So proud of Shelby, she has recently been demonstrating so much maturity and responsibility… if I coulda been half of who she is gonna be……. /;^) You Go Girl.

We spent some time this afternoon at the Swan Creek shooting range, brushing up on firearm and range safety. Had some lunch too.. She has a good eye, and a steady hand. Little girlz’a growin up. Makes a Daddy proud, to see her so confident .!. /;^) — with Shelby Anne Sieg.

We appreciate all the FB friends that have LIKEd and COMMENTd on the post.
Thanks  /;^)

1 or 2 pounds ground beef (I like it pretty lean)
1/2 of a sweet-yellow onion; chopped
only 1 teaspoon minced garlic this time
Brown the beef with the chopped onion and garlic; drain fat, if any.
Add 1 small (4 oz) can of diced green chile peppers

32 oz. carton of beef broth (I use Swanson)
one 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes; undrained
1 small (6 oz) can tomato paste
one 14-1/2 oz. can unseasoned black beans; drained and rinsed
two 14-1/2 oz. cans  pinto beans; drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice, cumin, oregano, and salt.

cover & simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring enough to keep it from getting bored

Its hard to beat good chili.

Mmmm Gooood.
And as I avoid butter (actually all dairy), I slice some 5 grain Italian bread and brush them lightly with a little olive oil – then a dash or two of garlic salt….
pop em into the oven under the broiler to get a little toasty.
Only thing left to add was a few cans of cold beer
(not in the chili silly, in the belly).

Enjoy  /;^)

HR Day at GigaParts in Huntsville AL

This is a fun event, and a great opportunity for folks to learn more about this hobby. Doesn’t matter if you are newly-licensed, un-licensed, or an Old-Timer like me . . . something for everyone. Vendors, product demos, show&tell – I really appreciate GigaParts for hosting such an event. I plan to be there again to demonstrate my Subaru-deployable EmComm station. Last year I had HF and VHF radio, with simple quick antenna setups. This year I’m hoping to demo a portable VHF Winlink2000 email gateway. I’ll offer assistance and tips on how to configure your RMS-Express clients to use this service.
Sounds like a party .!. (here are a couple of pics from last year…)

Subaru Field Station WB5RMG @ GigaParts 2012

Subaru Field Station WB5RMG w/ HF & VHF & APRS & PSK31 /;^)

Kenwood TS-440S w/AT, PS-30, SP430, 12 VDC cable, mobile bracket . . .

Yaesu FT50-R dual-band HT, AC charger, DC charger, MH34 spkr-mic, belt clip

More detail available of course.
Thanks  /;^)

With this in mind I thought I would create a simple page, that provides linkage to several resources that I use on a regular basis. There are surely lots of additional pages that are just as relevant, perhaps you will post some of your favorites in the comment section below. Aside from having equipment setup to operate APRS digital, we need to know what satellites are available, and when and where to listen. Hopefully these links will help answer some questions you may have.
AMSAT
http://amsat.org
(Radio Amateur Satellite NA home)

Heavens-Above
http://www.heavens-above.com/
(live satellite/astronomy positions)

ARISS / PCsat
http://ariss.net/ (APRS via ISS : real-time) http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/ariss/index.cgi  (basically same as the one above)
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat.cgi
(APRS via Pcsat : real-time)

ISSfanclub
http://issfanclub.com
(ARISS status)
Orbitron
http://www.stoff.pl/
(tracking software)

UISS
http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/sat-info.htm
(UISS software)

DK3WN
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/ (Sat Blog) http://www.dk3wn.info/satellites.shtml
(Satellite info)

KD5QGR
http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php
(multi-satellite status)

Shadow-beacon
http://knts.tsniimash.ru/shadow/en/Default.aspx
(‘space plasma shadow’ experiment)Enjoy  – -|||   |||- -
/;^)

P.S. Please submit additional relevant links via the comment section below….

Well, the sky fell today – and there was a wide-spread panic.Oh, you can say that since I have previously lived in Denver; and have even spent time in Boston in the dead of winter – that I would not surprisingly throw down on my fellow southerners. I hope I am not that cruel. But still, it was crazy.

I have worked with the NWS, in particular the SKYWARN program – and typically I see the same weather briefing information that they distribute to the local/regional Emergency Management Agencies / Law Enforcement groups / municipal groups like school boards, and such. Often this is nearly identical to what the mainstream-media presents, as they get it from the same source. And yes, I will admit to knowing a few basic things about weather – having been witness to weather events for nearly 60 some years now……
But still . . . . . . . I hafta say :
Something went bad wrong today. Somebody wasn’t paying attention.

The information I had seen, even the night before – suggested that the worst conditions for the Huntsville area, would be starting around lunchtime – and would likely finish after a few hours, leaving an inch maybe two of snow. The likelihood of ice on roadways and overpasses would be initially significant, but would diminish by mid afternoon. Maybe I read too much into the forecast.
In other parts of the world (where it snows more than once/yr)
this is normal and expected.

However, this is not other parts of the world… OUR sky was falling .!.
It appears to me that someone, somewhere over-reacted and said
“The Sky IS Falling ! AND we have to go into PANIC mode”.

So, it gets to be almost lunchtime and the next thing I know, is that the county schools are closing. Well, so that word got around and next thing you know, the city schools are closing.        So, guess who is next… The entire Redstone Arsenal/NASA-MSFC is closing at noon. The worst part of the ‘storm’ is just getting started, and now we have thousands, if not 10s of thousands of freaked-out people on the roads trying to escape the ‘blizzard‘.

Guess what .?.?. Now nobody can get anywhere, because not only do we have hazardous road conditions, but we have literally thousands of people trying to escape… It was bad. It was ugly. Beyond words. Beyond reason. But who am I to say anything. I stayed at my desk, knowing that there was no point to joining into the panic. I can not imagine how many thousands of dollars of mostly-combusted gasoline went into the atmosphere; how many thousands of lost-productive hours of human labor were dissipated by this fiasco, but I didn’t contribute. I stayed at my desk and did stuff until about 3:30 or 4pm before I left. There was no traffic, and the roads were clear. Surprised ? I wasn’t. The information I had received suggested that it would have finished snowing, and moved on eastward by mid-afternoon – and sure enough;
the sun was shining while I drove home, and with no traffic.!.

How many accidents were logged and required response. IDK. How many folks rushed to the grocery stores and stocked up on FrenchToast supplies, IDK…
I try to defend my fellow Southerners when I can, but this one event will defy even my generosity. I don’t know who’s head was in what dark place, but it sure was painful for a lotta folks. I’ve even seen an apology (of sorts) from a local school board – suggesting that the information they had was not the best.
I understood the forecast. The NWS did what they do best, as usual.

It was still the school board‘s decision to shut down the schools and send everyone out into the streets just as they were becoming the most dangerous. This would not be so upsetting, but I have also seen them do this just as a storm system (with tornadoes) is approaching. They are too scared to keep the kids at school where they can be safe, and instead choose to dump them out near their homes at the peak of a storm ? WTF ?
This obviously must have something to do with their liability insurance.
Jus Sayn . . . . . .

I am obviously opinionated (and don’t keep my head in a dark place)…

So, maybe next time it will be different – but just as likely NOT.
I still prefer living in the south, and will try to defend my fellow Southerners against such worries as        “Scared of a little SNOW ?”        BwHaaaaa…!…    Boo !

Thanks  /;^)

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,900 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 8 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Shelby thinks it is ready to eat.

This recipe was apparently known as Cincinnati Chili. Then some folks I know in North Carolina added Pinto Beans and Cumin . . . I must say, I like it.
I’m calling this variety Christmas Chili  /;^)

1 or 2 pounds ground beef (I like it pretty lean)
1/2 of a sweet-yellow onion; chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Brown beef with the chopped onion and garlic; drain fat, if any.

32 oz. carton of beef broth
one 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes; undrained
1 small can tomato paste
one 14-1/2 oz. can each :
kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans; drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice, cumin, oregano, and salt.

simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring enough to keep from getting bored;
this also makes the house smell really nice and spicy.

This is good to eat with cornbread.

Mmmmmm, try it. You might like it.
I think it’s already time to make some more.
Enjoy  /;^)

Mary Louise Webster ~1940

Oh How I Miss Her…
I always will.  She is such a huge part of who I am. I will never be the same.
I am forever in her debt, and will remember her forever. My Mother.
We all will miss her greatly – I know, it’s not just me.

I told her to not worry over us – we will be fine I said   . . . .  You taught us well.

She was preparing to board that last cruise ship, headed for the tropics.
She left on the last day of hurricane season,
maybe there would be that one last storm…
I can see her in the sun, on deck with her Mom & Dad, and so many friends…
- just eatin shrimp, and sippin Margaritas . . . . . . . . .
- – - enjoying the tradewinds, and the sunset.

No hurry, no worries, no fears or tears.    Just relax and enjoy.
We will all catch up – and sit with yall before too long, don’t wait for us.
I love you Mom.
/;^)

Come talk to me about “stuff” …..

Thanks  /;^)