I had a great meeting the other day with Ginny from the now burned down Wylie’s Bait and Tackle. She was a reporter for our monthly fishing reports for more than 20 years but more important is a person I have come to greatly admire over the years. I have written several magazine articles on her and did a YouTube video on her and Wylies shortly before the fire that would burn down both her store and her home. It took me a while to contact her and this was our first meeting since then. She lost everything, an iconic bait and tackle store, her many pictures of Bob and customers through the years, many, many thousands of dollars of merchandise, the state record mounted barred surfperch that was on her wall for decades, and her pet Walter, the giant tortoise she had for more than 50 years. Not only that, she also lost all her records, paperwork needed to substantiate her insurance claims, and she lost any and all pictures she had of the store and items in the store. Luckily during our visit to do the YouTube video I also took pictures of just about everything in the store and when I sent her copies of those pictures it was the first proof to back up what she was telling the state insurance adjuster. She feels those pictures along with the video are invaluable. I’m just glad we were there to make a record of the store. She’s had a very hard time since the fire but I am hopeful things may start turning more into her favor. We planned to meet for breakfast at 8 a.m. Tuesday but wound up talking till 1 p.m. (Anyone who knows Ginny knows how easy that is.) She still has a battle coming with the state but Ginny is smart and she’s tough and though older than even me she has that twinkle in her eye and the personality that never quits (even though her recent battles would have silenced many). I hope everyone thinks of Ginny and I hope everyone would say a prayer for her that the sun will shine just a little brighter. A great lady that I feel honored to know.
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