RET TALBOT CONFIRMED FOR APRIL MEETING!!

[touchofsky]

I think that the Senator's hockey game last night may have been a factor in the low turnout 

[Fishnut]

I was wondering if the hockey game had anything to do with it.  Some people just have weird...er...I mean different priorities...lol.

The meeting was one of the best we've had all year.  I was also hoping more of the salt water community would show up but we had a decent turn out!  The core group that seems to show up for everything was there (thanks everyone) and despite having a room full of fresh water hobbiests, it was amazing!  There were a few faces I haven't seen before and we had a visitor who was in town visiting family all the way from Barrie!  He met the crew who went to the DRAS Auction so decided to visit us for a meeting.

Ret donated one of his wife's wonderful fish paintings to the auction.  Congrats Rob for scoring the painting!  Ret also said that he would be setting us up with a subscription to coral magazine, which he writes for.  WOW!!

Dinner was quiet but still wonderful.  It was just Ret and myself.  He's is so knowledgeable on so many subjects that conversation was easy, even with my lack of salt water knowledge.  Marine keeping just doesn't seem as intimidating after talking with him for an hour!  One of these decades I might give it a try.

I had been actively searching for someone to do a talk like that since I took over my position in April 2011.  I found Ret and a month or so later, MAST found Ret.  We made it work by sharing the expenses of transportation and accommodations between Ottawa and Toronto.  It was well worth all the searching I did!  Seriously, for those of you who decided not to go, this was one heck of an amazing talk.

We can never come to a consensus on the perfect meeting day.  No matter what day we choose, there are going to be a bunch of people who can't come.  There's also the difficulty of getting a space for regular meetings on a different day.  If there's an over-whelming need to switch, we will.

[exv152]

I think that the Senator's hockey game last night may have been a factor in the low turnout  

Agreed, the sens having a chance to eliminate the Rangers and move to the second round of the playoffs was too good to be missed.

[bt]

I think that the Senator's hockey game last night may have been a factor in the low turnout  

I know I was torn over that one, especially when they moved the game's start time to 7.  The game would have won out if I'd actually had tickets, but Ret Talbot won out over watching the game on TV.  In hindsight, it was definitely the right choice.

[washefuzzy]

I want to thank Ret for giving OVAS a subscription to a fish magazine. I wish I could remember the name of the mag.

[groupie02]

that would be Coral magazine.

[washefuzzy]

Thanks Groupie02