Deb,
You are most welcome. I'm looking forward to spring and especially to next fall after one full growing season.
I doubt that any amount of pictures will have any effect on those whose minds are set on the negative....unless, of course, the pictures confirm their negative statements, and then they will go wild with "I told you so". Those folks should not be the point of this experiment, in my opinion. There is nothing scientific or knowledge seeking about their approach. Our knowledge benefits whether the results are postive or negative and people should not be ridiculed either way for attempting to gain knowledge.
People like me, who are looking for a speciality fish to bring smiles to kids and kids at heart are the ones who may benefit from any results I get and Gator may get, if he decides to join in.
The fact you are willing to put your fish on the line with this "public" experiment tells me far more than a few pictures will ever say. It interests me that the negative folks don't see (or choose to ignore) the risks you are taking by inviting participation in this experiment. If the results are even slightly positive, I suspect they will personally attact me...already several have done so. My own integrity has been questioned, even before the first picture was ever posted. Ridiculous statements about relationships, bill of sale alterations, water testing alterations, being "taken in" by a marketing ploy. Simply ridiculous. An experiment is something one attempts when the results are generally unknown...not when "hooked" by a marketing ploy.
The first post "Mr. Tony" above ever makes on this Forum jumps right in to the negative. Makes me wonder.
If folks were trying to warn me about making a stocking mistake, that would be different, very different. Of course, I would appreciate any such well intended advice. However, from the very first, that has not been the case....the attack has been on you, Deb, and on Ken and then when I agree to try them, on me personally.
To anyone who is open minded about the results of this little experiment, I hope you will stay tuned. The results are not "booked" or "cooked" and the experimenter (Meadowlark) is not "hooked".
I hope and request that the negative forces will back off some, at least as relates to this experiment. I would like to get the data and types of pictures that folks want...like Greg has requested....but the continued bombardment of negative injections make it very difficult, if not impossible, to focus on getting good data and freely discussing that data.
It is very discouraging to me that we can not discuss this openly with Greg and Bill Cody and Theo and EWEST and Dr. Dave and others without being bombed by negative "book it" statements. I greatly respect their opinions and would love to be able to get them any data they need to form their opinions. Their help in identifying data needed and in interpreting it is really needed.
Please allow this experiment to go forward without all the negative bombshells. Please allow an informed discussion of the facts. If the results are negative, then have your field day and say "I told you so". For now, please allow an orderly discussion to proceed. Thanks.
