Howdy kidlets. Another week gone. I had a bit of a frustrating time this afternoon. I was in the middle of logging a contact and my ketboard stopped working. I changed the batteries and nothing. I removed the device and nothing. I ended up re-adding the keyboard and re-booting and, voila, it works! Gotta love it. Now combine that with trying to navigate government websites looking for information, I was really feeling disgruntled. Now I got the stuff straightened out and got the answers I need so I have been regruntled. 🙂
It has been a nice time since my last update. This weekend was pretty mellow. We did some shopping, we got stuff for my mother-in-law and we did a bit of work around the house. Also, I played radio.
Yesterday we took a drive up to the Hemlock Road Overlook in Western Perry County in Tuscarora State Forest US-5479. It is a nice spot to sit and watch the valley and has a good elevation for working radio. The 40 Meter band was not in good shape, though. Lately the bands have been up and down and this weekend was pretty dismal, but I was able to work 11 stations, including 3 park-to-parks. A few cars rolled past us and we had a courteous motorcyclist drive up. He parked next to us, took some pictures and, seeing what we were doing, he pushed his bike away from us before starting it. Kudos for him. 🙂
Now a few words about band conditions. We have past the peak of the 11-year cycle and for the next few years, conditions will be less good than they have been. The higher frequency bands will seem to diminish, and more and more activity will shift to 14 MHz and below. I would suggest making sure you have capabilities on the 40- and 80-Meter bands as they will really start to shine, especially at night. If you do CW or digital modes, 30-meters might be an option as the antennae are shorter than for lower bands (14.1 meters for 10MHz ad opposed to 19.8 meters for 7.18 MHz or 38.3 meters for 3.725 MHz). The other bands will not go away but there will be fewer openings. One band that might surprise you, though, is 6 Meters. It can open at seemingly random times and stay open for various intervals. I have known people in the past who keep a radio tuned to the 6-meter band on frequencies where beacons are, listening for openings. Some of them have, with patience, achieved the “worked all states” award on 6 from the ARRL, which is a real accomplishment.
Well that is all for now, I guess. Namaste kids and keep your stick on the ice.
Hemlock Road OverlookA view driving up Hemlock RoadA couple of ruminants having a snack at an undisclosed location.
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.”
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.
Hubert the gnome enjoying radioThe old mausoleum at Gathland.The gateway to the old cemetery at GathlandA notable grave markerInformation on Burkittsville Cemetery
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.
Scout and Muffin chilling outAt Gettysburg CollegeAt the squareat the libraryat the Visitors Centeron the PA monumentAbe and I hanging around the visitor centerVisitor Center entrance
Sometimes it is too easy or comfortable to focus on success or on positive outcomes. Today I am taking a different path.
SWMBO and I set out to have a picnic style lunch and to activate the Vista at Three Square Hollow. We proceeded to Jaymee Lee’s Quick Stop in Newville, PA. This little store with rustic charm makes the BEST chicken tenders. I can’t say enough good about their chicken, especially the tenders. Hot and fresh and moist with the perfect coating. They are fresh because they are constantly having to make more as they sell out fast. Anyway, we got a couple tenders and some coleslaw and took a drive up to the Vista. As we ate, I watched with trepidation as the clouds lowered and the temperature also dropped. We finished eating and before I could set up my radio and antenna, the thunderstorm hit. Sitting on top of a ridge in a lightning event while using a transmitter is not the best of ideas. We un-assed the area.
As we drove down the gravel mountain road, the rain got more and more intense. We could hear the thunder from within the car. We made it back home, but I had to venture back out into the storm as we had forgotten an important item from our grocery list: toilet paper! After I got back from the store I stood on the porch and recorded the video I am linking to below.
I cannot stress enough the importance of safety in the ham radio hobby, especially in a lightning storm. Aside from the loud static crashes, there is always the possibility of a nearby strike. It is a good idea to disconnect your antennae from your home station and to have surge protection. Lightning can take some surprising paths in its search for ground. Always make sure the grounding on your tower is good (if you have one) and make sure your station is bonded to a single ground point suck as a cold-water pipe or a long ground rod (at least 2 meters pounded into the ground).
Ok, there will be other opportunities for a safe activation, and I foresee at least one coming up in the not-too-distant-future. In my usual fashion, Namaste kids and keep your stick on the ice!
The image features a photo-realistic 2021 Subaru Outback with a ham radio installation as lightning dramatically strikes the vehicle during a powerful storm. Amazing what you can do with AI. 🙂
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!
Ollie and Hubert the Gnome are helping me operateLooking down the length of the ATV lot.For no reason, a Rose-Of-Sharon growing next to the restaurant.
Howdy kidlets and/or others who may be reading this. You may or may not be aware that I work a non-standard schedule. First off, I work a 12 hour night shift and secondly, I work a schedule that varies from 3 days one week (pay period) to 4 days the next. This gives me every other weekend off and some time off during the week. Naturally, we try to get a lot of stuff done on off days. This was my week to have Monday and Tuesday (today) off.
Yesterday, Monday, we did some shopping for us and my mother-in-law. We even took her along to one of the stores to get her out of her apartment and to be active, though she wasn’t fond of the heat. I also did some of the yard work which I refer to as taming Satan’s Putting Green. Notice that I said some. I was almost out of gas for the mower and the weed-wacker was bone dry. While out shopping I did pick up some 2-cycle oil to add to a gas can so I was ready for a fill-up. The heat was pretty much debilitating. When all that was done I played on the radio for a bit though the bands were very iffy. I made some contacts on 40M and 30 M, mostly CW, and then called it quits. I know, I am a boring person. 🙂
Today was non-stop. First thing I had my oil changed and then picked up some gas for the mower and weed-wacker. I completed the domination of Satan’s Putting Green for a week or so and I also checked the condition of my antennae. Mostly I use dipoles here at home except for a dual band 2 meter and 75 cm vertical. I looked the dipoles over and made sure they were still in good condition and still well supported. I keep an eye on them as I have had limbs (tree limbs, not human) fall and break wires or support ropes. I would rather not transmit when my dipole is laying on the ground. In my experience it is good to check them over on a semi-regular basis. I am prepared for most repairs which is why I like dipoles: easy to make and easy to repair. I have even fixed a broken dipole by wrapping a piece of wire across both ends of the break and soldering the whole thing.
As the day progressed, things stayed active. SWMBO was doing laundry stuff whilst I did the yard and then we put most of it away. Since this involves carrying heavy baskets of clothing from the basement to the second floor, we don’t do it all at once. We spread it over a couple of days.
The next item on the agenda was taking Muffin (our youngest) to the vet for a shot and an exam. She was not happy being in the carrier and serenaded us with the lamentations of her people all the way to the vets. It turns out that she is in good health and, despite her small size, is between 10 and 12 weeks old. Now she goes back in 2 to 4 weeks for other shots. She is very active and amusing.
We went to lunch after which SWMBO said she needed to go to a big national chain store (use your imagination) as the one we went to yesterday didn’t have any paper left that hadn’t been mauled by rabid baboons. At least this store (in another town) had a good selection of specialty paper that was in saleable shape.
On the way to said store we went up into the local mountains and went to the 3 Square Hollow Vista (Tuscarora State Foerst US-5479) overlooking Cumberland County, where we did an activation. This being in the early afternoon, the 40 m band wasn’t great, but we got our 10 in about 20 minutes. As I was packing up, I turned on my 2 meter rig and asked on simplex if anyone wanted a POTA contact. Immediately a voice said ” I do! I do”. We got him in the log (my first 2 meter POTA QSO) and went on our way.
After the store we came home and here we are. I am enjoying the AC as it is still 32C outside (86 F) with a heat index of 40C. I guess the next few days will be the same, but I will be working so I won’t be out in the heat as much.
Well, enough for now. Namaste and enjoy your best life.
Muffin is getting biggerOur ginger tri-pod, FoggyKalamity is prepared to accept pats and scritches
CQ Parks On The Air … CQ Parks On The Air .. this is KB3CVO , KB3CVO calling CQ POTA and standing by. The call rings out over the air and the pause for a response and then calling again. You know the formula. Sometimes the replies come fast and furious, sometimes there is a few minutes between hunters; it makes no real difference depending on how you see things. Sometimes, I need to take a deeper look into things rather than coasting along on auto-pilot.
And then it happens: the “sad ham” chimes in and makes a negative or derogatory remark. Sometimes these grumpy folks just tune up on your signal without saying anything. They don’t seem to identify themselves as they are well aware that they are in the wrong. No matter, they do it anyway. I know we have all had a “sad ham” admonish us for using “their frequency” or “a net frequency” or using a band for something they do not approve of.
I believe this comes from a fear or discomfort caused by anything new or different. Just as chickens will peck at a bird that is different, these “sad hams” will peck at things they are not used to. It happened (long before my time in ham radio) when SSB became popular and the “sad hams” of the day were complaining about SSB signals sounding like duck speak and crowding out the pure, clean AM signals. It happened when PSK31 and other digital modes came along; lots of noise and complaints from “sad hams”. To this day, I hear complaints about contesters using up all the bandwidth.
In any event, I do what I enjoy and do my best to keep to the regulations.
Yesterday it was rainy to start out (Wednesday May 27th) which changed my plans a bit. After I got up, we went to lunch and then I tackled the yard with my weedwacker (strimmer for those Brits who may be reading this). I cleaned the edges of the yard up and chopped down some more bamboo. I couldn’t mow as the grass was still too moist from the rain so weedwacking was the limit. I then went out to Little Buffalo State Park.
SWMBO wasn’t feeling very POTAish so I went to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 alone. The weather had cleared and it was sunny and temperature was about 29C (85F). I parked facing away from the sun and spent the next 45 minutes working 23 contacts, 3 of which were Park-to-Parks. Conditions were a bit rough but that happens. I heard the following birds: Eastern Warbling Vireos, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Killdeers, Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinches and Eastern Kingbirds.
The main event for today (aside from getting groceries) was performing an all-out assault on Satan’s Putting Green with my lawnmower and an attitude. The weather was nice and sunny with a temp of 26 C (79 F) and I was able to get it done in about an hour. We then went to the local Lowes and got face shields for when I get the wood-chipper going.
I guess that is all for now. Namaste and keep your reality within the boundaries of sanity.
Moxie, Ollie and Missie watching my 6Muffin and I having some quiet time
Busy day today. We went and voted and then had breakfast at the Blain Hotel. When we went home, SWMBO suggested that we tackle the bamboo before it got too hot. Good idea. We cut the hell out of the remaining stalks and are getting it under control (knocking on wood). This past week we decided to buy a woodchipper (yes, a dangerous toy in my hands) to get rid of the cut bamboo and some brush piles that have accumulated. It should be arriving on Thursday, so we are looking forward to that. We also have a new wheelbarrow coming to haul the chips.
As for the recon, SWMBO again made a suggestion. She desired to take a drive and look for Bigfoots (Bigfeet?). We set out on a couple back roads and found ourselves up on Hemlock Road. We saw a lot of squirrels (living); in fact,14 of them. We also saw 3 bunnies, 2 chipmunks, 1 turkey, and 1 whistle pig. The animals are really getting active in this warm weather. It was about 30C (86 F) when we started. Once we got onto Hemlock Road we rolled the windows down and enjoyed the ride. As we were tootling along, we saw a black snake lying in the road in front of us. Of course we had to stop and take a few pictures. This one measured about 1.2 meters (4 foot) and was taking up most of this narrow dirt road. After we took pictures and lectured the critter on road safety, I shooed it off the road by gently pushing it with a stick. The snake was very obliging and went off to the side. A short distance further along we spotted a porcupine who had been chewing on a wooden sign. He started to move away when he realized we were there but I was lucky enough to get some video footage which I will post a link to below.
We didn’t do any POTA activations yesterday or tofay but I am hoping to get out this weekend. As always, I have my Yaesu FTM-400 on in the car and keep it on 146.520 MHz. I also have it sending updates to APRS if anyone wants to track me.
Enough for now. I have to play adult tomorrow and Thursday so I am goinf to relax now. Namaste, kidlets and keep your reality in line with real life.
A rather formidable black snakeA closer look at the snake
Hi kidlets. It is a good day as I am off tonight. The temperature is currently 16 C (60 F) and the sky is starting to cloud up to fulfill the promise of rain later tonight and tomorrow. The cats are doing cat things. Kalamazoo is sitting on the counter staring at me. Yes, they have been fed.
I activated State Game Land PA 230 US-8927 today. The part of the game land I was at is on top of the hill at Waggoners Gap where the hawk watch is. There is a nice parking lot they just built/improved. It was quiet up there except for the traffic on the nearby road. I was able to work 15 contacts on 40M and 17M in the course of 1/2 hour. Not the greatest rate but the bands were very “iffy”. There were no signs of critters or birds around (I didn’t even see any buzzards flying) which I attribute to the weather. I am sure on a better or more Spring-like day there will be lots of them around.
Before I left, I put out a couple of calls on 2M simplex. I used the (GASP) sacred frequency of 146.520 MHz. I didn’t receive any replies but I did offer to log anyone as a contact on 2 M. Ok, this will open a can of worms but remember this is my opinion. I use 146.520 (which has been suggested as the “national calling frequency” by a large ham radio association) quite often. I have QSOs on the way to work and I monitor it when I am travelling. There are those who will say that it shouldn’t be used as it is for calling. Well, 1. there is nothing in the FCC regulations which designates it so and 2. If no one uses it then what good does it do to monitor it? I believe it should be used. If someone needs to call a specific station or wants to say something on the frequency they can just break in as you do on a repeater. Consider this: it is pretty much the default simplex frequency on any radio. Most people leave it as such. One time, I was the EC (ARES Emergency Coordinator) for the county I was living it and I held a drill. It took the form of a message relayed from one end of the county and then back again. I took some grief from an OF who said that he refused to use the frequency and I was not just wrong but also mentally deficient for even suggesting it. Yup, I ignored him as hard as I could. My point is that if you are operating in a legal and sound manner, then it is not “off limits”
Ok. Time to descend from the soapbox and drink some coffee. As always, I invite any comments on my posts. Have a nice evening and namaste y’all.
Moxie, Ollie and Missy at PA230This could be considered as a bit spookyA cool looking tree
Sitting here and trying to unwind, but I am sure the coffee doesn’t help. lol Yesterday was pretty good and today, in contrast, wasn’t that great, though it has/had some up notes. First off, I will dispense with the ups and downs of today before I delve into yesterday.
Today started out pretty mellow. We went grocery shopping for us and my mother-in-law. That didn’t take long and we then had an early lunch at the Blain Hotel And Family Restaurant. Their special today was patty melts and they were good. After we got home I decided that it was time to tackle Satan’s Putting Green as it was getting a bit long and ragged since the last mowing. As I was mowing, SWMBO made manifest an herculean effort to cut back the bamboo; the same bamboo I mentioned before. She got a good bit of it done and when I finished the mowing I pitched in and we took down some more of that dreaded weed.
Finished with the yard work we decided to head over to Newville to the store for a few random things. Route 233 over Doubling Gap, though the shortest and most direct way, is clogged up with a construction project that has miles of one lane road and long delays. We took another route, 74 over Waggoners Gap and across Bloserville Road and Creek Road. No problems. We arrived and did our shopping. Then the return trip. This was sort of a colossal waste of time. We made it back up to Waggoners gap with no issues and down the other side into Perry County. At the bottom, right before a road we could have taken to detour if it wasn’t blocked, a farm trailer which had been filled with manure was laying on its side on a diagonal blocking the road. Shit! (pun intended). Ok, we turned around, went back over the gap and took 944 towards Sterrets Gap. We got stuck behind a car which varied from 5 to 10 MPH (8 to 16 KPH) below the speed limit. We finally got home after an extra 45 minutes of travel and put our semi-thawed stuff in the freezer.
Now I am relaxing. Sorry about the bitching. lol
Yesterday after a trip into Carlisle for some necessary stuff, I activated PA-088 State Game Land US-8787. I got set up rather quickly and got on the air on 40M. The temperature was a balmy 22.22 C (72F) and I left the doors and hatch open. Aside from traffic roaring by, it was a nice spot to sit. Within 9 minutes I had my 10 contacts to make it a bona fide activation. I ended up working a total of 24 stations in about 32 minutes. I headed home and then we ran some errands. Then last night I tuned to 7.245 MHz and immediately worked the W9IMS special Event Station! I have mentioned this event in previous years but I will summarize here to make it unnecessary to look my posts up. Every year W9IMS runs a 3-part special event starting with the Indianapolis Grand Prix followed by the Indianapolis 500 and finishing with the Brickyard 400. You can receive QSL cards for each individual event or, if you work all 3 you can get a certificate. More information can be found on http://www.qrz.com and look up W9IMS.
Yesterday I was able to hear Red-Eyed Vireos, Black-Throated Green Warblers, Chipping Sparrows. Ovenbirds and Belted Kingfishers.
All in all, yesterday was a better day than today and a good time was had by all. Namaste, kids and keep on keeping on even when things are not perfect. 🙂
Missie, Moxie and Ollie at SGL 088
Some violets growing in the game landScout and I chilling
Nature, Radio, and Me 