Cape Cod National Seashore

Today I went to Wellfleet to see the Amateur Radio operation to commemorate the Cape Cod National Seashore and its 50 year history.
I had made contact on 40 meters earlier and it was a peaceful drive from Marion to Wellfleet. That is to say we didn't get blown off the road by the gusts of wind. I think the weather was approaching a gale and the rain was heavy at times too.
Arriving at the site of operation I was impressed with the setup. Two longwire antennas fed with ladder line. One for voice and one for CW. The stations were manned and operating and the guests were taking the tour in spite of the weather.
Look at http://www.qrz.com and put KW1CC in the search box located in the upper left corner of the page.
These types of events are a strong draw to the local historic sites and the special events for the public.
Well Done to the Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club!

A Romp Outside

Both Archie and Minnie have had their time with the snow. Archie is a little more adventurous than Minnie but neither really like to go out in it.  

After a quick "Out" they come in for a treat and to get ears and feet back to the proper temperature.

As long as I can stay on top it ain't bad out here.

Where is the grass?

The Chronicles of Minnie and Archie

Archie and Minnie have spent the last few months getting to know each other. We expected a little discourse along the way and that's exactly what we got. Very little. There is the normal feeding hassle and the space hassle and then the who's first hassle and too the who sleeps where hassle and it keeps going on and on. As you can see from the pictures, the arguments are getting fewer and fewer and they are settling down and becoming more the companions and less the adversaries.

The Chronicles of Minnie and Archie

Nero

To start out, there is no feeling better than that which accompanies the acquisition of a new puppy. They come with no fear, no inhibitions and no expectations. This was what our family had with Nero. Jean purchased him at a pet store in Mattapoisett in 2004. He was a Chihuahua/MinPin mix and a real trooper. 5 years and a couple of months later he was hit by a car. The loss to the family was big but not near as noticeable as the loss to Jean. This tragic event left a hole in the family that needed to be filled. We went to the various pet stores in the area and, of those that carried pups, the prices were out of range. The store where Nero was purchased was no longer in business. We went to our other resource. . . the internet.

Minnie

Over the next few weeks we visited many shelters and rescue organizations and found a Chihuahua in Fall River at "Forever Paws". The cage was so big and the dog was so small. We applied and a week later received the call to pick her up. We call her Minnie and she soon took over the house - lock, stock and barrel. It's kind of like getting a used car; Nice on the outside but what's under the hood. Well, she has been here 4 months and she is home.

Archie

Yesterday we went to Plainfield, CT to a parking lot to pick up a Chihuahua being shipped from Tennessee by "Almost Home Pet Foundation". We have named him Archie. Reasoning suggests that for each "Nero Wolfe" there is an "Archie Goodwin" and we had "Nero Woof" and now we have "Archie Gooddog". He likes to go out and is investigating everything all the time, except when asleep. He is not a real big fan of the snow but I don't think he has seen much of the white stuff before now and it won't be around much longer.

Archie is a curious guy.

I must say this about the transport company. P.E.T.S LLC (Peterson Express Transport Service) (https://www.petsllc.org/index.php) was efficient, courteous, and well presented. Archie arrived in perfect shape and clean. I must say I had some reservations about the transportation but after having contact with the service all reservations I may have had are gone.

We have two dog's now. They don't take up much room but they seem to control their situation. I recommend the use of these rescue groups if you are looking for a dog.

1st Snow of 2009

We woke up this morning to the first measurable snow of 2009. Kind of pretty but it was one of those slushy ones that froze over the night. Still, it was the first snow of 2009

Black and White

I received this in an email from a very dear friend today and it really seems we have lost something over the past few decades. We have however, received a good dose of "Political Correctness" as compensation.
Regards,
Fred

"Good night and God bless.."
Go all the way to the bottom. I think you'll enjoy it. Whoever wrote this must have been my next door neighbor because it totally described my childhood to a 'T.' Hope you enjoy it.
Black and White (Under age 40? You won't understand.)
You could hardly see for all the snow,
Spread the rabbit ears as far as they go.
Pull a chair up to the TV set,
'Good Night, David. Good Night, Chet.'
My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning.
My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter and I used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice pack coolers, but I can't remember getting e.coli.
Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the river instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.
The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.
We all took gym, not PE...and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now.Flunking gym was not an option... even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.
Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention.
We must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then.
Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything.
I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.
I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.
Oh yeah... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
We played 'king of the hill' on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked.
Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.
We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either, because if we did we got our butt spanked there and then we got our butt spanked again when we got home.
I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off.
Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house.
Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.
To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family.
How could we possibly have known that?
We needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes.
We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!
How did we ever survive?
LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA. AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T, SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING!
Pass this to someone and remember that life's most simple pleasures are very often the best.

Sears Tower renamed to Willis Tower

Here we are in the Chicago area and enjoying our summer. Never let it be said that nothing of significance happens in Chicago. Today the highest landmark in the country, the Sears Tower, will be renamed the Willis Tower and I think it is a big thing. According to WLS radio in Chicago the nickname will be "The Big Willy". Change Happens!!

Regards,

Fred