I have a ton to be Thankful for - I have had a good life...I grew up with the best family possible. I had a father who devoted his life to making mine better and was always there for me. My mother was the best, she never hesitated to volunteer and make my childhood better - Cub Scout Den Mother - always active at School. My Dad was a little league coach and also active in our kids Bowling League...The town was the perfect place to grow up - Barberton was a small enough town to know everyone, low crime in those days - I could ride my bike all over town and be gone all day with no issues...
My Perfect Family!
I have the BEST Sister you could ever ask for - from beating the hell out of anyone who picked on me when we were little to being understanding through all my trials in adulthood and my roaming lifestyle!
She even drove the boat on Biscayne Bay - Note my father watching carefully that she didn't hit anything!
A great Extended Family of Cousins!
Fell in Love a few times with some wonderful women!
My first Love - Sara!
Then Mimi!
And there was Sharon (affectionately known as Godzilla) who gave me a wonderful stepson William!
William and I had some great times together!
And wonderful Jeannie!
Most people have no clue on the various Milestones of my life....
I took vocational printing in High School and promised myself to never be a printer - well that did not work out as planned - spent 35 years in the printing industry from the lowest position melting hot lead to President of several large National Printing Companies - overseeing hundreds of employee's...Glad that is over! I did manage to work a number of years for myself in the Diving and Travel Industry before returning to printing. I always wanted to be a photographer and after High School went to photography school, but soon realized the type of photography I wanted to do did not pay well!
Corporate Jim!
However before that managed a few real Adventures and Milestones that will be forever remembered!
Like leaving Bermuda for Europe to deliver a 50 foot sailboat to Spain!
Trying to find our way across the Atlantic!
Arriving Gibralter a month later!
Standing on the top of the Rock of Gibralter!
Enjoying a Bullfight in Estepona Spain!
The Quiet Solitude of the Azores!
Hanging out with pretty girls on the French Riviera!
Fishing Remote Islands in the Bahamas!
Sitting in a Ghost town in Bannack, MT
Scuba Diving and taking pictures all over the Caribbean! (Yep that is me)
Deep diving in Honduras!
Catching a few fish in my life!
Captain Jim
After "Retirement" a few years having fun rescuing people with Sea Tow!
Had a few beers along the way!
Fishing Guide at the Best Lodge in Alaska!
And to think it all began with my first day of school at Oakdale!
I guess I am now enjoying my "Golden Years" - well I damn sure don't want 65 more of them, but hope for a few more years as I have a couple more adventures to experience.
Now after all these years I can finally take the pictures I wanted to be able to take all along! Still don't make much money at it, but I really don't give a shit anymore!
I can experience sunrise at Yes Bay in Alaska and share it!
I can torment my good friend Jim Flinchbaugh to stop the friggin car there is a good shot there!
I can stop my good friend Lynn Hewitt - at his birthday party mid-sentence and say hang on there is a good shot here!
All things considered, things are well - outlived my asshole but everything else seems to be working fine! Still wonder why you can't buy brown underwear!
I am Happy and Thankful for a wonderful life and all the good friends who I have been lucky enough to share it with!
Time for a BEER!
Stay tuned I ain't quite done yet!
Capt. Jim - "The Wanderer"
Traveling and photographing the Southwest and Alaska!
Sometimes it hard to believe all the things we have accomplished, until we take the time to really look back on them.
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