"I can sit in the back of the boat and watch the moon come up . . . Dolphins swim by almost every day."
By BILL EARLY
Published July 18, 2003
RUSKIN: Idyllic - that's how some people describe my lifestyle. Others, though they don't say, may think I'm loony.
I'm now living the way I always wanted to since I was about 10, growing up in the frozen, landlocked north and reading about places where the water was warm and it never snowed. I bought the boat I now call home about four years ago and headed south not knowing where I would end up.
Why Ruskin? I tried one of those big city marinas when I first arrived, but I've never really been fond of big cities. Mostly I can't stand the traffic.
Funny how we wind up where we're at. I would never have known about Ruskin had it not been for that fateful encounter.
I spent a considerable amount of time searching the West Coast of Florida for a suitable marina. One day, while walking a dock, a drunk stumbled out of a doorway and asked what I was doing. When I told him he offered some pretty good advice - "you shoo go ta Rush-kin."
I went, checked it out and stayed.
I now live at Bahia Beach Resort, tucked away on the bay side of Ruskin.
This is life very close to nature yet with all the amenities a resort can offer. I can sit in the back of the boat and watch the moon come up over the mangroves.
Wildlife is everywhere. Fish are jumping. Birds are here by the thousands. Dolphins swim by almost every day. Occasionally a manatee bumps the boat. Then there's the bay. In an hour or two I can be down to the gulf or across to St. Petersburg or up to Tampa or at some remote island for an afternoon of swimming or exploring.
Sounds ideal, but is there a downside? Well ... sure. This is not an industrial area, so jobs, for me, are scarce. I'm a physicist by training and an engineer by profession. I lucked out when I first moved here and fond a job right up the street. It was a small but rapidly growing company and probably the best job I've ever had. Unfortunately it was a victim of our recent economic woes and is now out of business.
If you can't find a job, create a job. I'm expecting to have the boat available for charter soon. It should be fun to show the tourists, or even the natives, what I enjoy every day.
Early lives on his boat, which is moored on Destiny Drive in Ruskin.
Tell us, in 400 words or less, why you live where you live. Please include what you like and dislike about your community. Send essays to brandon@sptimes.com and please include a daytime phone number.
