“Not married. I have one son. He’s 6. It’s great. It’s a life-changing experience.

“I’m trying not to force too much of the world on him right now. I don’t want him to be worried about all the stuff we have to worry about as adults. I like kids to actually be kids.

“There are a lot of kids having kids these days. Sometimes, I don’t think they get to live that kid life like I did. I grew up around a lot of older people. My great-aunt and my great-grandmother are the people who raised me. And I actually got to be a kid.

“I’ve always enjoyed being out in nature. So I’m trying to get my son away from electronics, and go outside to do things like ride bikes and horses, and to fish. I’ve been fishing since I was about 6. My great-aunt taught me, and it stuck. It’s kind of like my meditation. It’s a good way to relax, to get away from the world. Just you and the water. I’m hoping I can pass that along to my son.”

— Demond Carson

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“I’m 75 and retired. I’ve had a great life. I haven’t had any hard times really, except for getting polio when I was 6 years old. Wasn’t bad. I mean, my legs are crooked, but I can still walk. I’ve also had seven heart attacks, and I’ve got five stents in me. But let me tell you something. I know where I’m going when my time’s up. And I believe that I won’t have crooked legs when I get there.”

— Victor Earnest

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“When I was 25, I decided that I was going to take a year’s vacation and do nothing but fish. I was young, and I figured that was the best time to do it.

“I started off in Kentucky where my brother lived. He’s 10 years older than me, and he’s the one who instilled that love of fishing in me. Then I went up to Minnesota, and it was really nice up there in the northern parts.

“When I was deciding where to go next, I thought about how Lewis and Clark followed the Missouri River. So that’s what I did, all the way through Montana. I went from campground to campground for a whole year, and it was great.

“I ended up in Colorado at a friend’s house. I was in Aspen, which was beautiful, gorgeous, and I caught a bunch of lake trout there.

“It was such a great year. I was alone for the most part, but I didn’t mind. I’ve always been a little bit of a loner anyhow.

“I figured I caught 800 or 900 fish, and that’s what I ate. Oh, every once in a while I’d stop and get a burger or something. But I just love fish. What’s nice is, I don’t go to Kroger hardly ever for meat. I eat fish five or six days a week. I have a whole bunch of different ways to cook it, and I’ll fix sides to go with it. I just never get sick of it. And look at me. I’m 58 years old, and I feel great. I think eating fish has a lot to do with it.”

— Pete Horbovetz

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“I was born in Mexico. First, I came to California. I went to school a little bit, and then I found a job. I cooked, working in the kitchens. I stayed there for 22 years.

“Many people come here looking for work. They want a better life for themselves, for their family. I was married 27 years ago. I have my wife and four kids. Two of them are already married.

“I come out here (Baytown Nature Center) two days a week. The doctor says I have too much stress. I work at the grocery store five or six days a week. He says I need to relax. So I come out here to fish. It’s fun. It’s relaxing. It helps.”

— Javier Lopez

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“I live down the way. I can walk, but not that far. Right now I’m going crabbing.

“When I catch them, I usually give them away. If I catch fish, I give them away. I don’t keep anything. If I go buy something, I give that away, too.

“That’s just the way I am. I like to help people. I’ve always been like that.”

— Joe Rangel, 71

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“I’m an angler education area chief for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. On weekends, I teach kids how to fish.

“We had this land out on the river, and I turned it into a little private park. Church groups bring kids who don’t have a father figure. We put them through a little school on how to tie knots, how to cast, fish identification and things like that. We give them a fishing rod, some bait, and tell them to go catch fish.

“I had a father who never did anything with me. He never once took me fishing, hunting or anything. He’d go off with his friends and their kids, fishing and hunting, but he never took me.

“My mother was both a mother and a father to me. She was great. But I told myself, I’m not going to raise my kids the way my father raised me. And I didn’t. I have two sons and two daughters, and they all know how to hunt and fish. I have a family ranch up in the Hill Country that I bought in 1987. We all use that to go hunting and fishing. They know it’s there for them whenever they want.”

— Chuck Ganze

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• ‘Insatiable curiosity’ feeds interest in technology
• Mom gets the credit for his strong work ethic

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“Most of my tattoos don’t really mean anything, but I have two that do. One is my daddy’s name and one is my cousin’s name. But I don’t talk to my cousin anymore. She’s actually the reason me and my ex split. I caught them on the couch together.

“At the end of the day she’s still my cousin. We were always really close and I still love her to death. If she ever called me, I’d be there for her in a heartbeat. But let’s just say she won’t be invited over for Thanksgiving very often.”

— Megan Marksberry

The post Tattoos help tell some of her life’s stories appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’ve been out here about 45 minutes, practicing with this casting net so I can catch my own bait fish. There’s an art to it, I guess. I’m getting a little better, but I think I’m going to need another hour or two. Practice makes perfect.

“My dad was the fisherman of the family, so I went fishing with him mostly when I was young. Then as I got older, I began working, got married and didn’t have as much time for fishing as I used to. But year by year I’m getting closer to retirement, so I figured it’s time to get ready.

“When a good fish gets on your line, it’s the fight and trying to get him in before you lose him that I enjoy the most. Oh, I’ll clean and eat them sometimes, but I like catching more than anything. There’s nothing like it.”

— Leonard Simpson

The post Looking forward to fishing in retirement years appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I did 29 years of shift work at ExxonMobil. I worked outside as an operator. I worked in the heat, in the rain, in the cold. I wore flame-retardant clothing, a hard hat, safety glasses, safety shoes.

“When I hired in, all the old-timers told me I should buy Exxon stock. They said buy as much as you can and don’t ever touch it. Just do this for your whole career and you’ll be a very wealthy person when you retire. And they told the truth. I put the maximum amount in for 29 years, so I’m reaping the rewards now.

“I do lots of hunting and fishing, and I travel a lot. As a matter of fact, I’m going to Lake Tahoe in the morning. After that I’m heading out on a cruise around Australia, and then I fly to New Zealand where I’m doing an archery hunt for a red stag.

“I told my financial guy, I want to be the poster child for retirement. My resume for retirement is what I wish everybody could do, and afford to do.”

— Robyne Gold

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• Cancer survivor continues to look at life as a gift

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“We saw a thing on the Internet a few days ago that said a pig is about as smart as a 3-year-old kid. I know they’re cute when they’re small, but they’re ugly when they get big. I don’t think I’d want one of those pigs living in my house.”

— Jerry Eppler

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