Dave's DOG Blog

Sunday

30 divers arrived first thing this morning, along with the Rally Crew from Spruce Creek SCUBA to support them. Scheduling Instructors and Dive Masters to guide test divers proved to be a little more difficult than Saturday, since we’d apparently lost some rally crew overnight. Within a few minutes the schedule was sketched out, and the crew from Diving Locker (Ben, Jeff and Danielle) stepped in to save the guides from double duty in the water all day long. As usual, the normal Sunday crowds began arriving at 10:30AM. The Diving Locker crew really came through pulling the long shifts and guiding right up to the last minute before hitting the dusty trail, bound for North Carolina.

Cave demon sightings underwater abounded in both Manatee and Catfish Hotel, as Chris (Diver’s Den) modeled his latest really cool neoprene hood, complete with red horns and barbed tail.

Rusty, Brian and Judy kept our hungry hordes of Rally Crew and Test Divers at bay for the second day, keeping lunch rolling beyond the usual 2PM close. What you may not know is that going long on lunch usually means risking severe burns (aside from the usual burns and singed eyebrows due to BBQ flare-ups) since we have to return the massive grill to the local rental place. Of course, first the red-hot coals have to be allowed to cool as much as possible, and then carefully disposed of within park regulations.

Rumors of a wager between Faith and me were in fact quite true. Beverages of the adult variety were the focus of said wager. Faith believed that we would be closing the back door of the DOG truck, i.e. completely packed and ready to roll, by 4:30PM. Without missing a beat, I agreed to that bet, and why not…if that motivation gets us loaded before the darkness and mosquitoes descended on us…so much the better! At most it’ll cost me a bottle of wine or a pitcher of sangria; Faith’s not a beer drinker. Notice that there were no similar bets with the crew from Divers Den…can’t afford to lose that one…those “energy drinks” are expensive. <g>

Back behind the wheel of the aging DOG truck, the side mirror wiggled strangely as I weaved between the trees in the park, on the way back to Gainesville. Getting lost only briefly, and a quick detour through the back streets of G’ville allowed us to regroup at the hotel, clean up a bit (as much as 30 minutes can allow) and we were off to dinner at Chateau Rhea.