I'm not sure why I feel it necessary to do this but maybe it will help.

We have lost so many great people in the last few years. Maybe it's because we are all getting old, I don't know but here's a few that come to mind.

Habs, Crafty, Joe, Flaptail, Bob S., Saltheart, 1Dozen Raw, Tony S, more I cannot remember and my partners Lanny, Gil, Rick, Geno, George Calzone, Jerry Place.

I just felt a need to say Rest In Peace to my old friends.

Joe's passing has really affected my outlook. We all really need to follow Clammer's advice "Enjoy what you have."

Could not agree more. Its sad and its very hard to lose good people. Many of us have been here for 10, 12 years and longer and have really formed solid life long friendships with people here. When we lose someone its devastating for sure. Joe was a great guy and will be missed. Seems we are losing many just too damn young and suddenly which sucks the most. Its hard enough when we lose someone to old age. I have always tried to enjoy every moment of every day and also spend as much time with my friends from S-B as possible. Maybe time for a big S-B get together to renew old friendships......tomorrow never knows.

This last half of August has been rough.Lost my friend Gary to cancer and then soon after my other friend Kevin in a construction accident and now Joe.

I have yet to be able to form the words about how I feel.Don't know if I will ever be able to.

Sense January I have lost 11 friends and Family, it's a real tough year for us and most before there time, I guess one will never know when your time is up. Cherish your memories and time you had with them

So to put this latest loss of Joe Martins into a unexplained perspective. Two weeks go the wife of my late best friend Zeke drops his fishing gear off to me so I can sell it for her. In one bag are things Zeke wanted me to have. As I went through the bag I found some old freshwater Pt Jude lures in a plastic baggie that also included a handwritten note written from the late Chuck "Crafty Angler" Vietry to Zeke:

"Zeke - here's some of those Freshwater Point Judes I told you about - Joe Martins gave me a bunch of them - he hasn't put them in production and these are originals. Give them a try, see how they work, figured you could field test them out there(in Wisconsin). Let me know how you do with them... good luck. Chuck"

All three of these friends are now gone....

I gave a eulogy a few weeks ago for someone who was deeply attached to my soul.
I finished with " When we look back on our lives, our most precious commodity will have been time. Time shared with the ones we love.
Don't wait for time to be convenient, find the time, make the time, for this is what you will cherish the most."
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Yep. A lot more funerals here too lately. Been two periods where they came one after another. Buried a good friend, client, town character on Wednesday. Was one of the Greatest Generation. Family allowed me to slip some cash and ammo into the urn before it was interred. A few guests were a little shocked. He would have liked that.

Me, I am definitely in the second half of the game. Life is just as I pictured it would be..... Not really. So it is not about making bank at this point in my life. My priorities are different than they were say, ten years ago. Definitely taking some time off in the next ten weeks. Family, friends, and fishing.

I gave a eulogy a few weeks ago for someone who was deeply attached to my soul.
I finished with " When we look back on our lives, our most precious commodity will have been time. Time shared with the ones we love.
Don't wait for time to be convenient, find the time, make the time, for this is what you will cherish the most."
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
True words and well said,I have lost my anchor (my Dad) this year and my wife has lost two grandmother's, and as of last October my mother in law has be battling cancer S4.She whom I love dearly has a scheduled apt for the 29th for a complete hysterectomy.I wish this year was over already...
Sorry for being selfish to wish the year away but it has sucked for me,and our kids have been robbed of there parents full atention summer and family time...IMHO.

Just saying.

5/0
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Life is short. Make the best of it. Do today what you could do tomorrow. Don't wait for the right time to make things happen.. Make the time to make things happen.
Tell your parents you love them.
It's not all about the money.
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Again, I only met Joe a handful of times, but I feel a sense of loss every time I look at his picture on the main page. He was a really nice guy, and a talented one at that. Another one gone way too soon.
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We all need to remember to not just plan but do with our freinds cause one day they're gone. too many you listed and others that plans were made an never fullfilled. This gettin old sucks.

As a group, many of us have known each other for a decade, even two.

I have not been fishing much as life takes its toll in responsibility, though next year I plan to change that a bit.

One thing I do though when standing out on my rock, whichever rock it happens to be at the time, is say hello to a bunch of people, most I have known well, some not at all. I will often start with a kid named Ryan that I never met. Gary's kid, passed when he was very, very young. But that was what started this for me. My son was about the same age, and now 14, great kid. I have asked Ryan to keep an eye out for my Liam, and I think maybe he has.

Since then I have added Johnny Habs, Steve, Mike White, Chuck, and several others. This year adds 1DR, and Tony to the roster, and now Joe. Joe will be tough. He was a great guy, so kind and nice to others. Genuine.

I have been accused (accurately) of singing to fish in order to get hits, and I do - its true. But when I am silent, I am also saying hello and How Ya Doing to my friends that have gone first.