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I am the owner of Creative Marine Construction which is located in Winter Haven Florida..
Creative Marine Construction was established in 1980 when I moved to Central Florida after living in Key West for 3 years.
I was born in Bradford Yorkshire England. Moved to Palma de Majorca Spain where I lived a wonderful life from 1968 to 1976. I have promoted bands, organized international beach parties an ran Jazz Clubs.
I was director of public relations for one of Europe's top discotheques for 5 years. Moved to the States in 1976.
After spending a year in Winter Haven I relocated to Key West where I lived for 3 years.
I moved to Winter Haven Fl in 1980, have lived here ever since.
My passions are My Afghan hounds, Music ( Listening not making) Photography, Pinball and Writing.
Sample Follows.






Paths.
By Derek Avis

The Long and Winding Road.....Paul McCartney (click link to hear Midi of the song).poetrybypj2.250free.com/Beatle_mania/thelong.mid
The path of life takes many turns.
In time, the path we choose comes upon other paths.
Each of these new paths are significant, because the path we chose to travel, has taken us there.
Each path will present new oportunities for us & offer alternative directions we could travel.
We take our time, making sure that we clearly see, everything that these new paths have to offer.
Then we evaluate, all that there is to see, before we decide to cross.
Once again we travel onward, following the path, the path of life.
As we continue the journey , we remain undaunted by the set backs that life has to offer, in the hope of finding what we are searching for..
Our hopes, as we travel the long & winding road, are that one beautiful day, we will come upon a path, a very special path.
After taking the time to see, we will know for certain, that this is not a path we cross.
We will know, that this is the path.
The path we have been searching for.
We will expierience feelings of great joy & contentment, as we join together with the person on that path.
Knowing with total certainty, that this was our destination
Side by side, hand in hand, our paths now one, for ever more we will be together, continuing our journey through life.
Sharing our love, sharing our happiness, sharing our hopes & dreams along the way.
The Long & Winding Road.


Passions.....I have always had a thing for Teddy Bears.
They are a part of my life.
You can always trust a teddy bear.
They are always friendly.
They are always cuddly.
They are always there when you need them.
When you travel, they share your journey.

I hope that one day soon you will find total happiness & contentment in your life, where ever it may be.
Always believe that you are more than deserving, of the best that life has to offer.
That you are indeed very special.
Never under estimate yourself.
Follow your dreams.
Reach your destination.
Most important of all.
Enjoy the journey.

Life is a Collection of Memories.

When I received this post card many years ago, there was something special about it.
From the day I received this card , for some strange reason I have carried it with me always, where ever I go
This Card is a part of the memories of my life, that I keep
When asked why?..........I reply......... Just Because.
For some reason, I derive great inspiration from it.
A reason to believe.
A reason to write Paths.
It also reminds me how important it is to have respect & good friends.

I hope that the something special about the post card & reading paths, brings inspiration to you also.
J. C. Thanks for the post card & the inspiration.........
Smiles.
Derek.

Poem
I wrote this poem when I was very young.
A long time ago.

Some women you love.
some women you lust.
Some women you care for.
Some women you trust.
When I find a woman who is all these.
I shall look no more.
Provided she likes me of course.
Smiles.
Derek.

Profile available on Match.com - profile ID avisavis1
Heading.
Searching for my soulmate.
Single Male Age 64 Area Code 33881
www.match.com/search/index.aspx?lid=2

Profile available on MySpace: www.myspace.com/derekavis


Derek Avis
Creative Marine Construction
www.creativedocks.comrel=
avisavis@verizon.net
Web Site
www.Creativedocks.com





EXPLANATION AS TO WHY I HAVE A FLICKR WEB SITE.






Matt Williams and his faithful K-9 DiOGi where killed protecting the residents of Polk County.
Top Photo Matt and DiOGi
Lower Photo Pink Floyd. The Afghan Hound.

Matt and Diogi Poker Run

If I had not become involved in the fund raising activities (see below), I would never have known that this Flickr Web Site existed & my progress in photography would have remained stagnant.

I never met Matt Williams or DiOGi; yet, I felt compelled to do something to ease my pain.

Having later read all the articles in his Rememberence Book, www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=19398668&am... I realized what a great man he was & feel so very proud to have done what I could.
I wish I had the pleasure of knowing Matt & DiOGi.

Matt Williams & DiOGi sacrificed their precious lives to protect us.

They are the reason all these Poker Run Biker Photos, Golf Tournament Photos & The Polk County Sheriffs K-9 Police Dog Training Session Photos are in my Web Site.

The first section of this letter I wrote, was published in The Lakeland Ledger.


In Rememberence.
Matt and DiOGi….We Care.

In a lifetime, there are many unhappy events that really devastate us.
In my life, although I lived in England, the assassination of JFK hurt so badly.
He was indeed someone who was very special - tears flowed all around the world.
I was only 18.
Although I was not really interested in royalty, the news of Princess Diane’s demise hurt so badly. She was such a wonderful, respected, caring person.
The death of Steve McQueen reminded me of how fragile life is.
He always seemed like he would live forever, he was that kind of guy.
The fatal shooting of Winter Haven Police Officer Jonnie Patterson in the line of duty.
Officer Patterson was so young & very brave.
Then came 911 which we can never forget.
Recently, the terrible incident that took the life of Officer Matt Williams & his faithful partner DiOGi really hurt; although, our paths never crossed.
They were just doing their job.
Protecting all of us.
We all do things in a lifetime that might not be totally legal.
I don’t think that there is a driver in the world that never exceeded the speed limit at least once.
We look around to make sure that we were not seen by a police officer, then sigh with relief when we are not being stopped.
When we really need help though, the first number we call in an emergency is 911.
We take for granted that we will be protected by law enforcement officers together with their K-9’s who put their lives at risk to protect ours.
The funeral for our fallen heroes brought thousands of Polk County residents out to show how saddened we were for the sacrifice Matt and DiOGi had made for us.
The ultimate sacrifice.
It is very important that we continue to show Nancy, her family & all law enforcement officers that we care and that in similar circumstances their families would also be assisted by you, the people they protect when they put their lives at risk.
I am just a small business owner & resident of Winter Haven who cares, not a police officer.

How it all came about……?

First of all, I would also like to thank Rob Egge the manager at Specs Music in Winter Haven who upon hearing of what I was attempting, donated about 30 cd’s for
the Williams family, so that if my attempted photography shoots failed, I would still have made a difference.

Now I was on a roll & ready for the challenge.
No time to get scared.

On November 19th 2006, I attended the Matt and DiOGi poker run, to show I cared.
As I do not own a motorcycle, I took my cameras instead, to take photographs of the event.
I am not a professional photographer, I am a dock builder; however, whatever challenges I accept, I try to very hard to succeed in accomplishing something to be proud of.
I consider myself a freelance photographer as I take photographs for fun, of events that I attend; then, make gifts of my work rather than sell them as a professional photographer would…Hence ( Freelance Photographer.)
I own some of the best equipment, so no excuses there, if the photos don’t turn out perfect – JUST ME TO BLAME.
Attempting to record this event was to say, the least, a great challenge.
To start with, I realized there were going to be vast number of people participating who cared; therefore, I would need to purchase additional equipment to what I already owned.
Although, I already owned a lot before this event took place.
It was important to be well prepared, so not to run out of space & power for my cameras before I had completed my task.
I consulted my mentor/personal photography expert Mike Balbus who works in New York for B & H Camera to evaluate what additional equipment I would need to purchase.
We anticipated that the event was going to be big.
Additional power packs, faster larger memory chips, special lenses and a truck load of printing paper (exaggerated) finally ordered along with bits & bats.
The order arrived Friday November 17th just before the event was scheduled to commence.
Being a perfectionist, I decided to visit my friend Michael Fontaine to shoot some photographs of Michael riding his Harley; so I would know where the best look can be achieved on the photographs.
Good job, I did!
The memory chips I purchased needed formatting and they would not work.
Disaster. It was Saturday. B and H was closed.
Fortunately, I had the personal phone number of MIKE BALBUS in New York.
Though Saturday is his day off work he was kind enough to accept my call & took the time to guide me through activating the memory chips.
My good friend Patti Lowery kindly offered her assistance as she knew what a difficult feat we were attempting.
You see, not having a motorcycle I had never attended a poker run and believe me, this one was going to be as big as it gets!
This is how naive I am.
The plan was to take photos of all the riders as they set off at the start of the poker run.
Donate all profit of the photos to the Williams family.
I was going to take my Afghan Hound ( Pink Floyd ) so that the riders could have a photo taken with him if they wished.
I thought it would be fun – Bikers/Afghan Hound / YEAH RIGHT!
I always push it to the limit…..
How would we match the photographs with the riders?
Well the master plan was as follows.
We thought that each rider would have a big number for all to see just like the road racers in a marathon.
What if the riders didn’t have a big number?
No problem, we had it covered ( You know what thought did )
We took along a great big alarm clock.
The plan was as the riders were about to depart, in organized single file I had perceived,
we would give each rider my card so they could contact me for the photo.
Ask if they wanted Pink Floyd in the photo.
Give them the “Big Alarm Clock” so we would all know what time they left.
We were smart enough to realize that we would not have time to get their name, address, date of birth & how good their bike was running.
We had a plan…… Right?
After all if they described themselves as riding a Harley wearing a helmet that would eliminate a big 20 percent of who, it wasn’t.
We were ready to go!

Got up early, made one good decision - to leave Pink Floyd at home, he wanted to stay in bed a bit longer--- after all, it was Sunday and he is an Afghan Hound!
I even found my car keys.

THE EVENT.

I knew it was going to be a very well supported event; yet upon arrival, my breath was taken away by the number of people who were attending.
So much for my plan!
There were so many bikes; you could hardly move.
Instead of one registration point, there were dozens.
No riders had numbers.
They would be leaving in groups.
Pink Floyd would have been squashed in the first 5 minutes.
The Chalet Susanne was a wonderful starting point.
It was a great gesture that they allowed their property to be used for this event.
So much hard work in such a short time frame.
Nick and Debbie Taylor, Matt and DiOGi’s friends, comrades & their entire support group should be very proud of what they accomplished.
They even had an instant clean-up detail set for action the moment the last bike departed.
The weather of course was perfect.
I am sure that Matt and DiOGi had a lot to do with that.
They must have felt so proud seeing their family, all their friends, law enforcement officers they had worked together with, plus all the strangers who came to show how much they cared.
All the people involved in this event will carry with them, for the rest of their lives, a cherished memory of this special day.
As I walked around taking photographs, I was experiencing intense emotions that I find difficult to describe.
One moment heartache, and then, overwhelming pride that so many people had gathered to show how much they cared.
I had no idea what to do.
Which way to turn….. So much going on.
Finally, while standing at the side of the winding exit road wondering what to do, a motorcycle roared by.
I took a photo.
Another bike roared by.
I took another photo.
In all, I took 979 photographs.
Unfortunately, I had missed the first few departures but at least we got most of them.
Only 2 photos were out of focus.
After the last motorcycle had departed, we went on to the Lakeland Speedway.
Another great gathering was awaiting us.
Lots of great food, 2 bands, raffles, a demonstration from Paul Wright together with his K-9 partner Riso and his helpers Curt Walker, Steve Hearth & Hilson.
Lots of T shirts in remembrance.
I am sure you can still get one!
I wear the ones I purchased with pride.
A lesson learned.
Don’t go to a motorcycle poker run in a car where there are lots of law enforcement
officers.
I got 27 parking tickets.
Just joking…..English Humor.

The following weekend, November 25th, a second Matt and DiOGi poker run was held at Barry Motor Sports in Lakeland- organized by several motorcycle dealerships.
Once again, many thanks for you guys making this event such a great success!
This time, we were a little bit better prepared as we knew what to expect, we only missed 2 riders, the first to leave plus one on a yellow bike who went the back way out.
This web site was formed so that any participants in these events can view the photographs taken of them all departing.
After the success of the shots of the poker runs, I was asked to attend the fund raiser for Matt’s family at The Ridgewood Golf Course where once again Pattie & I took photographs of all the many who turned up to support this cause.
The owners of the golf course donated a brand new SUV to Matt’s family. Brought tears to my eyes.
These three fundraisers led to being asked to photograph a training session of The Polk County Sheriff’s K-9 police dogs training session in Bartow; the results of which are also available on this web site.

Though I wish things were different with no reason to have held this showing of support for Matt, DiOGi and their family, I know in their hearts, full of sadness, a little brightness was restored to their world from which to create new memories.
I hope that these events will continue to be held every year.

“A man and his faithful partner remembered never dies”

Derek Avis.
Creative Marine Construction.

All photographs taken of the riders taking part in The Poker Runs from The Chalet Suzanne, Barry Motor Sports, Ridgewood Golf Tournament and K-9 Training session are shown in different sections of this web site.
Thank you all for your support- showing you care!

Email Address
avisavis@verizon.net
Tel 863-293-2029
Cell 863-660-0060
Information on The Matt Williams and DiOGI Foundation
Call Carrie S Rodgers at The Polk County Sheriffs Office.
Telephone 863-534-6217
Email Address. crodgers@polksheriff.org
Donations for Matt Williams Family can be made at any Wachovia Bank





DiOGi, a Polk County sheriff's K-9 that died last year trying to protect the life of his handler, Deputy Sheriff Vernon Matthew Williams, has been posthumously awarded the Canine Medal of Distinction. The 4-year-old and Williams were killed by Angilo Freeland in a shootout following a routine traffic stop near Lakeland. The German shepherd has also been nominated for the American Kennel Club Award of Canine Excellence (ACE) in the law enforcement dog category, and for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America's Blanche Beisswenger Memorial Hero Dog Award. During his career, DiOGi took part in some 111 operations, including finding lost children and helping arrest fugitives.


Links to Matt and DiOGi memorial sites:

profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile...

www.virtual-memorials.com/main.php?action=view&mem_id...

www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=18528

www.pbase.com/fire_and_iron_station_15/mattdiogi

www.officerpratt.com/TyeBandCom/williams_matt.html

www.nleomf.org/TheMemorial/tributes/stories/stories_estev...

www.nleomf.org/guestbook/index.shtml

www.lecad.org/end_of_watch.html

www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061231/NEW...