Besides raising babies, I work full-time for our bamboo fly rod making business (with the babies on my hip...literally). My goal is to eliminate all possible distractions from Bill's life that comes with owning your own business. I want Bill to wake up and make bamboo fly rods. So, this means if you come into our shop on any given day, it looks like a day care center exploded in my office. It's mild chaos, but the way we chose to do things, nonetheless. For the past few weekends, we have been able to make a departure from our organized chaos to attend events and celebrate our Independence. First, at the end of June, we went to the South Holston's Fly Fishing Festival benefiting River's Way charity. Our friend, Knox Campbell heads up the event and his efforts are an amazing testament to hard work and devotion on many levels. Knox is devoted to his family, his job/charity and the sport of fly-fishing. During the festival, Bill and Knox managed to get in some night fishing. Yes, night fishing. After working all day in 90 degree heat, Bill and Knox skipped sleep and went fishing (imagine that). So, on their last night, Knox was rewarded with this big brown at 2:30am! That's some good fish karma.
The next weekend was July 4th in our little town of Blue Ridge, GA. Main Street is packed with people and has a traditional parade that includes everything from the notorious Seed and Feed marching band out of Atlanta followed by locals dedicated to the soldiers of the confederacy. How's that for real "diversity"!?!? That's Blue Ridge. In fact, while watching the parade with the bamboo fly rod making students that were in town from the front of our shop, we heard bagpipes and thought we recognized the guy playing them...well, it was no coincidence. We are proud to include Chipley among our Oyster graduates.
Here we are (pic to the left) in the middle of the parade as he poses with us. Oyster grads always have a variety of interests and Chipley is no exception. The rest of the 4th was beautiful. The parade was followed by a long lunch outside in downtown Blue Ridge, then Blueberry picking at the orchard, a long nap (Bill did not nap because he was teaching until almost dark)and fireworks at a friend's home on Lake Blue Ridge. Can't complain...
