Howdy kids! It has been a few since I have inflicted my blog on you. Things got very busy. Due to a fellow employee taking off for a few days, I had to work 6 consecutive nights. Let me tell you, the older I get the less fun these long stretches are.

As usual, plans can change. SWMBO and I had planned on going camping in Maryland and playing tourist and activating a park or two, but that got washed away by some weather. Sitting in a tent trying to play radio during a thunderstorm or slogging through cemeteries in pouring rain were not activities that appealed to us. We could have gone down yesterday evening, but then what fun would it have been to set up, spend the night, and then come back? We will try the camping thing again in a few weeks.

We spent yesterday doing necessary chores to include the first stage of eradication of some unwanted flora. I know I have mentioned before wanting to get rid of the bamboo I planted so now we are in the process of destroying it. I got some super-duper exfoliant which is supposed to be true death to all living plants, so we are giving it a try. We also did some of the other basic stuff that needed to be done.

This morning it was a bit chillier than it has been for a while. When we left to go do an activation it was 12.7 C (55 F) and it had warmed up to 15 C (59 F) by the time we got to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest. The sun was shining bright and the temperature was on the rise. There were a few people camping there and others offloading their ATVs for some trail riding. We set up and between 11:43 UTC (07:30 EDT) and 12:33 UTC (08:33 EDT) we worked 29 different stations stretching from Maine to Mississippi. We did get chased off of a frequency by the sad hams who occupy an infamous frequency on 40M, (I was down 2 from said frequency but they came on and started splattering over my signal) but that was not a big issue. We just hunted other parks for a bit and then found an empty spot on the band. After a very successful activation we went to the Dickenson Restaurant in Carlisle for a great breakfast. Now I am contemplating taking out the trash as I drink my coffee.

Our newest cat, Muffin. is growing and full of mischief. Our next oldest, Scout, has taken her under his wing and they have bonded. If she isn’t in the room, he will go look for her and is very protective. Last night I was tickling her as she sat next to my chair, and Scout was giving me dirty looks. Muffin likes to climb up my legs which I have the scars to prove, and to jump into the refrigerator every chance she gets.

Now this is where I assert myself as a non-expert with ship-loads of experience. I am going to mention some stuff I take in my car that is not related to activating or to radio in general. I always have at least one first aid kit. The reasons are self-explanatory; I believe everyone should carry one. Next, I have a small fire extinguisher. I also carry window cleaner and cloths to clean dirty windshields and side windows. You never know how dirty your windows are until you see them through strong sunlight. I have a small survival kit that I received for Christmas (from SWMBO) that contains all sorts of items that would help to survive in a wilderness area such as fire making tools, a knife, fishing gear, a flashlight, a compass, some parachute cord and other items. I have a flashlight in my kit box along with duct tape.I have some orange cones in case of a breakdown. I also keep a pair of binoculars in case I want to binocle. It sounds like a lot but all this doesn’t take much room.

One more thing to mention, when driving in PA it behooves you to keep your eyes peeled for those pesky 4-footed ruminants (mentioning them by name summons them) that run out in front of your car and cause damage upon impact. This morning on the way to the restaurant a 6 pointer ran out right in front of us which made me test my anti-lock brakes and verified that I have a functional heart.

Ok, kidlets, I have rambled on too long, I think. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice!