If that doesn’t sound goofy enough, he said that he had given me the tower and that it was his birthplace!  Wow, what a whack job!  HIA then took my identity, created the book, stole my ideas from my personal journal and listed his book called, “Hiding In Anonymity” on Amazon for sale!

I can only say, HIA has promised to donate all the proceeds to the Frying Pan Tower’s restoration and we have seen that he has linked the Amazon payment system to our cause so I’m willing to watch and see what happens for a while…

That said, someone told me today that all press is good even if it isn’t quite correct.  What they did get right is that we are deep into planning and restoring the tower and will be plenty busy so our many facebook friends and the kind people from all around the East coast will be able to come aboard and enjoy the amazing views and serenity from being 90 feet off the water with wide open nearly 360 degree views of the ocean for themselves! 

We’re having a blast getting it ready and hope we will see many people continue to step up and help with getting it complete.  If you’re interested, you can participate too.  Just visit our website and sign up on our volunteer form at:

http://www.fptower.com/volunteer.html

We’re looking forward to meeting you! Richard

weird stuff!

Rhonda writes:

We didn’t go!  The weather didn’t agree so we were not able to go to the tower.  While a disappointment what we did do was great.  Rich and I jumped into the van and drove to the coast.  With a handful of names and numbers we began on an adventure we had know idea how would turn out.  It was fantastic.  We had a great time and met a lot of good people.  We were constantly suprised what our good fortune brought us.

First up was  a real surprise.  We thought we were going to see a salesmen to offer us what salesmen offer.  Instead we found a blessing.  Dan from Superior Cranes just knew we needed to meet Joe Everett the owner and he was right.  From the moment we were introduced we knew we had meet a guy who could get things done.  Mr. Everett offered us great ideas for the tower and encouragement on every front.  Mr. Everett has been very successful in his life and seems happy to help Richard and I also be successful.  You just don’t expect to meet people like that.

Then we meet with Patrick Gaynor who also knows his stuff and offered us insights and advice for the food front.  He also didn’t flinch when I mentioned human waste composting at dinner.  My kind of guy.

Then it was on to Skippy Winner and Dave Tilley, great guys doing a great job.  It was neat how Skippy and Richard have the same habits.  Its the inner engineer in them.  Without Dave’s forum we would be lost.  I told Dave we have not meet a person on his forum who wasn’t warm and friendly and knowlegeable to boot.

Next was Hank and Scott from southport Marina.  Southport is definitely beautiful and peaceful place to be.   From there it was on to Wayne Strickland.  Funny guy he has one of my favorite sayings I use on the the kids all the time:  ”The beatings will continue until moral improves around here.”  He was very smart guy with names we need to know and ideas to move our project along.

The next day I slept in so I have to take Richard’s word for how great those meetimg were.  He met with Miles MacQueen of www.MarinaInstallations.com , from Southport and Jon Wrenn with Access Intelligence.

He was jazzed when he picked me up.  I’m not really sure I was listening but I’m sure it was great.  Off then to Josh Tew with Seatow which was very beneficial.

Finally we landed at Huffman’s helicopter in Myrtle beach.  Wow.  There is something so nice about seeing lovely helicopters all in a row all bright and shiny calling to me to come fly them.  Oh and the slushy flavored ice machine was a nice touch.  These were also “can do” guys who I really think can do.  We probably talked to them longer than they would have liked but Richard and I get a little carried away.  Guys who have slushy machines are guys who know how to have fun.

Then something even stranger happened.  We got lost, my fault and ended up outside a restaurant called the Pink Pig in Wilmington for lunch.  Only it wasn’t the Pink Pig, it was the Creole it wasn’t even open quite yet.  We didn’t know it but we were party crashers.  The owner , Pete, and the manager were so terrific.  They covered over our mistake and fed us one of the best meals ever.  I really wish I was a food critic so I could give the place justice.  It was so good.  Its real name is the Creole Cafe and is opening next week.  The food was so good I finished my whole plate. Richard will tell you I never finish my plate I always on purpose leave a few bites (an old habit) but this was too good.  So we are contemplating how we can steal the chef when we find out the owner also deals in salvage items too!  He was excited to see if he could help on the tower as well.

All was amazing.  We really felt as if we made headway on the tower.  We got great ideas and hopefully some helpful connections.  We were truly encouraged and enjoyed being in the area and

We used another portable generator as well which one of our volunteers, Mike Hamby, provided and connected it to several of the circuits to provide lighting and electricity to a few of the rooms. It was pretty strange to have the lights on and play a game of pool by the same fluorescents that the original Coast Guard crew were using. I just wish I could have blamed my poor shots on the lighting but nope. Another of our volunteers, Rob Whitney came from behind and whipped me in a game sinking the eight ball with ease after my flubbing several ‘easy’ shots. I would like to say that the tower must have swayed during my shots but the waves were only 2′ while we were there and it was just bad shooting.

We also had some other interesting news while there. We found that when we were looking at the square floor plates in the main living quarters into what we first thought were the holding tanks, we were actually looking down into a subsection and the holding tanks were actually a few feet below. This was a great find since we could see light through the peep holes in the plates and thought our large water and fuel holding tanks must have been breached by rust. NOT SO! The actual holding tanks for two 11,000 gallon water tanks were solid! This is very significant since the entire 70′ by 70′ helipad is designed to capture rainwater into these tanks. They were empty because the valves on the bottom had been removed and when we were there it rained lightly but enough for us to see that they did hold water. Of the two large 7,000 gallon diesel fuel tanks, one of them was still sealed and held pressure in the test line. There’s repairs to do to all the tanks and we’ll improve their structural integrity but it’s a huge benefit to still be able to use them! Hauling supplies out to the tower would be significantly more challenging if we couldn’t capture the ‘free’ rainwater from the helipad. So in summary, we can start the generator though it needs some maintenance. We can turn on the lights and will setup a backup smaller generator when we locate a 10kw diesel generator donation and soon, the toilets will flush and there will be hot showers available.

Rather amazing how simple pleasures like flushing toilets and a hot shower can make a facility habitable!

After we get the secondary generator up and tied into the minor circuits, we’ll verify the refrigerator and freezer are functioning. With fresh water, and electricity, we should be able to also make ice which if you’re a fisherman, you know is paramount to keeping your fresh catch fresh! Speaking of fresh catch, you can see from the tower what you would never be able to view from a boat and that is clearly seeing schools of fish that are milling around the tower. They included tens of thousands of smaller bait fish as well as some enormous schools of what I (duh) thought were yellow fin tuna. They were actually Yellowtail Jacks but were still enormous!

Also, one of the test items we tried were some temporary docking area walkways. We used some simple plywood with curved braces to make ‘walking the pipes’ a much easier task. Now, I have always had good balance and very little fear of heights, other than the normal if I fall from here I will die so uh, better be careful stomach flutter but these ‘test’ boards proved to me that a rather narrow walkway would suffice as long as you have a decent handrail to stabilize your walk. We are now pursuing a Charlotte supplier of some industrial fiberglass grating to see if we can surround the lower section with some better access while we wait until we locate a set of stairs.

There’s both a benefit and detriment to not having the stairs and lower section of the tower repaired quite yet. Benefit since the access can be removed and the tower is locked up tight to help prevent access by adventurous but illegal boarders and negative since our workers are being roped off and must climb 65′ up using hand holds on one leg! We are using btw, safety harnesses and using rope climbing safety as best as we know how! Did we mention that this is dangerous work?!

Well, I’ll close with these details and hopes for the next few weeks of effort. First, ALL our review and examination of the tower has proven we are indeed very lucky people and have purchased an amazing structure that is VERY able to be returned to active service to the many people who want to use it and secondly, it will take many people like YOU who are reading this blog and facebook updates to make it happen!

If you can help, please visit and fill out our volunteer form here: http://www.fptower.com/volunteer.html

Together we will get it done!

Then we were in.   It was dirty.  Maybe had a little mildew smell.  There was definitely rust to be seen. The kitchen scared me.  Cigarettes were in ash trays, and even someone’s clothes scattered around.  Then something else wonderful happened on the trip. Everyone just started to work.  Sometimes we can forget that humans have a nature within them that loves to work together, to freely give and help each other, a reflection of our maker.  I was amazed Saturday. I was busy cleaning and everyone without prompting or hesitation was working and working hard.  I know Pat and Richard got the radio to work.  Mark and Dave got the windows exposed.  I know they also got caution tape up and roped off unsafe areas.  More was done.  It was an experience.   All of us just cheerfully and diligently working together as a team getting work done.  Pat fit in great with all of us even though  he just  met us.  I felt such gratitude.

Incredibly the best was yet to come.  We all climbed up to the helipad to eat a small snack.  Forever is an interesting term.  But forever is how far we seem to be able to see.  The sunset seem to circle us and its beauty lasted forever.  Then a sliver of a moon with a bright planet underneath it hung in the sky.  First you saw the blue of the water, then a thin strip of dark blue, followed by a layer of magenta and yellow.  We all ran from door to door yelling at each other to “come see,” “come see.”; we all got excited waiting for darkness to come.  I’m sure you guessed it.  The stars.  See I’m not sure now if there is much space in space.  The sky was more white and glowing.  We actually saw the milky way.  I know it’s there but to actually see it was sweet.  Pat and Dave were just beside themselves clicking their cameras.  Pure coolness.  John and I just laid on our backs and soaked it in.  We then realized we needed to reach out to astronomers!

Bedtime was next.  I slept so soundly!   There were murmurs later of some people maybe snoring and  some banging of an old satellite, the main sound though was the gentle lapping of water.  I understand why people like the beach and the ocean.  It brings instant peace.

I tried to get people not to work the next day.  They did a little fishing, maybe one game of pool.  Yet, a lot more work got done.  We must admit we were glad when Scott came back for us and he and Jeff didn’t seem too angry of the mishap the day before.  Did I mention you could see all the way to the bottom of the sea?  You could also see all the fish.  I suppose that is why everyone decided the best way to get off the tower was to jump into the water and swim for the boat.  Scott and Jeff being the clever guys they are, predicted Richard’s behavior.  With all of us on the boat and everything sealed up, he decides to jump off from halfway up the leg, as we all cried  ”too high!”

‘Firsts’ on this go around of the life of the tower:

• first miracle – Jay and Pattie hauling our stuff
• first to spot the tower – Pat
• First on the tower – Richard
• My first thought – “why is it yellow?”
• first badness – too much stuff, hard to haul
• first oops – me loosing everyone’s phone
• first “praise God” – me finding everyone’s cell phones
• first pool game won – John
• first fish caught – Dave
• first phone call – Mark on Sprint / Nextel
• first funny – Mark’s mom, “maybe the trees are blocking the phone reception” “Mom I’m in the middle of the ocean!”
• first night – peaceful

Skippy and Richard also managed to board and we performed a brief but vital first assessment of the tower and make some critical notes on what the next visit would entail.  Many thanks to John McDowell for his help and kindness in getting us on and back safely!

The next trip, now that is a story and I’ll pass the baton on to Rhonda to give everyone a good idea of what happened… MORE to come!

Tim who generously donated his boat, time and patience with us works for Oceanic Reality at 910-264-7753 so if you see him around make sure to thank him as well.  He helped Skippy Winner and I get a chance to see it up close the first time, and we caught a bunch of fish!   Thanks Tim!

Little did I know that first auction would set records with a high bid of over 1/2 million dollars!  I looked like it wasn’t to be so and I returned to normality or something like it…