Report from the ATS Conference
Finally I have a moment to relate my experience at the annual ATS Conference in Rio Rico, AZ. Not wanting to miss a moment of fun (and sales) we got on the road at 5:00 am Thursday morning for the grueling but uneventful 540 mile trip.
Interesting to note that as soon as we passed over the Arizona border, the price of gas immediately dropped to around $4.00 from Cali’s $4.40 average. It reached a low of $3.60 in Nogales Arizona. We reached the hotel at 1:30pm and met another of the early arrivals, Patrick Mumford, ATS Secretary. We scoped out the “Spider Mall” and staked claim to a prime sales area. Later in the evening we attended the mixer where we met many of the other attendees and witnessed one of the South Arizona thunderstorms that they are famous for.
Friday morning we had one of many over-priced meals at the hotel restaurant, then set up shop in the mall. After a smattering of small sales, I waited for the rush of crowds with fistfuls of cash looking for the latest and greatest in invertebrates. And I waited. And waited.
Saturday, I attended a couple of very informative lectures while Lauryn manned the tables. First, there was G.B. Edwards, Curator of Arachnids and Myriapods for the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. The main subject was the legendary population of Brachypelma vagans in Florida. Through his studies, it was estimated that the first specimen was introduced in about 1986, and the first verified specimen caught was in 1989. The population of these tarantulas was isolated to an intersection of two irrigation canals in Port St. Lucie. The last known specimen was found 5 years ago. Dr. Edwards also covered some of Florida’s exotic invertebrate laws. It is very interesting to hear what species are regulated and permits that are needed for. I’m sure there are some scofflaws in Nokomis that think that they are above the law!
The other lecture was from our own Brent Karner, Manager of the Ralph M. Parsons Insect Zoo at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. He spoke of the “Spider Pavilion” at the museum in the fall. Basically, he converts the interactive Butterfly Pavilion into an up-close and personal spider exhibit where you are right there with many types of orb-weavers and other spiders with nothing between you and these magnificent arachnids. Anyone in the Los Angeles area should NOT miss it!
With the conference wrapping up, I figured that the humongous ATS raffle would make up for the disappointing sales. There were so many prizes it was virtually impossible to walk away without winning something. I said virtually, because I managed not to win a damn thing. I should have won something just for being the only attendee that didn’t win anything.
Adding insult to injury, we stopped at a McDonalds just west of Phoenix to use the restroom, as everyone knows that McD’s has some of the best restrooms around. Except this one. No toilet paper in the stall, nor in the entire men’s room. Not even paper towels. I hiked up my pants and went out and grabbed a handful of napkins that were next to the ketchup. I proceeded to clog up the toilet with their large, luxurious napkins.
Friday, August 1, 2008
