Bye Bye Blog!
Written Sunday - 03/30/25 04:00 PM
Well, I mentioned that the Germany trip may signal the end of the blog and that is
going to be the case. This is the official last blog post for HutchDeLoach.com
I want to spend some more time in other areas but the blog has been a highly demanding
pursuit. For that reason, I'm going to call it a day in the blogging arena and
spend some time in other areas. Good bye, or as we say in the ham radio world, 73's.
Food
Published for Monday - March 31, 2025
Written Saturday - 03/29/25 06:40 AM
Well, as promised, Jonathan came over yesterday and took us all out to lunch for a bite of Mexican cuisine. And, Boy, was it ever good.
We all dug into our favorites and ate to our hearts content. Like I said, was it ever good!
It was lots of fun to introduce Jonathan to Patty's new swing and provide both of them with a chance to enjoy it together.
We talked about our upcoming trip to Germany. I have no idea how that is going to fit in with my blog, but I'm thinking that the blog will go silent sometime before we leave and may or may not return thereafter.
I guess we'll see...
1400
Published for Sunday - March 30, 2025
Written Wednesday - 03/26/25 07:00 PM
This is post number 1400. It means that I have produced 1400 posts since starting this blog. I know that keeping count is a nerdy thing to do.
It's like so many other nerdy things I do (like memorizing PI out to 50 digits.)
Jonathan DeLoach
Published for Saturday - March 29, 2025
Written Friday - 03/28/25 04:45 PM
Our amazing son came over to join us for the afternoon and took us out for lunch. The lunch meal was Mexican.
I had my old standby (Shrimp Fajita Nachos - pictured above) and the others got some equally good looking meals. Included were some equally good looking dessert plates, filled with the best flan that I've ever had.
The meal place for the day was El Patrons which seems to be one of our favorite Mexican hangouts.
Jonathan joined us back at the house for some wonderful fellowship and about 4:30 PM we called it a day. Can't wait to do that again. We missed seeing our daughter-in-law (Amy) but it was great to have some one-on-one time with our son, Jonathan. The conversation, the food, and the company were all awesome!
Leaf Blowing and Grass Cutting
Published for Friday - March 28, 2025
Written Thursday - 03/27/25 02:00 PM
Well, the guys made it out today as promised and blew the leaves and cut the grass. I don't mind saying that I always feel like I'm chasing the guys around.
I have to sort of act proactive or I fear out needs won't be met. That's not a feeling but rather a proven fact. I'm always getting text message apologies about how busy they are staying or have been, as if that explains everything and removes all responsibility.
They just moved back to the back yard and are blowing leaves right outside my office window. They did a very nice job on Patty's garden and are following up on the back yard.
Honestly, I'm looking forward to paying them and wishing them well so that Patty and I can go out to her garden area, sit in the swing, and enjoy all of the guys handiwork. (And that's exactly what we did.)
Swing
Published for Thursday - March 27, 2025
Written Tuesday - 03/26/25 04:20 PM
Well, as planned, we had a swing installed in the garden area. Things did not go as planned, but I doubt they ever do.
Mike (our handyman) brought Andrew with him to assist. I have no idea why I keep wanting to call him Daniel. In fact, he mentioned that I was not the first person to call him Daniel.
Perhaps it was a fluke brought on by cousins Daniel and Andrew (as in Johnson.)
Mike cut down a limb or two or three as requested and the tree sure looks better.
Finding the swing was probably the most difficult task. I went to Walmart and Lowes with no success, and after much difficulty found a place called Marvin's and wound up buying a very nice swing from them.
Kudos to the fine two ladies who worked at length to help me find the place! They sure were kind and went way beyond the call of duty to assist me.
Changes Coming
Published for Wednesday - March 26, 2025
Written Tuesday - 03/25/25 08:10 AM
A lot going on in the upcoming days. Tomorrow, Wednesday, we're going to put up a swing for Patty. The day after, on Thursday, we're going to have the leaves blown and grass cut (where it's needed) and next month (April) we're traveling over seas to visit the kids and grandkids in Germany.
Like I said, a lot of (and all of it good) stuff going on in the upcoming days. Patty and I are saying an extra prayer that Lily the cat will do well with Mike and his wife for those 2+ weeks. Lily the cat is going to be in a different world for those 2+ weeks and I'm sure some adjustment will be required. Hang in there Lily!
I'm really looking forward to enjoying Patty's swing with her. And its arrival couldn't come at a better time of year than this spring. It will be a delight to enjoy the new canopy of leaves up in the trees where the swing will be mounted.
The Chosen - Season 5
Published for Tuesday - March 25, 2025
Written Sunday - 03/23/25 06:50 AM
I see that Season 5 is getting ready to premier. That's season 5 of The Chosen.
I just checked and about 9 months ago I watched the last episode of season 4. It was a powerful episode that included the raising of Lazarus.
I know that everyone involved in the production has to do all they can to maintain interest in the filming of each season but all I can say is bring on the next episode. Or, in this case, bring on the next season.
Dallas Jenkins is the director and has also done a good job in that role. Unfortunately he has been too involved in the marketing of the film for my taste and that has done nothing to make a positive contribution in that area. I'm also not a big fan of the fact that the production is now being released in theaters.
Still, it's a powerful story and told from a wonderful perspective. I'm not caught up in the background story, as are so many. I would rather just see the next season.
Unlike so many other productions they've done a wonderful job of maintaining consistency among the characters. The three parts of the movie, Atlas Shrugged comes to mind as a production that struggled in that area.
I suspect part of the reason they have done so well in that arena is because they don't have any real big names. The one exception to that is Jonathan Roumie and he is likely spiritually committed to the production - especially since it has done so much for his acting career.
Chalk Talk
Published for Monday - March 24, 2025
Written Saturday - 03/22/25 08:20 AM
My sweet wife and I are holding a conversation on the walls of our workout room. We're doing it in chalk on the walls.
It's a conversation we've held many times before but never in chalk on the walls of our running and weight lifting room. It's a convesation that we've held with our voices. Only recently has my beautiful bride moved the conversation with chalk and to the workout room walls.
The conversation is actually a friendly debate. It's a debate as to who loves the other person more (or most.) In fact, that's exactly how the debate runs.
Love you most! Love you more! Not possible! Oh Yeah! (I added this last one very recently. It doesn't really hold true to the rest of the debate. It's actually a pretty weak response if I do say so myself.) Quick! I better give a better response or I'm liable to lose the entire debate.
Allie's Books
Published for Sunday - March 23, 2025
Written Friday - 03/21/25 05:30 PM
Allie produced a really nice homemade book for Patty. She wrote each page and pasted pictures to go with what she was talking about.
She also just mailed another one and we received it today. It was a smaller book about what's going on at the Snow house this Spring (including our visit.)
Patty was kind enough to read it aloud to me and we both really enjoyed it. It was so nice to hear about the cats and the addition of Link to Noah's ownership. If Link is real active, Noah is going to call him Hyper-Link. That's a pretty funny and original idea.
I wasn't kidding the other day when I commented about all of the other members of our family and how good they are at writing. In her latest book, Allie shared about a walk that she and Noah took and when all was said and done, I felt like I had been on the walk with both of them.
On an unrelated note, I was so sure that using my plain old prescription glasses (the ones I purchased before the need arose for Prism's) for my computer needs was going to be excellent and very workable. But now the reality is kicking in for the big difference that rested eyes makes.
I'm using my latest purchase (with the prism prescription) and I'm seeing perfectly. I went to a monitor so I could see my computer screen better, but a lot depends upon the software I'm using and whether or not each software package allows me to zoom in a bit to be able to read and write a lot better.
For example, I type in notepad for blogging and use a browser for most everything else. Both allow me to adjust the size of my text, which is a great convenience.
Some of my ham radio software it not so kind so I have to strain just a bit to be able to read the callsigns. Oh well, such is life.
Cold
Published for Saturday - March 22, 2025
Written Friday - 03/21/25 07:25 AM
Brrr. It's cold.
I hope this is the last time the weather is slated to drop below freezing overnight, for a very long time. I hope this is the last time I will need to drip for a while too.
I need to put an outdoor temperature sensor over where the water enters the house from the street. That's because the internet always says the temp is lower (during winter) than our outdoor thermometer.
Our outdoor thermometer is located on the back porch and I wonder if it reads differently due to it's location. I'll bet it does not but I need to confirm that and avoid the risk of pipe damage due to sub-freezing temps.
So far, with just the two of us, the water bill has been a very consistent amount, even with the dripping. I'm not sure if that can and will hold up.
As I've said so many times before, we'll see...
Speaking More From The Heart
Published for Friday - March 21, 2025
Written Wednesday - 03/19/25 07:45 AM
Yesterday I suggested that posts that come from the heart are my favorites. This is true both for reading and writing. That just seems to be me in my favorite place.
I need to admit that I have fallen down on my prayer list. It's not a daily thing like it needs to be. In fact, my daily to-do list has also tended to be something that I've overlooked. Time to get back to it.
Just because I've memorized most of my list is no reason to ignore the rest of it and especially not my prayer list. I could probably trust my memory on that one too, but I don't want to. I want to make sure I don't miss a thing.
Lord, please forgive me for my failure in the personal prayer arena. Let me be reminded daily to seek your face on all of the important matters. You put them on my heart for a reason. Let me pray for that list like my own life depended upon each thing that I pray for.
I need to slot my prayer life somewhere that is the same each day. That will be the way that it gets done each day. Rituals? Maybe that's the good side for that type of approach.
General Posts
Published for Thursday - March 20, 2025
Written Tuesday - 03/18/25 06:30 PM
I've been posting on topics like the weather, movies, books, and still other topics about which I enjoy writing. But, it's been a while since I have just written a free-form or general post.
And yet I think they are probably my most favorite post type. You know, where posts come from the heart and follow no lead on the suggested list of topics.
It's been a highly unusual year in terms of my posts. Last year my weather posts seemed few and far between. After all, there was nothing much to write about on the weather front. I mean, it was a mild winter unlike this year.
If this had been a weather blog this year, I believe I could have kept that focus for the entire year and with great ease. Last year, not so much.
Well, what about spiritual posts? That's as close as it gets to a free-form post. And that's about the most realistic post type for my writing. After all, dealing with what the Lord has sent my way is as true as it gets for a post.
I find the words of my wife to be encouraging. She notes that a person who still knows me pretty well, would not know of my balance battle. She observes that I hide it that well. And for me, perhaps the daily routine I have taken on has allowed me to function as normally as possible in the midst of my trials.
I have also noted that just being careful is about all that I need to focus upon. Being careful not to take unusual risks (in the balance department) is about all that this ailment requires. But I am a bit of a risk taker so I hope that I can keep my focus upon that and avoid the possible pit falls that tend to come with that particular lifestyle.
As I have mentioned to my wife, I'm glad that I'm not dealing with something that might be a bit more serious. That alone is a reason to count my blessings.
Someone Like You
Published for Wednesday - March 19, 2025
Written Monday - 03/17/25 08:30 PM
I watched the best movie I have seen in quite a while. The title of the movie was Somene Like You and was based on a novel written by Karen Kingsbury. The movie was released last year (2024.)
If I still had my Audible account I would obtain the Novel and listen to it. It was published in 2020.
I guess, truth be told, I'm mostly a movie kind of guy. When I try to read a work of fiction or even listen to one, the faces of the characters are all blank, even when described by the author.
I did very well listening to works of non-fiction on my Audible account, but was a miserable failure when attempting works of fiction on that site.
Someone Like You was a great movie. I don't want to reveal any secrets about the story but suffice to say it was good and captured my thoughts and attention. It was one of those stories that tugs at your heart.
We Escaped
Published for Tuesday - March 18, 2025
Written Sunday - 03/16/25 06:45 AM
I think we escaped the weather event. It was looking bad there for a while, but when all was said and done we got out without any great loss.
We stayed with Ryan Hall up until bed time and when it looked like we were in the clear, we took the opportunity and cleared out.
If things had been moving directly to the north, we would have been hit. But, things were moving in a north-easternly direction and much more east that north. That means all of the storms and tornados to our south moved over before they moved up.
That means that Georgia was the recipient of all that we were supposed to receive. What a blessing for those of us in north-western Alabama. We escaped without as much as a scratch. Thank you, Lord.
More on the Weather Event
Published for Monday - March 17, 2025
Written Saturday - 03/15/25 06:55 AM
Today is a special weather day. I'm not sure if the Ryan Hall Y'all website will be active and covering it since they were hyperactive yesterday with the (earlier) northern portions of this weather event.
We're not supposed to see anything serious until late into the afternoon or even the evening. We'll see if the forecast holds together. It could get very serious in a hurry.
The Weather Event
Written Saturday - 03/15/25 08:05 PM
Well, we're smack dab in the middle of the main weather event. I'm down in my office
working on the blog and Patty is upstairs keeping up with the event (in case we both
need to go in the storm shelter.)
We lost power earlier and were left wondering if we might have to make an educated
guess about when to head for the shelter. Fortunately for both of us the power
came back on (about 5PM) and has been on since. (The power went out around 2:30 PM
and was slated to be back on around 4:30 PM.)
I went outside and saw a crew leaving and wondered if they were leaving because of
inclement weather approaching. I was baffled until the power came on a bit later.
Bad Dreams
Published for Sunday - March 16, 2025
Written Thursday - 03/14/25 02:30 PM
I shared with my wife that I had a bad dream last night. I rarely dream at all but this one was one of those bad dreams that didn't have a purpose.
I had written a computer routine that, when started incorrectly, gave a bad result. Now the catch is that there's no reason for such a routine even existing much less being used for anything positive and productive.
But in my dream, I'm a victim of having started this routine and trying to stop it without hurting anything, which in my dream I didn't know was impossible.
Why would I dream something so sinister and why would I go through all of the stress to try and do something impossible? Worse yet, why would I not clearly understand that it was an impossible task an unimportant in the grand scheme of things?
Dreams are odd things and I've had my share of stressful events in my dreams over the years. Some have been work-related and some not, but in the grand design all have been stressful.
I even knew that I had written the routine and I know how it was supposed to work and that it would be an impossibility to derive any benefit by using the routine. Yet I went through all of the stress to try and do he impossible! Go figure!
More Rain On The Way
Published for Saturday - March 15, 2025
Written Thursday - 03/13/25 05:10 PM
Jim Span's weather forecast website is going back and forth with regard to the possibility of rain tonight (Thursday.) A bit earlier it showed a cell that was going to pass just North of us. Now it looks like it's going to head our way and leave a little water with us. We'll see...
Jim Span is also calling for a more serious weather event and the possibility of tornados. For us that event is supposed to start somewhere around lunch time, Saturday, but possibly as early as sometime that morning.
For Ohatchee (our location) the highest probability for the forecasted event doesn't even start until around 4 PM (90%+ probability) and runs all the way until 8 or 9 PM when the probability starts to drop.
I guess we'll have to wait and see if the forecast holds up and confirm an accurate start and end time for the weather event.
Jim Span's Forecast
Written Frriday - 03/14/25 06:40 AM
Well, Jim Span must have had the right idea about the weather leaving a bit of
rain. In fact, and based on the picture directly above, there was plenty of
lightning and a soaking rain.
Lily was freaked out and went dashing for cover under our bed. That's her usual
hiding place when a vigorous light show with thunder accompaniment shows up.
PI Day and Mom's Birthday
Published for Friday - March 14, 2025
Written Monday - 03/10/25 07:00 PM
I need to find a picture of my mom. She passed quite a ways back and it's clear I haven't uploaded her picture to my blog.
She passed at the young age if 69 and about 15 years before dad. I would be unable to count back that far to see what year she passed. I should know that, but unfortunately I don't. I'm going to try and figure it out and post it here.
Anyway, her birthday happens to have fallen upon Pi Day. I wasn't into celebrating it back when she was around. Oh, and I think I have been able to offer a reasonable year for the loss of mom.
I believe it would have been 26 years ago and now that I think about it I do indeed remember and 26 years would be accurate since it was the year before Y2K or 1999. If a family member reads this and corrects me, or confirms, I'll add an update.
Oh, and one more thing about Pi Day, I ran the Pi Day race on the Ga Tech campus and throughout parts of Atlanta. It was only about 3.14159 miles so it didn't include that much of Atlanta and was mostly known for the campus.
I ran the race about 11 years ago in April of 2014. I'm not sure why it was run in the month of April. It probably had to do with avoiding an event at the school. I still (often) wear the shirt that was awarded for running the race, and that shirt is holding up very nicely.
Oh, and one other thing. I guess to be able to claim Pi Day, one has to
memorize the digits in Pi out to an impressive extent. For me, that was out
to 50 digits and I still remember those digits many years later. I hope you
are impressed! (LoL!)
Movies
Published for Thursday - March 13, 2025
Written Wednesday - 03/12/25 07:25 AM
I watched a movie last night that I have seen a couple of times before and the name of it was Coach Carter.
It's definitely a sports type of movie but that is not what interests me about the film. In fact, the story runs pretty deep as do some of the characters.
I particularly like a scene toward the end of the movie. Coach Carter has been asking Tito Cruz what his greatest fear is. Throughout the movie Tito Cruz has no response to the question. Instead he always looks at his coach like he has lost his mind.
Later in the story, the basketball team (inspired by their coach) decides to follow the actions of their coach. They forgo their games in favor of their school work.
Then near the end of the film, Tito Cruz responds with the famous line:
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.'
I love that line and the scene from which it is taken.
Band Conditions
Published for Wednesday - March 12, 2025
Written Monday - 03/10/25 04:00 PM
I'm really not sure what is going on anymore with the band conditions. It seems like I'm hitting a wall trying to reach 15 contacts each morning (or afternoon sometimes.)
Because I'm trying to make these contacts on weekdays (in addition to weekends) I'm wondering if I maxing out (trying to look for new contacts) on days when it just a lot of old retired guys like me - and in particular folks with which I've already made a contact before.
As many ham operators as there are scattered throughout the world, I've never taken that idea very seriously. But it seems based on my inability to find new contacts that perhaps this is the case and it's time to consider it.
Nah, that just can't be the case. Some days I'm able to find 15 new contacts very fast. And other days (for reasons which I can't explain) such is not generally the case.
Weather
Published for Tuesday - March 11, 2025
Written Monday - 03/10/25 08:20 AM
Last night we got a good, all night long, soaking rain. With Patty's garden that's what we need and are looking for.
On my to-do list are building the entry ways for the two entrances to Patty's garden area. I like the design she picked out and hope it won't be too difficult to build. It doesn't look like it should be.
Tomorrow, I'm going to get back to my normal routines. Based on the schedule from the dentist, I've taken some extra time to let things sort of heal up.
So, hopefully everything is good and ready for the next step. I hope so!
Todd
Published for Sunday - March 10, 2025
Written Saturday - 03/08/25 06:40 AM
Todd owns and runs the Ohatchee Hardware Store. That's him seated on the front right with a grandson in his arms.
Todd also runs an operation out of his store for glasses. It's by far the best deal in town.
Even with my perscription for prisms, he can handle them. And like I said, he offers a great deal on all of that. I'm to meet him this morning to place an order since I obtained my new perscription from Dr. Hill yesterday.
I should also mention that Dr. Hill knows Todd and said to tell him hello! Nice to live in small town, America where everyone knows everybody.
Dr. Hill (Our Eye Doctor)
Published for Saturday - March 09, 2025
Written Friday - 03/08/25 03:05 PM
Well, it was good for Patty and I to meet up today with Dr. Hill for our eye checkup. He gave us some good news about my prism prescription.
He indicated that we had quite a ways to go before reaching the end of any prism benefit. He also said to come in when it starts getting hard to see, rather than waiting a full year.
He told us that after we run out of prism benefit (which is apparently a long way off) I could go through some surgery to readjust the eye muscles and start over with the prism benefit.
I'm glad that's a long way off. I think with my tooth extraction that I've been through all of the surgery that I care to undertake anytime soon.
Dr. Hill also mentioned that we are both probably a year of two away from the cataract surgery that will be good to both of us. I've already had it done on my left eye and the benefit was amazing and the cost was literally nothing.
Oh, and it was good to get our doctor visits out of the way for a while. I think I've enjoyed about all of those I can stand.
Weather On The Way
Published for Friday - March 08, 2025
Written Tuesday - 03/04/25 11:35 AM
This post has been bumped out more than once and is paying the price for it. Weather related posts were supposed to receive a high priority on the bumping scene, but not this time. Happy (late) reading about this past incident. The post also contains a more current update.
Looks like we have some serious weather approaching this week.
I think we escaped the high winds for the time being but it also looks like we have a front that is going to move in later this evening and it looks like it is going to explode as it moves in. I'm guessing it will bring those forecasted winds with it. We'll see.
The weather map (at the top) shows what the front looks like right now as it approaches Mississippi. The second image shows the explosion I mentioned as the front draws closer to us just before 7 PM and as it departs Mississippi and moves across and into Alabama.
Update: - 03/07/25 03/20/25 PM - The forecasted rains and winds did arrive. I heard the warning shot on my phone which was plugged in by my bedside. It woke me up and I was cognizant enough to hear lots of rain and commotion from the storm outside.
Dr. Bailey (Dentist)
Published for Friday - March 07, 2025
Written Friday - 03/07/25 06:45 AM
I'm not one to delay or altogether forgo a visit with the doctor or dentist just because I think there might be some pain associated with the visit.
There has been no pain associated with the reason for my visit, but I have come to realize that there are problems beneath my gold crown on the lower right back of my molars.
This was discovered using floss. I floss regularly but the problem has created a space that made flossing easy and painless despite the problem. Now when I push down hard on the floss in that gap, I feel the pain.
I'm guessing the crown will have to be removed. That is unless there is some type of medicine I can swish around the tooth. From there I have no more guesses as to what the dentist might have to do.
Up to this point this post was written much earlier. However, the timing is right to convert this post to a more current writing.
I had my dental appointment yesterday (Thursday the 6th) and Dr. Bailey did indeed extract the crown. Because it is a deep (second) molar he does not recommend replacing it. I agree, so far.
Dr. Bailey had to spend some time digging out the infection which was located in the extraction spot. In fact, he commented that he was amazed I had no pain associated with the tooth, based on what he had to do.
I had no idea what I would be up against with the extraction but a stoppage of the bleeding was the big thing. Oh, and no running or workouts for a while and with the lighter eating I'm losing weight.
Today, Patty and I have an appointment with the eye doctor. We'll see what he has to say.
System Problems
Published for Thursday - March 06, 2025
Written Wednesday - 03/04/25 02:25 PM
We had a crazy night last night. And it's time to push up the posts so this one can move to the head of the line for publication.
That's because I had some system issue caused by our power outage. I was not able to publish until a short while ago. I have no idea what went wrong but it started out as not being able to use my 2 monitor system at all.
I finally got that fixed. However, I feel like I'm living on borrowed time since things look a bit strange here using my two monitor system.
Anyway, I started this post talking about how crazy things got last night. And they did indeed get crazy. Late afternoon yesterday (Tuesday the third) we lost power and a fire moved in the back. I have no idea how or why our water kept up but it did so Patty and I were out back doing the best we could to fight the flames.
I'm thinking without power, our water should have not been available. But it was and I was grateful for the blessing. I have yet to discover how that was possible.
We were told that the fire started due to a tree knocking down power lines which caused sparking and that caused the fire. It looked to Patty and I like the fire started in multiple places, but that's a debate for another time.
I'm going on the record to say that the Ohatchee Fire Department was about as much help as I expected, and believe me when I say I wasn't expecting much. They left with us and our neighbors confused. They refused to put our the remaining fires telling us that everything was now good. They told us to watch the remaining fires and to call 911 if we have further problems.
This angered most of us who felt we had sort of had to fight the blazes and help the fire department out. So when they started looking at their watches and left quietly, there was nothing left to do except become a bit frustrated.
They left about 6 PM and fortunately for us the power came back on and later heavy rains moved in (about 9 PM.) Earlier in the day I was able to secure a third appointment. Now I was covered for a dermatologist, dentist, and eye doctor visits (the last for Patty and I both.) What a night it was!
I went to the dermatologist this morning (Wednesday the 4th) and all was well.
NOTE: The 2 monitor problem seems to be tied to the availability of the internet.
Getting Old
Published for Wednesday - March 05, 2025
Written Monday - 03/03/25 07:00 PM
I guess I never thought it would happen to me. Getting old!
But, it did. So now what do I do?
My turn at getting old involves some undesirable side-effects. Balance issues, processing issues, voice issues, hearing issues, and eating issues among others.
I'm not the young and spry guy I used to be. What happened to all of that?
Running has taken a major shift. The background bounces as I now jog. So, there's no option except the treadmill (aka the 'Dreadmill.')
Being careful is pretty much the name of the game in all things - especially with my weight training. The more I lift, the heavier those weights seem. And, the more able I seem to be at losing my balance carrying those heavy weights.
Things that have not changed include ham radio and blogging. I suppose that's because I can do both sitting down and without most of the challenges I face.
Actually, ham radio has changed for the better in most ways and has also gone in the wrong direction with others. For example, I used to be able to climb up on whatever I needed to climb up on to install or tune up and antenna. Now I have to turn that over to my number one (and only) son.
But on a much more positive note, I'm able to afford the things I couldn't afford previously, including a modern beam and rotor. I have a sweet and supportive wife in that arena, and that's something I can never take for granted.
As my dad used to say and as I now can confirm, getting old is definitely not for sissies. I know, I've said it too many times before. But it's so true!
Josh
Published for Tuesday - March 04, 2025
Written Saturday - 03/01/25 07:55 AM
Speaking of our Germany trip, I can't wait to catch up with Josh. We're informed that he is working on a spiritual degree from Liberty University.
It will be a delight to catch up on that front. No telling what it involves or what studies are included and the formal or official name of the degree. All of that will be interesting to discover.
About the picture of Josh located above. I'm guessing that was taken somewhere in Germany. The beach is too wide for it to have been taken at the townhouse in Florida and I don't recognize that piece of (wood?) in the background but it doesn't look like anything I have ever seen before.
I need to go back and see the post that originally contained that picture and see if I find any clues. As lazy as I tend to be (now that the idea has been mentioned) I'll probably skip that effort.
Coming Soon - The Germany Trip
Published for Monday - March 03, 2025
Written Friday - 02/28/25 04:35 PM
Patty and I are really looking forward to our trip to Germany. To see Allie, Josh, and the two grandsons (Noah and Gabe) will be a treat beyond anything we can imagine.
And Allie is the hostess with the mostess. She is like her mom, always thinking of others and putting them first.
What a wonderful treat it will be to put Patty first on this trip. I'm not quite sure what it is going to be like, but of one thing I'm confident, it will be a wonderful and memorable trip.
I know Patty has some things she wants to see and I know Allie is tuned in on those things. What a delightful opportunity it will be to see it all unfold right in front of our eyes.
I'm really looking forward to some quality time with Josh, not to mention those incredible grandsons. I'm hearing a lot of great things about all of the Snow Men (LoL!). I wouldn't expect anything different either.
It sure is going to be fun to catch up with everyone. The trip holds a lot of promise! Bring it on! We're ready and can't wait.
Documentation
Published for Sunday - March 02, 2025
Written Friday - 02/28/25 11:25 AM
I created documentation for the month-end process. I also used the documentation for the new month.
I had to make some adjustments along the way. And I had to clean up both the process and the documentation.
So, I guess next month will be my official first trial of the documentation for the month-end process. That's after all the touch-ups have been performed.
Creating the documentation for the process was more difficult than I thought it would be. Just another reason I needed to do this.
When I was verifying the documentation (as noted up in paragraph 2) I incorrectly typed a file name and could not see it because everything in FileZilla was so/too small. The debugging took an inordinate amount of time. As I said before, just another reason I needed to do this.
My Icom 7300
Published for Saturday - March 01, 2025
Written Wednesday - 02/27/25 08:05 AM
A while back I gave up my Icom 7600 that had a bad digital port (which also just happens to be an expensive fix) for an Icom 7300. It's a smaller rig overall with fewer enhancements but I really like the features it has that you won't find on the Icom 7600 such as the touch screen for changing bands and frequencies.
One of the things that concerns me and it's a software issue happens to fall upon WSJT-X. I don't care for the fact that a band change can be made accidentally by clicking directly above the 'Enable TX' and 'Halt Tx' on screen buttons.
I probably use those buttons far too often and have accidentally clicked upon one of the other bands only to find myself untuned for that band and frequency and worse yet away from any operator with which I might be conversing or attempting to contact.
Overall, I still think the Icom 7300 is a better rig for digital work. Like I said, I really like the touch screen for band and frequency changes.
QRZ.com only shows the 15 most recent contacts, so my goal is to make 15 contacts each day. Another goal is to have all 15 contacts out of country. That adds a bit to the challenge since stateside contacts are easily made in comparison.
Copyright © 2025 Hutch DeLoach