Earliest Memory

My most earliest memory of Louie and me was when our family was building the Lady Lee Dawn; a 58' purse seiner, built for longlining, salmon, herring, spot prawn and dungeness crab fishing. This is the time we spent the winter of 1979 around the Saticoy/Oxnard, California region building her.

Louie wasn't around much that I can remember as he was attending school, I was too young and I spent my days running around the dusty metal yard.

Fortunately I was not alone, another kid my age spent his days there with his family, his name was Jimmy. We spent many dusty days running around the yard, playing in rows of tires, and at that time it seemed like they were everywhere and piled as high as mountains.

During these days of playing in the dirt, my mom whom is extremely handy with a sewing machine became very tired of my dirty clothes and made me a pair of light blue coveralls. I loved those coveralls, more so because they looked just like my grandpa's, dad's and my mom's coveralls, and I was so proud putting them on; it made me feel so special being just like my family.

Everyday I couldn't wait to put them on like everyone else and I was able to play without complaints from my mom. I still have those coveralls hanging in my closet. Thanks mom!

I also remember when we were getting ready to launch the boat and driving in front of the hull and cabin on the interstate watching my dad and grandpa with long 2X4's in the hands to push up on powerlines to avoid hanging up on the hull. That was nerve racking! But she made it to the boat launch and what a sight that was watching her freeing from the trailer and floating for the first time ever.

Stay tuned for the next adventure!