Well, I give this past year very, very high ratings on my list of years. The Summer of Fun, WAS! Mostly swimable days in our little lake, lots of short trips to fun places. I learned how to dance, got hooked up with a personal trainer, a new pink hat and camera and phone, and an IPOD with a Bose Sounddock!!! WOW.
To top it off we squeaked out a dynamite December here in our little shop in this horrible economy with bright prospects in the coming year. Can't wait for the Summer of Funner, I'll be ready. Happy New Year to you all.

2009 for us Bremer Pond residents was great!

By the grace of God we are alive , well and still blessed with freedom. No one can , in good faith , ask for more than that.

All the rest is measured by "it all depends" . Pond Boss friends are at the top of the list of things to be thankful about.

Good for me too. If I had to sum it up 09' was another year of learning for me. I love learning, can't get enough of learning about fish, pond, and aquaculture things, and hope to keep it up in 2010.

And Eric is right on the money as far as being blessed.

2009 couldnt have been much better here in Hermanville, Illinois. There were ups and downs, highs and lows, but still one of the best years on record.

I have my family, my health, great friends, a good job, caught a lot of fish, killed my biggest buck ever and shot my first pheasant over my lab this year. I live in the greatest country on earth and to put icing on the cake the girl I love to death said yes to marrying me... No complaints here!

I'm glad to see 2009 put to bed. The past two years have been challenging for JWHAP and I and we're looking forward to 2010. The highlight of 2009 for us was spending time with Dave and Jean (DIED and DWIED) mid year and of course the Pond Boss III Conference in September. Not to get all mushy on you folks but I must tell you that spending time with the PB members that went to Branson really made the year for Ricki and I.

Come on in 2010, the HAPs are ready for some fun!

I am gonna click off year #52 this year. As a younger and wilder Bski, my family was certain that I would not make it past #30. Since that time, God, family, and friends have forgiven and supported me as I straightened up my act (read this as quit drinking and all the related debauchery). Every day that I open my eyes from sleep, I am grateful for another day. Each and every day is kinda like another new year. Add to this my incredible fortune to have Donna-ski by my side. I am blessed.
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Now, pile on my continued fortune to have a decent job, particularly thru this horrible economy. I have pretty dang good health. Cap all this with the rewarding responsibility of working with and caretaking 44 acres of some of God's best creations.
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Yeah, by sums of 365 days, years are tuff to honestly and accurately rate. I will take 'em one day at a time. That makes yesterday real good, today even better, and tomorrow a crap shoot that I am willing to risk.

Oh sure I can completely understand giving up drinking, but giving up debauchery?

That's just crazy talk.

Sometimes you just gotta give up the lime-green underwear, right Brettski?

I would have to say 2009 has been pretty darn GREAT for me. I bought my land and pond this year in May and been living the dream of being a pond owner finally!! I got to watch my kids have a blast catching fish and my Dad as well. I caught the biggest Bass of my life so far to date on a lake here this summer. I found the PB fourm this year and got to go to the PB Conference as well. It really has been pretty darn good. And thanks to all you folks I have learned more this year about ponds than I ever could have imagined that's for sure!!! Thanks to you all and have a Happy New Year!

bad

Hang in there FMcB. Thinking about you !

2009 was the most difficult and trying year--both personally and financially--of my entire life.

But I know that many have it considerably worse.

I'm cautiously optimistic that 2010 will be a good year, assuming I can keep up a 60 hour/week pace.

Hang in there FMcB, things do get better despite what seems like crap this past year. In the development of man, apparently we need to go through life's low periods in order to appreciate the high points. There are high points in the future waiting for you to be there. Bruce too!

It's been a struggle but every year is a good year. It's the great years I really look forward to.
10% inflation .. that's not a great year.
This time next year we will not be below 10% but 2010 will be another good year.

Jeeze Bruce. No wonder you're not here much anymore!

I too hope FMcBP and Bruce's years are better for them too!

I was working 26/wk for the last 10 years.

I would have to say 2009 was pretty good.

With a new business satrted in this economy, closing the books on 2009 in the black, HAS to be a good thing!

Many forum members here are the reason for a good year for me. I can't thank everyone here enough for your help, advice, and support!

2009 was a very good year.
2010 will be a very good year - one day at a time.

Fatty and Bruce, as time passes, very bad experiences open doors of opporunity that would have never been ventured.
My very best to all for the coming year.

Second year in a row that wasn't too bad -- actually quite tolerable. No family deaths or terminal illnesses. Reasonably good health, with no new added prescriptions! Both of us gainfully employed.

Having been through some really good years, and some really bad years, I can fully endorse what George says above.

On the whole, positive. Made it through 3 major surgeries, two new knees and a shoulder reconstruction, in my immediate family OK. Layoffs at work, but they missed me. Have a new boss who acts sane and seems to like what I'm doing.

Had a major fishkill affecting (especially the large) sunfish, but had enough BG and RES left to be OK. Had to feed LMB instead of BG to grow most of my fish. Got real good at cooking bass. Set new personal/pond records for BG, RES, LMB, CC, HSB, SMB, and YP (the last two were easy in the new pond).

ok

Losing debauchery is easy to do, particularly at age fifty two, when the cute little things stop hitting on you; when the oh-so- demure start calling you "sir". We turn gray and get fatter, and truthfully have little choice in the matter.

Every year is a good year and later this month Ill have chalked up 56 of them. Grateful for 2009 and looking forward to 2010.