My Trip To Allentown,Pa.

weedwalker · July 30, 2009, 06:38:41 PM

As some of you know, I travel a lot with my job. I don't like being away from home, but it gives me a chance to meet a lot of you FnFers along the way in areas that I wouldn't normaly be except to work.
Yesterday I headed up here to Allentown,Pa. I found out there were a couple of you in line with my route and made arrangements to meet.
After about 9 hours driving I made my 1st stop. I got to meet up with Bigben.

We met in a parking lot just off his exit and sat down in a pizza joint. We got to talk for about an hour. He was very interesting to talk to and I enjoyed meeting him very much. He's a great guy and I hope to see him again at the next LBL. I wish I had more time to spend there, but I needed to get up the road. I had one more stop to make before I got to Allentown.
About another hour up the road I pulled up to the house of Huntncarve Dave. He and his wife were very hospitable. While his wife went to prepare us a delicious spagetti dinner, Dave took me down to his woodworking room. It's almost like a fine museum. We started around the walls and he was showing me some things he was working on and others he had done. He had beautiful carvings of all types everywhere. As we went around the room, I was amazed at the calls and wood sculptures he had done. You all know he's a very talented artist, but the pictures he post on here just don't do justice to the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into his work.
After making our way around the room, we came to the last rack of calls. He reached me a dark (walnut I think) howler and ask me what I thought of it. I rolled it over in my hands, and he had my name carved in it. I was in shock. I didn't know what to say. And it was all I could do to hold back the tear that was building up in my eye. I was just stopping for a visit and wasn't expecting anything like this. He said there were two other calls there that HAD to go with it. Another open reed call and a closed reed call. Dave, I don't know what else to say but THANKS.

Your call will always have a place on my lanyard.
Getting around to meet you guys on my journeys is the highlight of my trips at work. I'll be looking forward to seeing more of you all in the future. FnF has, by far, the best bunch of guys anywhere on the net.

Ed

Bills Custom Calls · July 30, 2009, 06:54:43 PM

Glad to hear your trip is going well for you Ed

And you sure got to meet a few nice folks that makes the trip all worth while and picked up a few treasures on the way

alscalls · July 30, 2009, 06:56:44 PM

Dave is a class act for sure........

Todd Rahm · July 30, 2009, 07:18:27 PM

Thats a great luxury to have, I mean being able to stop in and see the members of this board as ya travel around. I'd like to make to PA myself, to see ole Dave.

HuntnCarve · July 30, 2009, 07:47:27 PM

Ed, once again the pleasure was all ours. I don't know who's house you stopped into before mine? Cause I don't know of any museum in these parts. LOL! As for the calls? Like I told you. If a fellow can drive 650 miles to pay me a visit, the least I can do is hand him a call. It's no big deal. Besides, that one had your name on it! LOL!

So now I got to meet a friend from Kentucky. And he's a right fine fellow! I'm sure we'll have a few tales to tell by the folks here by the time your work is over up this way. As for the rest of you folks, I don't always know what's on the stove at supper time? But it's no trouble to fix up another plate. That's called "Yankee hospitality"! LOL!

Dave

bigben · July 30, 2009, 08:21:23 PM

ed it was great to meet you. I hope I can make it to the lbl but it will be a toss up between the lbl and the world expo. gonna be hard to decide. if you are ever back in the area again let me know and we'll head out and do some fishin. if you are in the area still the second weekend in september we are havin a big shindig that you are invited too. actually anyone here is live music and great homeade food.

Bopeye · July 30, 2009, 08:50:41 PM

WOW!! I had forgotten your name was ED!!!

What a treat that must've been. I'm telling you though, I have ESP. Ed and Dave had just finished supper when I just happened to call Dave on the phone. Dave said, " WE were just talking about you". I bet they were.

I am trying to work it out where I see Dave real soon myself.

Hawks Feather · July 30, 2009, 09:07:47 PM

That is really neat that you got to meet Dave. I have only been able to talk with him on the phone, but you can tell that he is a good person just from talking with him.

Jerry

pitw · July 30, 2009, 11:44:21 PM

I'll agree with you Ed, it is nice and fun to meet with a guy from the forum. I hope everyone gets to experience it at least once as it's unbelievable what you can learn in a face to face

. Nice looking calls you picked up too.

Bopeye · August 01, 2009, 10:47:29 AM

Quote from: Bopeye on July 30, 2009, 08:50:41 PM
WOW!! I had forgotten your name was ED!!!

What a treat that must've been. I'm telling you though, I have ESP. Ed and Dave had just finished supper when I just happened to call Dave on the phone. Dave said, " WE were just talking about you". I bet they were.

I am trying to work it out where I see Dave real soon myself.

I must be a prophet of sort.....

Two times now I have seen it come true.

Bills Custom Calls · August 01, 2009, 11:32:59 AM

Yeah Bop you are sorta SOMETHING :roflmao:

alscalls · August 01, 2009, 01:20:41 PM

Must be that PINK flower........

weedwalker · August 20, 2009, 04:08:44 PM

I made it over to see Dave , HuntnCarve, again today. The way my work schedule is turning out, today would be my last chance to see him again while I'm working up here. I sure hated to leave knowing it might be a long time before we meet again.
Dave's hospitality and generosity is just never ending. I met him at his house and we talked about y'all for a while. Then we headed out to a local gun shop to check out what they had. After browsing around, we headed back to his house for lunch. We had some of that good "Yankee BBQ". Y'all down home know it as sloppy joe, but it tasted pretty good anyways.
After lunch, we sat around and talked about y'all some more. Y'all know who ya are.

It was about time for me to head back to the motel, and Dave just had to give me a couple more calls.
He gave me a cowhorn howler and an antler closed reed call. They looked great and sounded even better. (Yeah Dave, I was howling in the car on the way back).

I just want to say THANK YOU

Dave for your hospitality and generosity while I've been up here. I'll be looking forward to meeting you again someday.

Ed

Here's the calls Dave gave me today.....

possumal · August 20, 2009, 05:20:45 PM

As usual, great looking calls from Dave. That little one looks extra good to me. Bet it'll make great fawn bawls. Sounds like you have had a great time with Dave, you lucky rascal.

pitw · August 20, 2009, 06:00:12 PM

Good trip by the sounds of it. Glad you could wiggle another couple calls out of him as we all know hard he is to pry them beautiful pieces of art/work out of him

HaMeR · August 20, 2009, 06:04:53 PM

Did he shoot any groundhogs while you were there??

Nice lookin calls!!

weedwalker · August 20, 2009, 06:07:24 PM

No HaMeR, didn't get to shoot any hogs. The neighbor was cutting grass with a tractor.

HuntnCarve · August 20, 2009, 06:30:04 PM

All of your ears must have been ringing this afternoon!

Ed, my wife heard how much you liked Jim's LBL "Yankee Barbecue" so she tried to do her best. -We call it sloppy Joe in these parts too. Must be a more refined bunch of Yankees in these parts?

HaMer, I thought it would be too boastful to shoot a groundhog in front of Ed. He did inquire as to the whereabouts of the Honey Holes?? When I showed him, I thought I caught a glimpse of him marking the positions on a GPS? Just teasin! Had we spotted a pasture pig I would have given Ed the honors to HaMer one!

When it came time to say farewell, we both admitted that we haven't come across a bunch of finer fellows than those here on FinsandFur. It was because of this board that I had the opportunity to meet Ed and get to know some other wonderful people. What more can be said? I feel blessed to be a part of this family!

Dave

Hawks Feather · August 20, 2009, 08:10:01 PM

Quote from: HuntnCarve on August 20, 2009, 06:30:04 PM
When it came time to say farewell, we both admitted that we haven't come across a bunch of finer fellows than those here on FinsandFur.

Dave

Well it is easy to see that Dave hasn't met many of us yet. :shck: Wait, did I say that?

Jerry

Frogman · August 20, 2009, 09:19:54 PM

Nice thread guys. I agree, FnFrs are great!

Jim