Virginia Fly Fishing Festival Aftermath

I hate to say it but this year's festival was absolutely awful for us.  The gate was extremely low and the weather was not very cooperative either.  The entry fee was raised to $20 this year and we are not sure of the impact that had on the gate but it seemed that there were hardly any people at the event (or at least in the main tent).  Over the years, we have had a steady increase in sales at the festival but this year, we had sales far less than our first year's visit.  That, coupled with the rising entry fee, donation item(s), gas prices, and hotel and meal expenses to stay down in Waynesboro for the weekend, will make us think about returning next year!

We were supposed to be at the Project Healing Waters 2-Fly tournament today but got word last night that my godfather passed away rather suddenly.  I was already slated to head down to Columbus, Georgia to see him tomorrow but now my mission has changed.  The funeral is scheduled for Thursday at the military cemetery on Ft. Benning.  He will be buried next to his wife Shimako, who pre-deceased him in 1993.  John Montville was a retired Master-Sargeant from the US Army.  He was the recipient of  the Combat Infanry Badge, twice in Korea and Vietnam.  He also received the Bronze Star and the Silver Star for bravery and galantry in combat.  John never missed a birthday or important event in my life for all 55 years of it!  I loved him very much and he will be sorely missed.  Another of my great mentors has passed onto the afterlife.  He was a proud member of the US Army Signal Corps.