JULY 24TH MEETING AND PICNIC WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, WITH ABOUT 28 MEMBERS AND FAMILY ATOURTENDING. LEE SHADBOLT, GAVE A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION ON THE BUILD OF HIS BACKYARD POND, WITH FABULOUS PHOTOS, AND DETAILS, AS ONLY OUR PRESIDENT COULD DO, FULL OF GREAT IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE POND BUILDER. NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN, WAS THE FINISHED RESULT, COMPLETE WITH IT'S INHABITANTS, (ALL NAMED BY LEE'S DAUGHTER BY THE WAY!) THERE WERE SOME STORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA, AND WHILE SOME THOUGHT WE MIGHT GET A BIT WET, THE RAINS SUBSIDED AND THE SKY CLEARED AND THE MEETING WAS ON. SO FOR THE FIRST MEETING IN PERSON, IN OVER A YEAR AND A HALF, OUR PRESIDENT, LEE AND HIS WIFE CHRISTIE, GRACIOUSLY SHARED THEIR BACKYARD FOR OUR GET TOGETHER. WE HAD ABOUT 28 PEOPLE TAKE PART AND THE SOCIAL INTERACTION WAS STRONG AND EVERYONE SEEMED TO ENJOY THE IN PERSON INTERACTION. WE STARTED THE MEETING WITH A GREAT SELECTION OF BARBEQUE FOOD, FRIED CHICKEN WITH ALL THE FIXINGS, AND PLENTY OF SIDES TO KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY AND WELL FED. THERE WAS CHILLED WATERMELON AFTERWARDS, THAT HIT THE SPOT AND EVERYONE MUNCHED AND WERE FOCUSED ON OUR PRESIDENTS LECTURE ON PONDS. I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN A WITNESS TO SEVERAL TALKS ON PONDS AND POND BUILDS OVER THE YEARS AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE WATCHED. WHILE THERE WERE A FEW QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS, LEE PRETTY MUCH HAD MOST OF THE ANSWERS DURING HIS TALK, SO EVERYONE LEFT KNOWING ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT HIS POND BUILD. AFTER THE LECTURE, WE HAD OUR MONTHLY MINI AUCTION, WHICH I THINK WAS A BIG HIT WITH FOLKS AND SOMETHING WE WERE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING. I BELEIVE THERE WERE ABOUT 30+ ITEMS AND FOLKS GOT SOME GREAT ITEMS FOR REASONABLE PRICES.
