Saddity funny...

[Big Muddy]

8215

[quercus alba]

Dave sounds like somebody on here, now if I could just remember who it was

[Thumper]

Actually, I did know the Pope pretty well. But ol' Dick passed away 9 years ago. :(

[Big Muddy]

Heck, I bet you're even on a first name basis with Obongo, too ??? ;)

[Thumper]

Naaa, he hangs around with Cappy. :)

I hung around with Dick Pope (Jr.)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Pope_Jr.

[Big Muddy]

Heck, I like that guy....invented barefoot waterskiing!!! ;)

[Thumper]

Yes he did. His dad (Dick Sr.) practically invented the sport of water skiing. He was the founder of Cypress Gardens, which was one of the first major tourist attractions down here for about a bazillion years. Once the major theme parks (Disney, etc) moved in, they pretty much killed Cypress Gardens. The property was finally sold off and is now Lego Land.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Since you brought up old Florida theme parks, one of my bucket list scuba dives is the Silver River in Ocala National Forest. They've made a few attempts to open it up, not sure why they haven't. Divers would clean the place up.

BKB

[Thumper]

Yeppers, the only place you can dive in the Ocala Ntl. Forest is at Alexander Springs. The battle for diving at Silver Springs has been going on for years, but I'm pretty sure it was legal back when you were in the AF. I remember when I was a kid, they used to film the tv show "Sea Hunt" there (Lloyd Bridges). Some Democrap ( ;) ) Congressman led the drive to ban diving and lately, there's been a battle to re-open the spring to divers. It always turns into the pinko-commie tree-huggers (and waterfront residents) against the pro-diving types, and the divers always lose. Some of the gov't. officials are now using the argument that it will bring some sort of economic boom to the area if they open it back up to diving. It's typical governmental bullshit. Maybe a letter to Trump will bring it to his attention so he can tell the tree-huggers to stuff their whinny faces where the sun don't shine. :D

[BarryBobPosthole]

I didn't dive or play golf when I was in the service and I was in a fantastic place to do both. I loved Florida and did a ton of exploring when I lived there. Lake Oklawaha, in northern Florida isstill to thos day probably the bassiest looking water I have ever seen in my life. I caught a five pounder there when I was in my early 20's and it was my big bass for a long time.
Got to snorkel with manatees at Homosassa Springs, did a shitload of mangrove swamp fishing, and explored the whole of Tampa Bay in a fifteen foot aluminum boat with my boss. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I got stationed there.

Columbian red bud was thirty bucks. An ounce.

BKB