Wow Rich! I'd like to write something poetic and prophetic here, but I just don't think I could do justice!
Congrats of your decision of course and I hope you get to enjoy your "Me and Connie" time. It has been well earned. I'm really not sure if there is a more physically and mentally taxing job that breeding on such a large scale. God knows how you kept up on the computer work and your other escapades as well!
You were a very important factor in shaping my current life as I know it today. I'm sure this is the case for COUNTLESS others! Pretty much my pivotal first investment was a number of hatchlings from your "out of egg sale".
There were many Canadians very happy to have the wide assortment of morphs which you had bred! I kept a few myself of course, but that began the cycle of investing every penny made off the sale of those first snakes and purchasing bigger and better!
I am now at the point of considering leaving the old "day job" behind to see if I can make a
go of making my own means!
Things have never really been "easy" and I am endlessly appreciative of some of the advice you gave me through phone conversations, including being true to myself and not letting others try to push or bully... You are truly one of the greats of this "hobby"
Anyway, I'm sorry to hear you won't be breeding anymore yet pleased to hear you and Connie are going to be talking better care of yourselves from now on! I'm trying my hardest to make it out to Daytona this year and it would be a true honor to get my picture taken with someone as influential as yourself!!
CONGRATS!!!
Rebecca