Of Hams and Hoggers



The most important thing is to enjoy your life — to be happy. It's all that matters. 
~Audrey Hepburn~


             The above quote has so much meaning, meaning I never took it to heart till this past Friday. 
For the most part I have been super busy with work, life and other things that I had to let somethings go, however I am back. With changes at my job with management, getting a new van, and other responsibilities  I just have been too busy to really get trackside like I used to. One thing however that hasn't changed is the fact I get up before the sun rises and go watch trains before work. Now most of my mornings trackside before I became a ham was listening to the scanner, reading my devotional, and something out of the Bible, and before I had a vehicle my usual challenge was to either stay cool during the summer or warm during the winter and spend about 45 minutes riding my bike downtown. Even though now I have a vehicle most of the morning stays the same, but now I have added time to do things. 

Q138 rolls past on track one
So a year ago I set out to become a Ham Radio operator and today marks my one year anniversary of me passing my test for technician ( I am a extra class by the way) and soon I would have my call sign and something new to do in the mornings. Now I do not remember how I found out about the barometer net but soon I found myself listening, and soon as Ron the net control put it I joined the usual cast of characters on the net with just a handheld. This new to me net provided the needed entertainment to fulfill my morning. With CSX sometimes not having any trains for me it provides an out to the usual boredom and monotony that can leave one searching on Facebook, staring off down the tracks aimlessly, or even worse getting into trouble or causing it. 

Q226 Rolls through Akron
  Now I usually check in to the net once I reach my spot also affectionately referred to as my office by some of the local railfans. Sometimes I check in on the drive down if traffic is light, now once I check in I usually give the temp, and what the weather is doing and usually it is the only time I get to actually say something , maybe a second time I get to say something if net traffic is slow. Ron sometimes calls me a second time and I don't hear him, the usual reason is I have a train rolling by making too much noise to hear or I am out and about going to go get a shot and usually I am not near the car to hear him but that is part of the challenges I face. 

Distant thunderstorms light up the morning sky but the Q217 provides the thunder as is passes by
Now I am grateful for the ability my job provides for me to enjoy not only the natural beauty of the morning and great train watching, but now I get to enjoy talking to some great individuals in the morning as well. Now that hopefully things have slowed down I can get trackside more in the afternoon than I have in the past few months and hopefully I can take a few trips and talk to other hams on other repeaters while I wait for the next train to pass by. Now you know I can't pass by without providing some food for thought. The late Steve Jobs made a powerful quote that said this, live life like it was your last day on earth because someday it will be true. If you wake up and ask yourself would this be how you would want your last day to be? And your answer is continuously no then make the change. I love my mornings being trackside but I do not like the constant threat of that being taken from me so I am going to be making some myself. If you want to join in on the fun and are a ham radio operator Ron's Net is operated on the Silver Creek Amateur Radio club's repeater of 147.390 wand has a PL of 131.8 or if you are bored Friday night check out my new net called Rail Net on the Cuyahoga falls Repeater 147.270 or 444.850 with a PL of 110.9 where we discuss all aspects of train related subjects of a personal nature. With that I am going to say 73 and remember God is in control take care. 

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