Todd typically attends the Fall session of NEAR-Fest and like me, attempts to make it once per year due to the distance. Its not an easy drive for me from southeast PA and for Todd its even further. The next session for me will be the Fall of 2020.
Yes, the time/distance thing caught up with us. For the first 6-7 years of NEAR-Fest Steve/K4HX and I attended both events, 'JN too when he wasn't stationed overseas. But after my daughter was born things changed on this end. I know Steve and I discussed it at length and decided it was just too much. It was 5-6 days each time, much of it on the road. I think Father Age crept in a bit.
No worries though, Dave - I always try to make it a point to track you down and harangue you about getting a dipole up for 40 & 80m.
I do want to say Thank You to Joe for running point on the AM Dinner in my absence. He not only did a fine job, he had one of the largest turnouts since NEAR-Fest began!
Looking forward to the fall installment. In the meantime - get some wire up in the air, Dave.