“Well the trip is over, who ever knew that only four days could produce so many memories. The trip started with fishing and ended with the two blondes at the country store being left behind. To the campsite we leave our memories. From Matt catching a two foot shark to the games with the seagulls, from the girls at the store to sitting around the campfire talking. From swimming in the pool to swimming in the tent after the hard rain. I think I speak for everybody when I say “I’m really going to miss it”. For the Mustang Cowboy, Diesel Cowboy, and Different Cowboy, Thanks for the memories Tom’s Cove. “
Well they were right when they said that history repeats itself. The annual trip this year has been named “Saddle Up 2003”. This year was planned out a little better. The trip started with the new truck going for a drive to Tom’s Cove Campground. A slight drizzle began to dampen the spirits of the trip. After the convertible top was put up the rain stopped. The fishing began as it did the year before with a couple fish being caught by Kevin and Matt, still Chris pulled up more seaweed. This year they remembered that there was a pool hall and game room so they made a number of stops there. On their first night they tried to light the bonfire with little success but they were still able to sit around and talk. By the second day the fishing was in full swing, Matt and Kevin were working on their 6th and 7th fish to bring in of the day, while Chris was still working on one, well other then the seaweed. The pool was even better this year, maybe it was that there were more people this year, or the women this year, we may never know. They bumped into a fellow firefighter Will from a station not too far from them on day two. They all got to know each other fairly well and talked and hung out together a good bit over the trip. On the third day the fishing was strong and Matt and Kevin were in tight competition over who would catch the most fish. Chris cast out and thought he had something big, he was barely able to bring it in. Well it turned out to be a huge clump of seaweed with a rope around it! Several casts later and a little bait later, Chris brought in his first fish in two years! Ok so it wasn’t no shark, it wasn’t no12 inch croaker but, it wasn’t seaweed or a pier either! So the tide had turned and Chris had caught a fish! Needless to say, within the next casts of that rod, she gave way and broke in two. The Eagle Claw was 10-7! Fishing continued between Kevin and Matt. This night brought good luck to the three, They Had Fire! With a little engineering, and some lighter fluid the fire went strong. This was the night that the pool hall came into play, while Chris sat at the fire and burned the remains of his fishing rod that brought him bad luck. Kevin and Matt were starting to play Will and some others at pool. The next day brought like all the others more relaxation, and yes cheeseburgers for breakfast. The normal routine of the trip to the store for ice and other condiments was made and then on to the fishing pier. Chris was in the shower when the other two went out fishing. Chris met up with Matt and Kevin at the pier about an hour later, and that’s when it happened! Kevin had pulled in three fish worth keeping! Chris figured he would give a shot at the fishing and baited the hooks and cast out. Bam out of nowhere he got a hit! A 5 inch sea bass was on the other end of the hook! So he cast out again and bam again he got another! “Hey Matt, How much did you pay for this pole?” Matt answered thirty two bucks. Chris hollered back “Sold”! While Kevin learned how to clean a fish, Matt and Chris continued to fish and brought in several fish, none worth keeping but just enough to have fun. Even if Chris did pay them to bite the hook. Shhh… That evening a small shower came through and dampened more then just everything, it dampened everything, but didn’t quite soak it… ok so you don’t get it but hey who does? It just happens. After the sun came back out and started to dry out everybody’s things that didn’t have a 16’x 30’ tarp! As soon as that happened the convertible top went back and the three guys went to the game room and played some pool and air hockey. Around nine Will showed up and played some pool with the guys till the place closed. That night Kevin went out and ran security with Will. The evening started out with Chris, Kevin and Will riding around on the golf cart talking with some friends they had met around the campground. The two way radios were still in full use. Matt had one at the campsite while the boys still had the other. While talking to a girl Matt had a stalker cut in and tell him that his fire was dieing out. Well knowing Matt…as he grabbed the lighter fluid!……”Now its not”! “Whoa” move to the other side of the fire. “Whoa” as he had 8 foot flames climbing into the night sky. Chris, Kevin and Will saw the sun rise in the tree tops from this. It was decided to head back to camp! Of course. All in all The stalker turned out to be the man two spots down who had helped the guys out quite a bit. That night Kevin ran out with security which turned out to be a lot of fun. Friday was an adventure all in its own. There was plenty of fishing going on during the day and also the guys went to the pool hall to play some games and get some ice cream. Through out the day they were having fun in the pool. Chris started talking to this very attractive girl that was a junior in high school in Northern Delaware, her dad is the owner of a body shop and had quite a few employees and had enough money that when he went on vacation he sent all the employees on paid vacation! Well her dad walked to the pool and saw us talking and got between us and split them up. That night the three went up to the pool hall to meet Will and play some pool. The night got started off with the full moon rising on the horizon and the 14 year old girls that were acting crazy! Maybe it was the Full moon, maybe it was the fact that they were drunk and high! Who knows. While shooting pool they were all over the guys asking if they hated them, or if there looked fat! Well we all know what to tell a girl when she asks that! Well they couldn’t find Tyler so they sent the girl out side looking for him. Chris ran security with Will this night. It was thought that it would be a very bad night with how three quarters of the campground was drunk including one of the guys, (Shhh). Well it stared out with Chris and Will going by a party that will knew the two guys that had it. Two of the girls wanted to drive the golf cart so Will told them as long as Chris went with them. That was no problem for them or Chris! (OF COURSE). Well Chris took them for a drive around the campground for a while and when they got back to the campsite and had to run security Will now told Chris that they were single and that they weren’t their boyfriends back at the party. Well Chris did everything he could to get Will to take him back to the campsite and do alittle parting with them too, but the fun was over…….yeah right. The night went on for a couple more hours with not much going on, only a few people getting rowdy and staying out on the piers after curfew. While making some normal runs through the campground security picked up three kids standing by the rest rooms, when going to ride by them they scattered and two went into the bathroom one took off running into the park. Chris took off after him and kept up with him till his little 8 year old self started ducking through, under, and between trailers. By morning he was back home. When the guys woke in the morning they fixed breakfast and made a few runs to the store, and sat back and looked at their food situation, very low. The weather was looking bad for the next night also. So the decision was made that they would leave one day early. They packed up and started to do some last minute things for the trip home. They saw Will and said there byes and exchanged numbers for future plans. And they started up the truck for the first time in a week. They drove to the office and checked out. To Toms Cove in 2003 we leave the memories. We saw hop along the seagull and Chris actually caught a fish this year. We saw plenty of beautiful women and some too young that hit on Kevin. Matt made his day by sitting on a pier for hours and casting out and catching fish. We all had fun hanging out with Will, and chilling in the pool. From the pool hall to the pier. From the chicks at the store to the chicks at the pool hall. From the campfires to Matt’s stalker. From the nice people two sites down that helped us out with the food to the drunks. From the great weather to a few passing showers. We all had the time of our lives. I can say personally that I will return. I think we all will. I am going to miss it. Well for Matt Biddle, Kevin Moore, and me Chris Orem…
