I will try to relate this to the best of my memory and ask you all to realize that I was a young boy at the time,

but the event that I'm going to relate to you is burned into my memory.

The event took place near Stark, Florida, which is located south of Jacksonville up in the

northern part of Florida.

At the time my mother and I lived in a nice trailer in a small trailer park

that was located off of U.S. Highway 301 south of Stark, Florida.

There were several residents in the park.

I would hazard a guess of about 10 trailers at the time.

The trailer park was built in the woods and we had dirt roads.

Behind the trailer I lived in was a pond, not a big one, but big enough to have fish in it along with water moccasins.

I recall my mom shooting several when they had the

termidity to invade our yard and present a clear and present danger

to her number two son.

Actually it was us that had invaded their space

if the truth must be known.

My friend across the street, let's call him Jim, he used to sit out and fish in the night during

the summer when it was warm, among other things kids of those years would do.

Things like making forts in the woods and climbing trees, etc.

The night of the event was a typical North Florida night, hot and a clear sky.

I do not remember what phase the moon was in, but I do recall it being a cloudless night.

We had both gotten bored with fishing since we were not getting any bites,

and so we were just lying on the grass looking up through the trees and stargazing.

...