A Little Of This...A Little Of That...

The guy with the big smile on his face is my friend Richard....he has that big grin because the girl, Edy on his lap is....well...ON HIS LAP....we joke all the time about our age difference and she really is young enough to be Richard's daughter...and if the truth be known....mine to.....but we love her and she is one of our good friends....Both of us wish we had the nerve to ask her out....Rejection is not nice so we avoid the possibility at all costs....Richard is a very accomplished artist as noted here with two of his more recent paintings....he retired from a very lucrative ad agency business to follow his heart to Florida to paint....he's been doing it a couple of years now and has become a true bohemian....please feel free to look at or maybe even purchase some of his work...it can be seen at www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/s/seagull/ he also does a great job on special commissions such as immortalizing your favorite pet.....

I thought I would give you a treat and give you a tour of my mansion by the sea....Or I should say my cottage by the lake....its a mansion to me and that's all that matters....I was born and raised in Canandaigua and I always told any body that would listen that someday I would have a home on the lake....its not fancy but its mine and perfect for a bachelor fisherman...I thank God every day for my little house on the lake.....and I thank him for one more thing that people on the posher more upscale west side of the lake can't get....it can't be bought over there on the west side for any price....those fantastic sunsets........who the hell gets up early enough to see fantastic sun rises...give me those sunsets anytime....

My place still has knotty pine walls and a wood pegged floor and is full of things that fisherman accumulate...not to mention full of pleasant memories every time I look around at all the stuff I have collected over the years....things that help me remember the comings and goings of a busy life with six children and all the happy times that can bring.....after all you don't collect things that bring back bad memories....how can anyone remember bad times when there are so many good things to put a smile on your face...

Til next time...

Semper Fi

Monk

The Snow Bird Has Migrated North

All I can say is that everyone told me that the day before I got home it was 80 degrees....all I know.... is the day I got home the high was 43 degrees and it rained...Today finally it will reach the high 80's once more and it will at least feel a little like good old FL....Pictured is my new hang out for writing and enjoying the benefits of strong coffee....The Phoenix Cafe here in the most beautiful spot in the world Canandaigua NY....Of course by Monday it will be a high of only 60 and raining again...and that my friends is why I spend as much time in sunny FL as I can....that and the fact that I miss all my FL friends.... don't get me wrong..I'm glad to see my northern friends and family on this side of the world....It really is like two different parts of the world to me....In FL I'm "Monk" the guy who fishes and writes books...here I'm "Mick" (the nickname I had as a child ) to almost everyone because most of the people here are family and to them I will always be "Mick" or "Mickey"....and I'm the big brother or friend who most think is (at best) a little eccentric ....maybe its the climate...there is so little time even in the summer here to be outside and enjoy what nature has to offer...that goes double if you really hate the cold like I do....your family becomes your world and leaving for the Marines and Vietnam at age 17 didn't help either...so I guess the bottom line is that I've had more opportunity to develop friends and relationships in Florida...The Marines and my life after the Marines took me to so many places... we moved at least 16 times... married twice with six kids and at least six different business adventures of my own... throw in more than a dozen other jobs and it still was a constant (believe it or not) joy for me to experience...you might say I was a type "triple A" personality....WAS is the operative word....now I'm as laid back as Cheech and Chong with a truckload of pot and no place to go....I do have a mission though and that is to finish my books...not because I want to sell a million....but because the stories I tell will be my legacy to my children...and maybe this blog will become a part of that legacy as well....I can only hope that my children's children and more..... will read them and smile at having gotten to know
a little bit about Great,Great,Great Grandpa Mick (Monk).....

I received some more pictures of Travis and the baby...the most poignant are the ones pictured here... there are thousands of families that these pictures represent..from wars of the past to the young men, good, honest and strong, who now leave for a war that nobody quite understands... whether you are for it or against it...young men will give their lives for what they believe is right...Travis will leave for that side of the world in September... a father can only pray that he remains safe and returns to the wife, daughter and family that loves him.....

I have more to tell but if I don't spend some time on book two my publisher will be very upset when I miss my deadline....

Till Next Time....

Semper Fi

Monk

Fishing 101 A Success.....

Their names were John, Bob, Norm, Rod and Hugh....and they were neither "old" or "codgers" they simply were a great group of men who for the last few months have been getting together to enjoy their membership in a boat club....which by the way...is a great way to have your cake and eat it to....a membership gets you a choice of boats just about anytime you want and takes all the hassle of owning a boat out of the equation....the club takes care of the boats and you enjoy your time on the water...

My new friends varied in angling skill but all had fished before and were not in need of to much of the basics...I taught them some new and easier knots to use for joining leaders and hooks to line and gave them my advice on what they should have in the way of equipment to fish bay waters...I suggested lines and tackle that I use all the time with great success...I'll let them take it from there...they all seemed to appreciate the advice and best of all we CAUGHT SOME FISH...but not without our share of small problems....SMOKE was the big one...not my cigar smoke...I had forgotten to buy some before our trip so I had to go without.....but real smoke in this whole region of SW Florida....it seems that the wind and atmospheric conditions were just right to bring all the smoke from grass fires in southern Georgia and northern Florida right down around out ears here in the southern part of the state...we fished all day in a dense fog of very unhealthy air....Check out the backgrounds in these Pics....that ain't Fog......I didn't need any more help at polluting my lungs than what was already in the air...even through all that and some very high winds we prevailed and caught some nice Spanish Mackerel and Lady Fish as well as an assortment of other small pinfish, snapper and other bait thieves....we thought we had one Redfish on and maybe a Snook took a swipe at one bait...but given the circumstances and judging from the smiles and generally good time we had...I think all were happy with the adventure.

Thanks Guys....You made my time on the water a great one also......

Til Next Time...

Semper Fi

Monk

Where Did The Season Go ?......

I'll be heading back north next week to upstate New York. It will be a nice change to get back to my friends and family and of course my little house on one of the most beautiful lakes (Canandaigua) in the world. The house is still in one piece as my wonderful, house watching, neighbor and good friend Karen informs me.

Here it is the last few days of the 06-07 season in Florida and I have all these Florida odds and ends left to share with you. Soon I will be reporting on life in Canandaigua (The Chosen Spot) so my friends down here can keep tabs on me. So here goes....hope you get a kick out of hearing about some of the stuff that goes on around here.

There are a handful of stores and eateries on Dearborn Street and because I spend so much time in the Village Gifts and Coffee Bar (where I do my writing) and the Coconut Grove (where I do most of my eating and drinking...diet coke...maybe a draft beer once in awhile....) Because it's a small community it's awful hard to keep secrets around here and because the year round work force is also so small it's hard to find good help. So there is kind of an unspoken rule that if someone has a disagreement with one of their workers and it gets out hand to the point of a declaration of "Take this job and shove it!!)....or "I've had it, your fired!!) the offended worker will then be hired by someone else on the street so they don't have to be inconvenienced by looking for work out of the area. Hey...like I said...good help is hard to find....the people that own the businesses know that in a few days someone else on the street will be up for grabs to replace the lost worker... Hell.. it's only a matter of time before the fired or angered employee will complete the circle and be back at work after all the "I'm sorrys" and "It was all a mis-understandings" are given and taken. There have been at least a half-dozen such cases this season of cooks..waiters...waitresses...bar tenders and clerks moving up and down the street this season. It's a great system but as a customer it gets a little hard to keep track of "Who's on first"....no I think that's "What's on first...Who's on second"....well anyway it sure is a lot of fun listening to all the stories knowing that in a few weeks everything will be all patched up like it never happened.

Here is a shot of my friend Lisa and her favorite Ike....that is a face only a mother can love...and Lisa is more of mother than this dog's mother ever was. Also we have the other three Molly, Shadow and Georgie...four dogs...I don't know how she handles it...I sure as hell couldn't do it. Twice in two days shes called to tell me that Georgie...the smallest dog...has dug a hole under the fence and her and shadow have run off...Molly can't get through the hole so she just starts running back and forth barking so Lisa knows about the jail break....I guess Molly figures that if she can't have any fun no one will. She always finds them or should I say after a half hour of running all over the neighborhood...they let her find them...after all they need a ride home. Does she really think these dogs are going to run away...they have a better life than most people I know....especially some the married men I know.

Lisa doesn't stop with her love of dogs...she is one of those people that can't stand to see any creature in distress. The Iguana in this picture was about to be run over in the middle of the road if it were not for Lisa stopping to pick it up and move it to the side of the road...for a thank you the Iguana slapped her with its tale and could have left a nasty bruise had she not ducked in time...some Iguanas just don't have any manners.

Of course..from past writings...you know of Harry the Egret and now we have Bumpy the Stork who visits the Taki Tiki on occasion looking for a handout...take a good look at this mug and you'll know why we call him Bumpy...and look there's Harry way up the pine across the street telling his buddies about the free eats down below....by the time I get back next season the animals will have taken over the Taki Tiki and Lisa will be begging them for a handout....Harry is already trying out the job as a Hood Ornament...why fly when you can ride.

Til Next Time...When I'll be reporting From the Great North Country...

P.S. There may be one more report from Paradise before I leave...I'm taking a group of five fishermen out on the 8th...they want me to teach them how to fish the bay...they call themselves the old codgers...I'll bet I get something to write about....I'll get some pictures of the big catch...sure hope there is one...it would be very embarrassing to take them out and the only lesson they learn is not to go fishing with a guy named Monk.....I must have caught 20 Jacks and a dozen ladyfish yesterday...I sure hope I can find fish on Tuesday....

Semper Fi..

Monk

The Red Hats Invasion..A Great Book Review..Kyle Leaves Paradise

As promised...I'll bet you were checking every day since I mentioned they were coming....some pictures of the Red Hat Society parade in downtown Englewood. Every year the parade gets bigger...this year I would guess that they numbered in the hundreds...they have a great time meeting and greeting each other. Then they spend part of the day wandering the shops here on Dearborn Street and most stop for lunch at one of the local eateries. If your favorite thing is watching old ladies, or should I say "mature women" (you have to be at least 50 to join), cavort, dance and sing and your favorite colors are red and purple this is your kind of parade. I'm still not sure what the purpose of the society is..but if its to have a good time...they have achieved it.

Here is a copy of the great article that Don Moore of the Englewood Sun published in the Sun-Herald on Monday the 30th...it's hard to be humble when someone compares your writing to O. Henry...Wow...Thanks Don...

'I felt a deep sense of loss having taken another man's life'

It's a paperback called "Monk's War, Volume 1 First Blood" containing nine little war stories written by a Marine grunt who served most of his 1966 tour in Vietnam before being sent stateside with a Purple Heart in his seabag.
The stories are three- and four-page vignettes of how it was serving as a teenage leatherneck on the frontlines in "the only war America has lost so far (history hasn't made its final judgment on Iraq)," Frank Beyea writes in the introduction to his 78-page book. The Englewood writer joined the Marines right out of high school, looking for adventure -- something more exciting than life around Canandaigua, N.Y., where he grew up.
Frank was in the last Marine battalion to go by ship to Vietnam. He went ashore as a member of the 5th Marine Division, but over there he became part of the 1st Marine Division.
"I spent most of my time around Da Nang and Chu Lai in the I-Corps Area," he explained. "We were the guys who went out to a village and did pacification. We'd spend a few weeks living with the locals and try and win them over and then move on.
"We'd do ambushes at night and search-and-destroy missions during the day. But part of our daytime stuff was going into a village and talking to people and try and help them out. We'd bring the corpsman in to work on anyone in the village that needed medical assistance," Frank said.
Chapter one begins: "I watched in horror as four friends and fellow Marines were blown to hell by an overhead air burst of our own artillery. Christ, for the last 10 minutes I had been scared ... during the first firefight our squad had fought since arriving in country. We were in a battle for our lives with a half dozen Viet Cong who had jumped us as we crossed a wide open rice paddy on our way to patrol a nearby village."
In the middle of his baptism by fire, he was ordered by his platoon leader to shoot an old man 100 yards in front of him who was running away from the firefight. Frank did as ordered, but not without a lot of split-second soul searching.
"...we moved forward to check out my 'kill' and look for weapons. As I examined the body one of the other guys yelled over to me that he had found an AK-47 (rifle) and some ammo hidden under some bushes and cardboard from where the old man had fled. He was a VC!
"Knowing he was the enemy did nothing to relieve the deep sense of loss I felt at having taken another man's life. I mourned for him, my dead friends and my lost innocence as I turned him over to see if we could find some ID that would help us find his family.
"Queasy for the last 20 minutes, I finally hurled the contents of my stomach onto the path as I discovered that the end result of the 7.62 mm, M-14 round in the back of his head was a man with no face."
Frank's stories have punchlines at the end. If he had been writing a century ago, his stories might have been likened to O. Henry, a prolific short-story writer known for his clever endings.
This book is the first of a trilogy of war books written by Frank Beyea, who spends eight months of each year in Englewood. "Monk's War" is published by Southfarm Press of Middletown, Conn. It's available at Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.com for $9.95.
Contact me
If you're a vet with a story or you have a friend who has a tale to tell about his part in any war or veterans' activity, give Don Moore a call at (941) 681-3000, or 1 (877) 827-6204. You can also e-mail: moore@sun-herald.com, or fax: (941) 681-3008. To send a letter, write: Englewood Sun, 167 W. Dearborn St., Englewood, FL 34223.

Well Kyle has headed back to New York....His friend Galen had left just a few days ago to go to school in New York.....it was a bit of a surprise because Kyle had finally made up his mind to stay in Florida after some serious thoughts about moving to Wyoming to be with all his friends that he met while in the Air Force and stationed in Cheyenne...we thought that after careful consideration..his mind was made up on to stay on in sunny Florida...but wiser minds agreed that if he stayed here his education at the local community college would cost thousands of dollars more than it would in New York where he is a resident....His loving brother Ryan and Grandfather are seeing to it that he gets a proper education and a direction in life...they have taken him under their wing and hopefully will nudge or perhaps shove him in the right direction...of course if all else fails good old Dad may have to give him a kick in the ass...but we'll see....in the mean time he will be more than welcome to stay at my house on the lake with me this summer...while he figures out where life is going to take him. I'll bet Galen and Kyle can't stay away long...they were talking about coming back down for a visit in August to see Lisa and of course Molly the dog he had to leave behind with Lisa....

Til next time...

Semper Fi..

Monk

Me And A Fish Named Blue

I finally caught some fish at place called Indian Mound near where I live. I've been fishing there on and off for the past three seasons and have been unsuccessful at landing anything bigger than a lizard fish. Just by the name alone you know that the Lizard fish is not something a true sportsman like myself would seek. Although there have been times when even a lizard fish would have been welcomed. The Lizard Fish will attempt to eat anything including this hapless Gobi. The Gobi is probably wondering where the relationship went wrong. This is one fish that's so ugly that it will never make the endangered species list.

My big catch happened when I decided to kill some time just before dark. It was to early to go to my favorite watering hole, "The Coconut Grove", and I didn't feel like traveling very far. I went to a place called Indian Mound, so named because it is an old Indian burial ground. It has been turned into a state park and boat launch. If Indian Mound is truly haunted like many of the locals believe, it sure hasn't done anything to scare off all the druggies and homeless people that congregate there every night. Its not a place to visit after dark but I have been there just before sunset and shortly after when the moon is on the rise. Last night was one of those special nights that could have been used as a postcard if someone had been on shore taking pictures of me stalking fish. When the Sun was nearly down the sky was a brilliant reddish-orange on the entire western horizon. Even though my silhouette would have been a little rounder than I would have liked, as evidenced by the picture of me and Mr. Blue, it still would have made a great picture.

I have stalked these flats when the water was dead still except for the shoals of bait fish working the shallows and the game fish working them. It is a very fishy looking spot, that's why I kept going back. I just have had no luck catching a nice fish till last evening. Not only did I catch this great bluefish but I also caught a nice Flounder and hooked but lost a big bull Redfish that I got a chance to see up close before it decided that I was to small to keep.

Got some great pictures of the Red Hat Society and their parade down Dearborn Street, but I'll save those till next time. It might just be to much to handle all in one day.


till next time,
Semper Fi,

Monk

Kelsey Returns From Her Great Caribbean Adventure..

Kelsey had a great time on her first cruise...snorkeling, para-sailing and of course shopping....She said she liked Jamaica the best but didn't give me a reason...I think that it had the most things to choose from and I know the people there are very nice to be around...it seemed when I was there that they always tried to get a laugh or a smile out everyone they met...



She loved the beautiful blue and teal waters of the Caribbean...and all the great sea life she encountered in her snorkeling adventures....





It's hard to believe my little girl is 16 and a beautiful young lady....besides great looks she is an honor student and one "Smart Cookie" as us old codgers say.....she will be a success at anything she decides to do in life...which as far as I know...is still up in the air....








Kelsey's friend Kate (pictured) and Kate's mom are the ones who invited her along I would like to thank them for showing my girl a great time...












Kelsey was telling me about how the crew on the ship were so funny...they even left the towels in the room folded into what she called "Towel Monkeys".......










Well til next time...When I'll have a report on my interview with the local newspaper...Don Moore is the writer who does a tremendous job telling stories about local veterans and what they have done in service to their country....and what some have done with their lives since then....I'm looking forward to speaking with him.....


Semper Fi

Monk

Andys Visit...The Book Signing...The Good-The Bad-The Ugly

At 4 A.M. the other day I was up to take Andy back to Tampa Airport..Just a small note here...If anyone wants to come visit me please fly in and out of Sarasota airport....its only 20 miles from me and so much easier to get in and out of...Tampa is 80 miles north on "Death Alley" (I-75) and is a real pain in the ass to drive...

On Monday of last week the boy's friend,Pete came down for a visit making a total of three boys staying at my friend Lisa's house and adding to the total chaos that only three boys 20 and under can cause...when these guys get together its like mixing volatile chemicals together and hoping nothing bad happens...not to say that they do bad things...they just have a ball joking around and busting each others chops....they truely are good friends and at that age they are full of "piss and vinegar" as my dad used to say....add the fact that with my son Kyle adding a dog to the mix...making a total of four...(Lisa has three)... it literally becomes a zoo...Ike her oldest is pictured here..he's 13 and can't hear or see much but he is lovable and... due to a jaw problem...that tongue stays out 24/7....between episodes of south park playing 24/7 on the big projection TV and massive farting contests.... there's always the wrestling matches for male dominance.... God Bless Lisa...I couldn't do it...

I'm sorry to say there are no fish pictures of Andy with his prize catch...I did take him out and we did have some nice fish on...one nice Bull Redfish and a nice sized Seatrout...I forgot to test the drags on our reels and we each lost our fish as a loud snap of line under to much pressure yielded to the final lunge of big fish...we both got to see our almost trophies...but that's all we got...one last look as they left us behind to make up stories about how big the ones that got away really were....mine was at least four pounds maybe five....yeh....I think it was closer to five....

Well I had my big book signing on Saturday night and it was a huge success...at least as far as I was concerned...I sold 28 books and the store is going to carry and sell my book....I tried not to be some ass that thinks that what he has to say is important for others to hear...I've seen the kind and that's not what I'm all about...I just want people to enjoy the stories and get to know a little about what Vietnam...at least for me....was all about....

Kelsey went on a seven day cruise and promised to send me pictures of her trip...I'm still waiting....and hopefully my next post will be about her trip...and all the places we'd like to be instead of where were at....


Semper Fi...til next time...


Monk