If I were capable of expressing and organizing my thoughts beyond a third grade level, I would copy the eloquence exhibited by Mr. Backman. He said it very nicely. However, since I have only recently discovered I was "born to fly fish" (sung to the tune of an old Steppenwolf song. Any of you guys remember him?)<G>, I have not had time to develop/exercise the cerebral processes necessary to convey inner feelings to others. I will try..(run-on sentences are a favorite of mine too) For me, the conclave began as an event which generated great anticipation. As the great day drew closer I began to prepare myself for the inevitable letdown which was bound to occur as few things/people meet the expectations created in our dreams.
Well, the great conclave has come and gone. The good things? The weather, the food, (especially that artichoke dip spread on a sausage, mmmmm, that the cop in the cruiser at the post office was more interested in talking fishing with Ray Grecco rather than demonstrating his ability to administer field sobriety tests, nobody got hurt, and some people actually caught fish. The bad?...it was over much too soon, some of the tyers in the crowd began to wager over how many eel patterns Dave's dog might yield. The ugly?...wasn't any. The very best..was meeting all of you and the tons and tons of laughs. Although I was sad to see it end, I know I will meet up and fish with many of you again..
Thank yous...Dave & Thorne for Reel-Time, coordinating this event and graciously permitting 40 happy strangers to become friends and share your home. Thanks also to Captain Backman, who slammed around for seven hours determined that Rocky's Great Bonita Quest98 should have a happy ending. It was not to be despite his best efforts. I thank you Larry and appreciate the effort beyond words.
Now that it's over, there will be talk and plans made for some mini-conclavets and next year we can do it again, but for me the first is always the best. Expectations..exceeded!
Regards and best of luck to you all, Rocky