Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Adventures long ago on Braden River

Only Jeanne Parrish.

The Bradenton Herald's current series on the Braden River brought back memories for the lifelong Manatee County resident and retired educator.

The spunky 90-year-old recalled how, in the early 1930s, her family would spend time camping where the Linger Lodge is now located.

When Jeanne went fishing with a cane pole and worms, she had some adventurous confrontations with the river's reptilian residents.

"Moccasins and black snakes," she said. "Moccasins tried many times to eat the bream, blue-gill, or war-mouth fish I had put on a string and placed in the water to keep them fresh. Just a slap with the cane pole would cause them to move on.

"One day as I stepped over a log, I encountered a huge moccasin sunning himself. In an attempt to avoid each other, we both fell down the high embankment into the river at the same time. He went his way and naturally I went my way.

"Those times on Braden River were the best of times!"

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