Turtle

Mom and I went out for an evening adventure to below the South Bridge of New Smyrna Beach in search of some wind and some pictures and a pleasant evening. Mom struck up a conversation with this 57 year old man loaded with a slew full of medical problems like arthritis and diabetes. However, Phil ( The Turtle) lives free on the road like my sister's organic chickens live free outside the chicken house. Out in the open where no one sends him any bills. If he goes to the hospital, he goes in as a homeless person. He knows they can not refuse him. He stated that he weighs over 300 pounds and peddles his bicycle with the trailer at six miles an hour. He didn't seem to have any rubber grips at the end of his bicycle handle bars. He claims to have a solar panel on top of his trailer. His trailer does have lights including a strobe light he can use when he travels by night. He says he prefers to travel at night because he can see the headlights a half a mile away. He carries a hand crank double stone wheel which he uses to sharp knifes, scissors, and machetes. He usually is in the area around Daytona during bike week. He sells little knick knack items like miniature homemade motorcycles for twenty or even twenty five bucks each. He claims he can live off of 1,200 to 1,800 a year. He has been to Key West and got his nickname by his buddies because he was so slow walking a certain street named Duval. This is a street that runs from the Atlantic to the Gulf and is fourteen blocks long. He says it takes him two hours to walk it. This is why he is called "The Turtle." Phil has been bike riding for 29 years and stated he has been to every state of the union except for Hawaii. He claimed to be in the military when he was younger and had a yacht that was destroyed in Miami during hurricane Andrew. He claimed to have found part of his boat 3 miles inland. He also claims to have sunk the rest of the boat. If he had such a boat, why didn't he try to get insurance on it? This was a question I wasn't bold enough to ask. He seemed more like a story teller than anything. He claims he has twenty nine tapes of his adventures which he would make into a book when he was ready. He also told of being friends with" Eileen Warnos" nickname " Lee ." She was executed by the State of Florida for killing guys. Phil claims the bar in Daytona called " The Last Resort" is haunted with Eileen's ghost. He claims they have her voice on digital camera cussing and wanting another beer. Plus, she unlocked a door where it was dead bolted and she relocked it again according to Phil. Phil claims to have told his friend "Lee" to quit cussing and behave herself. It was like she listened to what he was telling her to do. He was stating this information with a kind of wild look in his eyes. It was starting to get kind of creepy. He started taking about the sci- fi ghost watching show which he claimed a lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida was haunted with a female ghost. Mom and I left " The Turtle" around 8 in the evening. I assumed he went on to other adventures. Mom was amazed house he carries most of his clothes and other belongings in the trailer. He only sparingly replaces things like shoes and clothes when they wear out.