Hello Friends,
It seems hard to believe my last post on the board here was back in November of 2010 just prior to my retirement at the end of 2010. A lot has happened since then, some wonderful things like more grandkids, wonderful travel and some health challenges which kept me from being able to fish much. One never knows for sure what God has in store for us. Before my first year of retirement was up I began to experience “mild seizures” (never before!) where I would not lose consciousness but basically lose my ability to focus and respond to anything for periods of about 30 to 45 seconds. I tried to pass them off as dizzy spells first but ultimately it became clear they were much more serious than that actually forcing me to stop driving in August of 2011. I began to see a neurologist who started a battery of testing which ultimately never found a specific cause for the seizures. In such cases there are certain medications that work for some in controlling seizures. After a long period of trial and error, the third medication I tried stopped them in April of 2012. I then had to wait until December of 2012 for my neurologist to clear me to drive again. What a wonderful Christmas present it was this last year to be able to drive again!
As I mentioned some wonderful things occurred during this time period as well. Dana retired early at the end of 2011 so she could better take care of me through my health challenge. We love that we are both retired now. In the fall of 2012 we took a wonderful trip to Yellowstone and a separate trip up the Oregon Coast and up the Columbia River Gorge. Unfortunately she had to do all the driving for those trips. We have added two new granddaughters to the family for a total of 3 grandchildren now, what a blessing they are. Despite the challenges of me not being able to drive the band remained active and fortunately I never experienced a seizure while performing.
Being able to drive now I have really enjoyed the freedom to get back out and fish again in 2013. I have had fun and success steelhead fishing on the Feather River below Oroville and enjoyed some other trout fishing in the Sierra’s as well. I finally just recently put together a Youtube video of the Northern California Fly Fishing Blues with fun pictures from our many bash outings in the time period primarily from 2005 to 2008 and I am sharing it here with you now. It has rekindled some wonderful memories for a number of board members and led to talk of a larger bash get together sometime this fall that Greg and Dawn could participate in just like the “old days”. Look for more on this soon!
As I mentioned, one never knows what God has in store for us. In spite of my health challenges my wife Dana and I have been blessed and God has seen me through all the challenges I have faced. The Power of prayer and my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior has and always will be my rock and foundation to get me through whatever will come my way. I Hope to see a good number of you either at a future mini bash or possibly a larger bash like the old days with Greg and Dawn being part of it as well.
Tight lines to all! Bluegrass Bill
http://www....com/watch?v=5XmEzTlaZMA
Northern California Fly Fishing Blues
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