Abe Davis Today!

[Attchoum]

Congratulation!!

what's the next one and when?

[cavemark]

Wow! Thanks Y'all!

Congratulation!!

what's the next one and when?

Next Dive? - This week
Next daughter? - Ain't gonna happen
Next award? - at this pace, eight years

Perhaps you need a smaller trailer

With a trailer able to hold two bales I don't get any dirty looks.

I've met all three of Mark's girls. They are three outstanding, respectful young ladies, and Mark deserves Daddy of the Decade as far as I'm concerned.

Russell, we want you to join us at Jackson Blue when Kelsey does her first post-intro cave dive.

I started diving when I was 12....with both of my parents.

My wife still hasn't decided to learn to dive. But we're hoping. She doen't mind being surface support, someone needs to drive the boat during a Rainbow drift dive.

If anyone cares, I got my Abe Davis in 1979, the same year the program started.

I was living in Bucks County PA that year working as a beekeeper. I have no doubt that if I had been introduced to cave diving back then I would be as fascinated as I am now and trying to figure out how to move to Florida.

To tie this altogether
I got into diving WITH my girls. We all liked it so we did it a lot (OW, AOW, Rescue, trips to lakes, Coz and Keys.) So, I got gear for all of us.
So, in my case, by the time I finished AOW, I had all my cave regulators

We've been following the same course. I got tired of putting on and taking off the octopus from my left post reg so I finally bought a second dedicated OW reg. For the past two years I have been spending my sock money building an outfit for my oldest daughter for cave diving. The only thing missing is the C-Card and after Manatee season she wants to take cavern. She doesn't like to admit that she gets cold and wants a drysuit, but she'll have to decide when she's cold enough to spend her own money on that.

[Sludge]

Russell, we want you to join us at Jackson Blue when Kelsey does her first post-intro cave dive.

I am SO there!

[sandy]

Hmmm. Now I am getting worried about me. Sometimes, my family prefers that I leave and go diving. Not sure what that could mean.

[Squirrel Girl]

Hmmm. Now I am getting worried about me. Sometimes, my family prefers that I leave and go diving. Not sure what that could mean.

You are too funny! You're such a prime example of a guy with a wonderful family life who still goes cave diving and totally flushes Puttzer's argument down the toilet!

[cavemark]

Hmmm. Now I am getting worried about me. Sometimes, my family prefers that I leave and go diving. Not sure what that could mean.

Ha!! Don't read too much into it. Last night my wife and daughters wanted to watch a movie that they had bought at the FYE going out of business sale. I asked "what movie?" and was told "It's a chick flic , Dad. Go find something else to watch." They all like Horses & Riding and shopping with Ann's mom. They tell me to do something elsewhen they do those things.

[sandy]

Ha!! Don't read too much into it. Last night my wife and daughters wanted to watch a movie that they had bought at the FYE going out of business sale. I asked "what movie?" and was told "It's a chick flic , Dad. Go find something else to watch." They all like Horses & Riding and shopping with Ann's mom. They tell me to do something elsewhen they do those things.

It is all coming together now

[Half-Fast]

They all like Horses & Riding and shopping with Ann's mom.

Oh you poor soul.

My wife has been a horse nut since she was 3 years old. I'd be better off financially if she were hooked on cocaine. A horse is the most efficient way to convert cash to manure that the world has ever seen.

Other hobbies can be set aside for a while when necessary. You can stop cave diving for a month or two when you need to re-pipe the house or fix the car or have the kid's teeth straightened. But not the horses. They still have to be fed, vet'd, shod, etc.

And you think cave gear is expensive? Go price a dressage saddle. Or a horse trailer. Or a horse farm.

<sigh> No complaints, though. Barb supports my activities and I support hers. And we involve the kids in both of our hobbies. Our daughter has Downs, and was very active on the Special Olympics equestrian team for years, winning gold medals at the Florida state games. Our son always came along when I was racing cars, helping in the paddock and keeping lap times, and he got his OW cert last summer and now goes diving with me.

Mark, take my advice. Try to divert 'em away from horses and get 'em hooked on raising hamsters or goldfish. Good luck, brother.

[cavemark]

Other hobbies can be set aside for a while when necessary. You can stop cave diving for a month or two when you need to re-pipe the house or fix the car or have the kid's teeth straightened. But not the horses. They still have to be fed, vet'd, shod, etc.

That's been my argument all along. I can leave my gear in the garage for months and it doesn't cost a penny and we don't have to hire someone to feed it if we go away for a few days. Their argument was "They're Free!!! Someone is just giving us the horses!!!" To that I replied "There's no such thing as a free horse. They could give us $5,000 with each horse and it would still cost us."

And you think cave gear is expensive? Go price a dressage saddle. Or a horse trailer. Or a horse farm.

I grew up with my sister involved in horses. I wanted to ski and got the short end of the stick when it came to financial support for a relatively inexpensive hobby. My sister spent more on one pair of boots than I spent on all of my ski equipment! Come to think of it she spent more on that pair of boots 30 years ago than I spent on by first drysuit 3 years ago. Luckily no trailer needed we have miles of horse trails accessible at the rear of our lot and we already had the land.

Mark, take my advice. Try to divert 'em away from horses and get 'em hooked on raising hamsters or goldfish. Good luck, brother.

It's going to be hard getting them out of the back yard. We have 6 acres just outside of Crystal River. Last year I cleared land and built the pasture (1 acre and nearly killed myself putting in 110 fence posts in 4 hours with a 1-man auger), put up a run-in shed and re-plumbed for water to the pasture. I am in the middle of building the barn. For 2 horses we are spending about $250 a month for upkeep. My dive gear costs me about $200 a year to maintain. I don't get any questions when I come home with a new piece of gear, so I'm okay with it for now.

[FW]

.... I'd be better off financially if she were hooked on cocaine. A horse is the most efficient way to convert cash to manure that the world has ever seen...

I need to send that to my 'horse nut" sister!