At the All American Koi Show this past weekend, people were selling freeze dried fruits and veggies as treats for koi fish. We tried some on our fish yesterday and they were not big fans, they much prefer the home made food we make for them, which was sweet to see! But now that the big koi show is behind us, it is time to buckle down and get back to work starting today.

It was a very fun weekend and I am so grateful I got to go. We arrived on Thursday, and spent time relaxing at the pool for the afternoon after checking out the koi show which was getting set up in the parking lot outside. The weather was hot. We then took an Uber to the Sphere and saw the Wizard of Oz. The original movie, but remastered to perfection, it was moving nearly to the point of tears, and I am not even that much of a fun of the original movie. But seeing it up close, to the point you could clearly see even the blending of Judy Garland’s eyeshadow, it was pretty spectacular. And to hear the singing through those world class sound systems, and to experience and appreciate their comedic timing, and dancing on such a huge screen, was truly spectacular and I am so grateful we got to experience it.

After that we went to the Venetian for a Gelato under the painted ceilings (a must), and then back to the hotel to rest.Grateful for that.

The next day was the big day of speakers, so I was dressed and ready by 7 am to meet the others and discover the space I would be speaking in. It was a beautiful conference room with a large stage and sound system. I was grateful we were not going to be presenting out in the heat under a tent. The turn out was low, as I found out it cost $350 to listen to the speakers. So we were a small, intimate group, which was actually quite nice for getting to know each other. There was one pond builder from southern California, also there were a couple of pond folks from Hawaii( a builder and hobbyist), a couple starting an online pond builders resource, one builder from Vegas, myself, Hap Klopp the founder of North Face, and David Tyremann and his partner Theo, highly successful businessmen in the art and fashion world and author of several books. The funny thing was there was no one around to really moderate the sessions, or help us with AV, so my daughter ended up running the AV for the day, she was the hero! After that we all went out as a small group and toured the Koi show together, with Hap and David doing primarily a PR event and having their photos taken with everyone at nearly every booth, signing copies of their books, and encouraging people to check out the new documentary that Julian (who was taking the photos) would be directing and was coming out soon, a documentary about Hap’s life and how he founded the North Face. It was quite the adventure! Grateful to meet them all!

After that was the VIP dinner, where the koi judges from Japan and many of the exhibitors came to socialize after a long day out in the hot sun. I was lucky and grateful I was invited to that.

The next day my good friend Dr. Nick St-Erne, one of the best aquatic vets in the world, arrived at the show. We spent the day together touring the show. I introduced him to a few people, and he brought me samples of my own fish food that he and I have been working on together. After a nice afternoon socializing, and a good dinner, he took us to the airport for our late flight back. Grateful for all that. Luckily, our flight was not too full, and we got to stretch out, so it was an enjoyable, easy travel back to Colorado, with new friends and connections made, and a nice time had by all. Very grateful for so much of all that.
​So now it’s your turn, you Animal Loving Angel, what are you grateful for today? What are you looking forward to today? I hope so many things, for you, that you are attracting positive relationships into your life, and that you are at peace with your past, and looking forward to the future. I hope you are excited for the future, and that you know you are worthy of your dreams. Wishing you the best Monday ever, have a wonderful day, and thank you for being here today!
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Check out my YouTube channel for a daily "Good Morning!" from the rescues and lots of free tips and training resources. https://www.youtube.com/@the1drq​