so waht ya doin today?

[L Ross]

Practiced for my upcoming shoot, ran some errands, and did some shopping. Stopped at a rummage sale because I saw fishing rods sticking out of a box. The rods were nothing special, but in the bottom of a box was a nice older red Abu Ambassadeur 5000 bait casting reel. The price tag was 15 bucks. I looked closely at the level wind shaft and it looked good. I offered 10 and was told, "Sure".

Got home later and tore it down for a good cleaning and lubing. This is a late 1950's vintage Ambassadeur and internally it looks like new. Likewise with the grime scrubbed off the exterior looks great also. Kind of made my day.

 

[Glaciers]

I tell you guys, sitting here on the porch in the sun on an absolutely beautiful day getting ready to play cards with Karyn. It’s quiet just buzzing of a bug or two, a few birds and it’s still other then that. Looking out on the world that’s greening up with a couple of clouds floating over. Can’t think of any other place I’d rather be. It’s beautiful and peaceful period.
I like the quiet.

 

[Snakeoil]

Had what I thought might be a Murder Hornet on the back deck.

Saw one at our camp last summer. I called Encon and they said it is probably a Euro Hornet. That was one big mutha. I'd not seen anything quite like that since I was in Colombia. Down there we had these huge black hornets about as big as my thumb. They would fly over the gas turbine exhaust and it would burn off their wings. They would land on the ground and spin like a top flapping the stumps that used to be wings. It suddenly dawned on me that if one of those went down the back of my shirt it would be unpleasant at best. Started wearing a hardhat whenever I left the site shack and often buttoned my collar just to be safe.

 

[Snakeoil]

This is a late 1950's vintage Ambassadeur and internally it looks like new.

I love old fishing reels. They have character. I still have all the old rods and reels that were my Dad's and Uncles' hanging in our camp.

 

[smokeywolf]

CW, I was driving a semi cross-country for "Red Ball" in about 1974. Exactly same thing happened to me. Only bee sting I've ever gotten.

Near as I can tell, Elon offers good pay and benefits, provides the tools and environment for productivity, expects enthusiasm and commitment and allows better than average autonomy.
During the hiring process, Mr. Engineer went through multiple interviews; one was 5 hours long.

 

[Tom]

Got home from Chicago and bought a Ruger American blackout. Got it home and rummaged through the odds and ends box for rings. Had a pair of old Weaver rings with missing screws. Scrounged through other containers and found screws that fit. Had an unopened 2x7 vortex that I bought for some long forgotten project. Mounted it somewhat level, 1/2 a bubble off. I figured that's perfect as I'm a half bubble off myself.

 

[L Ross]

I love old fishing reels. They have character. I still have all the old rods and reels that were my Dad's and Uncles' hanging in our camp.

I'm going to fill this one with 12# mono and use it for cat fishing this Summer. I may have to build a rod just for it. The contemporary rods were just so short, but maybe I should keep watching sales for a fiber glass Garcia casting rod to match it with. You know, the more I think about it the better I like that idea. Sort of like putting a steel tube El Paso Weaver on a pre-64 Model 70.

 

[L Ross]

The oyster mushrooms are out in full force and as we have been having trouble finding morels as our forest has changed, and it has been so dry this Spring, we are happy to have them. Last year we canned a number of half pints of oyster mushrooms in chicken stock and are using them in a variety of dishes. Last Sunday we put Golden Oyster shrooms on a pizza and were happy with the result.

Yesterday late afternoon, for and appetizer, we sautéed some in butter, sprinkled with white pepper and topped with fresh grated parmesan. I hardly miss morels anymore. Last year we did not harvest any oyster mushrooms that were too mature and starting to dry out. Then this Winter we used the broth from the canned shrooms in French Onion soup and liked it. So this year we are going to take a whole bunch of slightly too woody oyster mushrooms, throw them in the Nesco Roaster with a rotisserie chicken carcass, some water, and maybe an onion, and some spices. Strain the resultant broth and can it. Never a dull moment here in Thorn Hollow.

 

[Winelover]

I'm going to fill this one with 12# mono and use it for cat fishing this Summer. I may have to build a rod just for it. The contemporary rods were just so short, but maybe I should keep watching sales for a fiber glass Garcia casting rod to match it with. You know, the more I think about it the better I like that idea. Sort of like putting a steel tube El Paso Weaver on a pre-64 Model 70.

Partial to Garcia rods. I have two older ones. One on Cindy's open face, with the old style cork handle and one on mine, with the newer foam. Mine is labeled trout action. Broke about 6" off the tip, when outboard motor shifted in the trunk. Installed a new larger diameter tip. Good as new, currently it's one of my planer board Striper rods. Still my favorite.

 

[Mitty38]

Ya ever had a day you woke up and had no interest in doing anything. Beyond drinking coffee.
Well that describes today for me.

Slept till 1:30pm. Took my meds. Heated up an eggroll and a cup of pork fried rice, in the microwave for breakfast. From the Chinese food the kid brought home last night.
Watching some Mysteries at the Museum reruns. Dog on my lap. Coffee on hand.
Beyond that no plans.

 

[Ian]

Spent an inordinate amount of time making an 85-grain antler powder measure. Turns out my Dixie measure is about 16 grains light all this time compared to commercial 3F. I got a good load using that volume in the trade gun so I just duplicated it in the antler, 69 grains as it turns out, but it's too big in diameter and too short after adjusting so it's very sensitive to tapping; lessons learned. Going to give woodswalking and loading from the bag a try with my trade gun. Set up some targets here and there on the place, mostly my "get ready for hunting season" trail walk where I can shoot from various positions and get my chops up for offhand shots before shooting at live stuff. I mostly shoot from the bench or braced against a post so I have to shake that off before a hunt. Anyway, it's a gear shakedown, trying to get my flinter bags and methods "sitchiated".

 

[Matt_G]

Watched the Indy 500.
Built an Arch Linux box.
Not much else going on.

 

[Brad]

Reseated some bullets in 45 acp where I got stupid and made them too long. Amazing what .010 can do when loading a magazine.
If all else fails these will be loaded one at a time…..

 

[JonB]

I rarely watch sports, and even more rarely watch racing. BUT, this morning there was some Formula 1 racing on the local ABC "over the air" channel, but was loaded with ESPN commercials. I guess the race was in Monaco...seemed like it was LIVE? I loved that they were just racing in the streets and had 'reportedly' no straight away long enough to bring it up to full speed, or whatever they call that? So I watched that for about half an hour, until I got bored and went outside to split some firewood. Then I fired up the smoker and did a batch of walnuts, yum. Then I put some Brats and mushrooms in that 'used' foil (previously used to roast the walnuts---waste not, want not LOL), made for a good and simple carb-free supper.

 

[Bret4207]

I'm going to fill this one with 12# mono and use it for cat fishing this Summer. I may have to build a rod just for it. The contemporary rods were just so short, but maybe I should keep watching sales for a fiber glass Garcia casting rod to match it with. You know, the more I think about it the better I like that idea. Sort of like putting a steel tube El Paso Weaver on a pre-64 Model 70.

Ebay is full of them. I hunted for a long ultra light rod for years but eneryone made them 4.5-5.5ft long. My son found one on line that's 9 ft long. Love it! You can play large fish on 2 or 4 lbs test line if you have enough rod and it's soft enough.

 

[Bret4207]

Spent most of the day playing catch up on jobs that I'd intended to do earlier this week. Got all the round bales moved out of my fields finally. No one enjoys moving round bales one at a time, me least of all. But they have to be moved. I have meadows ready to mow, but I get my next load of poison Tues morning, I'll be sick by Wed afternoon. This stinks. Going to take some fancy figuring to get any quality hay in this year.

 

[fiver]

i watched a guy reel in and 'land' [had to touch him with his hand] his ''buddy'' with a 4 weight fly rod once.
it was one of those 'ain't no damn way' things that got a little out of hand, but a pretty good pile of Benjamin's got passed over at the end of it.
if the 'fish' wouldn't have reached up and pulled the fisherman into the lake at the end, there probably wouldn't have been a soggy super entertaining fist fight.


chuckle Ian:
yesterday was one of those days.
today was close, only without the hail.
i still have to drag a can of water out to the Beets tomorrow.
i really like opening and closing the hinged lidded boxes, but, they are a pain to water with the sprinkler system, and i have too much trouble getting rain in them.

i got tired of the heat mat and lights trying to keep a dozen or so plants going that didn't need their help, so everything got kicked out to the green house.
i might have to run the little heater in there a few nights between now and when they get put outside for real, but that's a small price to pay.
i'd have probably put some of them out for real but i only have one covered box left, it's over on the cold side of the yard, and it isn't tested for night time temps yet.

smoked off some Beef ribs for dinner tonight.
i couldn't find anything spectacular to dry rub it with so it got a simple salt/pepper/yellow Curry/pinch of sugar coating.

 

[L Ross]

Bearcat 3, coons 0. It must be like the Night of the Living Coons out there after dark. I cannot understand how we have any successful ground nesting birds at all. I am freezing the coons out in a shed for my buddy Jimmy's buzzard pile. They have had up to 7 at a time.

I use the Bearcat to shoot the coons that are caught in a "dog proof" foot trap. Slickest thing I've ever seen. The trap is a piece of pipe with a trigger inside of it that I bait with a marshmallow. There is a U shaped rod inside powered by a heavy coil spring. I pierce the marshmallow onto the trigger, and smear a little grape jelly that I use to feed the Orioles around the mouth of the pipe. They reach their damned little patty paw into the trap to get the marshmallow and are waiting for me in the morning to be dealt with.

I still have some work to do before the shoot that starts on Thursday. Mowing, string trimming, setting up a wedge tent, grocery shopping for some of the meals, but for the most part I am almost ready. We are supposed to get highs in the 90's every day of the gathering so I have suspended the 1876 to 1939 clothing requirement and will allow shorts and Tee shirts so we don't get a bunch of heat exhausted geezers. Many will still dress period, but with less wool. I wish I had a British officer's tropical uniform complete with a swagger stick and a pith helmet.

 

[Winelover]

Duke's paw traps is what I use. Same marshmallow (miniatures) bait..........I just drop a few in. They end up under the trigger. Jelly just makes a sticky mess.

 

[richhodg66]

At the Veteran's Cemetery in Manhattan with some of my cadets about to present the colors for their ceremony. Always proud to do it and glad there are kids eager to do it even when school is out.