Ham

My amateur radio license is up for renewal this year, and a requirement is to have been on the air a certain number of hours. Although my equipment has languished, and the antenna has come down a few times, when I fired it up today, all was well, and I had a chat with a chap named Artie near Capetown, South Africa. (On 15 meters, Koof.) I had forgotten the magic of world-wide communication without wires. It will be easier to get back to it now, and rack up the requisite hours.
Part of the reason for my inactivity on the airwaves is the inanity of many of the American hams. Now that the sunspots are plentiful the signal goes around the world and the hobby becomes interesting again. I am becoming eager to brush up my Morse code (have practice mp3s in my mp3 player) and "work dx." [In the interest of full disclosure, I admit that I can be inane myself. ]

Grandma guards the crease

Owen's preferred hockey opponent is Grandma, even though she insisted on moving the rink outdoors yesterday into the 75-degree warmth. He continues to play hockey at any opportunity, and has done so for a long time. I am afraid there may be early mornings and large disbursements in the McGraths' future.
Previous to this contest Owen's mom brought him to join us at "Maine Walks for Haiti" on the Back Bay Trail in Portland. Lovely day for a good cause, and Owen slept a lot of the way in the stroller so as to prepare for the hockey game that followed.
Nice Mothers' Day brunch at Mae's today!

Let's make a movie

Ever since my days as Miss Movietime at the Camden Courier-Post, I have wanted to make a movie. Yet I had in mind no subject worth treating. But now I do, and I would like to invite blog readers to join me in collecting footage for this musical.
My working title is The Avoirdupois Waltz. Footage will consist of obese persons gliding around supermarkets and Walmarts in motorized carts.
I believe these carts were originally provided for disabled folks, but those people are out of luck, as the tubs roll in and grab every one. Brave new world!
Anyone who can furnish video of such activities will get a movie credit.

Our Post Cards

The mighty Marcus Hanna steamed up the river this afternoon with a load of buoys. It has a lot of superstructure and was pitching a bit as it approached The Crotch. Wonder how it does at sea.
It has been a blessing to have the Coast Guard house next to us empty for so long. Even though many of the tenants have been good folk, there is always a startup issue or two, and sometimes things have been unpleasant. On the positive side, I did get a chance to shoot a paintball gun two occupants ago.

Mooning again

Tonight there was a huge moon -- as close to earth as it gets in a year. So, having picked wrong on the Derby, and having slugged a couple of mint juleps, and having eaten a succulent beef dinner, Grandma and I drove south and scaled majestic Higgins Mountain to catch sight of the big fat moon. It sneaked up on us, as the evening was still quite light and there were a few clouds, but eventually we tracked it, and it was indeed huge. Look how it compares with man's crowning achievement, the cell tower.
Be of good cheer, you who haven't yet mooned. There's a world down here.

Bleed no more

A letter today from the Red Cross informed me that the blood I had donated last month tested positive for HCV (Hepatitis C), and although subsequent tests indicated that the first test was a false positive and I had no infection (not being a dabbler in street drugs), I would be ineligible to donate blood in the future.
I have been giving blood twice a year since 1970. I can't say it is a lot of fun, but it has always seemed worthwhile, sometimes interesting,  and I am curiously disappointed that I can't do it again. It feels like a kind of dishonorable discharge, though I did nothing wrong, and my blood was almost certainly the pristine A+ it has always been.

Ah, well, time to look for another thing to donate. Hmmmm

River newcomer

On this chilly damp day, the little tug Kennebec went down river, apparently bearing a pilot, for soon up the river came something new to us: a container ship called the Coastal Venture.  Always good to see action on the Kennebec, and something new.

Donald Beaton, having sold his place on the Kennebec last Friday, today bought himself a late model Toyota Yaris. Look out.