Your GPS can be wrong too, but trust it to recover.
Again – sitting in the passenger seat, this time on top of a ridge high in the mountains of Virginia after Erin and I had successfully reconnected with another friend we had not seen in decades, after some tense moments.
Twice, once in New Jersey, and again last night we missed a turn and soon after lost the GPS signal.
The result is called LOST!! New Jersey was not too bad, we knew roughly where we were. However, in Virginia we were Big Time lost!
There was no hope of turning the RV around on the tiny mountain roads, and a better maze could not be created than the twisting gravel, or even worse, slick clay, mountain roads which form a tangle of trails over mountains in the southwest corner of Virginia. The over hanging canopy of trees that blocked the GPS signal did the same for our cell phone signal!
With no GPS, voice or text we were on shakey ground. About 10 miles back I had almost grabbed for the shot gun and a hand full of shells after passing some shacks we just knew held serial killers and a meth lab or two. Now we were on a dirt road which had washed out into a muddy ditch.
When the GPS kicked in again (less trees overhead) we started following its instructions again and it eventually lead us to the address of our destination.
Have faith in your GPS and do NOT try to make a turn you are in the process of missing! THAT will get you killed, keep going and the GPS will get you back on track!
With the help of our friend, Heather Whinch, who met us at the beginning of her LOONG driveway, which we had pased at least once, without spotting the half hidden and faded numbers on a board before regaining the GPS signal
All is well that ends well! and we had a great visit before pushing on to Atlantic, North Carolina. (NOT Atlantic City, but the little fishing hamlet next to Sea Level where we are what the locals call “Ding Batters” not exactly tourist, but damn sure not real locals).
I know how they feel all to well -I can not count the times some yo-yo ran down a school of tuna or put down a tailing marlin I was baiting and never even knew I had fish in sight. There are some pretty well known skippers with too much of Daddy’s money and too little real experience to not get in the way.
If they actually made enough money themselves to retire and fish for the rest of their lives they are usually not as big a problem as the silver spoon crowd. Some of my best fishing buddies became good captains after they retired, because they wanted to learn, did NOT think they knew it all to start with, paid attention, asked good questions and got good answers if they were known NOT to get in the way or cut someone off.
I made it in time for opening day of dove season in N.C. and had a fine time with Mark Smith who can fix or make ANYTHING! Wearing shorts was a mistake
Mark’s wife Penny, a fabulous hostess, found us our cardboard, vacation house, (double wide modular ) that survived Hurrican Isobel right after we bought it a decade or so ago. It is cute and comfortable but we head for higher ground when a hurricane threatens. Better to lose your fishing and hunting house than your life.
Joey Smith, who was my deck hand for 6 years in Cairns while working toward an unlimited Master’s license, (I have a copy of His “Ticket” in my little office in Stuart) took Erin, Mark, Lucky, and I fishing then HE caught all but a couple of the flounder. I managed to get one. They were great for dinner!
We droveall night taking turns sleeping and driving but were late getting home for Lucky’s dental appointment. I will probably fall asleep watching the first football game tonight.
With an RV and a double wide I can work just about wherever I feel like, when not marlin fishing.
In fact this blog has taken on a life of its own and I am still surprised when I meet someone for the first time and he says he reads it. I have come to think of it as like a real log book – I will be able to look back on some day and remember a lot a good times.
Best Wishes and Good Fishing,
Peter B.
