Marlin Fishing

A Blue Marlin

One of the guys he knew from his T- Boat days was Wild Bill Holden who was also a COB (Chief of the Boat) on one or the other of the T- Boats before he retired. 

Bill had a 35 ft. fishing boat and they went fishing several times for Marlin out in the Gulfstream.

And one day they caught a Blue, Chuck said, “It was a real beauty.” They wrestled it for well over an hour, I don’t remember who it was working the reel at the time they got it right up to the boat.

A White Marlin

I think it was Chuck that leaned over the side to gaff the Marlin; he missed the Marlin, the gaff hit the side of the boat with a loud noise, the Marlin went berserk and snapped the line. 

Everyone on the boat was so disappointed. They fished awhile longer and got no more strikes and called it a day. 

A few days later they went out again and this time boated a White Marlin.

Bill and another guy on the Boat, Les Ettinger would go out diving on his boat once in awhile to the 12 Mile Reef. It was a great place to snorkel because it was quite shallow in many places.

One day they went out diving, Les was already overboard. Bill was still on the boat, and Bill said, “Suddenly Les broke the surface and looked as though he was crawling really fast on top of the water.”

When he got back on the boat Bill asked him, “What's wrong, what happened?” Les could only say, “Eye, big eye!” So Bill got overboard then and swam over to where Les has surfaced and dove down. 

There he found backed up in a deep crevice of the Coral on the deeper side of the reef a huge Tuna, it was sleeping, but its eyes were open.

 Tuna

Bill said, “Its eye was as big as a dinner plate.” When he went back to the boat and told Les what it was, Les said, “I don’t care; anything with an eye that big is scary as hell when you come up on it suddenly.”  And of coarse this became a sea story.

We had a cat named Priss, one day when Chuck was giving her a bath in the tub; she reached up to grab hold and one of her claws hooked him under the left eye. It didn't really hurt, but it bled under the skin and gave him a beautiful shiner!

When he went in to the Boat he got teased by all the guys that maybe I had blacked his eye, he told them the cat had done it, but none of them believed him. On the weekend Les came over to the house to visit for awhile.

As he was about to leave he asked Chuck again, “C B how did you say you got that shiner?” Chuck answered, “Dammit Les I told you the cat did it.”

Les looked at me with a question in is eye and I couldn't resist. I rubbed my nails on my shoulder, then blew on them and said, “Meet the cat.” Les laughed and said to Chuck, “I knew all the time that Annette did it.” He told the conversation to everyone on the Boat and Chuck never lived it down.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs invasion took place in mid April of 1961, anyone can Google search it and read anything about it that you care to know. 

However there are a few things none of these articles will tell you. A short time prior to the actual invasion my husband was a submarine sailor and he took part in filming a portion of the reconnaissance for the invasion.

At the time he was stationed aboard the USS Marlin SST-2. He was the COB (Chief of the Boat), and often jokingly teased by the men aboard and called Chief of the whole Boat; because he was the only Chief aboard. 

The T-2 was a training Boat and she was only a 131 feet long, which was very small for a submarine, about one third the size of the larger snorkel Boats.

When the “Cold War” began heating up the CIA began working with Cuban exiles who wanted to overthrow Castro and take their homeland back from his control.  The T-2 took part in filming a section of the beach where the invasion was to begin.

Cuba and Bay of Pigs

My husband told me long after this information had been declassified; that when they arrived at the point where they could begin filming through the periscope they were in very close to the beach. 

So close he said, “I could count the buttons on the shirt of the guard that was standing watch on the beach. He said, “I could only hope that he didn't look up and spot the top of our scope sticking up out of the water.”

He said, “I sweated bullets the whole time we were in this close, had we been spotted we might never have made it out, with the engine fire-walled we could only do eight to ten knots top speed, and the Cuban gun boats would have dropped depth charges on us.

But fortunately we were not detected and we did make it out safely, we only had one torpedo tube for defense.”

The Bay of Pigs Invasion failed; and this was largely due to loose lips (GOSSIP), a very true old saying from WWII, “Loose Lips Sink Ships!” Cuba knew ahead of time about the invasion and was fully prepared for it. Information was flowing like water.

Another great thing that happened; while my husband served aboard this vessel he became a Qualified Officer of the Deck, because there were only two Officers (the Skipper and the Ex O) aboard and he had to stand deck watches when the Boat was underway. 

Having this in his record served him well for the remainder of his time at sea as well as after he retired; when he applied for his Captain's license after retirement the license he was granted was an extensive one.

I have numerous other stories about his days as a Submariner, for most of his twenty years, two months and ten days in the United States Navy Submarine Force he spent most of this time at sea. And during this time he served aboard ten different submarines.

Pride Runs Deep

The USS Marlin SST-2 was commissioned into service November 20, 1953; she was assigned to Squadron 12 Submarine Force, United States Atlantic Fleet. She served on and completed numerous missions during her time in service. 

She was de-commissioned January 31, 1973 and donated as a museum submarine August 20, 1974. Her new home is located in ‘Freedom Park’ ~ Omaha, Nebraska. (Click 'Freedom Park' to view the inside of the Boat).

When his time was up on the T-2 he was then transferred to the USS Grenadier SS 525. The Grenadier was the next to the last Boat he served aboard while on sea duty. 

He served aboard her 1962 and 63. From there he was transferred to the USS Sea Cat SS 399.

Time On The USS Marlin SS T-2

USS Marlin SS T-2

Chuck served under the command of three different Captain's (Skippers) during his time on the USS Marlin SS T-2

The first: LCDR R.E. Goldman 1959 -1960

Then: LCDR W.T. Chipman 1960 – 1961

Next was LCDR J.A. Davi 1961-1962

Sometime in 1960 we sold our small mobile home; we would need more space with another baby on the way. We moved into a larger mobile home that belonged to friends Don & Marie Whaley, it was on the backside of Mastic Trailer Park where we now lived.

Another major thing in 1960 was hurricane Donna, Chuck had to go to sea of course; the Boats always went to sea for all of the hurricanes. Stormy and I stayed in the Park Office building with the owners Mario and Winkie Vierra, and a few of the other tenants.

The downstairs of their two story building was made of tabby and there was a well dug for fresh water in the basement area. The basement area was quite spacious and was also where the Office was located. It was quite safe and comfortable. The well had been chiseled and carved into a dead coral bed many years before..

Hurricane Alley

We only had 98 miles per hour winds in Key West, that knocked down some trees and power lines, but there was very little major damage in Key West. 

But the rest of Florida had major damage in some parts. Key West is what all of us who lived there referred to as Hurricane Alley.

After we moved into Don & Marie’s mobile Chuck made the H-A-T, (he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer).  On the day of his Initiation ceremony which was in the afternoon, he was quite drunk by the time he got home.

Dolphins
Part of the ceremony being that he had to drink his Dolphins out of a huge glass of booze. 

It was whatever and how much of various kinds of booze that whoever made it poured in. He rode his Scooter home part-way and walked part-way holding onto the Scooter.

While we were eating dinner he toppled over and fell out of his chair, I helped him up and to bed, and we didn't attend the evening banquet for the wives of those who had been promoted to CPO. Not a big deal for me I was in family way and Stormy was a toddler, baby-sitter was cancelled.

Many times Chuck would go in to work on Saturday when the Boat was not at sea to catch up on paperwork, and he would always take Stormy with him. No matter how nice and pretty she looked when he left home she was always a mess when he brought her home. 

She was a little darling and all the guys would give her all sorts of things to eat, usually chocolate. Many ruined little outfits, but she loved going to the Boat with her daddy. 

Ivory Teething Ring
with Silver Bell

Shortly after Bo was born LCDR R.E. Goldman who was still in the area looked us up; he brought a beautiful gift for Bo. 

It was an ivory teething ring with a silver bell rattle attached, very similar to this photo, the silver bell was plain and had Baby Boy Haven engraved in it. I was so amazed and it really touched my heart that he thought enough of my husband to buy such a nice gift for our son, and then personally deliver it.

Transferred -- Two Boats

USS Mackerel SS T -1

USS Mackerel SS T-1
Insignia Patch

Chuck was transferred from the USS Quillback SS 424 to the USS Mackerel SS T-1 on June 9, 1959 and served aboard her briefly, till August 1, 1959. 

She was one of the small Boats that were built and specifically used for training purposes.

USS Marlin SS T 02

USS Marlin SST -2

He was then transferred on August 1, 1959 to the USS Marlin SS T-2 and served aboard her till March 19,1962. 

He was still a 1^st class Eng. when he transferred to the Marlin. 

These small boats were only 131 feet long with a 13 and half foot beam. They only had one torpedo tube. 

Top speed was about eight to ten knots, the USS Mackerel SS T-1 was built first, and later her sister ship the USS Marlin SS T-2 was built. They were both in service from 1953 --1973. The photo below will allow you to see their size. 

USS Mackerel SS T -1 in Dry Dock
Photo Courtesy of Florida Memory

After their shakedown cruise (shake down is when they put her through her paces to see what holds up and what doesn't) their home-port would be in Squadron 12 in Key West. 

Regular operations would be Key West to Guantanamo Bay. They were used as target and training ships to evaluate Boats and antisubmarine warfare with the Fleet Sonar School on the US Naval Station.

The Two Sister Boats
Marlin & Mackerel

U S  Naval Hospital
Stock Island Bridge

Several great things happened in our lives after he was transferred to the USS Marlin SS T-2, and two of those were, our daughter Stormy was born, and eight months later I was with child again with our son Bo. 

They were both born at the US Naval hospital in Key West, and I had the exact same bed in the hospital both times.

Experience

Experience is a hard task master; but when you learn this way you don't forget. It has been said many times that experience is the greatest teacher, and I do believe it. I learned so much the first winter I spent in this home. It was a severe winter and I lost a lot of plants that I’d had for many years, and some of the ones that were here when I moved in.

A Shadehouse

I had my shadehouse set up because I love to propagate plants. Here you also need a greenhouse for winter which I didn't have and didn't have the extra money to buy one. I got the 'brilliant idea' to try and make the shadehouse into a greenhouse.

Mine is a 10 x 20 with a screen top rather than solid top like this photo.

Absolutely not the best idea I ever had. I bought a roll of heavy duty clear Bisqueen and Cousin Tom, Charlie and I covered the shadehouse with it. 

It would most likely have worked except for the howling winds we had with every hard freeze every day and night throughout the entire winter.

Every day Charlie and I re-clipped the cover with heavy duty clips and re-sealed seams with cold weather duck tape. Tom always helped when he came by on Thursday’s. Eventually we moved the shadehouse down to the south side of the barn to shield it from the north and northwest winds. That did help some.

The very last night of the last hard freeze with howling winds blew the top cover loose and it rolled back enough so that the bitter cold penetrated the space inside long enough to freeze many of my plants. My makeshift greenhouse was a miserable flop.

Hard lesson learned!

Eastern Black swallowtail Larvae

St. John's Wart

While we were transferring plants into the makeshift greenhouse in the late fall, Charlie found an Eastern Black swallowtail larvae feeding on one of the six St John’s Wart plants. 



This was exciting for him to see. These were some of the plants I lost. This photo has flowers, but mine was bare of flowers.

Luna Moth

A bit earlier I was moving some of my Bromeliads’ and a Luna Moth flew up past my shoulder and in my face as I was bent over, and it is the only one I have ever seen here in my yard. It was so beautiful I was just in awe.

Pileated Woodpecker

I have a huge Live Oak tree in my front yard and sitting on the porch one morning I heard some loud sounds coming from up in the tree.

 I didn't see them at first because they were on the opposite side of the tree, but eventually they moved around to my side so I could see them.

It was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers; when they peck big chips of wood fly out from the tree like bullets raining down. I watched them all the while they were here. Once in awhile they return.

I kept a butterfly journal the first year I was here, of all the butterflies, and the birds that visited. I kept a daily record of temps, and little notes of what was happening, the weather and so many other things that happened on a daily basis.

I wrote it up daily in my computer, and I also copied it to a disk, but my computer fried and the disk has somehow been misplaced or copied over. Hopefully it is still here somewhere and I will eventually find it.

Another hard lesson learned; take better care of important things, at least the things that are important to me.

Mallow Hibiscus From Sandra

Sandra has been one of my best friend since 1965. She & her husband Lloyd were stationed aboard the USS Quillback SS 424 shortly after Chuck was transferred. We didn't know them at the time, but they also hung out at the Baessler’s house on William Street, and we heard about them often.

In 1965 we moved out of Base housing at Sigsbee Park and into a place that we bought out on Big Coppitt Key. I was out front one afternoon watering the yard and she stopped out front, and asked, "Are you Annette Haven?"  "Yes I am". She said, "I’m Sandra Foran, I don’t have time to visit right now, I’m going up the Keys to have dinner with some friend’s, but I live in the next block, please come and see me tomorrow."

I did go and visit and we have been best friends since that day. She has always been an avid gardener; she was born and raised at the O.C. Carnes Plant & Flower Nursery in Florahome, Florida. They were her parents. They grew most all of the plants they sold and they specialized in Azalea's, and Camilla's also the Carnes Apple Pears which her grandfather developed.

Moonflower Vine

Seed Pod of Moonflower Vine

She had a Moonflower Vine growing on her fence and it was so beautiful, and she gave me some seeds. 

I planted them along my fence and when they started blooming we were fascinated. The kids and I would sit out by the fence in the evenings and watch the Moonflowers bloom.

Open Bloom

Bloom Unfurling

The four inch blooms look like a Morning Glory, but they are a whitish pearl luster and they have a lovely fragrance. 

You can actually watch the bloom open, once it starts to open; it makes a small jerky motion and as you watch it will begin to unfurl and suddenly pop open.

Two or three years ago she and Lloyd were headed to Florahome from where they had eventually moved to after he retired from the Navy. She had the truck completely loaded with plants. Some of those she was bringing for me.

They were broadsided by another vehicle at a crossroads and it totally demolished their truck. The plants were scattered all over the highway and roadside. Both she and Lloyd had some injuries, but not serious enough to be hospitalized. Her five little dogs were fine.

She got out of the truck and while they were waiting for the Highway Patrol to arrive she began to salvage as many plants as she could. This one pictured was one she was bringing to me.

When they eventually arrived at my place she said, "Annette this plant normally has a burgundy colored flower, but these two buds on here now are a pale pink. I know it is in shock from the wreck, but whether it will revert to the normal color again, I just don’t know. I have never seen a plant do this."

Mallow Hibiscus

After the two pale pink buds bloomed it did revert back to its normal color again. This photo is the first year's growth, it is now at least eight feet tall and this morning it has ten blooms. I have counted as many as seventeen blooms at one time.

Neither of us know what the name of it is. And neither do some of my friends that are Master Gardeners. We know it is in the Mallow Hibiscus family, but not its individual name, if any of you know please let me know. 

The butterflies love it. The blooms are at least four to five inches; it is an absolutely gorgeous plant. A real show stopper when in full bloom.

A Golden Dew Drop

A Golden Dew Drop

I have planted next to it a Golden Dew Drop that is now at least ten feet tall. 

When it blooms which is almost constantly in spring, summer and fall, it has tiny blue blooms and it is another one that the butterflies absolutely love.

Yesterday, before afternoon showers I counted on it, three Giants, and the Gulf Fritillaries, Sulphers and Zebra Longwings were to many to count at once. My Red Spike and Purple Spike are not yet blooming still a little too early.

The Monarch

Monarch

The Monarch is another beautiful butterfly that I see a lot of in my yard. They are amazing. They also migrate because they can’t tolerate the cold weather.

Devon's Monarch

Devon, one of my five granddaughters lives in the Florida Keys, and she had a Monarch lay an egg on one of her plants, she got a picture of the Monarch, and the chrysalis. I have her photos that I will include in this writing.

 Monarch Chrysalis

A Monarch Egg

Here on the left we have the chrysalis a beautiful jade green with a shiny gold shoulder band. She watched closely each stage of development. 

It was exciting for her to be able to watch this. Many of us miss it.

All stages are a beautiful sight to behold, I saw numerous larvae and chrysalis in Cedar Key when I lived there, but it seemed no matter how long I watched I never got to see the butterfly emerge from the chrysalis.

Hanging in the Trees

While I lived in Cedar Key at my 'Tin Roof Shanty' my entire yard was a butterfly garden, and when the Monarch's migrated through I could see them hanging in my Red Bay tree in the evenings (roosting) like this photo on the left, they never stayed long, but they came through every year.

Male and Female Monarch

In this next picture on the right you can see how to tell the male from the female.



If you look closely at the male you can see black dots in the second line from his body in the tail wings. Females do not have these dots. 

Monarch Larvae on Milkweed Plant

A Milkweed Plant

The Monarch will feed on nectar from other plants, but she will only lay her eggs on the Milkweed plant. 


The larvae feed on the Milkweed after the egg hatches. Milkweed has a white milky fluid that is toxic, harmless to the larvae, but is a deterrent to predators of the larvae.

The larvae can strip a Milkweed plant of all its leaves in a short time. I had beds of it in my yard year before last, and I could see just how quickly this can happen. The winter was severe and it killed it all, none has come back up, and I have not replanted yet.

Milkweed Seedpods

Their numbers are beginning to dwindle mainly because of development that destroy's their habitat. Also some people just consider Milkweed a weed and they don't like it and pull it up or mow it down.

But it is very crucial to the diet of the Monarch. I encourage everyone to let it grow, it is always loaded with seed pods after it blooms, they burst and the wind distributes the seed that are similar to tiny helicopters, and since it is a wildflower; nature takes care of it.

For those who are interested in helping the Monarch; I will include a link for you. When this link opens it also has other links you can click on to explore and learn many things about Monarch's that some of you might not have known about, just click on the highlighted blue line, if that doesn't work copy and paste to search. www.monarch-butterfly.com/

Fall Migration Route of Monarch's

Here is a map of the fall migration route of the Monarchs.

More Butterflies

 Tiger yellow form
on a Volunteer Sunflower

This first one on the left is a Tiger yellow form swallowtail that was feeding on a volunteer Sunflower that had come up after falling out of the bird feeder the first year I lived in this house. Charlie took this photo.

White Peacock
by Tom Santacruz

This one is called a White Peacock, the photo I’m posting on here is a photo taken by Cousin Tom out in the Green Swamp.  

Shortly after he sent me this photo I began seeing them in my yard. They are so lovely, the white you see is an iridescent pearl luster.

Striped Zebra
on a wild Lantana

Striped Zebra swallowtail
by Cousin Tom Santacruz

This next one is also a photo by Cousin Tom taken in the Green Swamp, but I have seen many in my yard.

The one on the left was taken in my yard, by my grandson Charlie,

Eastern Black swallowtail

Larvae of Eastern Black

This one is an Eastern Black swallowtail, they are frequent visitors. 

You have to really look closely to tell the difference between this one and the Tiger black form swallowtail  Their coloring is quite similar.

The Central Florida
Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve

Where I live it is at least two miles by road to the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, but as the crow flies it is only a quarter mile east to the western edge of the Green Swamp and the Withlacoochee River. 

The Green Swamp covers a huge portion of Central Florida. There are thousands of acres in the Green Swamp, and 110 miles of the Withlacoochee River that flows through it is protected by the Outstanding Florida Waters Act.

The Beautiful
Withlacoochee River
Courtesy of Marie Beree

The River is so beautiful when it's full and flowing strong, but during the drought seasons that we often have it drops so low it will have sandbanks that reach from one bank to the other in many places that you can walk back and forth across. 



I don't like to see it this low at any time, and we depend on the rainfall to keep it flowing. Lately we have had a lot of rain. I know it's uncomfortable at times, but for us it is very necessary.