It is All About Oil Bonnie, Charley, Francis, Ivan and Jeanne … this is a group I think all Floridians would like to forget. The gang has changed a lot of lives throughout the State. Few have missed being affected. Those of us lucky enough to live and/or play in this Everglades paradise were set apart from most of this … blessed in many ways. May be it is the clean living, may be it is just dumb luck. Whatever it is, I am thankful for it. The “gang” only caused an inconvenience for most of us when compared to most other parts of the state … and even the Southeast. We experienced some winds, a little rain and a bit of rising water. The City was crowded for a few days … a bit unusual for September. Those that play here, came back to stay here during Francis and Jeanne. Vickie and I were serving “soup” to nearly to 30 people. We had some great dinner parties with our evacuee friends who, for the most part, returned to their homes without electricity. Some are still under candles. While many had devastating damage to their homes; yard debris, missing shingles and absence of electricity was most common … not too bad, right? As we sat here in our air-conditioned Everglades homes watching the goings on elsewhere, most others were in the heat, humidity and bugs. These folks don’t agree. (I guess the good part is that many more now can appreciate the dance of we indigenous Everglade-tonions … the now-famous, Chokoloskee Macareana!). I have a sports writer and friend, … the infamous “Stubb”, one of the original Florida kayak anglers. He cancelled his annual camping vacation with guys … he was already “tired of camping” in his home … like some many others. The Stubb-ster camped in air-conditioned comfort at the Cozy Cabins at Glades Haven Marina and enjoyed a kayak fishing trip on the kayak mother boat, some good eats and a few adult beverages instead. I tried to ease things by explaining how things were not really that bad. I told him this is America. At least the wife does not have to gather firewood to start the fire on the dirt floor, before she walks to the creek to carry water back to the hut in clay pot on here head. Stubb, returned, “You are right, it is America. But, here women glare impatiently into the window of the microwave and cry out, “Come on water … boil!””. What a comment about our American society. May be our foreign policy mess truly is “all about oil” … When the lights come back on, just ask any Floridian upstate. We wouldn’t have it any other way! Yes, we were lucky. Most of us were physically unscathed but, certainly financially impacted. Personally for me, the count as of this writing is 22 fishing cancellations. A few days we could not fish because of the weather, but most anglers cancelled out of travel fears and clean-up duty. It has been a tough September, but we are still intact …all hotels, restaurants, RV parts, boat rental and guides here and waiting. With all this, I still would not leave Paradise. The good new … while I was guiding very much, I did get to fish a lot and this place is “going off” … Its October!! The snook bite is fantastic, the baits are back, the tarpon are here and the redfish are thick. I have had to brush glass minnows off the floating dock three days in a row from the tarpon busting them at dawn. Take a break from the chain-saw and pick up your “fishing stick” and get down here … you deserve it. Tight Lines Capt. Charles Wright www.ChokoloskeeCharters.com 239-695-9107