Requirements:

Legal Gear: Stone Crab trap (max. 5 per person), dip net, or landing net.

Illegal Gear: Any device that can punc ture, crush or injure the crab body, such as spears, grains, grabs, hooks or similar devices.

Trap Specifications:

Maximum trap size is 24 inches by 24 inches by 24 inches or a volume of 8 cubic feet.

Traps can be made from wood, wire, or plastic.

The throat or entrance must be 5 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches.

Throat must be no larger than 5 1/2 by 3 1/8 inches in Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties. If the throat or entrance is round, it cannot exceed 5 inches in diameter. Round throats prohibited in Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties. The trap must have a degradable panel that is 5 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches and is made of Cypress or untreated Pine slat no thicker than ¾ of an inch Wire traps must have at least three un obstructed escape rings (2 3/8 inches in diameter) located on a vertical side of the trap.

NEW: A 2 3/16” escape ring will be required in all plastic and wood stone crab traps by 2023/2024 season. The escape ring must be located in the lower half of the trap and immediately adjacent to the vertical centerline of the trap wall on which it is installed. An escape ring may not be located ad jacent to any corner where two vertical trap walls meet.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Harvester’s name, address, and unique recreational trap registration number must be permanently affixed to each trap and legible

The buoy must be no smaller than 6 inches and must be marked with a legible “R” that is at least 2 inches tall. Buoys are not required if trap is fished from a dock.

Trapping Regulations:

Traps must be pulled manually (not by a trap-puller). Any vessel that is rigged with a trap-puller will be considered a commercial vessel and the appropriate licenses will be required.

Traps must be pulled only during day light hours.

Traps must not be placed in naviga tional channels of the Intracoastal waterways, or in navigational chan nels maintained and marked by any county, municipal, state or federal governmental agency.

Special regulations apply for traps and this species when in Biscayne National Park.

Popular Stone Crab Question: Can both stone crab claws be harvested?

Yes. Both claws of a stone crab may be harvested lawfully if they are of legal size. Although it is currently lawful to harvest both of a stone crab’s claws, this practice leaves the stone crab with few alternatives to defend itself from predators.

Although the crab can still obtain minimal amounts of food with no claws, having one claw (if the other one is harvested) will enable the crab to obtain greater amounts of food in a shorter amount of time. Stone crabs (like other crustaceans) have the abil ity to grow back their claws, but this process requires a large amount of energy in the form of food.

The quicker the crab can obtain the energy required to molt and grow its lost claw, the sooner this renewable delicacy will have another claw to re place the missing one.

Text for this article is from myfwc.com

All photos for this article were submit ted by Shawn May, of Spring Hill, FL.

Good job to Shawn and his family!

Stone Crab Season is Open!

Stone Crab Claw Recipe

By: Megan Chewning

Growing up in Florida, Stone Crab was a must have every season. It is by far my favorite seafood to eat! If cooked right, the meat is tender and delicious. October 15th can’t get here quick enough!

The best part about Stone Crab claws is how easy it is to cook them; however you can get sick if you don’t follow these simple guidelines. You must cook them right away or freeze them to avoid con tamination. If you choose to freeze them, make sure you thaw them out in the refrigerator for 48 hours, prior to cook ing. Don’t try to thaw them too quickly! It can ruin the meat and make your claws rubbery.

Here is a quick and easy recipe along with a delicious mustard sauce that makes your mouth water!

claws:

dipping sauce:

A Personal View

By: Benjamin J. Chewning

Likemany

Floridian’s, I started out seeing the storm that be came Hurricane Ian as just that; a storm, far, far away from Florida, like many other storms be fore it. But, as the days passed by the storm got a name, Ian, and a destination…Florida. Some of the first models had Ian heading for B.O.W.’s home area of the Nature Coast. Like many other folks on the Nature Coast, I and my family and friends, in the area began to plan and “safe things up”. Hurricane Ian decided ultimately on a different path, despite the many models and original predictions of heading our way, to the Nature Coast. Ian de cided to make landfall instead in Southwest Florida and He made landfall with ferocious roar that is sure to leave a long lasting impact.

Wednesday, September 18th I was at home in Hernando County, watching the winds blow heavily through the trees, and the clouds move fervently as part of Ian’s outer bans. I went to sleep Wednesday night, only waking up a few times when the wind gusts were really roaring. But, what I saw and heard in Hernando County was nothing in comparison to what I would see over the next 10 days, in the coun ties of Southwest Florida.

A good buddy of mine called me early Thursday morning and asked if I could head down with him, to do some FDOT work, that his company was contracted to do. I said yes, and we were off to Southwest Florida, with a task order to put out gen erators at main-line intersections, and get the traffic signals running, if possible. Many folks may forget about the niche of traffic signals… but, as soon as they are not work ing, the importance of them comes directly to the forefront. I would not go so far as to say there was chaos amongst those in charge at

the FDOT location we were working out of, but there were surely organiza tion issues and far too much red tape. I have been a part of many large-scale heavy civil projects, with many facets, moving parts, and etc. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, when it comes to organization and leadership, on large projects and small for that matter. I know an emergency situa tion, like that of a huge hurricane hit ting an area, isn’t really comparable to projects that have years of planning, preparation, and due diligence. But, there are many logistical basics that do work the same. I will just use the old adage my Grandmother always stood by, “if, you don’t have some thing good to say, don’t say anything” in this particular situation, with the FDOT.

Unlike the governmental agency men tioned in the previous paragraph, the Military, State Troopers, and other Law Enforcement Agencies were phe nomenal, from this man’s perspective. I really don’t know how some of them do what they do. Being present after a hurricane as Military personnel or as a Law Enforcement Officer, in the capacity of traffic control, is absolutely a tough job! Long lines at gas stations, extremely long traffic jams, and water over everything doesn’t really bring out the best in Florida drivers, in my opinion. Many folks are still texting away and not paying attention (which led to many accidents I witnessed) to what is going on around them, as if a huge hurricane hadn’t just hit the very area they were driving in. As I helped my buddy’s company put out generators, at the intersections, and get the traffic signals back running,

the Officer’s were very thankful, be cause the traffic lights could guide the public again, and not them. I must have said it a hundred times, while I was working alongside the Law En forcement Officer’s, the storms bring out the best in some and the worst in others. It is certainly easy to spot the selfish citizen(s); they honk at the Cops and Workers to only find out the cones they were crossing or traffic they were cutting off, was all for nothing…because yes, Starbucks or the gym was closed. The look of confusion as to how these places could be closed is fascinating to me. The entire area would be without power and somehow folks still think that life should just be back to normal at the snap of a finger. The antith esis to these folks mentioned is the actual majority of people I saw, the folks who Ian brought the best out of. There were more thank you’s and double taps from car horns than I could even count. I believe the major ity of citizens understand that things don’t happen at the flick of a switch, especially after a storm the size of Ian hits you. I saw Law Enforcement Agencies from literally all over the State of Florida, present and working in Southwest Florida. Thanks to all of you who were there helping!

By Tuesday, after Ian made landfall, my buddy’s company had all the traf fic signals in his prescribed area back up and running (if they weren’t totally destroyed). Traffic was flowing much better by then. When we first arrived it took 3 hours to go 10 miles, and by Tuesday, it was under an hour. We slept in parking lots, in our RV, while we were working in the areas hit by Ian. We met many folks from all parts of the Country who were down rebuilding the Southwest Florida in frastructure. After the first few days of work, it seemed like a lot of the red tape had been cut and the men and women workers were allowed to start really getting after it. I witnessed many jobs being done in a day that would have normally been weeks. Thank you to all the crews and crews of innumerable workers who helped and are helping to get things back “up and running” in Southwest Florida. It will be many weeks, months, and years in some instances for life to get back to normal in Southwest Florida. But, seeing the good spirit and will ingness to help from most of the folks I saw, I know the majority of Florid ians will recover and do so with good attitudes. Anyone affected by Ian who is reading this article, may God bless you and bring you peacefulness and joy, even as you grieve and deal with all the many factors at play in the process of recovery.

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Winter Issue

2022 RATE CARD

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A

Sheep Dog’s View

By: Benjamin J. Chewning

So,

my first five days in Southwest Florida, after Ian struck, was (as you can read in the previous article) a bit unorganized and clouded with red tape. But, my second five day run down in Southwest Florida, volunteering with Sheep Dog Impact Assistance’s Disas ter Relief Team was anything but unor ganized and had great leadership. It is amazing what good organizations, like Sheep Dog can do with far less resources than our State and Federal Governments. I saw many other organizations like Sheep Dog, volunteering and distributing re sources, without the issue of having to ask a direct line boss or fill out a bunch of unneeded paperwork, just to get supplies to folks in need. I did not see any “wanna be” bosses or folks on power trips, I only saw folks, many Veterans, willing to help and do anything asked of them. The true God given American Spirit of this country was definitely present amongst the Sheep Dogs and came out in full force with every roof they tarped, every tree they cut up, wet couch they hauled out, and every package of food and water they handed out to citizens in need.

Hurricane Ian Part 2 – A Sheep Dog’s View

I had the pleasure of meeting Raffy Morales, the Central Florida Team Leader for Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, at my church, several months ago. Our first interaction outside of church was a Sheep Dog fishing trip we did this past summer. I knew I liked Raffy right away; he has a great personality and sense of humor. But, more than that, his heart for helping others stands out more than the funny jokes and quick timed responses. Raffy was in law enforcement for many years before joining the Sheep Dog Impact Assistance Central Florida Team. Raffy has now been with the Sheep Dog Team for over a decade and has been present for many disaster relief deployments, to affected areas, in multiple states and other countries, as well. Raffy was in charge of setting up shop in Southwest Florida and getting the Sheep Dogs do ing what they do best, help out folks in need. When I heard from my wife, after speaking to Raffy’s wife, that the Sheep Dog Team could really use a boat to be effective in getting supplies to people still stuck on islands, I reached out to Raffy right away. I thought to myself, now this is God at work for sure…because I had been looking at other volunteer oppor tunities after finishing with helping my buddy’s company out. And, sure enough God showed me a need, where I could use our boat and my skill sets, to help further Sheep Dogs Impact on communities, hit hard by Ian.

Hurricane Ian Part 2 –

Sheep Dog’s View

When I arrived at Grace Baptist Church, in Cape Coral, Raffy and the Sheep Dog Team had already gotten that church “stood up”. The church was oper ating on generator power and had already become a hub for folks in need to come by and get supplies. The church parking lot was full of tents and there were dozens of Sheep Dogs living in them. The church and the Sheep Dog team had the entire sanctuary turned into what they referred to as “Tom’s Club”, named after Pastor Tom, the lead Pastor of Grace Baptist Church. There was almost everything anyone could need available, for free, to anyone in need affected by the storm. The Sheep Dog organization was providing big ticket items like generators, saws, roofing materials as well as water, food, tents, soap, diapers, and you name it. The next mission, I was informed, after my arrival was to “stand up” another church on Pine Island, at St. James City. Raffy had already made contact with the Pastor there. One of the other Sheep Dog’s Clint had made contact with a retired Colonel on North Captiva Island named Bill, who said they could really use roofing materi als, fuel, and other supplies. So, being as the island is only accessible by boat that was what the Sheep Dog’s asked me to do. And, so began the B.O.W. skiff’s journey as a hauler and my start into being an honorary Sheep Dog.

I generally don’t get nervous running a boat, even in new waters, like the ones between Punta Gorda and North Captiva Island. The advent of modern electronics and a shallow running boat, help with any captain’s confidence going into new waterways. That being said… no amount of marine electronics or boat hull confi dence will help you out, when there are tons of channel marker pilings cut off at or just below the waterline, and debris for days in the water. I knew instantly that I needed to keep my head on a swivel and my eyes focused on the water ahead of me, at all times. Fortunately for me, I had

Hurricane Ian Part 2 – A Sheep Dog’s View

a great Sheep Dog crew with me, includ ing a retired Army Sgt. Major, with over 30 years of service, to our great nation. Sgt. Major and his wisdom and eyesight were definitely a big help to our opera tion. Reaching Sgt. Major, in the Army (highest enlisted rank), is no small feat and I and the other Sheep Dog boat crew members recognized that immediately and were more than happy to have the retired Sgt. Major on board. The boating operations went well without any issues, thank God. Even though we saw some rough water, with boat heavily loaded down a couple of times or more, we were able to make our deliveries, as we were tasked to do. I will say that one of the wildest things I had to swerve to miss was a Palm tree standing completely vertical in about 12 foot of water; you definitely don’t see that every day. I would love to see a time-lapse video of Ian relocating that tree thousands of feet from land and having it stand up perfectly straight in the water. There will be many obstacles in the water, in Southwest Florida, I’m sure, for a long time to come. Readers, please be careful if you are out on any waterways in that area.

While the water operations were un derway, Raffy and the other Sheep Dogs “stood up” the church in St. James City, mentioned earlier. They “de-mucked” (shovel out the mud, sand, and cut out all the drywall 4 foot from floor up) the church and got it running on generator power. And, same as the previous church they now began to turn this church into a distribution point for supplies and tempo rary housing. The stories of devastation I heard from many folks on the island(s) were incredible and very hard to fathom. I will not go into the gory details, in this article, but I will just say that the hu man spirit is extremely hard to break, and that is well evident in the folks who survived Hurricane Ian, on the islands of Southwest Florida. Raffy and the Sheep Dogs were constantly on the move and

talking with other relief organizations, to make sure each group had the supplies they needed to most benefit the citizens of the communities they were in. Many churches, VFW’s, and community centers became supply points and meeting loca tions, within hours and days of Ian strik ing Florida’s Southwest coast. It was truly my pleasure to volunteer with the Sheep Dogs. Even though I’m not a Veteran or First Responder, they welcomed me to the team and it was truly my pleasure to help them, help many folks in need.

Sheep Dog Impact Assistance is a nonprofit organization, who does tons of work to help Veterans, First Responders, and citizens all over in times of emergency. If, you want to send your money to good organizations that actually help, in my opinion, Sheep Dog is a great one to do so. Please, visit their website or contact Raffy Morales (sheepdogia.org 813-335-0342), if you would like to help. I would just like to thank God for good organizations out there, who come to places of distress in their times of need. The Holy Bible says that one of the fruits of the Spirit is Joy, and even in the midst of extreme tragedy, I saw that Joy on people’s faces all over Southwest Florida. Hurricanes can take all of your possessions and leave you with nothing physically, but they cannot take your spirit, unless you let them. So, please keep your head up, eyes focused on God (our true provider), and be thankful for all the wonderful organizations out there, like the Sheep Dogs. As Floridian’s we never really know anything about what these hurricanes are going to do… but, we can certainly know what we are going to do and how we will act to adversity, when it comes our way.

Thank you to all the wonderful people working to restore Southwest Florida!

Changing of the Leaves

One of my favorite times of the year is fall. The weather is start ing to get cooler and the leaves start changing colors. Well, not so much in Florida. Here it’s hard to tell when Fall comes around. We often have a “Summer/Fall Blend” for a few months before you really see any change. Many Floridians get excited when we get 70-something degrees in the forecast. In many parts of the state, leaves don’t really change colors either; instead they just fall off starting in January. During a “cold” front, you may wake up to 50 degree weather, dressed in your fall sweaters, but then it quickly heats up to 85 degrees around noon.

On a recent BOW trip, we had the op portunity to visit an area along the St. John’s River where the weather was cooler (at least for a few days) and the leaves were changing from green to other beautiful colors, almost as if we were up in the Carolinas. I had no idea there were parts of Florida that could

actually “feel” like Fall! As we explored the waterways up near the Jacksonville area, all bundled up on the boat, it reminded me that as beautiful as the season is, it’s actually a time of transi tion. When the leaves start changing colors and dying off, it gets the trees ready for a cold winter.

Many times in life, we can’t really un derstand the “changing of the leaves” in our lives. We may go through seasons of joy, health, wealth, and fun (like Spring and Summer) where everything seems to go our way or as planned; family is good, work is busy, we feel great, and are happy. However, there may be times when things just seem to “die off” and nothing is going right. In order to survive those harder times in life, we need to go through a transition season that prepares us for the “colder” months. Our farmers use this time of transition in Fall to harvest the food and store it up for the upcoming winter. It’s in those times of harvest that allows

By: Megan Chewning

us to slow down and reflect on all the things in life we are thankful for. A grateful heart will help us get through the “Winters” of life. It’s no coincidence that Thanksgiving is right before colder days of the year.

In those times of transition and harvest, God prepares us to go through the hard times. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that God will never give us more than we can handle and that even in those times when it feels like we are at our wits end, God will always provide a way out. He also tells us in Psalms 23 that He will walk with us through those valleys. In addition, God allows us to go through times of harvest during those transitions to prepare us for the harder months ahead and he gives us all the tools we need to “store up” and make it back to Spring and Summer. So don’t be disheartened when the leaves begin to change and die off in life, know that God will always be there with you through each season you’re in!