I second that emotion (Thanks to Smokey Robinson...), Andrey! It is for the most part a thankless job, and especially, as you wrote, when the fliers are under shade before and after they fly, and the judges have to be out in the sun all day. I think, however, that most who are reading this really do appreciate their work, and that's mainly because we all take our turn "in the barrel" from time to time with the clipboard.
So, thanks to all the judges on Saturday at Flushing Meadow Park, but a very special thanks goes out to Jim Damerell who was obviously hurting from a very sore shoulder. He's going in for some surgery on that shoulder soon, so let's all have a thought and prayer for his full recovery. Seeing Jim at the field on Saturday reminded me of just how long I've known him, We were both kids on that field with our building and flying lives ahead of us, and now we are in the twilight of our time here, but, like old war horses, we keep coming back to that hallowed ground (just like swallows returning to Capistrano...). I hope we all get to make that journey for many more years.
Just reflecting - Bob Hunt