MY POST AT THE FAIRE ... ONLY DAMN PIC I GOT ... WHAT A FUN, BUSY , AND COLD WEEKEND

Aurora On HF CW signal

http://www.youtube.com/user/NG9D?feature=mhee#p/u/12/K8zOLNNVBEs

Click on the link to see a you-tube video of a QSO between NG9D (Lynn) and W7WEL (Yours truly)..  
 Date of QSO: 10/24/11
QTH was Plainfield, IL 

Wood Rat Prose...

A Bit of Nostalgia

By

Bill Linn - North Idaho

Oftentimes I catch myself reminiscing — lately, more often than not. Only yesterday I heard a redwing blackbird calling from the willows along the slough below my house. Closing my eyes, I was whisked away once again to the days of my youth. I was chasing around the millpond, beside the rivers, and up and down the dusty roads in Tom Sawyer fashion.
Then, drifting on to another time, another place, I heard the calling of a whippoorwill from the woods across a field of sedge — just beyond that ancient fence of rail and stone. And in the new, warm evening dusk a foggy mist had gathered in the low places, adding a special aura to the sound of foxes barking along the creek.
The moon had risen from its hiding place among the hills. Those slight clouds scudding across her face seemed to suggest a smile — as if she was pleased with herself for once again chasing the bitter sun into the horizon and beyond.
From a piney ridge to the West came the call of the great horned owl. He fluffed his feathers and stretched his wings, then sailed out into the slivery moonlight, pumped up to an altitude that gave command of the terraces curling lazily around the pond. From here he struck terror in the little field mouse and kangaroo rat as they scurried about looking for tender buds and shoots.
And just beyond that mound of sticks and mud, the muskrat left a trailing arc of gentle wake that slowly washed into the reeds, causing moonbeams to dance their way up to the very muzzle of a timid deer pausing to drink.
I saw the fireflies as they went — marking out a pattern on the warm night breeze, a breeze that caused a murmur among the leaves of the locust trees.
I heard the night sounds of the katydid, the cricket, the tree frog in the well-house, and all the little flying creatures - blending together in a symphony that rose slowly in volume until it could no longer go unnoticed.
Yes, my friend, nostalgia is the bitters that comes of change, so often accompanied by a lump in the throat - the welling of tears as the soul weeps for those moments to once again be real. The vagaries of the past, they come and go, leaving me with those distant scenes that catch and pull upon the very corners of my heart.

The Wood Rat Moves In

Is this a friendly encounter, or what?

SOMETHING FUN TO DO

HOWSIT ?

I HAVE FOUND A HOBBY THAT WORKS WELL INTO THE WOOD RAT M.O.

WWW.GEOCACHING.COM

TYPE IN YOUR ZIP AND GET STARTED . IF YOU RESEARCH WELL USING THE SAT MAP YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A GPS FOR ALOT OF THEM. THE FREE MEMBERSHIP IS ALL ONE NEED'S TO GET STARTED . I HAVE FOUND ALOT ALREADY IT IS FUN .

SO WHEN YOUR OUT AND ABOUT WHY NOT ADD A TREASURE HUNT ALONG THE WAY

GEOCACHE YOU'LL BE SUPRISED HOW MANY LITTLE TRESURES YOU HAVE PASSED BY IN A DAY . 73 TO YOU ALL

The Great Outdoors

So here's a closeup of the "Camp Antenna" that I cobbled together at the last minute before our trip up to Lost Lake. I used a leftover PVC "T" and a short hunk of pipe that I had in my junk pile.  I added an eye bolt and few other nuts and bolts along with a couple of wing nuts and some big flat washers.

Then I clamped the two legs of the dipole to the two leads of the ladder line and taped the feed line to the bottom hunk of pipe for support.

 

Then I had to think outside the box and improvise because the balun I had planned to use was bad.  So I just stuck one end of the feed line into the center of the SO 239 connector on the rear of my auto tuner and hooked the other side of the feed line to the ground lug.  In other words... I Wood Ratted it!

And it tuned up just fine and I was on the air from the Great Outdoors.

Here's the station as I had it set up on the picnic table in camp.

Here's me and our Golden Retriever "Teva" talking to the world.

Lori is a good cook even if she has to use a camp fire.

That's a New York strip steak along with veggies and a baked potato.

Here's a shot of our Wood Ratty RV.  We call her "Belle"

But all good things must come to an end.

Here's Lori and Stoli and Teva as we're about to head for home.

More Woodrat Gathering Photos

Bob checking out his camera.

Miss Lori.  (Just practicing?)

Frank's tent was the common gathering place for the 'Rats.

Some Rat Killin' takin place here!  Bill, Jeff, Lori, Allen, and Frank (L to R)

Bob, Lori, Ann Marie

Jeff, Bob and Lori

The Potholes..

Front - Stoli  Middle- Jeff and Carol, Top- Bill and Lori