Why? - NOT amateur radio

Earlier today this photo from 2012 popped up. It was taken at our old house.

Neither my wife nor I can remember why I should be holding what looks like a young long tailed tit. OK it was 7 years ago, but you'd think something would be triggered!

Sunspots - Saturday July 20th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=0.

Rainbow Lorikeets - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, our younger grandson is in Australia seeing his Australian grandparents. He is mad on rainbow lorikeets. As the photo shows, he is in his element!

Moon landing - NOT amateur radio

Like most people of a certain age, I can remember precisely where I was when Man first landed on the Moon 50 years ago tomorrow. In some ways it feels like yesterday, although it was before I had started work.

And to think how little computing power they had! Looking back, these were very very brave men. It seems amazing that we have not been back to the moon since 1972.

Old radio amateur

This morning I had a visit from an old work colleague (now 94). It must be 30 years since we last met. Eric was first interested in amateur radio in 1937!! He was a D-day veteran who was recently on TV.

In the photo that I am holding he met the Prince of Wales, who could soon be our next king. Eric is a very modest person. He came out with his daughter, who is also like her dad. She was great.

Eric is as sharp as ever mentally.

Emu in garden? - NOT amateur radio

Certainly last year, we encountered this strange sight in the next village: 2 emus in a garden with the chickens! I guess the owners wanted the eggs. They were there for several years, although I have not checked this year.

6m FT8

In the last 6 hours 19 stations in 6 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX. There is some Es to Sweden and southern Europe.

UPDATE 1458z: Now 41 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. Most were Europeans via Es, but my best was KP4EIT (6834km) in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

UPDATE 1750z: 54 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. A very brief CQ was spotted in Sweden.

Sunspots - Friday July 19th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN is still 0. A=7 and K=1.

Wisdom - NOT amateur radio

Honestly, with my hand on my heart, I have not met anybody outside of the USA that has a good word to say about President Trump. Within the USA he may be liked, but outside he is very disliked.

What never fails to amaze me is why so many Americans voted for him. He comes over as an idiotic bigot. I am not saying he is, but one can be forgiven for thinking he is. I heard his pronunciation of Namibia recently. Surely the president of the most powerful nation on the planet cannot be this ignorant?

So tell me, oh wise one, exactly where is Nambia?

Apples - NOT amateur radio

We have had a decent summer. It has been moderately sunny, but not the unbearable heat we had last year. The apples on the trees are ripening as are the plums.  The photo shows the apples in the lane leading up to "our" windmill.