Mountain Musings

Our trip to the White House

2008-09-01T20:05:00.011-04:00

Melissa and I, along with Melissa's son Sam and his wife Renee' were able to take a trip to the White House this past Sunday. I have an acquaintance who works in the White House and she said that she would be glad to take us on a tour of the West Wing. We were able to see the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Roosevelt Room and the Rose Garden where these pictures were taken. While we were in the Rose Garden we were graced by the first doggies, Barney and Miss Beazley. We were only able to take pictures outside the building except for when we went into the White House briefing room. It was a great experience that everyone enjoyed.

Sam and Renee' with Barney Outside of the front of the West Wing.

Our visit to Charleston

2008-05-01T09:41:00.005-04:00

Melissa and I got to visit Charleston, South Carolina this past weekend. We took a boat tour out to Fort Sumpter and walked around looking at what remains of the place that saw the beginning of the Civil War. We also got to visit the Magnolia Plantation. This is a former rice plantation that is famous for the rare and beautiful flowers and trees in the expansive gardens. While at Magnolia, we also got to see some wildlife to include alligators.

This is the closest that I have ever been to a great blue heron.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-30T09:32:00.002-04:00

Our Blooming Trees

2008-04-21T13:47:00.004-04:00

This is the view from the front of our house a week ago. I am not sure what kind of trees they are, but I think they are swamp hollies. I also included a picture of the pansies next to the front door. If the squirrels don't get them, they should be pretty all summer.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

2008-04-03T18:16:00.012-04:00

The 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival is going on in the Nation's Capitol this week. My father and mother and Melissa's mother were in town for Melissa's son's wedding this past Saturday, so we all decided to go see the famous cherry trees around the Potomac tidal basin. My friend Bob joined us as well.

My dad is impersonating a tree hugger.

We drove to DC and found the festival with the help of Melissa's TomTom. This was a Christmas gift that has come in handy. We had to walk a little to find the shuttle bus over to the Jefferson Memorial which is next to the tidal basin.
Melissa's mom Becky is displaying her beautiful cherry bloosom hat.

Melissa had packed a lovely picnic,

which I shared with a pair of mallards on the river.

Hanging up my spurs

2008-02-25T11:53:00.003-05:00

The time has come to get down off of the horse and hang up the spurs. After much prayer and consulting with my wife, we have decided that it is time to head out of the Army. I have put in my paperwork to retire on the 30th of November. With my accrued leave I will actually be out by the beginning of October. It has been an adventure, but now it is time to embark on the next chapter of my life. I have been working on my resume and will be attending job fairs and the like over the next few months. I am looking forward to seeing what life is like out of uniform. Pray for us as we prepare to make this transition.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-02-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-01-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Goose

2007-12-24T23:26:00.001-05:00

This is the corrected version of the Story. I did not pay enough attention when Sam originally gave me the details.

My stepson Sam and our pastor and friend John went goose hunting on Christmas eve morning. Sam did not have to work and wanted to scratch his hunting itch. John had been wanting to try his hand at hunting waterfowl with his new shotgun, so he was very excited to go with Sam. They hunted in a blind that is located behind the house of some other friends of ours situated on a creek. Sam said that there were lots of geese and mallard ducks hanging out in the creek, but that they were all staying just out of gun range. Finally, some geese came in to land and were close enough to shoot. Sam and John both shot. Sam's goose folded up and hit the water hard and was not moving. John hit two geese that hit the water. One was stone dead, but one began to swim away. Sam shot it again and then went out to retrieve John's geese because they were farther out. When he came back to pick up his goose, it was gone. Apparantly it had recovered enough to either fly away or hide on the bank somewhere. They both looked for a while, but could not find it. This is John with the geese in front of his house. Sam recommended that he take the geese to someone who would pluck it for him, but John wanted to at least try the first ones himself. I think he will have them plucked the next time. As a sidebar, when I woke up on Christmas eve at around two in the afternoon, I smelled something wonderful cooking in the kitchen. Sam had gotten a goose last Saturday and Melissa was cooking it with my Aunt Marlys's wonderful recipe. It was a delicious Christmas eve dinner. I had to spend Christmas eve night at work, but I was home on Christmas morning.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-19T23:17:00.000-05:00

Hot Dog Blog

2007-12-13T22:13:00.001-05:00

I have a new story on the Hot Dog Blog.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-28T22:16:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

Fishing Friday

2007-11-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

There were four of us that went fishing last Saturday. My friends Bob, John, John's son Jessie and myself. We fished a small eastern shore lake I have written about before called Unicorn Lake. It was windy and cold. I managed to take a small sunfish on a clouser fly. John took this citation size 14" yellow perch. This is the largest yellow perch I have seen in Maryland. I am sure there are larger specimens here, but I haven't seen any. The others caught a few nice sized sunfish. It was a nice day spent with friends.

Twenty Years

2007-11-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of my twentieth year of service in the U.S. Army. I entered service on November 5, 1987 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. As well as New Jersey, I have been stationed in Texas, California (twice), Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia (twice), Maryland as well as Germany and Bosnia. I have had great assignments and some that were not much fun. I have many stories to tell and perhaps I can begin to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard as it is. I did not necessarily plan to make it a career, but I love being a soldier and I love being around soldiers. It has been an honor to serve our great country and I am but one of a long line of great Americans of every background and station in this, the best country on the earth, to serve with pride. Some day soon, I will put up the spurs and take off the boots and begin another career. But for the time being I will continue to go to work along side some of the best people I have ever known. Thank you for indulging me this moment of reflection, I just wanted to share a personal milestone with you all.

Another new blog

2007-10-27T08:59:00.000-04:00

I have another new blog. I listed it as the Hot Dog Blog. Come check it out.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-10-19T14:55:00.000-04:00

Fishing Friday

2007-10-12T19:20:00.000-04:00

My friend Bob and I went fishing on Wednesday. We took the S.S. Minnow out into the bay to try and find some stripers. I have been wanting to catch a striper on a fly for a very long time. Each time in the past something always went wrong. It would be too windy to fly fish or I would forget the flies I needed. This time it all went well. It was a beautiful day. I motored over to Bloody Point Lighthouse and started casting to the base of the lighthouse and letting the fly sink before I started pulling the fly back to me. I caught a couple of nice white perch before I caught this little striper. It wasn't big enough to keep, but it was a beautiful first for me. Bob caught a couple of stripers on lures before he caught these Z's. It was a great day on the water.

I have a new blog

2007-10-08T09:10:00.000-04:00

I have created a new blog that I will dedicate to writing about politcal and spritual things that I feel led to write about. I have already posted a couple of items today. You can find it by the link labeled My Thoughts Blog.

Homecoming Time

2007-10-07T19:58:00.000-04:00

This is my son Tom. He lives in Kansas with his mother. She took these with her camera phone. This was for his sophomore homecoming. He told me he didn't take a date, but when one of the guys (not a friend) went to hang out with some other guys he did dance with his date. It's good to have a back up plan.

My Favorite Season

2007-09-28T14:37:00.000-04:00

I all ready knew that I liked fall the best, but this little test confirmed it.

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times...
You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings
Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

Wordless Wednesday

2007-09-26T01:30:00.000-04:00

Shooting Saturday

2007-09-22T14:30:00.000-04:00

My friend Wally recently purchase a new rifle and wanted to sight it in, so we decided to spend some time today at a local range. We invited a couple of kids from our church to go with us. We took a .22 rifle and let them shoot a couple of magazines apiece. They both had a great time and we got our guns sighted in for the upcoming hunting season.

FIshing Friday

2007-09-21T14:14:00.000-04:00

I hadn't been fishing for quite some time, so I headed out today for a couple of hours. The lake I drove to was still goobered up with algae, so I wasn't able to fish as much water as I would have liked. I did manage to catch and release several sunfish. This is one of the bigger examles. I ended my trip by catching several from the stream below the spillway on dry flies. What a great time.

WVU Marching Band

2007-09-16T21:12:00.001-04:00

I just thought I would put this out for all true Mountaineer fans to enjoy. This was at the 2006 Sugar Bowl. This is their pregame "Country Roads".

Melissa's Birthday

2007-09-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

Today is my beautiful wife Melissa's Birthday. I had to work, but everyone came to Annapolis to meet me halfway on my drive home. We had some dinner in Melissa's favorite Mexican restaurant. The highlight of the evening was when the staff came and put a sombrero on her head and then sang their happy birthday song.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-09-12T19:00:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2007-09-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

Our Anniversary

2007-09-01T15:56:00.000-04:00

Melissa and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary today. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night at Restaurant Local. It was a great meal. I had told them when making the reservation that it was our anniversary, so when it came time for dessert the waiter informed us that the chef had prepared something special for us. It was a delicious chocolate cake/mouse combination and a small cheesecake dessert with raspberry topping. Mmm, Mmm good. We had decided to have dinner on Friday evening because the first WVU football game was Saturday afternoon at 3:30 and we wanted to watch the game. We enjoyed a liesurely day by visiting the local Amish Market and our weekly farmer's market. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was having their annual boat auction so we decided to drive down to St. Michaels and take a look around. We ran into our friends Tom and Renee who were at the auction hoping to get a good deal on a boat. They were successful and came away with a nice 19' double rowing skiff. We hung around as long as we could and still be home in time for the game. We made it back in time to watch the Mountaineers win the game. We celebrated with some grilled steaks. Our friends Wally and Tina came over bringing some local sweet corn and we all had a tasty dinner out on the deck. What a way to celebrate our anniversary, good friends, good food and college football.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-08-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

Fishing Friday

2007-07-20T18:01:00.000-04:00

(Mom and me in the boat)
My mom and her sister, my Aunt Linda came to visit this summer. My Aunt had told me that she wanted to go fishing while she was here. My small skiff is not large enough to take more than two or three people, so I rented a larger boat at the Ft. Meade Outdoor Recreation Center. We spent the afternoon fishing and managed to catch quite a few croaker and spot.

My wife, Melissa and my mom fixed a lovely picnic lunch that we enjoyed in a park next to the boat ramp. I took Melissa and my mom for a boat ride and then we went back out fishing for a couple more hours before dark. It was a satisfying way to spend the day.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-11T04:14:00.000-04:00

Fishing Friday

2007-05-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

We met my friend Bernie at 0600 on Monday morning for a day of fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Bernie has a 20 foot center console fishing boat. I had invited my friend Bob and my pastor John to go as well. We got to the ramp a little after 0700 and quickly got the boat in the water. The wind was blowing around 15 mph steady with stronger gusts. In a small boat like Bernie's we were bobbing up and down quite a bit. I could tell after a while that John wasn't doing too well. Bob had taken a anti-motion sickness pill the night before and again in the morning, so he was doing okay. It wasn't too long before John was feeding the fish over the side of the boat. Oh well, it happens to the best of us.

We had four rods out and were trolling across the main channel of the bay. We were soon marking lots of fish on the fish finder, but apparantly they all had lockjaw. Until. One of the rods on Bob's side of the boat got hit and he was into his first rockfish. We netted the fish and measured it. It was a little over 20 inches and thus legal. The minimum size is 18 inches during the regular season. Not long after that, one of the rods on John's side of the boat got hit pretty hard, but the fish didn't get hooked.

By this point, John was noticeably green, but didn't want to surrender just yet. We continued to troll, but still no more fish. John fed the fish three more times and when he sat down on the deck of the boat with his chin on his chest, Berrnie asked if we should head in. I said something about discretion being the better part of valor and we pulled the rods in and began the ride back in. In a small boat with three foot seas we got a little wet on the ride home. Thankfully, I had my rain suit with me. On reaching the ramp, John got out and kissed the ground. I don't think it has deterred him from future trips. He'll be sure to take a motion sickness pill when offered the next time. Even though it was a short day on the water, it was a good day and sure beat going to work.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-05-23T14:22:00.001-04:00

Fishing Friday

2007-05-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

This was taken over Memorial Day weekend in 1992. My friend Travis and I went hiking in the Sierra Mountains in California. Our plan was to hike into one of the alpine lakes to fish. When we found out the lakes were still frozen we decided to fish the streams. I am holding a brook trout that is maybe the width of my hand. The colors on these tiny fish were incredible.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-05-16T10:53:00.000-04:00

Fishing Friday

2007-03-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

This picture of my son Tom and my nephew JR was taken seven or so years ago on our family's farm in Kentucky. There is a similar picture floating around somewhere of myself and my cousin Jim that was taken when we were about the same age. When I find that picture I will post it. These fish were caught at a pay lake in Bowling Green where we spent an afternoon. The farm where this picture was taken belonged to my Granny and Papaw. My Granny fixes the best catfish dinner and that is where these fellows ended up. My Papaw is the one who taught me how to fish and encouraged my love of the outdoors. I have many wonderful memories of the farm and surrounding area. It is still to cold to fish where I am now, so I am reminiscing about past fishing glories and other fond memories.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-03-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

Fishing er Crabbing Friday

2007-03-02T19:18:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Swimmers in the cooking pot
No, it isn't time to begin crabbing yet, but I have had a hankering lately for some fresh blue crabs. The latin name is Callinectes sapidus which means beautiful swimmer. I think they shoud be named tasty swimmer. This is about a crabbing trip I made this past summer with my dad and stepson and the picnic we enjoyed afterwards.

Sam (my stepson) and I took my dad crabbing after breakfast today. We loaded up the skiff and headed toward Cambridge. We stopped at the Wawa for some beverages and ice. I had thought we would head out toward Slaughter Creek like Sam and I had done two weeks prior. We had gone out that weekend and caught about ¾ a bushel of smaller crabs with lots of throwbacks. While I was in the store, Sam called his friend Ray C. who said he had done well in the Choptank River recently. I had already started down the road toward Slaughter Creek, but I turned the big red truck around and we launched out of the ramp next to the hospital in Cambridge instead. We ran the boat upriver to the point on the western side just north of the bridge. Someone else was running a trotline in the cove so we headed upriver a little further. We set the trotline in water that ran from 8’ to 12’ deep. We also put out the seven traps we had brought along.

Dad and I with the leftover shells

Dad had only been crabbing once before with Sam a couple of years ago. At that time, it had been too early in the spring and they didn’t raise any crabs. After setting the trotline, we ran back to the first trap we had set out. Dad pulled it up and came face to face with his first blue crab. He seemed to be having a great time. We ran the line five or six times with just a few crabs each time. However, with the crabs we got in the traps, we left with a bushel of big crabs. We had only caught two that were too small, and all but six were nice heavy males. We got back to the house in time to shower and load the burner and steamer pot in the truck to head over to Moton Park for a church picnic. My new steamer was just large enough to hold all the crabs. When they were all nice and red, we spread the paper bags and dumped them out on the table. Every one there enjoyed the surprise and some of the kids got their first taste of crabs. My dad took right to picking. You would not have been able to tell that it was his first time eating crabs. I have to say it was a great day on the water and a better evening at the table with my dad and stepson.

One of the larger crabs that day

Wordless Wednesday

2007-02-28T20:36:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2007-02-21T01:00:00.000-05:00

2007-02-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

I have my parents and a good memory to thank for my score.

Four decades of Hondas

2007-02-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

After making the purchase of our minivan, I got to thinking about the Hondas I have owned in the past. When I lived in Dallas, TX in the mid eighties I owned a 1976 Honda Civic like the one in the picture. The only difference is that mine was canary yellow. I moved from Dallas to West Virginia and back in that car. I stuffed all I could into the car and put the rest in a large wooden box that I tied on top. It was a great little car and its demise is one of the reasons that I am in the Army. But that's another story. When I met my wife she had just purchased used a 1998 Honda Civic. This is a much nicer car than the one I drove those years ago. When I took a position in DC I decided I didn't want to drive my big red truck in that traffic, so I looked for an economical commuter car. I found what I wanted in a 1985 Honda Accord coupe. It was a one owner vehicle and it has been great. So, I have owned Hondas from the 70s, 80s, 90s and now the 00s. I also own a Honda outboard for my boat and a Honda powered pressure washer. I guess I just like the products. We will be getting rid of the Accord and I will be driving the 98 Civic. There just isn't room enough in the driveway and our house looks like a used car lot at times. I have also owned two 1975 VW buses, but that is a story for another day.

Ebuying a Car

2007-02-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

We had been thinking about upgrading our vehicle status by adding a minivan. For those who know us, the fact that my wife was even entertaining the idea of a minivan is a miracle. Recently, she accepted a position as a nanny for three small children. The family is very flexible about allowing my wife to take the kids to the park or zoo. Her car at the time was a Honda Civic. It had enough room for her and two of the kids in the back seat, but not room for all three. Our pastor had purchased a van on Ebay and recommended that I try to see what I could find. I began my search to see what was available and where. I did not want to have to fly half way across the country and drive back. After searching on Ebay, I found a dealer that seemed to have what we were looking for. He specialized in Honda Odyssey and Toyota Previa vans. He had several nice looking 2003 Odysseys. Best of all he was only about three hours away in PA. The couple that my wife had previously worked for as a nanny had an Odyssey and she thought they were nice. I did a price comparison with dealers in the area and found that the online dealer was asking $1,000 to $2,000 below what the local dealers were asking. I did a NADA search to see what the retail list would be for the van and found that the online dealer was asking for $500 below list. The van in the picture had a Buy it Now price and a button for Make an Offer. I offered $1,000 below the Buy it Now price and shortly thereafter received a notice that my bid was accepted. I applied online for a loan through USAA which is also my insurance company and within 30 minutes a check was overnighted by FedEx and we received it less than 24 hours later. We drove the three hours to the dealership, got in the van for a test drive and spent about ten minutes filling out the paperwork. In no time at alll, we were back on the road home. The van was exactly as advertised. It is the nicest vehicle my wife or I have ever owned. She is very pleased with the purchase and that makes me very happy. I must say it was the most positive car buying experience I have ever had. If anyone is interested in purchasing a late model Odyssey or Previa, email me for the dealer's info.

Success! Finally.

2007-01-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

I was able to go goose hunting this past Wednesday. For those of you familiar with my goose hunting history, these were the first legal geese that I was able to "bag." My friend Lenny asked if I wanted to go hunting on the farm that he and his sons lease on Kent Island in Maryland. I of course said "sure" and met him on Wednesday morning. We went out and set out the decoys in front of the pit blind in the middle of a cut corn field. We got the first one in the first half hour or so. It took us until almost noon to get the other three. The chocolate lab in the picture is my dog Gus. He didn't accompany me on this trip because I was hunting on someone else's lease. He loves the smell of the birds and had fun chasing the feathers as we were dressing the birds. The season ends on Saturday, so that was my last waterfowl trip for the year.

New World Record Squirrel

2006-12-29T20:20:00.000-05:00

Garth T. McGillicuddy and Henry A. (Bubba) Jablonski were deer hunting on Maryland's Eastern Shore on Bubba's farm last Thursday when they were attacked by "the biggest dang squirrel I ever seen in my life" according to Mr. McGillicuddy. The animal has been identified by a biologist from the MD Department of Natural Resources as a Delmarva Colossus Squirrel. These large tree dwellers had not been seen in over a hundred years and were presumed to be extinct. The biologist also stated that the hunters were lucky to be carrying deer rifles as these squirrels had been known to attack humans and carry off dogs and small children. As this is the only known specimen of the Delmarva Colossus Squirrel, it is likely that the world record trophy will never be broken. When asked what he planned to do with the animal, Mr. Jablonski replied "That baby's going on the wall. I don't know of nobody who's got a giant squirrel on the wall." He further stated that he might be willing to loan it to the Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas outdoor stores for a touring show "if they throw in a bass boat."

My Christmas Deer

2006-12-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

After many hours spent in the woods searching for the elusive whitetail deer, this is the best that I could do. I had to have something hanging from my tree this year. Actually, a friend emailed this to me last year and I thought I would share it. I still have the archery season to find a deer. I have forgotten what venison tastes like.

WV hunting trip

2006-11-25T08:11:00.000-05:00

I went to West Virginia for a couple of days this past week to go deer hunting. I have been able to hunt the opening couple of days of the rifle season for all but one of the past six years. A family friend has a farm with about 150 acres of mostly woods with some open fields. The farm belonged to his father and he plans on leaving it to his children. I have had success on three occasions and brought home some venison. The largest deer I have taken on this particular place was a small seven point I got three or four years ago. Two years ago, I was able to take my son on his first deer hunting outing to this farm. He wasn't able to get one, but we both had a good time. Last year I had to work and wasn't able to get away. As I was making plans for my trip this year, my sister called and asked if I would mind if she brought her second son JR over to WV and for me to take him hunting. JR really enjoys the outdoors and his father and grandfather do not hunt so I try to help him out in this area if I can. I said "sure" and ammended my packing list to include another rifle and other items we would need. I stay with my mom's sister when I go to WV and this trip was no different. I got in Sunday evening and gave JR the mandatory safety briefing on the rifle he would be using. I had quizzed him on previous trips and just wanted to reinforce the idea of gun/hunting safety. We got up bright and early on Monday morning and drove out to the farm. I knew that there might be another person hunting on the farm, but when we arrived we were the only ones there. We headed out to the woods and began to climb the hill. I was looking for an open area in the woods where I had been successful before. It was slow going in the dark. As I was climbing the hill, I made a resolution to spend more time on my elliptical exercise machine. I was huffing and puffing. We found a spot and waited for daylight. Nothing was moving in the woods. I decided to try an relocate to another spot with a better view of the area. As we were moving I noticed another hunter also on the top of the ridge. I figured this was the fellow my friend had told me about. I decided to let him have the ridgetop and we would move to another area across the field. As we were moving to the new area, I noticed another truck next to ours. This put another wrinkle in the plan. We walked through the area I wanted to try and sat down. After waiting for another hour and seeing and hearing nothing I thought we might try and check out the feeder my friend has. We moved toward the feeder and as we got close I discovered where the other hunter was sitting. Right where I wanted to be. Well, the best laid plans and all that. I thought we might give the area a rest and so we went back to my aunt's house and had some lunch. We went back out that afternoon with much of the same. Tuesday morning was even colder and still not even the sight of a white tail disappearing over the hill. I hope JR wasn't too disappointed, but as I told him, I was twenty-eight before I shot my first deer and he is beginning much sooner than I was able to. I did my hunting when I was his age in my imagination on the pages of "Outdoor Life" and "Field and Stream." I returned home on Wednesday. I will still be able to get out this year in Maryland where I am stationed. I will try and post my successes or failures for those and future trips.

My nerd factor

2006-11-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

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Just for curiosity's sake, I took the quiz. I know my brothers in law are much nerdier than I, but that's why I have brothers in law. When I have a computer question they save me money on IT support.

Faith of our Fathers

2006-10-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Check out this link to National Review Online written by Michael Novak. It is a great response to the secularists of today.

Please share this with friends

2006-10-25T05:14:00.001-04:00

I got this story at Michelle Malkin.com. She is a conservative blogger. Please check this out and share this story with your friends.

My thoughts on the World Wide Web

2006-10-25T01:59:00.000-04:00

The World Wide Web is a wonderful and terrible thing. Used responsibly and it is a research tool that is unparalleled in the annals of history. Used deviously and it has enabled child predators unprecedented access into the homes of unsuspecting families. The internet has enabled scientists and ordinary citizens to access data and study obscure texts, whether in a lab at a large prestigious university or in a cabin in the Alaska wilds. The scope of the material is mind-boggling as well. By using one of the plethora of search engines, anyone can type in a word, or series of words and instantly have available tens, hundreds and thousands of texts referencing the word or words. There is also a dark side to the internet. According to Family Safe Media, surveys have shown that the major purveyors of internet porn are children age 12-17. All of the internet filters are non-affective against sites that are not considered porn sites. These include several of the photo sharing sites. These sites are at the mercy of their users to correctly identify offensive photos and other content. Parents must take a very active role in monitoring their children’s internet usage. I think that some of the content on sites like Myspace and others is going to come back and haunt some of these kids in the future. Content posted to these sites can be downloaded and stored forever. What happens when ten or fifteen years down the road and one of these kids wants to apply for a job or run for office. His or her prospective boss can perform a search and voila, there is Johnny or Susie on camera in a very provocative pose or worse. I will admit, I have done some pretty ignorant things in my past, but thankfully none that I know were captured on film. Young people today are acting in the moment and are not realizing the consequences of their actions. My advice; have fun, but be responsible and be prepared to answer serious questions about any content you post to a web site. The last comment I will make regarding the internet concerns child predators. Recently, there have been several television shows, in which journalists, in conjunction with local law enforcement purport to be children on the internet. These law enforcement officials enter chat sessions and invite predators to a house where the journalists and law enforcement are located. When the predator shows up, he (all of the creeps I have seen have been male) is confronted by the journalist, who has a copy of the chat sessions. These predators have come up with every excuse imaginable as to why they were in the house. The kid seemed lonely, I thought they were older, are some of those used. After watching one of these shows I saw the crucial role the internet played in granting access to these predators. Without the anonymity of the internet, these guys would not have the unfettered access to children. So, even if these guys had the urges to molest children, they previously had no way to meet them. Via the internet a man in town A, can meet a child in town B several miles away and arrange a meeting. The child’s parents are unaware of the contact and the child is left unprotected. The man can then go to town B where he is unknown and commit his crime and return home, leaving the devastated victim to deal with the damage. I strongly believe that without the internet, a majority of these crimes would not be committed. I am not suggesting that we do away with the internet. That would be impossible. I am simply suggesting that parents take precautions with the internet just as they would any other potentially dangerous thing in their home. You would no sooner let your child drink poison as you would knowingly let a predator into your home. The internet is a great and wonderful tool as long as it is harnessed and monitored effectively.

Fishing Friday

2006-10-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

I think when I grow up, I want to be a fishing guide. Whenever I take someone fishing I get as big a kick watching them catch fish as I do catching fish myself. The latest victim, er friend I took fishing was my friend Matt. Matt was my platoon leader when I was stationed in Colorado. In fact he is the one who took the picture of the big rainbow trout featured earlier. Well, we loaded up the boat and headed out to the bay. This was my first trip in my boat out into the main part of the Chesapeake Bay. I had taken the boat into some of the larger rivers, but never out in the really big sections. It is a fifteen foot wooden skiff with a fifteen horsepower Honda outboard. Its not exactly a yacht. Well, Matt, me and my dog Gus headed out to see what we could find. I wanted to head up toward the Kent Narrows to fish a breakwater wall, so we started in that direction. We stopped when we saw some breaking fish. Rockfish (striped bass) will chase baitfish in the fall and when this happens you can see the water boil as the baitfish clears the water with the rockfish close behind. We cast some jerkbaits into the boiling water and I was rewarded with a small (15") fish. The melee was over too quickly and so we once more began our way north. When we reached the breakwater, Matt began to cast his lure up against the wall and retrieve slowly. He caught and released two smaller fish. He then hooked up with a nice keeper. A rockfish has to be at least 18" to keep. This fish (pictured) was around 19". He caught another keeper and a couple of throwbacks. I hooked another one, but wasn't able to land it. We had wanted to fly-fish, but I was unable to locate the flybox with my striper flies. Oh well, it was a good day anyway. The ramp was about 9.5 miles from where we were fishing and the tide was coming in so it took us about an hour to get back to the truck. Matt, Gus and I had a great time.

More Fishing Friday

2006-10-05T17:02:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know it is not Friday yet. I have to be out of town tomorrow and will not be able to post. Now, on to the story. My wife and I took some friends to Assateague Island, MD this past Saturday. My stepson joined us as well. I had been reading some on-line fishing reports and knew that the bluefish were hitting on finger mullet rigs. I made sure to stop at the shop next to the beach to load up on fresh finger mullet. The day was rather chilly and the wind blew non-stop the entire day. It would have been a great day to have a kite on the beach. We also picked up some firewood for a fire on the beach. My stepson had purchased some live eels to try and catch some of the large striped bass migrating down the coast. He rigged up and began the wait and see that is surf fishing. After about fifteen minutes, he checked his bait only to find out that something had bitten off the tail of his eel. We both figured it was a bluefish. Not long after this, I got a bite on one of the finger mullet rigs. I set the hook and soon had my prize. My first blue of the day. When I went to put the fish in the cooler, he spit out the eel tail. Greedy little bugger was gorging. The fishing stayed pretty constant on the mullet rigs and I caught about a dozen keepers. My friend Dale only managed to hook and land one little blue. I didn't feel too bad though as he caught this 17 pound drum back in April and I got nary a bite. Somedays you get the bear, and somedays the bear gets you. All in all it was a great day with good friends and a lovely fire on the beach.

Fishing Friday Again

2006-09-29T15:28:00.000-04:00

With as much activity that was going on in the house this week, this is the first I have been able to post. This is a photo that was taken when I was stationed in Colorado. I was fishing in Spinney Mountain Reservoir with a good friend, when this big hen rainbow trout took my olive wooly bugger. This is the biggest trout I have caught to date, and the largest fish I have taken on a fly. I am going fishing on Assateague Island tomorrow, so hopefully I will have more to write about next Friday.

Fishing Friday

2006-09-22T09:46:00.000-04:00

I am going to call this Fishing Friday. I don't know if I'll post something on fishing every Friday, but I will today. I caught this little dude earlier this week on one of my days off. Not a great big one, but he put up a good fight on my ultra-light rod. I have also included a poem I had to write for a creative writing class I am taking.

The Brook Trout

Slipping closer to the edge
the boy spies the small trout.
Back and forth, back and
forth they glide silently feeding;
perfect predators in their environment.

The boy observes intently.
Edging back from his perch,
he searches for the right imitation.
He ties the fly on the end of his leader
and asks himself.
Is this the right one?

Slowly, the boy eases back
to the lip of the rock
and gently daps his
imitation on the
surface of the stream.

One colorful little native
noiselessly slides below the fly
and gently sips.
The boy guessed correctly.
The predator becomes the prey.

Melissa's Birthday

2006-09-15T06:57:00.000-04:00

I wrote this on the occasion of my wife's birthday. I don't claim to be Shelley, but here goes.

Thirty Years Ago

Oh, that we would have met
thirty years ago.
We could have then been sweethearts
and watched each other grow.
To see each passing day as
a gift from God above.
Growing in grace and knowledge
and in the wonder of His love.
We could have gone to dances
and other such occasions.
Helping to shield each other
from life’s careless abrasions..
We could have shared each others triumphs
as well as all the sorrows.
Though yesterdays were sad
there’s always the tomorrows.
You’re certainly a gift from God
I thank Him for every day.
I know that I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent
up till this very day.
I have but one regret
and I’ll say it once again.
Oh, that we would have met
thirty years ago.

Self-Heating Coffee Product

2006-09-11T18:21:00.000-04:00

A co-worker has just showed me this product and I think it is terrific. As a soldier who has brewed many pots of coffee in the field, this is a breakthrough who's time has come. I have strained lots of coffee grounds through my teeth after the coffee boiled over in the percolater. I have also had to suffer through cold, stale or the worst, coffee that had cooked in the pot all day. With this product from Hillside, you just pop the tab and voila, six minutes later, a fresh latte. Okay, so it isn't a manly double shot americano, but you have to start somewhere.

Hillside Coffee

My First Bluefish

2006-09-09T15:00:00.000-04:00

I have been fishing along the Maryland coast for the past three years without ever catching a bluefish. Well, yesterday I caught my first blue. Needless to say, this particular fish has a long way to go before he approaches the MD state record of 23.5 pounds. It was still great to finally catch one. I ended up catching a total of three, all about the same size. The one in the picture hit a whole finger mullet that was just a bit smaller than he was. I told my wife that this was one optimistic little fish.

Dolphins at the Assageague Island

2006-09-09T14:49:00.000-04:00

My wife and I went to Assateague Island yesterday. She had put in for a day off in anticipation of us going to WV to help her mother move into a new apartment. The apartment wasn't ready yet, so we went to the beach instead. Not long after we arrived at the beach these dolphins showed up. There were between 20 and 30 of them swimming north along the shore less than 100 yards off the beach. It was definitely a nice surprise.

Happy Birthday Sis

2006-09-04T09:46:00.000-04:00

My little sister turns 25 today. I am proud of her. She has a great family, with her husband Nathan and three great kids, Andrew, Joshua and Aria. I am proud of you Rachel.

Mountaineer Football

2006-09-02T12:58:00.000-04:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crispness in the air, and the color in the trees. I love walking through the woods and fields looking for critters to put on the table. But I especially love West Virginia Mountaineer Football. I am very excited about this year. We have some great young players and some solid senior leaders. As long as coach Rod can keep the players grounded we should have a great season, and if all goes well culminate with a National Championship. We open with Marshall today. I hope we pound the pretenders from Huntington. Anyway, enjoy the game with a nice plate of nachos or maybe some wings and GO MOUNTAINEERS!

Colorado Vacation

2006-09-01T16:55:00.000-04:00

This is my wife, my son and I at Rocky Mountain National Park. This was taken last summer on our trip from Arizona to Maryland. What an awesome place to spend a few days and soak in the grandeur of God's creation.

Anniversary

2006-09-01T11:36:00.000-04:00

This is my fifth year anniversary. I have spent the previous five years with the most wonderful woman in the world. She is beautiful, intelligent, Godly and a great cook. These past five years have been the best five years of my life. She inspires me to reach for the stars, and also keeps me securely grounded. I pray that the next five years are at least as good as the previous five. I love you Sweetheart.

Rockfish

2006-09-01T11:25:00.000-04:00

Rockfish
Originally uploaded by mandmgarman.

I caught this beautiful summer rockfish trolling in the Chesapeake Bay on the first day of the regular season 2006. She was 36" and just over 17 lbs. She hit an umbrella rig trailing a 12" chartruese sassy shad in 48' on the eastern edge of the channel across from the gas docks. This was my first trip trolling in the bay. What a great time.

Immigration Analogy

2006-09-01T10:32:00.000-04:00

This is what I posted back in June at the height of the immigration debate.

I wonder how many people who wish for open borders would support the following scenario: I come to their house and gently force open a window, or maybe the window was unlocked. I climb in and start living in the attic. No one lives in the attic, so I'm not taking anyone's living space. I do "all the jobs that you don't want to do", like washing the dishes, laundry, etc. I make use of your "social programs" like your refrigerator and your medicine cabinet. I sometimes borrow your car while you're not using it. I generally stay out of your way, but you know I'm there. I might get into a confrontation with your wife or children from time to time, but I'm really pretty harmless. I may even be there at the invitation of your children who appreciate the fact that I am doing their chores. America is my house, and I don't want the non- invited intruders any more than the homeowner wants a non-invited guest in his house.

Getting started

2006-09-01T10:26:00.000-04:00

I began a blog back in June, but I didn't post anything after the first post. Then my sisters began blogs, so I thought I had better get with the program. I love giving people my opinion on matters, so this should be fun.