Everyone including the Pondit has great expectations (hey another book title idea). But the gap between expectations and achievements is often significant. Some of you have noticed that chapters one through ninety-eight which were posted on this blog have disappeared. The Pondit got very spooked while driving up US41 in Naples to go golfing and listening to NPR. The piece was about self published books on Amazon. The topic was specifically erotic novels. These novels are the top selling self-published books. Many are written by the same author using different pen names. As it turns out many of those works were plagiarized from other sources. Since Amazon online novel royalties are never that great, it is very hard for the original author to fight this practice. I decided that no more posting of The Briefcase.
I am once again writing on a regular schedule. I start before the Florida sun rises in the east. Today I finished chapter one hundred and nineteen. My scratchy and flexible outline has me finishing the first draft with chapter one hundred and twenty-six. I should be done in ten days or so depending on my golf and winter visitor schedules.
For those of you who were following the book's progress and are still alive, he is some information on what has happened. Patty continues to go downhill. He was demoted at work and is not in favor with the DEA brass. He continues to be obsessed with the Rivera case. He is in the middle of a divorce. Chet, Anna, Harry, Cindy and Theresa have been to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. So has Agent Finnegan! Finnegan has been involved in another sting operation that went badly. He was injured in a gunfight and his partner was killed. That evening Patty made a career decision. The Mary Immaculate Star of the Seas School had a very successful fundraiser event. Patty has been forced to resign from the DEA. Chet is planning a laundering trip to the Belmont Stakes. Theresa and Harry now are in a serious relationship.
Updates to follow. Does anyone know an editor or publisher looking for a new, exciting book to review?
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Holy Mackerel!
Yesterday Barbara and I joined four friends for a half day fishing charter out of Marco Island. I have to say that getting up at 5:45 AM just a few days after the start of daylight savings time, gives you plenty of time before the old sun rises in the east. We were almost to the Marco Island bridge before an pink-orange sun popped over the mangrove keys to the east of Fiddler's Creek. We got to Rose Marina at 7:50 and after a quick bathroom stop, we were off on the Wild Thing under Captain Randy's command. After ten minutes at no wake speed, the engine roared and we were off to somewhere out in the Gulf of Mexico. We appeared to be about a mile off shore when the engines slowed and we had all just finished our first beer of the day. Not bad for 8:30!
The boat was stocked with light spinning tackle each with a jig on the leader. We were to add a piece of sliced live string to the hook and cast and jig to our heart's desire. Within minutes the first Spanish Mackerel was hooked and in the boat. These fish can hit the bait no matter what speed it is moving at. I was slow to realize that you did not need to set the hook yourself. If You just keep moving the jig after you notice a strike, eventually the mackerel or jack will hook itself. Early on one of us hooked a larger fish. Line streamed off the reel. About ten minutes later Captain Randy pulled up the tired fish and it was on the deck. It was a fifteen pound Bonita which we released. They are not a good tasting fish.
This was Barbara's first experience fishing. She was somewhat dismayed at hooking her first fish, but by here third one, she had the knack of fighting the fish and getting it to the boat. In all we must have landed over thirty fish. We released all but sixteen that we planned to have for lunch. Captain Randy also used a few of the injured mackerels to be bait an a line he dripped over the back of the boat on heavier tackle. Three times, it appeared that a large fish was on that line, but each time after a few minutes of fight, the line went limp. The bait had been grabbed, but the head of the fish with the extremely large hook had not been swallowed. I can only assume that when you fish with a bait fish that is twenty inches long, the fish you are going to catch will be large!
I lost four jigs completely when the mackerel bit through the monofilament leader. I also hooked a Bonito but the damn fish ran outward then turn and swan toward the boat. I tried to keep it down deep as it was near the boat, but it eventually swan under the boat and dragged the line into the rudder. I should have moved to the rear of the boat to reel in that fish.
Captain Randy did a fine job filleting our fish after we docked. Several pelicans were hoping he would drop more of the fish parts onto the dock, but the barely got enough mackerel to qualify for an appetizer. We carried half of our fillets to a local restaurant, The Snook Inn, where the chef cooked the mackerel in three styles for us. What a great meal. I hope to see Captain Randy at least one more time before heading north.
The boat was stocked with light spinning tackle each with a jig on the leader. We were to add a piece of sliced live string to the hook and cast and jig to our heart's desire. Within minutes the first Spanish Mackerel was hooked and in the boat. These fish can hit the bait no matter what speed it is moving at. I was slow to realize that you did not need to set the hook yourself. If You just keep moving the jig after you notice a strike, eventually the mackerel or jack will hook itself. Early on one of us hooked a larger fish. Line streamed off the reel. About ten minutes later Captain Randy pulled up the tired fish and it was on the deck. It was a fifteen pound Bonita which we released. They are not a good tasting fish.
This was Barbara's first experience fishing. She was somewhat dismayed at hooking her first fish, but by here third one, she had the knack of fighting the fish and getting it to the boat. In all we must have landed over thirty fish. We released all but sixteen that we planned to have for lunch. Captain Randy also used a few of the injured mackerels to be bait an a line he dripped over the back of the boat on heavier tackle. Three times, it appeared that a large fish was on that line, but each time after a few minutes of fight, the line went limp. The bait had been grabbed, but the head of the fish with the extremely large hook had not been swallowed. I can only assume that when you fish with a bait fish that is twenty inches long, the fish you are going to catch will be large!
I lost four jigs completely when the mackerel bit through the monofilament leader. I also hooked a Bonito but the damn fish ran outward then turn and swan toward the boat. I tried to keep it down deep as it was near the boat, but it eventually swan under the boat and dragged the line into the rudder. I should have moved to the rear of the boat to reel in that fish.
Captain Randy did a fine job filleting our fish after we docked. Several pelicans were hoping he would drop more of the fish parts onto the dock, but the barely got enough mackerel to qualify for an appetizer. We carried half of our fillets to a local restaurant, The Snook Inn, where the chef cooked the mackerel in three styles for us. What a great meal. I hope to see Captain Randy at least one more time before heading north.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Month Three In Naples
I realize not to many people are using a lot of their time following this blog. The Dickerson Pondit has not been faithful to this publication. I arrived in Naples on January 10th and have been enjoying the beautiful weather ever since. A couple of weeks ago I got back to writing new chapters for my novel, The Briefcase. I now have almost fifteen new chapters written.
You might also notice that older posts are disappearing from the site. I am no longer going to post chapters on the blog. I am pushing ahead to finish the novel and then I will make a decision on how you all will get a chance to read the final product.
My focus at this time is getting my golf shots from going either right or left and paying my income tax. I will head back north at the end of April. The Briefcase should be done in draft form by then.
You might also notice that older posts are disappearing from the site. I am no longer going to post chapters on the blog. I am pushing ahead to finish the novel and then I will make a decision on how you all will get a chance to read the final product.
My focus at this time is getting my golf shots from going either right or left and paying my income tax. I will head back north at the end of April. The Briefcase should be done in draft form by then.
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