Just checking up on you..... Haven't seen you post in ages!  

Very warm here in Ohio with strong thunderstorms expected.  Give us a shoutout to say "hi" and that you are okay.   Susan

Good morning Susan.  62 here this morn, very warm for this early.  Daughter got sick so we didn't get

to see our grands.  Was my wife's cousin that had cancer, not niece.   She died Friday night.  She was

a flower girl at our wedding in 74.  Feel bad for her husband, had a heart attack few weeks back.

Forgot to turn my radios off last night but my wife sortta figured it out and got it done.  I managed to

talk to my brother through the thick leaves for an hour yesterday.  I increased my transmit power from

160 watts to 650 watts with the larger amplifier I bought and got working this year.  I use a directional

10 element beam antenna I aim towards the repeater down in PA.  Few days I need to head back down

to the farm to help with stuff.  Glad my brother is mowing lawn this season.  I knew he could do it and

there's many other harder jobs I can do there both physically and mentally. 

I don't use my Cannon camera enough.  Found out I can get some really good cameras used when people

upgrade but don't make myself grab it and use it.  There's a younger Robin living on the ground underneath

our feeders, mom is still feeding it.  Would be tough to get a feeding photo, lot of patience.

Think the last time I flew was for work training in Kansas City in 2012.  My wife hasn't flown since we were in

the Army in 75, also to Missouri.  They lost her luggage for a couple days, really tough since she was flying with

our newborn daughter.  They lost my luggage for about 24 hours in 2005, needed all my luggage to ride a bike

back from near San Francisco.   All I know about the keys is the song.  Key largo, Mont-ego.  Something like that. 

I'm sure you guys will have fun, maybe hot but plenty of places to cool down.

I'm paying in the 60s for Merrick puppy food.  Look to my experienced canine friends for advise on healthy foods.

It was Foster and Smith for many years but Express Scripts bought them out to get the pet prescription business.

The dog food there was a very good deal so naturally they discontinued that part of the business.  I think the food

was healthier than most on the market today and charged about half as much.  There are two puppies growing fast

so they eat a lot of food.  I buy a case of canned food to mix with it every 4 weeks and 3 bags of treats.

I see the neighbors motion light is on so he's outside smoking.  Some doctor told him he's to old to worry about quitting,

though I think he's younger than me.  The addicted brain will grasp at anything it can to keep feeding the addiction, we

all know that.

Sounds like you're enjoying your retirement.  Enjoy today also.

Ernie

Bluebirds and barn swallows were competing for one of our bird houses, looks like the bluebirds won.

Usually when I think one of the chipmunks is back, there's 10 of them.

Enjoy the day Susan & Ernie. 

It was 91 yesterday. There was a halve marathon. A runner died from the heat, 32 y/o man.  More than a dozen hospitalized. You think you are doing something healthy, but need to be wary of the heat and humidity.

About the same today, then it will cool off. 

Paul

Good morning Paul.  49 here this morn, cooled down.  I spent lot of the time

in the basement working on a 2 or 3 year old project.  Upstairs has ac though.

Feel bad for the man that died so young.  My wife's cousin died of cancer Friday

night, she was 55.  Even that seems young to me now.

I did find a couple bad components in our Kenwood stereo amplifier.  Have to order

the parts and wait now.  Our last electronics store closed down last year.  These

specialized parts would have to be ordered there anyway, if they had a source. 

Groceries today and have to plan a day for the farm again in the next few days.

My brother wants to rent a lift to put up a wire ham radio antenna.  Very extravagant.

Should see if I can get my compound bow on the bike somewhere.  I have a fishing

arrow that allows me to shoot a string up over the trees and pull a wire up over them.

Bikes corner hard, leave and stop fast.  Everything on it has to be secured very well.

I'm guessing you weren't in the marathon, so you aren't hurt.

Enjoy the day, cooled now.

Ernie

Wire ham radio antenna.

good morning all....hoping all of you are staying healthy....got my  shingles shot yesterday......a little late but at least it is done....staying pretty much isolated except for our family....keep yourself smoke free....and enjoy life.....

Good morning Ernie,

Sad to hear about your wife's cousin. Yes, 55 is young especially nowadays.

It cooled down here also. Yes, any race over 4-5 miles would not include me.

Interesting diagram. Once the wires are up, would the antenna need to be anchored to the roof?

Enjoy the day everyone.

Paul

Good morning Kitty and Paul.  About the same as yesterday morn, 49 here.  I went on one of the runs once,

found out I was going much slower than the people that run them.  I jogged about 4.5 miles every morning

before work.  From 07 to 16, when I had to switch to walking, I had dogs with me.  Made it a much better thing.

But a lot of pain goes along with it when your close friends die.

The wire antenna diagram is just an example.  One of my antennas is hooked to our chimney like that, but I have

three wire antennas up.  So 6 ends to tie off.  The lower the frequency, the longer the antenna elements, so at 1.8

Megahertz the whole antenna is around 230 feet long.  From 14 MHz to 440 MHz I use aluminum beam antennas

that have to be turned towards the receiving station or repeater in that area.  One end of the very long antenna goes

off my property but haven't gotten in trouble yet.  It does look like I can secure my compound bow to my motorcycle,

just makes it a little harder to get on and off the bike.  I'm reluctant to leave anything valuable at the farm since my

brother doesn't have a will and his wife has lots of adult kids ready to swoop in.  They've had trouble with some of

them already.  I bought my bow just for launching antennas, I don't bow hunt. 

Glad we are smoke free.  I tend to take it for granted these days but it's still not automatic.  Might get reminded of

that if I have to live through worse mental trauma than I have these last 15 years.  One daughter at 14 years today, I

give her a congrats card every year.  Kitty, Brian must be in an outdoor project by now, wish him luck.  I have our

pool open but only at around 71 degrees last I looked, not warm enough for me yet.  Mower maintenance and mowing

in full season.

Have a good day all.

Ernie

Not my antenna but same one I use from 14 MHz to 30 MHz.

Thank you, Miss Kitty, for your posting ~

I probably need to add that to my list.  I had a former PCP tell me that I should not get the injection....but apparently that is when they were using a live vaccine?   I'm not sure.  I had shingles when I was pregnant with my first child (age 28)  It was short lived but a little scary since I was pregnant. 

I guess I shall look into it.  Have a lovely day.  I'm off on a jet plane very soon.

((hugs)) Susan

Dear Sensational Senior friends and all of those who may lurk about,

I will soon be leaving on a jet plane (I'm sure that was a song once upon a lifetime ago) and head to the Florida Keys (Islamorada, if the spelling is correct).   Compliments of my youngest daughter and her husband.  I've always wanted to visit the Keys and here I go.  Snorkeling, sandbar, KeyWest, with its roosters and six toed cats and staying at a posh resort.  Just what I need.

I will see you all on the "flip side" of a week's vacay.  ((hugs))  Susan

As always, keep the faith and stay smoke free!

s 

A Northern Flicker graced our oriole feeder this morning!