Taking One For the Team. Delta
County. 2006. 24 x 36 in, acrylic on canvas. Oh Dark Thirty, Easter
Morning, 2004, CO Steve Burton and I were patrolling for illegal
spearing on Wilsey Bay Creek at the bottom of the Stonington Peninsula.
The creek was swollen with winter runoff. Somehow, in going
after the three spearers, I bounced off the tree in the center of the
painting, and got propelled throught he culvert and about 75 yards
downstream toward Lake Michigan before I managed to crawl out. In the
process I broke all my front teeth, and I was cold. All I can tell you
is that if you fall into 37 degreee water in 37 degree sleet, you'd
better have woolen foundations. Neither of us had ever been to the area
before. The next morning I got up and drove back there to try to figure
out how it had happened. I did five more days of patrols after this
eventful night. For awhile the COs were calling me Splash and having a
great laugh. As it turns out, I'm not the only one to have made the
through-the-culvert journey.