OT: One of my other hobies is...

[travlin-easy]

is gardening. While I have created a half-dozen rock gardens in my front yard, this time around I hired a landscaper, Nature's Paintbrush - Mike, the owner, did an incredible job. Thought you might enjoy seeing one of his creations:



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[Toril S]

Really cool!!

[Divemaster]

Beautiful, and so peaceful.. Thanks for sharing.
Keith

[RoyceM]

He is a Michelangelo of the earth!

- Royce

[Graham UK]

Gary. Very Nice with added bonus...More plants for the deer to eat !!!!

[madirv]

That's really lovely.  Gonna get the significant other out of his armchair and into humping some big rocks around!!!!

[Divemaster]

And there he is, resting, unaware of your plan... Poor chap! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

[mikf]

Hi Gary
Nothing more perfect than sitting in a lovely garden on a nice day, especially your own. Enjoy.
I'm not much of a gardener but luckily my wife has great vision and enthusiasm for gardens and has created an amazing place for us to enjoy.
Mike

[Paula]

Nice Gary

[travlin-easy]

Thanks everyone. Glad you liked my garden. Graham, those plants are pretty much ones that deer will not eat, which is very few in this part of the world. However, I will still spray them with deer repellent - just to be on the safe side.

Divemaster, are you wearing a Mark5 outfit in your profile photo? I was a diver when I was a kid in the US Navy, and that suit sure looks familiar, but not the same color as the Mark5 that I wore.

Thanks again, everyone,

Gary

[Divemaster]

Hi Gary
Yep spot on.
It's a Siebe Gorman Mk V rig with the solid lead breastplate and anti magnetic lead boots which alone weighed around 20lb each!
I was based in a place called Dumbarton on the River Clyde in Scotland, and we would fast launch out to locations on the Scottish harbours, rigs and lochs to work.

[travlin-easy]

Mine had a brass breast plate, lead boots, etc... I worked in a lot of locations where the underwater visibility was essentially zero and was always scared to death that the surface team would not get me up out of the mud. I was just an 18 year old kid, therefore, I was expendable as far as the Navy was concerned. I only got stuck in the mud twice, but both times they were able to extract me. Once was in Barcelona, Spain Harbor and the other was in the harbor in Naples, Italy. The water was so nasty that you could not see your hand in front of your face below 10 feet.

I rather enjoyed working with scuba gear, though, often in places where the underwater visibility was 100 feet or more and there was lots of coral reefs and loads of beautiful fish. Sure wish I could still do that, but age and infirmity caught up with this old codger.

All the best,

Gary

[mikf]

Hi Keith, I can just about see Dumbarton from my house in Scotland.
I knew lots of divers and ex divers during my time in the oil industry. I found they all had one thing in common —- they were all a bit crazy. Except for the North Sea saturation divers, they were just completely crazy. LOL . I guess you have to be to spend days or maybe weeks with three other guys living in the equivalent of a large coffin.
Mike

[Divemaster]

Yep... There is massive cameraderie amongst divers. You all learn to rely on each other 100% for your lives, and that builds a pretty rock solid bond. You gotta be pretty fearless to do the job, and self discipline is an essential. But when we were able..... Yeah... Oh yes, we knew how to party! 😂

We have family in Inverness Mike, my wife and I love Scotland.
Keep safe my friends, that's all that counts.


Keith