Park Reports

Journaling my park activations

  • 241028 @ US-2991 Bonham State Park

    Vacation – a whole week!!  Looking at the calendar at the beginning of the year, I know I’ll want – need – some outside time in decent weather.  Meaning fall.  So I blocked out the first week of fiscal November… Continue reading

    241028 @ US-2991 Bonham State Park
  • 241019@ US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    Hagerman didn’t disappoint.  But I did.  I made it all the way to the fishing area, opened the back hatch to unload and discovered some idiot forgot to grab a battery on the way out of the door this morning.… Continue reading

    241019@ US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • 241005@US-3005 Eisenhower State Park and GCARC Fall Campout

    Well, I just stepped into a steaming file of horse apples of my own making.  I write these things, these blog posts, in Windows OneNote.  Everything I’ve written to date is in my OneNote, including the two hours I’ve written… Continue reading

    241005@US-3005 Eisenhower State Park and GCARC Fall Campout
  • 240927@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    A friend and Elmer Mark, AA2MA, picked up an IC-706Mk2G for me from the Huntsville Hamfest.  He found me a good deal and arranged all of the mailing.  Here’s the backstory. I wanted an all mode, all band radio. I… Continue reading

    240927@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • 240921 The Great Oklahoma Raid

    I woke Saturday morning with the urge to make a quick raid across the Red River to steal some parks – unexplored territory and parks I’ve never activated.  A recovering Oklahoman himself, there’s no better guide and interpreter than W5DRT,… Continue reading

    240921 The Great Oklahoma Raid
  • 240905 Queen Wilhelmina Rove

    I like to Rove.  I like the challenge and I like the sense of accomplishment.  I feel like a “real” portable operator – all the planning, the packing and unpacking, the setting up and tearing down, the making solid contacts… Continue reading

    240905 Queen Wilhelmina Rove
  • 240816 @ US-6553 Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site

    Not a bad day in the park.  I’m trying to maintain my two-activations per week tempo, so any chance for a Friday feels like a bonus.  I had work meetings scheduled into the afternoon but by 0800, they started to… Continue reading

    240816 @ US-6553 Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
  • 280810 Hometown Rove

    I’ve found myself taking for granted the collection of close parks at home. Looking at the dots on the POTA map, I daydream about Air BnBs and clusters of dots in exotic lands like….. Arkansas. I think about the East… Continue reading

    280810 Hometown Rove
  • 240720@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    Whew, what a great day for radio. The birds were chirping, the bees were buzzing, and the thermometer stayed  under a hundred.  I had some things to take care of yesterday after work, namely sleep, so I was on fire… Continue reading

    240720@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • 240707@US-6591 Pat Mayse Wildlife Management Area

    New Park!  Now, last time I went to Paris, TX, I came home with a brand new Yaesu FT-991A so I avoided that side of town.  The town has a population of about 25,000 and boasts both a Brookshire’s AND… Continue reading

    240707@US-6591 Pat Mayse Wildlife Management Area