If the shoes fits…say thank you. Especially when it’s a gift from a virtual-stranger-turned-dear-friend from way across the country.

I am blown away by the generosity of spirit that I have experienced on my journey to train for the Texas Water Safari. In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, I am thrilled to take a little time to say ‘Thank You’ to a few people who have stepped up to help get this odyssey underway. I urge you to click through and support these Paddlefish supporters if you have the opportunity. If for no other reason, they’ve got soul.

So let’s get started. Many thanks to…

Bill Farnum and the NIKE Livestrong Team for sending running shoes and training sweatshirts, both of which have already proved invaluable. Yes, I am actually running which is no small task for me. I’d rather do about a thousand other things, but I am getting moving thanks to my new kicks! And the sweatshirt is perfect for paddling on chilly mornings.

Chaco Footwear provided gift certificates for training shoes. I’ve already been sporting the Paradox multisport which is ideal for carrying a canoe through the mud, then letting my feet dry while paddling for two-to-three hours.

Of course it’s not all about shoes. I owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to Melissa, a sports nutritionist in Boulder Colorado who has literally changed my life. An FFC blog reader, she was inspired by our adventure and has donated time, money, and professional counseling to our cause. She has already spent hours with me, helping to do the cleanse, helping me lose weight (7 pounds so far!), sending me care packages. Her homemade trail mix will blow your mind and saved me from dipping into Little Chick’s Halloween candy. Melissa and her husband are even working on getting gear donated for Team Paddlefish. I am truly blown away by her spirit of caring and her energy to make a difference. Someday Melissa and I will meet in person, because I know we have forged a friendship that will last a lifetime. I am grateful to her every day (even when I slip away to Mobile and eat ribs and oysters and fall off the food plan for a day or so!)

Melissa has a wonderful blog called Gluten Free For Good which has excellent recipes, info and pictures. Thank you, Melissa, I love you to pieces!

A very special thank you to friends, family and FFC readers who have opened their wallets and donated to our charities, Rett Syndrome and Project Healing Waters. It’s all I can do not to tear up every time I see a new contribution. Thank you!

Of course I must give special mention to our first two sponsors, the first companies to step up to the plate and partner with Team Paddlefish…cheers to Ruta Maya Organic Coffee (available at Costco in-store and online) and 1379 Kids. Don’ forget….both of these sponsors have great items for Christmas gifts.

Special thanks to Craig with YT Lawncare, Pavillion Pilates, and FFC blog reader Tom Birdwell in Pensacola.

I am so grateful to Rancey, Ella, The Texas Rett Club, and the IRSF for inspiring and educating me.

And a big gigantic thank you to Little Chick, my loudest and most enthusiastic cheerleader.

I am humbled by all of this support. I wish I could say the work is done, but truthfully we are just getting going. Pennies add to dollars and every cheerleader makes it more fun. Are you interested in helping Team Paddlefish and our charities? If so, here are some easy ways to wave the flag:

1. Become a fan of Team Paddlefish on Facebook. Every time someone joins, it is a huge morale boost for us!
2. Donate to Team Paddlefish to help underwrite race costs by clicking here and using DONATE button in bottom right corner
3. Donate directly to our charities and receive a receipt for tax purposes
4. Spread the word. Email this post and our facebook page to others who might want to follow the story
5. Hug your family and friends and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Eat well, stay warm and indulge in the magic of the holidays.

Finally, thank you for reading FFC! Thank you for subscribing, thank you for commenting, thank you for your camaraderie. I am more grateful than you will ever know. Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Now if there actually were an FFC legal team looking over my shoulder (ha!) I am pretty sure they would counsel me sternly to state that that I do not, under any circumstance, endorse putting a bonefish in one’s pocket. You dumbass.

Okay, so I added the dumbass part myself, but hopefully we all know that it is, in fact, not a wise move to put a bonefish (ie, shark bait) in your pocket when you’re fishing out on the flats.

Unless…and I stress that this is a very unique circumstance….unless you are fishing with these super special Patagonia Shark Proof Pants! Now I rarely write gear reviews but this experience begs a glowing endorsement for some life saving pants.

You see on the very first morning of our recent Exuma fishing trip we dropped my dad out on a flat to wade on his own. We have the drill down to a science, leaving him with a walkie talkie in case he needs to reach us. Call me crazy, but don’t you think a shark attack seems like a fairly good excuse to pull out the radio and give us a Breaker Breaker 1-9?

We never heard from him so we decided to check in. All was fine, he was seeing lots of fish. An hour or so later we pull up to find my dad grinning ear-to-ear. Upon closer review we noticed that the pocket of his pants was torn and shredded. Our initial guess was he got tangled in the mangroves?

Oh no. Apparently a lemon shark pounced on him while he was trying to release a bonefish! The shark missed the fish by about a foot and somehow managed to get nothing but a mouthful of Patagonia pocket, barely scratching my dad’s leg.

Chalk it up to some good mojo pants or maybe just a young, puppy-like shark with bad aim, but either way he is pretty darn lucky.

Unfortunately the magical Patagonia Shark Proof pants are an old style and I don’t even think you can get them any longer. (See how lame I am at gear reviews?) So you might as well just heed the warning of my fake lawyers…No bonefish in the pockets, people. Got it?

Because HMH is sponsoring a ‘no-catch-zero-gimmicks’ promotional contest with the Underground Network blogs (ie, The Trout Underground, The Day Tripper, Singlebarbed, and Fly Fish Chick.)

This contest offers YOU the chance to win an HMH Spartan Fly Tying Vise. For FREE. No catch.

All you have to do is click on the HMH contest advertisement in the Fly Fish Chick right-hand sidebar, enter your email address to receive their newsletter, and you will be entered into the contest to win an HMH Spartan Vise and a Tube Fly Convertor.

HMH will use your email for their newsletter, but will not spam you and they will not sell your information to any list service. Contest ends June 1^st.

Good luck and many thanks to HMH for sponsoring this exciting giveaway!!