Are people changing?

[windshieldbug]

Nothing says "leave me alone" like a ...

Tuba

[lgb&dtuba]

Nothing says "leave me alone" like a ...

Tuba

[Chuck(G)]

Wayne, "cute" doesn't even begin to describe your dog!

Wade, my nutty calico of 16 years died in January. I miss the scratching at the door and her fearless batting at the raccoons.

I think it's important if you have children, not to shield them when it's time to say goodbye to your pet. We get a TV-and-movies idea of death nowadays that's not very healthy mentally. For me, digging the grave and burying the animal completes the experience (Golide's resting under a wild cherry tree that's now in full bloom). I once had a dog cremated and the whole affair of being handed a box of ashes wasn't satisfying at all).

I've got Norman and Nani (shown below) to keep life interesting.
-------
When we had a very heavy wet snowfall a couple of years ago that took down lots of trees and blocked roads, three of us old timers just grabbed our saws and wedges and cleared them. Bucked and stacked the logs up neatly by the side of the road. None of the newbies volunteered to help; just parked with their engines running while we did the work.

I guess I had a taste of what this was going to be like over a decade ago. My wife cane running back from walking the dogs telling me that there was fire (some kids had decided to build a campfire in the middle of summer, I guess) on the back of the ridge. I called the volunteer fire department and grabbed a shovel and set off at a dead run for a fire almost two miles away.

I'll never forget the feeling as the newbies from their "estates" just a hundred or so yards distant gathered to stand and watch me work like it was some sort of TV show. (BTW, you can tell these folks from the way they dress--shorts and T-shirts and running shoes.) Eventually, the FD got a water truck in and soaked the ground.

These are the same people who called the air pollution authority, rather than confront me in person when I was burning slash (the guy that showed up admitted that he had no jurisdiction, but that he had to answer all calls. He gave me a pamphlet).

I guess if you're the modern country gentry, you have people to do everything for you.

[Leland]

Being treated poorly on gigs by these people still piss me off.

Rich

That doesn't happen to me very often at all, so when it does, it really stands out. I don't respond well to snapping fingers, for example...

Because of technology I have been able to communicate with family and friends throughout the country in ways that I couldn't other wise.

Three-way video chatting with my family in Nebraska and Germany is AWESOME. That's all I have to say.

It used to be the local wino talking to himself. Now it's every other person walking down the street or through the mall.

No -- they're now the "new winos" (apologies to Dave Brubeck). I've done it myself in the past, but if I was ever within close proximity of anyone else, or if I was in the corner store, I kept my speaking minimal and extra-quiet, and the friend on the phone always understood to shush when I went to the cash register. Generally, though, I still don't like talking on the phone in public unless it's something urgent and timely.

[Rick Denney]

When we had a very heavy wet snowfall a couple of years ago that took down lots of trees and blocked roads, three of us old timers just grabbed our saws and wedges and cleared them. Bucked and stacked the logs up neatly by the side of the road. None of the newbies volunteered to help; just parked with their engines running while we did the work.

After our little brush with a tornado a couple of years ago, we had a patch of road blocked by broken trees. I was on my way down there with my saw, when I saw one of my neighbors, with his truck parked under the top half of a tree snapped 20 feet up and leaning over the road, standing on the bed and reaching up to make a cut over his head with his 24" saw. If the tree deviated from straight down by only a foot or two, it would have taken him out. He was an old-timer, but I'm surprised he's still alive. I backed away--you have to trust the people you're cutting wood with. I didn't want to be anywhere near them.

He was the same guy who let a friend of his build a tree stand five feet over our property line, to shoot deer with a bow shot over our driveway to the apple trees on a different neighbor's property.

A man has got to know his limitations.

The folks standing idly by while you fought the fire probably had no clue that the fire actually threatened their houses. Did you tell them? Living in the country doesn't come with an owner's manual, and they might have appreciated some leadership.

They also might have thought you were the power company cutting the trees. And they might have thought they were more likely to be in the way. Mostly, I find that city folks are too sensitive about looking foolish, and country folks enjoy making them look foolish so much that it's not surprising they keep their distance.

Granted, a lot of them are just clueless, even about stuff they should know about. Some of the ways they've financed those McMansions makes me shudder. A lot of them, though, paid cash, and come from a world with expectations difficult for me to understand.

Rick "who lives where the landed gentry are not all nuveau riche" Denney

[Rick Denney]

Nothing says "leave me alone" like a ...

Tuba

On the contrary, if you go back into the archives from before our move, you'll find where I complained about my neighbor across the street being offended because she could stand at her second-floor open window in the evening and hear the tuba. She though she had a right to dead silence, I suppose. She or her embarassed husband would come knocking on the door at--get this--nine PM, asking me to stop. I was playing in the basement.

And the assigned neighborhood nazis cited us because our Rubbermaid garden shed had not been approved by the Committee. Under the threat of a $100 a day fine, I completed the application, which required a site survey, photos, elevations, and design details. All this for a $250 plastic lawn-mower garage that none of them would be able to see if they would mind their own business. Fortunately, I'm a civil engineer and didn't have to pay anybody to provide what they requested. But it took me 6 hours, and my billed rate is $200 an hour.

That's why we moved to the country. We were just tired of living under the microscope. It was never this bad in Texas, not even in Dallas. In San Antonio, you might ask your neighbor if it's okay to, say, rebuild a motorhome in your driveway, and he would say, "It's your property...do what you want."

Out here, I don't even have to ask.

Rick "now contemplating ham radio antennas that would cause heart palpatations in my former neighborhood" Denney

[Chuck(G)]

The folks standing idly by while you fought the fire probably had no clue that the fire actually threatened their houses. Did you tell them? Living in the country doesn't come with an owner's manual, and they might have appreciated some leadership.

This was August, bone-dry and and the fire had taken hold in heavy duff, which meant that you could fight a fire only to have one spout up from the ground 20 feet away, so I was busy digging a trench around the active blazes before trying to smother them. Any kind of a fire out here in August is bad news--it stops raining in early June and things dry out rapidly. That's why wildfires are so devastating out here.

There were people there who knew who I was (we're out every day of the year, walking our dogs and very visible to the neighborhood). But I had my hands full at the time. I did suggest that if anyone had a shovel and could help out, it would be mightily appreciated.

Obviously none of the onlookers knew what a shovel was or owned one. After the FD got a water truck in, I left, cursing under my breath. Not even a "thanks".

Sometimes, I think that a good portion of the population just likes to watch.

[Leland]

I think the bystanders might have been afraid to help out because, if they screwed up, they might get sued.

Sued by whom? Doesn't matter. But that's part of the mindset of a LOT of people these days. They don't want to get involved because they don't want to be in trouble if things get worse.

I think I would've used harsher, more direct language about getting shovels, though (but it probably would've made them leave, too).

[Leland]

We've been sued. Someone hit us while we were stopped waiting for a light to change. They bounced off us and hit a third car. The third car sued us. I guess we shouldn't been waiting for that light to change? Turns out that the third car's lawyer could find the car that hit their client so they sued us. Our insurance issued them a check for some amount. When we protested we were told it didn't concern us because our rates wouldn't be raised as we weren't at fault. The insurance attorney said it's cheaper for them to pay than to go to court.

This world is crazy...

Criminy... Well, at least your insurance company kept their cool and didn't take the expenses out of you guys. Too bad that the third car succeeded in milking the system, though.

[tubatooter1940]

I swore we would never leave our little town. We bought a house across the corner from the funeral home (quiet neighborhood). I told my wife to wheelbarrow my dead butt across the street when I croaked.
Then the property values escalated. Yuppies paid these outrageous home prices and wanted total control. I knew everybody in town and then I knew no one.
Happily, my home sale enabled me to retire early and move outside city limits.
I like all my neighbors (save one and he's about to croak) and they like my tuba. My practice room is practically sound proof but the neighbors even asked me to play with the door open. I will not abuse this kindness by doing it very often.
The previous owner of this house was quite ill. The neighbors divided up the tasks of running her errands, sitting with her and cleaning for her until her son finally put her in a care facility. I thought this kind of goodwill was a thing of the past. I am honored to live among these fine people and determined to contribute my share when needed.

[iiipopes]

I think the bystanders might have been afraid to help out because, if they screwed up, they might get sued.

Sued by whom? Doesn't matter.

We've been sued. Someone hit us while we were stopped waiting for a light to change. They bounced off us and hit a third car. The third car sued us. I guess we shouldn't been waiting for that light to change? Turns out that the third car's lawyer could find the car that hit their client so they sued us. Our insurance issued them a check for some amount. When we protested we were told it didn't concern us because our rates wouldn't be raised as we weren't at fault. The insurance attorney said it's cheaper for them to pay than to go to court.

This world is crazy...

The word for this situation: subrogation. If they think it's worth going after, your insurance company will now sue the guy who hit you for reimbursement of not only your loss, but what they had to pay the 3rd guy.

[Rick Denney]

...and, last summer, you let my 60' solid aluminum with 24' antenna slip through your fingers...

bloke "who sold it to another ham radio friend for the value of the scrap aluminum"

It's not the only opportunity I've missed, even since starting this new hobby. But 60 feet is a little too much for me. That's one of those free gifts that could be pretty expensive.

I've had an offer of a 75-foot Rohn tower, but that's also a little too much to handle. I'm thinking maybe a fold-over 40' mast with a wire-based 10-20m tribander and a TV-antenna rotator. I think I need to work up to something over 50'.

My current antenna is a variation on the simple wire dipole, which I strung up in the trees. So far, even with poor solar conditions, I've been able to work as far as Russia and Slovenia, and that with only 100 watts.

Rick "not interested AT ALL in climbing towers" Denney

[greatk82]

A few months ago, while leaving Walmart, I heard an older woman(probably in her 80s) yell "Help. Theif." I saw a young man with her purse run by about 15 different young men with fresh high and tights without any of them moving. He cut between two vehicles and I thought it would be a great idea to drop my cane and dive and tackle him. He kicked me in the chest and ran. Fortunatly, I slowed him down enough for security to catch him. Unfortunatly, I fell underneath the truck that he ran past and nobody noticed me. The police came and left and I just slowly crawled back to my truck and headed home. Turns out I refractured my Sacroilliac joint and herniated another disc in my adventure. Needless to say, my wife wasn't too happy.

[lgb&dtuba]

A few months ago, while leaving Walmart, I heard an older woman(probably in her 80s) yell "Help. Theif." I saw a young man with her purse run by about 15 different young men with fresh high and tights without any of them moving. He cut between two vehicles and I thought it would be a great idea to drop my cane and dive and tackle him. He kicked me in the chest and ran. Fortunatly, I slowed him down enough for security to catch him. Unfortunatly, I fell underneath the truck that he ran past and nobody noticed me. The police came and left and I just slowly crawled back to my truck and headed home. Turns out I refractured my Sacroilliac joint and herniated another disc in my adventure. Needless to say, my wife wasn't too happy.

I'm genuinely sorry you got hurt.

But......

You use a cane, which you dropped instead of whacking or tripping the crook with it and tackled a young guy like that? What the hell were you thinking?



"A man has just got to know his limitations."
- Gunny Hightower, "Heartbreak Ridge"

[Mark]

It was never this bad in Texas, not even in Dallas. In San Antonio, you might ask your neighbor if it's okay to, say, rebuild a motorhome in your driveway, and he would say, "It's your property...do what you want."

This is one of the best things I remember about the "true" Texas. If it wasn't illegal and it wasn't hurting anyone else, it was your business.

Now, we actually have to get permission from the homeowner's association to paint our house and permission from the city to cut down a tree. (I'm trying not to get started on the erosion of property rights; it might be too political for Sean.)

[greatk82]

[quote="lgb&dtuba"]You use a cane, which you dropped instead of whacking or tripping the crook with it and tackled a young guy like that? What the hell were you thinking?quote]

I wasn't thinking. We had just returned from a 14 hour road trip. Also, my cane is sturdy enough to hold me, but he probably would have broke it tripping on it. I didn't have my *** kicking cane with me. It was still in the shop from my last ufc-style purse snatching fight.

[lgb&dtuba]

I wasn't thinking. We had just returned from a 14 hour road trip. Also, my cane is sturdy enough to hold me, but he probably would have broke it tripping on it. I didn't have my *** kicking cane with me. It was still in the shop from my last ufc-style purse snatching fight.

Better the cane should get broken than your sacri-what's-it.

Anyway, hope everything heals up ok.

[greatk82]

Thanks, Jim.

[Rick Denney]

Rick "not interested AT ALL in climbing towers" Denney

This one came with an electric winch. It was sitting out there next to the tower on its own pole in its own concrete base. The winch had been sitting there in the weather ever since the guy who built the house moved it from his previous house and raised it. I plugged in the winch, turned it on, and it worked!

Even more nicely, the cable didn't break.

Yahbut, you gotta be up there to do what needs to be done after using the winch to haul the antenna and rotator up there.

Or was it a "hazer" system that lowers the antenna and rotator, after letting down the guy wires (on a windless day)?

Of course, it was a smooth pole which you can't climb anyway, so maybe the winch folded the tower over. That's what I would want. A 60'foot tower would have two sets of guys, though, so lowering it by folding it over is still no picnic.

Rick "whose antenna plans are still facing redheaded disapproval" Denney

[Rick Denney]

What is/was your call?

KR9D. I'm the dumbest and least experienced extra-class ham operator in history.

I am having fun, though.

By the way, Joe, who did you give your antenna to? My guess is Mr. Thompson. He's the only extra-class operator in your zip code, and neither Mr. Tate nor Mr. Torkell are licensed to use the HF bands for which such a tower would normally be used.

If you remember the name of the fellow who built the tower, I can find his call sign.

Rick "hams can't hide" Denney