Mice? Men? Plans? Whatever!

October 15, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hello kidlets. Here we are with another installment of my non-stop prattle and pseudo-intellectualism dressed in folksy pleasantries. It has been a good couple days off and it is nice to sit drinking coffee and relaxing.

First some thoughts about antennas. Some people like Yagis, some prefer verticals and some like dipoles. The whole thing comes down to a matter of preference. If you are out activating or working portable in general, you want the best antenna that will fit your budget. When I am portable, I generally use “Hamsticks” which are mag mounted verticals. I have also used dipoles and other types of antennae such as “Buddisticks”. Some take along verticals that they made based on “Wolf River Coils”. I am not going to tell you which to use, I can only state what works best for me. I would rather not have anything conspicuous. I also hesitate to hang anything from trees unless absolutely necessary. It is part of my nature to be un-noticed and in parks, I want to stay under the rangers’ radar and leave only my footprints. As an aside, if you are using an arborist bag and it wraps around a limb, the best way to free it is to tie a moderately heavy stick to the other end of the throw line and throw the stick over the branch in the opposite direction as the bag is wound. You do that as many times as necessary to pull it free.

Today SWMBO and I activated Gettysburg National Military Park US-0027, one of my favorites. Culps Hill was deserted when we arrived and in the 45 minutes we were there we saw less that 8 people. I watched an older couple get out of their car with their dog who pulled them over to the tower. We did depart before they descended. Anyway, the activation went very will. I stayed on 40 M and worked 47 stations in about 40 minutes. Not too bad. Towards the end there were a couple stations that had moved in about 2 up from us in the band but they were not strong enough to really be a bother. As for birds, the only one my software heard was a red-bellied woodpecker. Afterwards we stopped off at Hollabaugh Brothers farm stand.

We did our groceries and then went home. As we were eating our lunch, SWMBO had a tooth that had been repaired about 25 years ago break. The good thing was that she had had a root canal back then and she wasn’t in any pain. We finally found a dentist who could take us on short notice as our dentist was busy. We got her looked and, in the process, got a new dentist. That whole ordeal destroyed other plans we might have had but I am glad we got things resolved.

Oh yeah! I can hear again! I had one of my ears get clogged, so I syringed the hell out of it and saved myself a trip to the doctor and a bill. Life is good. Well kids, time to close. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice!

Tootsie the owl and Hubert the gnome enjoying Culp’s Hill

The monument for Battery K 5th US Artillery

They told me to take a seat. At Hollabaugh Brothers in Biglerville, PA

Waiting For Isaias

October 10, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Well, the National Weather Service has some rain in our forecast. Hurricane Isaias (no clue how to pronounce that) will be hitting us tomorrow. It has moved onto land and we are expecting rain. There is only a 5% chance of getting enough to flood, here in Pencilvania, so we are no worried. It turned overcast this morning but as of right now there is no rain.

I might raise up my dipole tomorrow, depending on the weather. It is a well-known myth that the worse the weather is when you are putting up an antenna, the better it performs. We will see.

This weekend is the PA QSO party. The bands are full. There are also 2 other QSO Parties (AZ and SD) along with some sprints, DX activities and other contests. This makes for crowding on the bands, but you can always find a spot to operate. Contests, though I am not a big participant, are a good thing as they show the bands are being utilized. The more activity that can be shown, the less the chance the bands will be taken from us.

My favorite activity is POTA, whether hunting or activating. Today, SWMBO and I took off early with the destination of Mt Crawford VA in mind. That is where the closest Buc-ees is located. On the way we took a side trip to US-0730 Cedar Creek and Belle Grove Plantation National Historic Site. We have activated here once before, back in February, I think. It is a nice quiet park and covers several acres. We parked in the small lot across the road from the mansion and had a very successful activation, working 44 stations total in about 1/2 hour. I had to move frequency once due to intentional interference but I don’t let things like that get me down. These sad hams who set out to ruin the experience for others do not deserve the acknowledgment. If you just move away from them, the problem is solved. Anyway, a good time was had by all. SWMBO and I had fun and the contacts came flying in so fast that it was hard to self-spot. Thanks to all who worked us.

After the activation we continued on our way South and stopped off at an Ollie’s in search of anything that caught the eye. We also went to an adjacent Spirit Halloween store but didn’t find anything remarkable. We got to Buc-ees, gassed up and found some chicken fingers and fries. It made for a pleasant drive home.

I guess this is it for now. Keep your eyes on the skies and stay well grounded. Namaste, kids.

Hubert the gnome enjoying POTA at Belle Grove

The omni-present informational historic marker.

A Decent Weekend I Suppose

September 27, 2026September 27, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi there, kidlets. It is raining lightly, I am sitting at home, I just got off the radio hunting POTA stations, I am eating shrimp and relaxing. Who could ask for more?

Friday the 25th, SWMBO wanted to go to Bunker Hill Farm, an historic site in Michaux State Forest. It is a nice location, not far from the Appalachian Trail and only a couple miles from Pine Grove Furnace. We strolled around, took some pics of the ruins and enjoyed a nice afternoon. The site was used for many things over the years. It was a farm, a religious camp, a CCC camp and also was used as a place to interrogate WWII POWs. Part of the barn is still there but you cannot get near it as there is danger of it falling on you. Some of the stones are teetering on the verge of succumbing to gravity. It a cool place to visit.

Next, we went up to the ATV lot on top of the ridge and activated Michaux State Forest US-5471. (for those not familiar with POTA, the US- followed by numbers is the POTA designation for the park.) It was quiet up there with not too many ATV riders in evidence and only a couple of campers. We got on the air and it was one of those days where making contacts was like pulling teeth! It took us about an hour to make 10 contacts. I believe it was a combination of poor conditions and time of day. Oh well, a successful activation is a success whether you make 10 contacts of 100. 🙂

On Saturday the 26th, we took a drive to East Broadtop Railroad. We had tickets pre-purchased for the caboose. (I learned that the plural for caboose is cabooses though it is also acceptable to use cabeese) Prior to going there I looked up the frequencies they use for operations and found two. They operate in 152.375 and 152.900 MHz which my hand-held radio can monitor. I climbed up into the cupola and rode there as the view was great. SWMBO decided to stay on the lower level. Riding a train being pulled by a steam locomotive is relaxing. We trundled through the PA countryside. We were cruising along when all of a sudden we came to an abrupt halt. I heard on the radio that one of the truks (sets of wheels on a car) had come off the track and then bounced back on. We were back in motion in moments, but it was a bit jarring. The rest of the ride was smooth and enjoyable.

Today we went grocery shopping and then trolloped over to one of the local Walmarts. After we got home I did my ride on the stationary bike (while playing a video game to distract me from the fact that I was exercising) I spend the remainder of the afternoon on the radio working POTA stations. Conditions are good today. Now I will spend the evening relaxing in preparation for working tomorrow.

Cherish every moment as it is unique and goes fast. Namaste, kids and keep your stick on the ice.

The engine which pulled our train at East Broadtop

Part of the ruins of the barn at Bunker Hill

SWMBO riding below in the crew compartment of the caboose

Underground Sans Velvet And No Bowie

August 11, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Greetings kids. Here we go with another entry.

Today we decided to go to Crystal Grottoes Caverns in Boonsboro, MD. The last few years we (SWMBO and I) have driven past this place, promising ourselves to stop someday. Today was someday! We are both glad that we stopped there. The tours leave every half-hour from the entrance starting at 10:30. The 40-minute walk through the caverns is interesting and the guide (we had Camille) was very entertaining and knowledgeable and made the whole experience great. The caverns are filled with rock and mineral formations with a plethora of small stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the walls are covered in sparking crystal formations and around every corner is something new to see and learn about. I highly recommend this place if you are in Western MD near Antietam.

To round out the day, I did an activation. SWMBO wasn’t up to it so I was alone. I went to Big Spring State Park US-4355, one of my favorite nearby parks. I was there for about 50 minutes and worked 19 stations. The bands were not great but they were passable. I stayed mostly of 40 M but did work a couple on 17M. In between calls I sat there enjoying a nice quiet park. I was entertained by the sounds of Gray Catbirds, Eastern Wood Peewees and Red-eyed Vireos, which is always pleasant.

The weather was a bit difficult. The temperature was about 27C (82 F) but the humidity was about 80%. The sky was overcast and you could tell that there was a strong possibility of thunderstorms. You could hear a lot of static crashes on the radio which are in indication of lightning. You can hear lightning crashes for several hundred miles on SSB and AM. They are not deafening but they make themselves known.

Well, it is time to relax and enjoy a peaceful evening off. You kidlets be well and keep your sticks on the ice. Namaste y’all.

Our tour guide at Crystal Grottoes Caverns, Camille

Sporks Foons And Other Tripe

August 6, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

This is a scary thought: I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a window and realized that if I wore a pointed hat I would look like a gnome!

I guess I should start with National Night Out. This year it was help on 4 August. We (The Perry County Amateur Radio Club) set up a booth at the Landisburg Fire Department. This being a community event, they had a good turn out. Right from the start there were people wandering the grounds and participating in the activities. We had radios set up for demonstrations and literature to hand out. The idea was to provide to the community information on ham radio and how it benefits the local area.

Yesterday was uneventful. It was rather dismal. We did our shopping. Nothing much to talk about unless you want our grocery list.

This morning we left home at 6AM and arrived at Gathland State Park (US-1574 and US-4556 The Appalachian Trail) and got on the air by 0817. Within a half hour we worked 35 stations before it got too hot to sit there. We had one net (MidCars) ask us to move, which I gladly did as they were polite and ,considerate. The spot we moved to was the location of another net but they did not start until we were done. A park ranger drove past, checking us out but did not stop. As I was starting to pack up, a man in his early 20s came over and he expressed interest in what we were doing. He was doing a hike on the Appalachian Trail and was carrying a GMRS. He was interested in ham radio and is studying for his license. I gave him a description of POTA and how it is a good way for fat old hams to keep active.

Over the course of the day we heard the following birds: American Robins, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, Mourning Doves, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Mockingbirds, Tree Swallows, Eastern Wood Peewees, Red-eyed Vireos, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow-throated Vireos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

After this we went down to the cemetery in Burkittsville and did some photography.

I can’t stress enough the importance of making a good impression on others. When I interact with people I try to leave them with a positive attitude toward radio.

I asked CHATGPT to come up with 10 ways to promote POTA and ham radio and here is the list: Parks on the Air (POTA) is one of the best gateways into amateur radio because it combines technology, the outdoors, and friendly competition. Here are ten practical ways to promote both ham radio and POTA in your community.

Host a “Try Ham Radio” POTA Activation
- Invite the public to a local park.
- Let visitors listen to contacts and, under FCC rules, make supervised contacts using your station.
- Bring brochures explaining how to get licensed.
Create Short YouTube Videos
- Produce 30-60 second videos showing:
  - Setting up an antenna in a park
  - Making your first contact
  - Portable radios
  - Wildlife and scenery
  - “A Day in the Life of a POTA Activator”
- Keep videos entertaining rather than overly technical.
Offer “POTA Discovery Days”
- Your club can organize monthly outings where newcomers only need to bring a lawn chair.
- Experienced operators provide radios, antennas, and coaching.
Partner with State Parks
- Ask park managers if you can demonstrate amateur radio during park events.
- Emphasize emergency communications, outdoor recreation, and STEM education.
Create an Information Packet
Include:
- What is Amateur Radio?
- What is POTA?
- How to Get Licensed
- Local club information
- Upcoming activations
- QR codes linking to your club website and the POTA website.
Speak to Community Groups
Offer presentations to:
- Libraries
- Scouts
- Hiking clubs
- Historical societies
- Senior centers
- Schools
- Emergency preparedness organizations
Share Interesting POTA Stories
People love stories more than technical specifications. Examples include:
- “We talked to Alaska from a Pennsylvania park.”
- “This tiny radio reached Australia.”
- “We operated entirely from solar power.”
- “A family joined us and made their first radio contact.”
Promote Through Social Media
Post:
- Photos from activations
- Contact totals
- Beautiful park scenery
- Antenna setups
- Wildlife encounters
- Time-lapse videos of station setup
- “Today’s Park” features
Offer Portable Operating Workshops
Teach beginners:
- Portable antennas
- Battery power
- Logging software
- Safety
- Lightweight equipment
- Park etiquette
- Leave No Trace principles
Host a Friendly POTA Challenge
Organize a club event such as:

Activate five parks in one month.
Work all state parks in your state.
Make 100 park contacts.
Operate from every county park in your county.
Award inexpensive certificates or small prizes to participants.

Bonus Idea: “Ham Radio Meets Hiking”

Many people aren’t interested in radio alone—but they are interested in outdoor adventures. Promote POTA as:

Hiking with a purpose
Camping with communication
Technology without the Internet
Emergency preparedness
Family-friendly outdoor fun
Photography and radio combined

Instead of saying “Come learn about ham radio,” try saying:

“Join us in a local park and see how we can talk across the country—and around the world—with nothing more than a battery, a wire antenna, and a radio.”

That kind of demonstration sparks curiosity and often leaves a stronger impression than simply describing the hobby. For clubs like the Perry County Amateur Radio Club, regular POTA outings combined with YouTube Shorts and local newspaper coverage can be an especially effective way to attract new operators and show that amateur radio is an active, modern outdoor hobby rather than just something done from a home shack.

I believe that is a good list with some ideas to think about. Well, time to go for now. Namaste, kids, and keep your stick on the ice.

The gateway to the old cemetery at Gathland

A visible bee hive at the National Night Out

Where In The World Is Abraham Lincoln?

August 1, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

The beginning of a new month always brings a feeling of promise before the realities of the mundane slap you upside the head. Wow, sounds a bit cynical, doesn’t it? It is actually a nice day, today, 1 August 26. The skies are clouded over with rain being anticipated but the temperature is 31C and rising (87.7 F). We can always use the rain.

Yesterday, SWMBO expressed the desire to take a drive down to Gettysburg as she wanted to do some photography for her webpage. We decided to go down early this morning before the town was crowded and bustling. There are 5 statues of Lincoln in Gettysburg along with a bust in the cemetery. Basically, we went Lincoln hunting.

We got to Gettysburg and stopped at Gettysburg College in front of Stevens Hall for the first statue. It depicts Lincoln seated and writing the Emancipation Proclamation. It is easy to find as it is right on RTE 34 as you come into town from the North. The next one on our itinerary is located on Lincoln Square in the center of town on the West side of the roundabout. Lincoln is standing with a citizen and holding his hat aloft as if to say “Behold! A Bright Future”. From there we continued South a few blocks to the Library where Lincoln is standing holding The Gettysburg Address in his left hand as his right hand is raised to the sky as if he is giving a speech. From there we drove out Baltimore Pike to the Visitor’s Center. The parking lots were empty, so we didn’t have to walk far. Here Lincoln is seated on a bench gazing to the future. Lastly, we went to the Pennsylvania Memorial to the Northwest of Little Roundtop. Lincoln is there to the right of the monument, standing with his hand raised in a pose of benediction.

Since it was still early and there were no crowds around, we decided to do an activation. We went to my favorite activation spot: Culp’s Hill. We started at 11:41 UTC (7:41 EDT) and by 12:12 UTC (8:12 EDT) we had worked 39 stations. The calls were coming at a good rate and then tapered off. We had the hill pretty much to ourselves with the exception of a drone flying overhead. As we were packing up, a car stopped and asked my if the antenna I was holding was a fishing pole and where there would be any fishing around the area. I informed him that it was a radio antenna. He laughed and said he had fishing on his mind.

We heard the following birds in Gettysburg: House Sparrows, Chimney Swifts, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, European Starlings, Tufted Titmouses, American Robins, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, Northern Mockingbirds and American Goldfinches. A nice assortment for a Summer morning.

Well, that is my update for today. I hope all are well and as always, namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Abe and I hanging around the visitor center

A few QSOs from Culp’s Hill

Vacation And Other Nonsence

June 30, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kids. This entry will be written over several days.

Today is 21 June 2026, the first day of summer (don’t argue) and the longest day of the year. SWMBO and I are up in NH for a week of relaxation and blatant tourist activity. We drove up on the 18th (Thursday) and the trip was uneventful, thankfully. The weather was cloudy and I believe we outran the rain. We took a drive up to Errol NH and then came back through Grafton Notch ME, down to Fryeburg ME, through North Conway NH and back up Crawford Notch NH. We also took a drive up Jefferson Notch Road to the highest elevation of a highway in NH. We did stop in Errol at Cote’s store and had our annual slice of pizza.

On the 19th and 20th, Friday and Saturday, we did some driving around and visited some thrift shops. It was raining off and on but not too badly, just enough to stop any yard sales. On Saturday a bear crossed the road in front of us but was too fast to get a picture of.

I did manage to do an activation yesterday: US-2653 Franconia State Park. It took me some driving around to find a good spot to work from but I managed 11 contacts in about an hour. One of my contacts was the president to the Perry County Amateur Radio Club, KB3PSN.

So far, for birds, I have heard Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, American Crows, Black-capped Chickadees, Indigo Buntings, Chestnut-sided Warblers and Red-eyed Vireos. When I hear more I will post them.

Monday the 22nd, we started the day off right by seeing a moose right off the bat. We watched him for a few minutes and then SWMBO reminded me not to hog the moose as other cars were stopping. I pulled away and let others have their turn at ogling nature. We then went to an aquarium where we fed stingrays and tortoises, had our hands nibbled on by some small fishes and walked around gawking at various aquatic critters. After this, we drove into Vermont to the city of Montpelier and visited a couple cemeteries. Green Mount cemetery was really worth going to. We had been here before but wanted some pics of a couple monuments such as the one dedicated to Little Margret. Her memorial statue is something special to see. Her tragic story can be found at: Margaret Caroline “Little Margaret” Pitkin (1892-1899) – Find a Grave Memorial

Tuesday the 23rd, we set out early and went to Portland Maine to visit Portland Head Light. The rain kept the crowds away, as we had hoped. When we got back we activated White Mountain National Forest US-4512. In 12 minutes we worked 10 stations and then went for a ride to Zealand Road.

Wednesday the 24th was almost a bittersweet day. We knew we were leaving for home on Thursday and we were sorta wrapping things up. First we took a drive into VT and went to Lyndon State Forest US-5556. Over the course of half an hour we were able to work 22 stations (4 of them park-to-parks) and we even worked our club president, KB3PSN who was back home in PA. We heard Red-eyed Vireos, Black-throated Green Warblers, Ovenbirds, Alder Flycatchers, Black-capped Chickadees, Common Yellowthroats, Black-and-white Warblers, White-throated Sparrows, Chestnut-sided Warblers, American Crows, Blackburnian Warblers, Hermit Thrushes, Veerys, Northern Yellow Warblers, and Common Ravens. We were well serenaded!

Thursday we drove from 3am until around 2pm. We had a couple of traffic slowdowns and then had to deal with our bank as I found some bad charges to SWMBO’s card. We got that straightened out quickly.

We are back, now, trying to relax and getting ready for Field Day, which is tomorrow.

28 June 26 I admit I have been resting up from vacation. lol. Yesterday I went to the PCARC Field Day site and helped set up and then made a few contacts. I also spoke with a ham who wants to join the club and learn as much about radio as he can. Enthusiasm is nice. It is hard to believe that I have to return to work tomorrow. Time has flown past and I was glad to get home and sad to leave New Hampshire at the same time. Well there is always next year. Now we are looking forward to doing a camping trip or 2 and exploring some new areas.

I guess it is time to close out this entry. I hope everyone is having an enjoyable day. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

20260620_180818 — A sculpture in Franconia NH

A remote weather station at the top of Jefferson Notch

Black Aggie … if you sit in her lap at midnight you will die

20260623_095157 — Lighthouse keepers house and lighthouse at Portland Head Light in Portland ME

Driving North up Franconia Notch in NH

Driving North through Crawford Notch in NH

Looking around Casco Bay in Maine from Portland Head Light

Unscrewing The Inscrutable

June 11, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi there kidlets. A hot day in June made more intense by the impending threat of a thunder storm. It is currently 34C (93.2F) which is on the edge of being too warm for some people.

This morning, SWMBO and I set out at about 0630 and went to Gettysburg PA us-0027 for an activation and a ride on a tour bus. We set up on Culp’s Hill and made 29 contacts within 33 minutes; all on the 40M band. It was an enjoyable activation. When we arrived, the temperature was already 26C (79F) but we were in the shade. While we were there, we heard the following birds: American Robins, House Finches, Mourning Doves, Wood Thrushes, American Goldfinches, Chimney Swifts and Eastern Wood-Peewees. A very bird-active morning.

We then took a drive around the battlefield to charge the phone batteries before checking in at the Gettysburg Tour Center. While in the center we got a couple stickers and magnets. The bus is a double-decker with the top part open to the air. We enjoyed a nice, narrated 2 hour tour and survived being hit by low branches. We also survived the 30+ C heat. After the tour we went to a well deserved lunch in an air-conditioned building.

Now for a bit of the thoughts of me on activating. First off, I have read a lot of books and articles on activating along with watching a ot of videos. One common piece of advice I have heard/read is not to have something else to do after your activation … to make sure you have time to get your 10 contacts. For the most part, I do not set timelines but sometimes it is unavoidable like today. We had the bus ride scheduled for 10AM and had to be there prior to 0930. Not a problem the tour center is about a 5 minute ride from Culp’s Hill so there was plenty of time to activate. Another area which I have heard opinions that differ from mine is in the Solar-Terrestrial Data readings. Some people check the data religiously before going out and activating and will not go out if the K index is too high. I never check the data before I head out as it sorta gives me expectations. For more info on the Solar data you can go to: https://hamradiofornontechies.com/current-ham-radio-conditions ( a great site with very good explanations)

Well now it is time to go and do some stuff before I leave for a club meeting. Here is a link to our club page if you are interested: Perry County Amateur Radio Club – Dedicated to Amateur Radio In Perry County, Pennsylvania. Namaste for now and keep your reality in line.

Yes, no gnomes. Culp’s Hill Gettysburg PA

The bus gets very close to traffic lights

Looking from the top of Little Round Top SW towards Devil’s Den

A Casual April Weekend

April 12, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

We took it easy this weekend. We started out with a drive on some local backroads looking for critters. We spotted about 12 squirrels and 3 ruminants. We also took a walk through the Pine Plantation in King’s Gap State Park. The temperature was about 22C (71F) for a high and the sky was clear. We then came back home and Scout decided to snooze on my chest.

Yesterday, Saturday the 11th, we set out early to Virginia. We went to activate Sky Meadows State Park US-1318 in Delaplane, VA. When we arrived the sky was cloudy and the temperature was about 9C (48F) and rising. It was also windy. There were a lot of people at the park so we found a good spot in one of the overflow parking lots. Wouldn’t you know it, part way through our operation someone parked right next to us. They got out of the car and walked up towards the headquarters, so they didn’t really bother us. There were several acres of open land, but they had to park in our lap. lol Anyway, we had a successful activation with 24 contacts in about 1/2 hour. We continued on our way, using back roads and arriving at Buc’ees in Mount Crawford VA at about 11:30. It was crowded so we only stayed long enough to get some food and gas up. Our trip home was uneventful. We then had a peaceful evening.

Today, 12 April, a Sunday, we went shopping. I will not name the store but it was a horror show. They decided to “remodel” and stuff was everywhere. The aisles were clogged with boxes and piles of merchandise. It was very difficult to find anything as items were moved out of the areas they should have been in. To further cause confusion and chaos, some of the employees were wandering around filling up carts with merchandise to fulfill online orders to be delivered in the parking lot. Added to this, the store was packed and filled with the usual people who randomly block aisles. Well enough complaining. lol

This afternoon we took a walk through the Old Graveyard in Carlisle PA. It dates to pre-revolutionary times and has a lot of old stones there. Buried there, among other notables, is Molly Pitcher. She went with her husband to war and helped Martha Washington cleaning clothes and blankets at Valley Forge. During the battle of Monmouth, her husband was wounded. She took over his cannon, keeping it firing during the battle after he was carried off the field. Below you will see a picture of the statue dedicated to her along with a link to a video I made of the walk through the cemetery to her grave.

Over the course of the weekend we heard the following birds: (at King’s Gap) Pine Warblers, Fish Crows, Northern Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches (at Sky Meadows SP in VA) Red-headed Woodpeckers, American Goldfinches, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and (in Carlisle PA) American Robins, House Sparrows and House Finches. Quite an array.

Well I need another cup of coffee so I will say Namaste for now kids. Keep your stick on the ice!

An interesting stump in the Pine Plantation

Missie and Moxie guarding my radio at Sky Meadows SP

One Weekend, 3 Activations

March 29, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kids. I didn’t plan on activating 3 times this weekend but that is what happened.

Friday afternoon I was sitting here and decided to go to Big Spring State Park US-4355. I arrived at about 1950 UTC and got set up. I tuned to 40M and worked 14 stations before moving to 17 M where I worked 8 more stations including Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Spain. I was happy with that total and it brings me closer to my kilo award for this park.

Yesterday, Saturday, we took a drive down to Shepherdstown, WV, seeking a few cemeteries. We stopped in at Elmwood Cemetery where we had been previously. We also visited the Old English/Episcopal Cemetery where there are some graves of Revolutionary War soldiers. We then visited a park which held a monument dedicated to James Rumsey, the inventor of the steamboat (not Fulton as we were taught in school). After this we took a leisurely drive along the Potomac River to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park US-0735. In 25 minutes, we worked 16 contacts before heading home.

Today, Sunday the 29th, we did some shopping including a trip to the local Ollie’s. We had lunch, I did my bike ride and then we tackled some domestic chores. Then I set out again for Big Spring State Park US-4355. In spite of a contest going on I was able to work 21 contacts before calling it a day.

I have mentioned before that I like Big Spring State Park as it is peaceful and usually deserted. I did have a Ranger check up on me about a year or do ago. She seemed interested in my operation and, since I had my ice-fishing tent set up as a warming shelter, I guess she wanted to make sure I wasn’t camping there. We have occasionally seen various wildlife there, mostly squirrels and a couple times I smelled and heard a bear checking us out.

Well that is my latest update. Please feel free to leave comments. So long and namaste!