fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

Photos 1-4 are part of a fishing adventure- Been cloudy and rainy of late, dark skies and sprinkles but, as long as there's no lightning, I'm game. Catching Spanish and king mackerel from a kayak is great fun; trouble is, the bay is stuffed with sharks and lose half the mackerel to 'em. Two weeks ago, had a tug-o-war with a seven footer; if you count the mackerel's head, I got the most. Yesterday, trying to disengage a three foot, unhappy and indignant black-tip was like playing Jenga with fingers and teeth... We both did OK. I'll apologize for the grain and coarseness of the images, they're from a small sensor and mightily cropped.

Didn't fish this morning, went for a walk instead. Lots of green now; rain does that to a desert. There's a bush- not pictured- with tiny flowers that smells wonderful. It looks kinda like "baby's breath"- which is, to me an unfortunate name; never been around babies, don't know anything about 'em, but imagine wafts of sour milk and vomit. I suspect that has small appeal to most folks... The bush pictured has a nice scent too but is more generous with its perfume after dark when it's difficult to concentrate on the ol' olfactory when slapping yourself silly for the mosquitos.
Photo 5 presents the base golf course in its entirety; the greenery is quite temporary but appreciated all the same. #6 is a typical base housing... not bad, really. OK, I've yammered on enough... hope you like the photos.

1-DGG-99 USS Farragut

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2-Tanker tenders

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3-Maersk Peary - making a delivery

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4-Ominous Morning

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5-GTMO Golf

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6-Marine HIll w/GTMO Bay

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7- Base Housing

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8-Ridgeline Trail

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9-Strange little flower

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10- Bloomin' bush

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ChuckMc Loc: Prescott, AZ

I'm glad we have the base, but I'm also very glad that I was never stationed there. Thank you for posting the pictures so we could see some idea of what it's like to be there.
And thank you for your service.
Chuck

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

Thanks for these interesting glimpses of a place I'll never be able to visit. For the record, a babies breath is sweet (oddly enough) hence the name is appropriate.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Fascinating glimpses into your present home, always love your storytelling, and some very enjoyable scenics included here also.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I was born in Cuba, as a matter of fact in the most western province. I have never been to Guantanamo and I thought that only military personnel lives there and most probably does.
As a child my father used to take me fishing and I remember those Spanish Mackerel and King fish well although we usually kept our catch because sharks were not so aggressive as they seem to be in Guantanamo Bay. I miss all that and I hope one day Cuba again will be free and if I am still alive I will go back and do some fishing like I did when I was a boy.

Interesting images and in my case they are loaded with memories of my youth growing in Cuba.
Thank you for posting them.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I love the shots but as a kayak owner, I would not want to share my fish with anything in the water. You have more nerve than me! Thanks for the posting.
Nolan

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Another good set! I hope that you have a good Memorial Day.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

We pulled into GITMO,
no shore leave for us,
crew fishing,
We (shipfitters) made a hook,
cook supplied a chicken,
steel cable through a hawse hole (2nd class electrician idea, smart right) hook and chicken in the water,
big grey MF came by,
steel cable got tight, very tight,
steel round stock retrieved , straight,
60 second fishing trip over,
Oh Well!

Irvingite Charles Loc: Irving, Tx

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

I too think GTMO is an excellent strategic location, Chuck. Fidel never cared much for the arrangement though. Also, GTMO is the driest and hottest part of Cuba so other areas may not look like this but, here, is desert. I'm glad to post photos- and glad you like 'em! Thanks for taking a look!!

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

You can visit Don; I'd be happy to host you; just takes a stack of paperwork but, it's doable! Trouble is, right now, you'd spend two weeks quarantined in your room so, better figure on a longer stay than that... I'll take your word on baby's breath... my curiosity in that arena is not very high... BUT! I appreciate you taking the time to look and comment- THANKS!!

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

Thank you, Linda, for your always good to hear comments! As for my writing... I have lately been affected by the writing of WW Jacobs- one of Mark Twain's favorite authors- and rather humorous, too. Amazon/Kindle had his collected works for ? don't remember but, less than $2, and have been reading hard for the past two weeks. Great fun. I'm told my work lately is of such fine and descriptive quality as to draw attention from others... I'm OK with that... HA!! THANKS! again, Linda!

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

Fascinating, camerapapi! The Naval base has about 4,500 residents, obviously most are military but there is a significant civilian population- families of military, and contractor labor and families of contractor labor management. That number will increase shortly, with work beginning on $800M of construction: a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, new water treatment plant and power station for burning that LNG. Might get crowded here...
I thinks sharks have learned to follow boats and wait. Yesterday, I stayed back in the bay looking for snapper. I got two but then the sharks showed up and that was that. We're prohibited from catching, keeping, harming or killing sharks but rumors suggest a little vigilante self defense may be in order. When I leave here, I'll miss my experiences on that deep, deep blue water, the mystery, adventure and terror... just as you do... besides, mackerel and snapper are down right tasty.
There are left four or five individuals- almost 100 originally- who made it on to the base before Fidel came to power and the gates closed... they've lived here ever since... they receive complete care and a stipend... waiting to go back to Cuba. Maybe, with Raul Castro out of the way and his presumed successor, Díaz-Canel opens up a little, (I think Diaz-Canel likes things the way they are but, he'll get lots of pressure to democratize) maybe, just maybe, things might change.

Another thought: back in 1900, there was began an American colony in Cuba, "La Gloria" that still exists today but, the last "North American" died back in the '70's I believe. Have you any recollection of the experiment? La Gloria- between the coast and Camaguey? Now THAT! would have been an adventure.
Thank you so much camerapapi for commenting- and getting me yammering again!!

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

Don't know that it's nerves, Country Boy... could be ignorance! The event referenced 'bout tug-o-war over a mackerel almost tipped me over- not good side-loading a kayak! Rasslin' in what remained of the mackerel, turned crimson the several inches water that came aboard during the discussion... it all drained out the scuppers, leaving a chum trail everywhere I went... don't much like sharks... but DO like hearing from you Country Boy- THANKS!!

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

THANKS!! Mike, hope your Memorial Day was good, too!!