2011 Fall Pickwick, Tn Gathering-- Sept. 23, 24, 25

[Whistler]

I'm gonna be headin out in a few minutes. Gonna meet up with Buck, then hopefully we can come see everyone this evening. I'll be at his house all weekend, so I'll be in and out as much as possible. See everyone soon!

[r ward]

Me and my bunch made it here bout 7:00 or so. Got just enough gear set up to make it thru the night, get the rest up tomorrow. Cant wait to see everyone. Be careful traveling in! C yall soon

Hello to all of you safe travels and have fun then come to Ga next March for our gathering get some good pictures

[Jesse168]

Well I beat the rain back home. It was the first time I showed up for a pickwick gathering and didn't get rained on.
There weren't many catfish caught that I know of...i got 2 small eaters and no skipjacks at all. big happening was Friday evening the stipers were really biting. At least 8 of us were at the dam and caught our limits in about 2 hours. My biggest that I landed was 29" long. I hung one really big one that just as I was getting it close to the landing it broke my rod just above the handle. Bad thing was I wasn't horsing it in. I was taking my time and it was making that reel sing. It all of a sudden decided it was going else ware and it went. There's always next time.

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We all had a great time sitting around the camp fire. Big disapointment was Punkie wouldn't cook bisquits for us Saturday morning after she promised she would if I would bring some of my seedless blackberry jam. She got the jam but no biscuits for me. Friday evening she did offer something that looked like hocky puts that I was deathly afraid of.
They reminded me of those famous biscuits of Ellie May's on the Beverly Hillbillie's. You know those that you could drill a hole in for a handle and use for a hammer. Some how she kept saying it was Hershell's fault the biscuits turned out the way they did....just like old woman ....always some poor fella's fault.

[Veets]

Made it home safely. Dean and I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who welcomed Dean "Recon" Hall to the fold. As usual the hospitality and camaraderie were outstanding as was the food for Saturday's meal. More stories and lies were told than ever before. It was a blast.

Sorry we didn't get to say good bye to everyone. We were up at 4:45 to close up the camper. A little more difficult to do with no light and when you are trying not to wake everyone else up. Left the campground at 6:03 a.m. and pulled into my driveway at 6:01 p.m. Grammy Louise, my mother-in-law, is hanging on but the prognosis is negative. She did get to see several relatives who drove out from Chicago to see her. She also got visits from her four grandchildren and the five beautiful great-granddaughters they produced for her. I, her only son-in-law, was late to her side but I was able to see her this evening. I am sure there are many in heaven waiting for her arrival but we are not looking forward to losing her. She is a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend who will be missed when the good Lord decides to take her.

Thank you my BOC family for your concern, thoughts, prayers, friendship and generosity. I truly appreciate it.

[punkin570]

Evening folks, sorry I'm late in reporting in, life tends to let ya know you are behind on things when ya make it home. I believe this is among one of the best Pickwick gatherings ever...well since I have been hostin it anyway. Its always a delight to spend the weekend with one of the most amazin groups of folks around. We had several states represented this time around as usual including Missouri (OhNo), Kentucky (Griz; Lil Griz, Miranda & Morgan; Captiain Rob, Wendy & children) New Mexico (223reload), Tenessee (ShilohRed & Marilyn; Bubbakat & Donna; Whistler; BAM; Kittycatcher; Jesse168) Arkansas (poisonpits), Mississippi (Me & Redticrunner, Msfishngrl & her boyfriend), Illinois (Veets & Recon).

There were so many different things goin on it was hard to keep track of... wheelin and dealin with home canned goods and muscadines on my and Jesse's part (thanks for the blackberry jam and pear jelly...maybe next time the "HOCKEY PUCKS" will turn out better, lol), computer skills and services for Whistler and Shilohred, boat motors and other stuff for Bubbakat and Redticrunner, and for 223reload it was an opportunity for us all to get a hands on chance to check out his skills with his knife making business. You do such amazin work!!.

The food was as always.... bountiful and wonderful....smoked peppers, cobblers, roasted marshmallows and smores around the campfire, taco soup, fried rabbit smothered in gravy, bbq and homemade sauce, antelope smoked sausages, canned pickles, relishes and so many other dishes I can't even begin to remember. It was all good tho, this site is blessed with many skilled cooks.

There were many memories made including a rendition of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" being sung to Lil Griz during Saturday's events. I do believe he was surprised when his wife and daughter, tailfin's wife, and capt. rob's wife and children showed up unexpectedly to celebrate with him. I reallly enjoyed gettin to spend time with all of them. Other memories will be of sitting up til 2am and midnite around the campfire cuttin up and havin a blast.... I'm simply amazed we didn't get thrown out of the campgrounds, lol. I would chance to bet that the next gathering we have....EVERYONE will bring toilet paper...especially since eatin smoked peppers (kittycatcher) and sugarfree chocolate cake (tailfin's wife sheila) has such dire effects....can everyone say "hello griz :) or move over I'm comin in or hang it over the side, lol).

Hey Lil Griz.............Get down on it!!.... thats all Im sayin bout that....lmao.

I have many pictures to post as soon as I can get them loaded to photobucket or something. It might take a lil while so yall be patient with me on it. I'll do as many as I can, as fast as possible but you all know how slow that process can be.

Well I just wanted to check in and let everyone know we are home safe and sound, we had a great time, it will take bout 2 weeks to recover from all this I'm sure, but I will be smiling off and on the entire time. Thank you all for makin the special effort to be there even tho some of you traveled hours to get there. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to meet those that were new to the Pickwick gatherings, and I really look forward to doin this again next year if the Good Lord sees fit to let it happen.

((((((((((((((((((((((((BIG HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))) to you all.

Punkin.

[223reload]

Left Pickwik yesterday morning around 9:30 am with enough great friends made , great food eaten, and fantastic memories to last a lifetime, Well another year anyway. Hershal and I managed to catch a few small channels in the river sat. morning and tho he lost a great fish when the line parted we had a blast. I think the fellowship over the three days we were there was as good as I'll ever be involved with, Thanks Leslie for putting this on.

[fish]

Hey Richard, do you have a website for your knives?

[poisonpits]

as always i had a great time thank you lesli for putting this on.i especialy liked the condo you had put up for rich and i.
fish im not reload but if you will go to forums page and look in the new bussiness under 500 dollars you can find rich,s knife making site.you can also go to his albums and see more knives.i have his small gut hook model and its so nice my wife says i got to hang it on the wall she says its to perrty to use and get dirty.

[griz]

Had a great time!!! We made it home Sunday afternoon and I slept all day Monday LOL. Sometime during all the great fellowship and food, I managed to catch my personal best striped bass on rod and reel. Can't wait till the next Pickwick gathering, they are always a blast.

[fish]

as always i had a great time thank you lesli for putting this on.i especialy liked the condo you had put up for rich and i.
fish im not reload but if you will go to forums page and look in the new bussiness under 500 dollars you can find rich,s knife making site.you can also go to his albums and see more knives.i have his small gut hook model and its so nice my wife says i got to hang it on the wall she says its to perrty to use and get dirty.

Hey Johnnie, I appreciate that. I tried to go to Richard's albums but couldn't find it, I will try the new business place and see if I can see some of them there. I hate that we didn't get to make the gathering this year but it just wasn't in the cards. Thanks again buddy.