After two weeks of travel, a short stop back home
My wife’s stepmom, Faye Whelchel, never tired of this view from her patio over Lake Blackshear in Georgia. Faye was laid to rest on Wednesday.
Since Dec. 29 I have put 2,700 miles on the Taylor Family Truckster.
Our first trip involved a trip to Jacksonville, Fla., for the Gator Bowl to watch my alma mater, Northwestern, beat Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl.
The trip included a stop in Sumter, S.C., to visit relatives, as well as a swing through Cordele, Ga., and Atlanta for more family visiting, including a stop to visit with my wife’s stepmom, Faye Whelchel, in a nursing home.
Well, after two days back in Roanoke we were back on the road Monday and headed to Cordele again, this time to lay to rest Faye, who is in a better place since suffering a stroke in 2011. She was a tremendous fighter. The funeral was Wednesday, and we made the long drive back yesterday. The occasion was sad, but it was good to spend the time with loved ones.
This stop in Roanoke will be brief. Sunday I head out to the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas for work.
As I’ve mentioned here previously, I’m the president of the Outdoor Writers Association of America this year. One of my duties is to select the site of our winter board meeting. I feel it’s important for our leaders to spend time networking with other industry professionals so I opted to have our meeting in conjunction with the SHOT Show.
While I will be stuck in a meeting room for a good part of the stay I will get some time at the show. It’s always interesting and this year will be particularly so given the current national focus on firearms.
I will be providing regular dispatches during the trip.
Sorry for not being more active with the blog for the past couple of weeks, and thanks for understanding my circumstances.
January 11, 2013 - 8:57 AM
Mark:
I am so sorry to hear of the death in your family. Safe travels to Las Vegas and if you see Marilyn Bentz (NBEF) tell her I said hello.
Sincere condolences Mark.
Walt
Very sincere condolences on your family’s loss and I very much hope that the coming months are much more cheerful than the past few.
Sorry to hear of your family’s loss, Mark. Safe travels to Vegas.
Mark, sincerest of condolences to you and your family. I hope that 2013 brings happier times. Safe travels!
Sorry to hear of your lost my prayers are with you and your family. I was wondering are you going to be able to bring us up to speed on the Clayter Lake managaed hunt?
Doubtful but any info on it would be entertaining.
Mark,
Check out the “Freedom Hunter” booth in Vegas. Anthony and Bud are the guys there. They work to put on outdoor adventures for combat wounded service members. Bud is my neighbor in Smithfield, VA.
Sorry to hear of your family loss,hope everything gets back to normal for you and your family.Keep up the good work you do for all us hunters and fishermen