Stone Age (before I was 20)

I had a small maintenance business then, where I did freelance work with minimal overhead costs.
Shep's Management Company filed Oakland county Michigan 1984. Good money, relaxed schedule, easy life style. Bored to death, and life not seeming to go anywhere, it was time for a change.

* * *

I had no special
attachment to Florida . Originally I was going to Oklahoma, (some romantic idea about the Ozark Mountains), but when I went to the library and researched different areas, Florida caught my attention.

* * *

3 counties (side by side) in Florida, were part of a list of the 10 fastest growing communities in the United States.
Bradenton, Sarasota, and Charlotte County. These are on the west coast of Florida, just south of Tampa, and north of Ft. Meyers. The heart of the
Sun Coast.

* * *

All the statistics were favorable. The area was starving for people to fill all the needs of a growing community. This included building, repairing, and maintaining everything. Without doubt, business would flourish in this area.

* * *

I started packing
and right after Deer Season I hit the road. December 1986. I was loaded down with all the tools I could carry and headed for Florida.

* * *

My Adventure Begins

Deer Season a yearly tradition

It was obvious immediately that Bradenton, as well as most of Florida, is primarily a
Retirement Community. This turned out to be my biggest source of works. Basically, many people needed someone to help maintain their homes and property.

* * *

Florida has a harsh environment when it comes to man made materials. The sun bakes the paint off walls, The salt in the air dries everything brittle. The ground is mostly sand so it is next to impossible to achieve a stable footing.

* * *

On the other hand, plant life flourishes in Florida, (big time). You could trim your property clean, leave for 2 months, and not be able to find your house when you got back. It is a constant effort to maintain the landscape.

* * *

Then if you consider the fact that Florida has seasonal flooding, hurricanes, and fire , it is very hard not to find work there. I provide a wide variety of skills as part of my business. So I never had a problem finding customers.

* * *

I advertized in a couple community newspapers and the jobs came steady. I lived in Bradenton for only two months. I then moved to a small apartment behind an Artist's Studio just outside of Sarasota.

Then, and again,

I went Fishing

Places of Interest and things to do

(NOT YET AVAILABLE)Maps if you care to see where(NOT YET AVAILABLE)

Dragon Country

Rambling Dragon

Rambling Dragon Wrapper

Dragon Rapper

Vagabond Dragon

Misanthropic Dragon

Patrick E. Wakeford

Dragon Express::Hyperlink from here to anywhere in Dragon Country.
(50 different destinations).