Wow, a long gap between updates. Well, my excuse is that I was busy. Due to a very limited number of employees where I work we sometimes have to fill in for long stretches when someone on the opposite shift needs time off. That was the case. A guy from the other night shift needed to take off so I filled in for him, which is why I worked 7 straight days. Since I work a 12-hour shift this means that out of a 168-hour week, I worked 84 hours, not including commute time. Whew! Trust me, I am glad that it is done with.
I tried to relax yesterday but had to go to a big, unnamed store to do some shopping for us and my MIL. It was crowded and we soon got tired of being pushed out of the way and crowded out of the aisles. There was one old woman who was everywhere. I think she had a transporter beaming her around and placing her in our path. Be that as it may, we survived (by we, I mean SWMBO and I).
Today was my first chance to seriously play radio. When I am working, I can do POTA hunting from home for about an hour or so before work, but there is no time to activate. Generally, I do well, depending on conditions, of course. Lately the bands have been cooperative and I am able to get some parks in the log along with some SKCC contacts (Straight Key Century Club using Morse Code). Today I packed my gear into the car, and we set out for a morning activation.
There was a fog this morning and it made things scenic. Visibility was down to about 1.5 utility poles, so each passing bit held surprises, and objects that suddenly appeared. It was quiet and, besides a wait for some road work (we turned around and bypassed as it is quite extensive), it was a very pleasant Autumn morning.
By the time we got to Kings Gap Environmental Education Center State Park (quite a mouthful), the fog had mostly burned away. The only birds we heard were Eastern Bluebirds. We got set up quickly and were soon on the air, activating US-4361 (Kings Gap) and US-5471 (Michaux State Forest). I saw a spot for a station in NH and we exchanged Park-To-Park info. I then found an empty frequency and self-spotted. We made 40 contacts in 33 minutes, so it was successful. I had a lot of folks thank me for new (to them) parks, and we had a good time.
Since the day developed into one of those Autumn days that remain in your memory, sunny with a temp about 13 C and that certain crispness in the air that comes with nice fall days, we decided to take a walk on the Woodland Ecology trail. It is nice to take a leisurely walk in the woods and this time of year you don’t have to be wary of hunters.
When we got home I had to remove a chicken bone from the throat of my Roomba. Our cats are very adventurous and like to raid our trash for goodies and toys to play with. I got the obstruction removed and all is well.
I am going to relax now and leave you with some fall pictures. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.
