Middlebrooks' Christmas 2013

Fishing in St. Augustine

Whenever our friends Marinelle and Mike invite us down to Florida to go fishing it's hard for us to say no. Even Elyce who is a self proclaimed non-fisher has become pretty fond of the trips. So on Labor Day weekend we went down to spend some time on the water.

It started off fairly mundane. A few bites here and there. But not many keepers. Mike suggested we take the boat out off shore a few miles to see what we can catch. We get about 9 miles offshore, where the water is that really pretty blue. Elyce drops a line a catches a few pretty small fish that we end up using as bait. Mike hooks one her fish onto his pole and casts it out into the water. As soon as he has it in the water, it takes off. Something big and fast took his bait. Being the gracious host that he is, he hands me the rod and reel and says "Reggie, she's all yours!". I take the rod and out from the water jumps what in my mind was a marlin or swordfish. My hearts racing as I'm trying to stay cool. Elyce pulls out her phone and begins video recording this. So I know I can't say or do anything stupid or else it will be recorded forever. After about 15 minutes of fighting with this fish I reel it in close enough to the boat for Mike to hook it and pull it into the boat. When he pulled it into the boat I admit that it wasn't the great marlin that I thought I was battling but it was a pretty big fish none the less. We guess that it's a kingfish or perhaps a great mackerel. It takes a while to get the hook out if its mouth. By this time there's a good amount of blood everywhere. I think Elyce makes her way to the front of the boat to stay clear of all the carnage. We take a few pics, perform a round of high fives and throw it in the cooler. Now I must admit, between the rocking of the boat, the massive amount of blood on the deck and a queasy stomach...I couldn't hold it in any longer. I blew chunks! I was so nauseous! Everyone just kinda turned their heads as I was heaving chum into the water. Mike decided we should probably head back to calmer waters. 

We pull up to a sandbar where Elyce and Marinelle jump out of the boat to enjoy the sand and water a bit. Mike and I pull out the fish book and quickly realize that we didn't have a kingfish like we thought. We had a barracuda! I google "are barracudas edible?". And while they are, most people agree it's probably not a good idea because of all the toxins that they may have. Especially when they are big.

We kept it in the cooler overnight. Mike and Marinelle put it back in the ocean the next day. I felt a little bad about reeling him in, not knowing that I shouldn't keep it. But I'm pretty sure I'll know next time.

Remembering the Beach in Okinawa

As we prepare for our PCS from Okinawa to our new duty station, I want to capture the essence of Okinawa, Japan. One of the main reasons we decided to move 11,000 miles away from our comfort zone, for the beach! Now that we have been here for two years, there are some memories that I want to cherish.  I want to burn the images of the beach in my mind so that I will always be able to remember, reflect and rejoice over the experience. As the East China Sea tidal waves come crashing in, 2012 is gone and the new year has arrived. What will the new year bring? I am hoping for year filled with new opportunities and no limits.  I looked out into the ocean and the sun shinned through the clouds and I could almost count the sun rays hitting the water. It was as if the spotted me on the seawall and allowed me this time of reflection.