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Bountiful Harvest

 Supper yesterday brought back fond memories. It wasn’t the aroma of my fine cooking. It wasn’t the company. I was dining alone. It was the burger that I was preparing.  That good, lean deer burger.  That burger touched me far deeper than filling up a hollow spot in my gut.

 Last fall was the first time in ten years that I ventured back into the woods to hunt. I won’t delve into the reasons why. Honestly I’m still unclear as to the why and how that I lost my hunting spot. However, I finally decided to use what I had. That little plot of ground that my old man bought back in the late 60s. It wasn’t the large acreage that I was used to but it was mine.

 I spent the time to scout that little plot. There was plenty of sign. I knew the deer had always been there. Now the question would be if I would be fortunate enough to harvest one. The answer to that was yes! That deer has been such a blessing. Not only has it fed me, but also fed several other folks as well. It was shared with four other families.

 That, my friends is what it’s all about. Sharing the harvest. Making memories while on the hunt. Remembering those times from the past spent hunting. The ones you love who are no longer here. Hunting is so much more than just killing. It’s a respect for the wildlife. A respect for the earth. A respect for our ancestors.

 Hopefully you see that all of these things are what makes the harvest bountiful.

 

Ronman

Definitely Maybe Not

 Thoughts fill our minds. Much like an abundant bounty at harvest time. We see all the good possibilities it has to offer. This is much of what we’ve longed for.  All the ingredients are there. Go for it. This must be it?

 Wait! Is the distance too far? Will you truly be able to get your money’s worth? Is it worth the gamble. There is that one ingredient that adds a bitter taste.  People, other people. They should add the spice to life, yet mostly it’s a bitter barely sweet.

 Thoughts scream YES! But wait. What if? Looks like more of the same. The numbers appeal. Resources close by entice. In the shadows the responsibilities tap their toe. Reminding you of their importance.  You deserve this. Do you deserve this? 

 Time will only tick away. Never can we stop it. Soon I’ll take the test and see how it feels. Will the fit be snug? Will the fit be me? Not until the boot is upon the foot will I be able to wiggle my toes. Only then will I determine if it’s snug. If it’s loose. If it’s the perfect fit.

Falling Stars and Shooting Lightning Bugs

 The image sits quietly in the spot I store it. Suddenly something  brings it forward. How is it that it raises it’s head at the most inappropriate of times?  Catching you off guard like a submerged log waiting for a lower unit to claim. The place is always there, in memory at least.

 Going home isn’t ever the same. No matter how long it’s been since the last visit. Sure those memories flash before us. Yet I we can never quite make them out clearly.  We can always tell the stories. Perhaps the flavors are added to spice things up. Somehow the details are a bit cloudy.

We reach for them. Like swinging the badmidden racket at the lightning bugs. You swing and swing. Suddenly you contact one. You know this because the light stays on as it falls dying to the ground. Much like shooting stars. A wish! Why didn’t we ever make a lightning bug wish? We wish on the falling stars.

I don’t know if any of my wishes ever came true. At the time they were important. Now, all these years later they fall into just a pool of spent wishes. Not even in the hindsight that’s 20/20 can I see them. It’s that fog. The wishes make up that fog that clouds the memories.

Sometimes it’s about listening

Ham Radio is all about communicating. We set up our stations and then communicate with each other.  Our signals travel across town, across the state, across the country, and across the world. We use various modes, FM, AM, CW, and other Digital modes. However, it’s not always about transmitting.

Sometimes you can get as much enjoyment from simply listening.  I often listen on my nightly 480 mile commute.  I’ve been tuning down on the bottom of 40 meters and listening to some fast CW. Want to build your code speed? I suggest doing this. Sure you won’t copy everything, but who cares. It’s pushing yourself that builds your speed. Before you know it you’ll be copying 20 plus words a minute.

Sometimes listening can take you back. Take this morning. I was listening to my normal repeater to some folks talking about the past. Hams who are now silent keys came up. I was fortunate enough to have known some of the people they were discussing. Characters one and all.

Ham radio is about helping others along the way.  These folks I listened to this morning had been Hams for many years. 50, 25, 20 years respectively. Think of all the changes they’ve seen. Wow, I just realized I’m working on my 17th year as a ham. Guess I’ve been around a while too.

What have you listened to recently?  Sometimes sitting quietly and paying attention to what’s being said around you can be very entertaining.

Ronman

Twenty Watts and a Wire

That’s what I often use to work the world. My Ten-Tec Argonaut V puts out twenty watts on all the HF bands. Couple that with my wire antenna and I’m ready to communicate with the world. Granted I’ve used more output that that. I’ve also used far less.

I’ve gotten extremely active again in Ham Radio. This has been a lifelong love affair for me. It allows me to focus. Focus on learning. Focus on helping others. Focus on having fun.  After all, isn’t having fun what living is all about?

You may find it strange or unappealing to learn Morse Code and use it to communicate with strangers all over the globe. I find it therapeutic.  I find it a means of crossing the language borders. Some may think I have an accent. Pfft. I’m from the South. I don’t have an accent. Everyone else has an accent.

I suppose the point to all this is that it’s the little things that can bridge the deepest voids. Using a form of communication from years ago. Transmitting a signal via a simple wire strung up in the air. Making a short contact with someone who’s political leaders don’t see eye to eye with my own views. These are little things. However, they let two people span the globe to create a friendship via the shared passion of Ham Radio.

Do something small today that will make a world of difference.

Ronman

Testing Two Too To 2 Twins Doubles

Sending some words simply to see if the changes I’m trying to make are working. This has only been a test. As you were.

Test

Testing for a test for testing purposes only. This is only a test.

Some Things to Ponder

The recent events have had the world in a buzz of debate. No where has this been more prevalent than in social media. Sitting back and reading so much information has my mind wondering about many different things.  I want to spend a little time putting the thoughts floating around my mind into words.

First, let me state that I will not be using the names of any of the people who committed these crimes.  I feel that they are a waste of human flesh.  They are vile and despicable.  Instead I will be writing some of my thoughts on these horrific tragedies.

In times such as these we hear people screaming out for gun control. They feel that if we take away firearms that these things won’t happen. Well here’s something to stew over. Recently I heard an interview on a late night talk show about all this. The person being interviewed stated that since the 1950s  only one of these mass killings had taken place in a location that permitted people to legally carry firearms for personal protection.  Makes you stop and think for a minute, doesn’t it?

Here is something else to think about. The Aurora shooter had seven theaters in his area. Of those seven, only one didn’t allow people to legally carry their firearms for personal protection.  The one he chose was this theater. It wasn’t the one closest to his home.

Let us take a minute to look at some other methods used for these mass murders. One of the first I can remember used Koolaid.  Granted it didn’t occur in the United States. However, it did involve Americans. Remember Oklahoma City? Fertilizer and a rental truck was the weapon.  We all know where we were on 11 September 2001. Box cutters were used to kill thousands.

Here are a couple other examples of objects that kill. Automobiles, that’s right. In my home state of Tennessee alone there have been over 950 deaths on the highways this year. That’s just one state.  How about drugs?  Both legal and illegal drugs kill people.

I don’t recall seeing any outcry in the mainstream media to ban Koolaid, fertilizer, rental trucks, box cutters or motor vehicles. Do you?  Prescription medications and alcohol are the two substances that are most abused and addictive in this country. Yet we have people wanting to legalize more drugs all the time.

I have read where people are ranting that if we only allowed knives there wouldn’t be any deaths from these types of crimes. I don’t even have to struggle to find examples that contradict this. In Nashville alone I can think of four people who’s lives were taken away from them by stabbings.

In all of this there is one common denominator. Criminals!  Criminals are the problem. They will find a means to carry out their plans using any method. Many of these individuals are mentally ill. How about we rally behind getting mental health care available for everyone. Take care of this one issue first. Fill in these cracks we keep hearing about.  More good would come from this than any other. Focus on the problem.

There has been something else that keeps coming to mind during all this. Just an observation. It seems to me that the people who are the most vocal about being anti-gun are also the people who seem to be the most vocal in support of abortion.  They want to take away law-abiding citizen’s second amendment right yet they are okay with taking the life of a child in the womb.

Before you start lashing out at me, I’m not judging anyone here. I’m simply putting into words the things that I’ve been thinking about and observing. I don’t even want to begin to think about what someone who’s made that choice has to deal with the rest of their life.

Don’t you think it’s time we focus on the people committing these crimes?  If we can ever do this instead of focusing on the objects used to carry out the crimes, then we can truly make some progress.  These people are criminals. They think that the laws don’t apply to them. If need be, they don’t use legal methods to obtain these objects.  Think about  it. Does having a drug be illegal prevent people from obtaining them?

Just some things to ponder on.

 

Ronman

Focus on not be…

“Focus on not being so focused and just let it flow”

Ronman Dec. 5, 2012

Waiting Excitedly

I still get anxious while waiting for something to show up in the mail. In this day of instant gratification it’s fun to slow things down.

Currently I’m expecting three items. One is a book written by the talented Jack Reipe.  His writing style suites me well. His humor kills me. I can’t wait to read his latest work cover to cover.

The second item is a replacement bracket for a two meter mobile radio. The radio bug has bitten me once again. I’m knocking the dust off some old gear and getting radio active.

The third item is from a very beautiful lady. I don’t know about you but when a gorgeous woman asks if she can send me “something special”, I say yes ma’am.

How about you? Are you waiting on something to be delivered?  Do you like the excitement of the anticipation? Share your thoughts on this with us.

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