Sawing on the St Johns

[Tom]

Here is another example of the reasons I enjoy portable custom sawing.  

The mill is set up in Jacksonville, Florida, on the bank of the historical St. Johns River and The Trout River.

http://www.mikestrong.com/fortcar/

The field behind and to the right is the point formed by the two rivers.  The old railroad trestle, which has been dismantled, can be seen in the rear and there are several seafood companies and yacht construction companies, including Shaw's,  behind and to the left.  

I am set up on the property of Shaw's Southern Belle Seafoods, cutting Sycamore, Sweet Bay and Cedar.  The more I cut,  the more they bring.  It is destined to go into a lodge being built on their ranch down in Interlachen.  Interlachen is a small community south of Jacksonville and and west of Palatka on the banks of Rodman Reservoir.  Rodman was built by damming up the Oklawaha River.

http://www.rodmanreservoir.com/facts.htm

http://www.putnamcountychamber.org/fish_game/fishing.htm

I have had a great time at Shaw's and hate to leave.  The sawing schedule is slow because they have other things to do, like keeping the packing equipment running.  Prepared fish dishes find their way to my truck and  I have been eating gourmet stuffed flounder, stuffed snapper and stuffed crab this week.  I've been promised a care package when I leave.  

Yes, there are nails in a lot of trees.  I left my metal detector for the maintenance crew to chase them down,  Much of the cedar boards have square holes in them where the guys chiseled to the nail, as deep as 8 inches.

These are good folks, pleasant and interested in the use of the boards as well as the slabs.  I hope it will be one of my continuing accounts.

http://www.shawsouthernbelle.com/

[Bud Man]

Tom  Sounds like everybody's benefitting -- Even the clothing store where you'll need to go to buy some larger clothes.  

[Corley5]

That's some good reading on Rodman.  I first visited there in the mid eighties.  Grandpa took me fishing at the dam.  We fished on the south side after driving across the dam.  I caught the prettiest sunfish I've ever seen.  I was told it was a red breasted one.  We don't have anything like that up here.  Grandpa and Grandma Whittaker have a place just off 40 at little settlement called Forest Corners.  Grandpa passed away in '89 but Grandma still spends her winters there.  I haven't been down there since Christmas '98 but always make it a point to drive up to Rodman and check it out.  Last time I was there it was extremely low.  Now I know why.  It was under a draw down.  I've never fished in the lake itself but it sure looks like it should have lots in it.  Those Cross Florida Barge Canal Bridges are really impressive.  There's one on 40 where it crosses the Oklawaha.  You're above the tree tops on it.  Grandpa used to take me fishing in the Oklawaha north of that bridge.  We caught some really nice bass there.  The biggest ones would never take a minnow.  The water was really clear and you could see them laying there but they weren't interested.  We also fished at the Moss Bluff dam and locks quite a bit.  Caught some pretty nice catfish and a few specs there.  When I was there in '94 with a friend we fished at Moss Bluff extensively.  Ted didn't bring a pole with him so he bought a cane pole at the bait shop for five bucks.  He caught 5 cats to my one with it using the same bait .  Ugly Stick rods aren't that great .   Grandma's been keeping me posted about the fate of Rodman but I haven't heard anything in while.  I hope they leave it as is.