The picnic is this Saturday, August 25th. Remember, we need to know you're coming by Thursday, August 23rd in order to plan the food. As in the past, the plan is to meet at Laurel Bed Lake in the early afternoon for some visiting, casual birding, and tall tales. Everyone is invited to come. Membership is not a requirement. The club will furnish hot dogs and hamburgers with all the trimmings. Bring a side dish or an appetizer and whatever you want to drink. Remember that we'll be on VA DGIF property and that requires a use permit. If you have a valid VA hunting, fishing, or trapping license or a valid VA boat registration certificate, you're covered. Otherwise you'll need a daily or an annual DGIF usage permit. These are available on-line at the DGIF web site <http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/access-permit/> along with complete information about acceptable permit alternatives. You can also purchase permits at any licensing agency such as Walmart. I've attached a map showing several routes to get to the lake from Lebanon and Abingdon. If you need more explicit directions, email me, tell me where you're coming from, and I'll try to provide them. See you on the lake! Jerry