Awww, shoot Bob... (sniff sniff...) I'm all verclempt... talk amongst yourselves....
Thank you for your very kind words Bob. I think I, as much as anyone else here, has learned volumes from you too, from techniques to gear to socializing in the Cove 2 parking lot. I was introduced to a lot of great dive buddies thro you, and thro you my circle grew enormously (not to mention my collection of gear!).
I have to mention three buddies, in no particular order (and all of them are away on vacation at the moment):
-Jackie
Jackie and I started diving years ago when we were both still pretty new divers. We've logged close to 300 dives together, in warm water and cold, day and night, weekend and weekday. We've watched each other grow and develope as divers and professionals. And laughed our respective butts of underwater (the real reason I needed a purge valve on my mask!). Thanks Jackie.
-
Janna Nichols
An inspiration. I, like many others, came to know Janna on another board like this one, and was soon taking her Fish and Invert ID classes, and later an Altitude class (with Wyler Bear and Jackie). If I know anything about critters it's because of Janna, either directly from her classes or because she inspired me to learn more, and then share that love of our PNW critters with others. She's been a mentor for teaching as well as learning, and for that I am indepted to her.
-Georgia (aka Wyler Bear)
Another good buddy who's developed skills with me and shared notes as we've studied together. Georgia has been inspirational everytime I dive with her (I'll never complain about a drive, since she drives 3 hours EACH WAY whenever she dives...) and no one can find a grunt sculpin like she can (she IS the Grunt Sculpin Queen, afterall...). She's fun to dive with and hang with, smart as the dickens about our local critters and just plain fun to be with.
Here's to all my buds! :wav:
Great idea for a thread Calvin
-Valerie