ME + VT+ NY= A Special Gift & A Wish

[Apache Trout]

It was a pretty rough holiday season for my wife & I and her family. Our 5 month old niece Samantha who was born with dwarfism has been in the Yale Children's Hospital for 2 weeks in the ICU with a respiratory virus. She is slowly getting better but her lungs are weak. With her dwarfism the muscles in her body develop slower than babies her age so it is taking her longer to bounce back.
We usually get together for the holidays with her family but this year it was put on hold until Samantha is home.
Not a minute goes by that I'm not thinking about her and wishing that she was home with her family.
My best gift ever will be when my wish comes true and she is home.
I look forward to the day she catches her first fish with her uncle John.
As they say in Jamaica: "Soon come".
My wife and I did exchange our gifts. Since I picked up fly fishing again after a 30 year hiatus she told me to pick out some very special stuff knowing I have been quite down emotionally with our niece being so sick.
So I did.
Thanks to my lovely wife I got some Maine streamers from Benton Fly Box, a beautiful wood fly box from Vermont Flybox Co. and inside an assortment of Fran Better's flies from his Adirondack Sport Shop.
All from my 3 favorite places in the eastern U.S.: ME, VT & NY (Adirondacks).
Thanks Peggy, you are the best!
Sure to get plenty of use in '09.
Have a safe and happy New Year everyone.
A.T.

Some pics:

http://www.flyaddict.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=16&pictureid=3

http://www.flyaddict.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=16&pictureid=4

http://www.flyaddict.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=16&pictureid=5

[BRK TRT]

A T, a Happy New Year to you and your family, may it be better than last.

Those gifts are special. Those two Betters flies, Ausable Bomber, and Ausable Wulff have worked well on every trout stream I've fished.

I'll be waiting for your report when you use them.

[Apache Trout]

Thanks BRK TRT.
My best to you and your family.
A.T.

[Apache Trout]

Great news. My niece was moved out of ICU and back into her own room.
'09 off to a great start already. Man, my spirits have been lifted.
Now if it could only warm up so I could get out and try those streamers.
Soon come.
A.T.

[The Fisherman]

That's great news. Please know that Samantha is in our thoughts and prayers. :-)