Category Archives: Howard County

What A Difference A Day Makes

Posted on July 1, 2012 by AnnieRie

Friday I worried about tomatoes. Then, this derecho hit. What in the world is a derecho? Not something we want to see again.

We lost two trees. And power. Others are in much worse shape. We had almost no warning, as we did not expect this at all. Before we could even react and pull down antennas and batten down the hatches, the power went off. 11 PM Friday night.

Saturday, no power. We cut down trees and tried to stay cool.

Lots of downed trash trees, aka Tree of Heaven. They are leaning down all over our property line. Breaking off whenever the wind picks up.

Without power, we had no water. Flushing toilets. Not happening without the help of water from our neighbor’s pool. Buckets of it.

Water is precious when you are on a well.

We were lucky. Lots of houses still without power. Glenelg hit hard. Huge trees down.

When our power came back Saturday night at 10 PM, you could hear cheering through the open bedroom windows. Of course, now, one AC unit crashed and burned. Compressor won’t start. At least the upstairs unit is working. ESA will get called tomorrow. Wonder how long until they get here?

I hate derechos.

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Global Warming

Posted on June 26, 2012 by AnnieRie

It has to be. Why else would I have ripe tomatoes in June? Earlier than I ever have harvested tomatoes? Last year I had yellow pear tomatoes on 1 July. This year, yellow plum harvested this morning. Here is the picture from yesterday morning.

Besides these, I have sweet olive tomatoes about ready. Maybe Thursday or Friday for the first of these.

This morning I went out to look for cucumbers. I had used many of them for salads, pickles and tzatziki for Field Day. I knew there were a few more lurking under the leaves. I was checking on the tomatoes and one of them fell off the vine, so I decided to take them to make breakfast.

I also pulled the last of the spring garlic in hopes of making some pesto. And pulled a few pole beans off. The take.

Breakfast came together easily. Some of those luscious eggs from my friend’s hens. Scapes from my spring garlic and my little tomatoes.

Added what I thought was the last of the foraged wild asparagus, but I found two more today. Trickling Springs butter. Some CSA yellow chard and Boarman’s bacon went in the pan also.

Let everything mix together and add some heels of bread to sop up all that good butter.

Yes, I broke one yolk. Remember ugly food tastes better. I just adjusted what I did.

Here’s to many more local meals from my garden, my friends, and the local farmers of Howard County. Any other tomatoes out there being harvested?

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W3AO, It’s All About Logistics

Posted on June 25, 2012 by AnnieRie

After sleeping almost twelve hours, we sort of feel like human beings again. One of the most important aspects of planning and executing an event of the size of Field Day is this. You can always improve your performance with advance planning and, when operating almost non-stop for 50-60 hours, you need to pace yourself and not overheat, dehydrate or work when you are exhausted.

There were many new helpers and many more people at Field Day this year. Lots of younger people, thankfully, for us old folks 😉 to help us out. And many interested dedicated workers who help make this event a huge success.

I already posted once the team picture just before the start of the event. There were at least 10 people not there, who were out in the field making last minute set up adjustments.

These did not include a large number of people who came Friday to set up, and who returned Sunday to tear down. Set up and tear down teams help relieve the operators who were there almost round the clock starting Friday.

Advance prep like having the more than 2 miles of coax ready to go, already designated for where in the field each roll is placed. At tear down, they are rolled back up meticulously and marked so that the following year there is no delay to figure out where they are placed.

AB-577’s otherwise known as rocket launchers, are pre-loaded for quick slide off at marked sites. Everything is ready to bring into the site with no loss of time for sorting or handling. This year, the club had volunteer help in sorting, repairing, lubricating and repacking all twenty-two kit bags that contain the guy wires, couplers, rings, cranks, stakes and nails that were dropped behind the launchers, presorted and ready to install.

Before

In Process

Tower, gear and antenna arrive in sequence and are ready to assemble by roving tower teams.

We have an amazing member who brings all the generators and keeps us powered up for the 48 hours. Three generators. We even had the Chief of Howard County Emergency Management checking them out in detail Sunday while he was visiting the site. Sunday I ended up so busy cooking, I forgot to take enough pics of the event and tear down. But, without reliable power, this event could not take place.

IT support is also important. Networked computers. Coordination. Again, dedicated club members keep all this organized and use a system to track what gets down where and how.

And, all good armies march on their stomachs, right? My contribution to Field Day (surprised?) is assistance to the food tent, ably executed by the wife of one of the club members who organizes the event. I have been assisting now three years. Every year we get more efficient and make constant adjustments in keeping 50-75 people fed and hopefully, very happy. Enough of them say we do, so I think we succeed.

Friday Night Pizza while still setting up

Saturday Lunch

Saturday while last minute preparations go on, we set out a cold cut, sloppy joe, salad, veggies/chips and dip, luncheon bar for people to grab and go, or take a break before the two o’clock start. It is nice to have good generators to power the crock pot. And, to allow us to hook up a Keurig in the evening for all night long fresh brewed coffee.

Saturday during the most active ops time, we bring in Mexican food. Easy to grab and eat, soft tacos, beans and rice, brownies, grapes, strawberries, all minimally interfere with calling CQ. We even deliver to the operators at their stations if they are holding a frequency and don’t want to lose momentum by taking a break.

Sunday breakfast has become simpler, since I cook it at home and drive it up the road a mile to the site. The site is near the top of one of the higher points in Howard County. We live near there (so do lots of other club members since HAAT is important). It means many things can be transported to the site easily, and for me as cook, it means they get hot bacon and eggs on Sunday morning after operating all night. I cook four pounds of bacon Saturday night, and 4 1/2 dozen scrambled eggs Sunday morning.

Get it all there 10 minutes before the 8AM breakfast call. Coffee is perked. Toasters are ready. Love having enough generator power for fresh toast. We were so busy serving, I forgot again to take pics.

Lunch is grilled burgers, hot dogs, smoked chicken, salads, toppings, all the leftovers as well.

After 2PM, it’s off to tear it all down and put it away for next year. No pics of that either as we were all busy.

A few random pics of the fun times.

Jim, far left, happy after blowing the air horn for 1800 UTC start of Field Day

My OM taking a two hour nap before tear down. Behind him the trailer for the towers, and the camper that is parked right in the middle of it all on Friday night to provide security before everyone arrives Saturday morning to complete set up.

Some of the youngest GOTA operators enjoying themselves Sunday morning.

Another good year. Lots of memories. Tired but happy people from all around this area. Who says there’s nothing to do in Howard County? Anyone interested in joining the fun, check out the Columbia Amateur Radio Association for local club events, county event support, emergency service support and other interests. Potomac Valley Radio Club, more widespread than just Columbia but with lots of local members, does lots of contesting and has social events in the area.

73 de PVRC and CARA

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Whiskey Three Atlantic Ocean

Posted on June 24, 2012 by AnnieRie

The start of Field Day approaches. This is the second of three reports about how PVRC and CARA put together a large auxiliary communications set up and operate for 24 hours. W3AO is the call sign. Using our adaptation from the NATO phonetic alphabet, which would be Whiskey Three Alpha Oscar.

For those CW cognizant, we are:
Dit Dah Dah
Dit Dit Dit Dah Dah
Dit Dah
Dah Dah Dah

Let’s start with the team picture. Just before starting out. A few missing as we were still setting up minutes before the start.

Last minute set up still going on at the VHF tent.

We know we are ready when Maurice gets the flags raised at the VHF site.

The Calm Before the Storm. I even got LPL to smile. 🙂

And, they’re off. More later after we finish today and clean up.

Come out and visit. We love having the community there, and you can operate the GOTA station. Get On The Air. You can’t miss us. Look for all the antennae in the fields. Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School. Triadelphia Rd. off Rte. 32.

73 de W3AO.

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CQ Field Day, CQ Field Day

Posted on June 23, 2012 by AnnieRie

Sometimes I think this phrase is imprinted in my brain for weeks after we finish our annual foray into supporting a traditional and interesting tradition among amateur radio operators.

Field Day. A twenty four hour period where amateur radio clubs and individuals across the USA and Canada practice their communication skills using auxiliary power. It is meant to keep them capable to support natural disasters, loss of communications or power, or assist emergency officials in the event of a large scale incident that requires support of communications.

We have one of the largest and most innovative collaborations here in Howard County.The T shirt from 2010 shows 11 years of making the most contacts in our class. This year’s shirt is simple. Front and back alike with no scores. But, we are now at 13 years running of working the most stations and last year set a new record for number of contacts. This is pretty much a Type A personality group. Striving for better performance year after year.

The shirts include the phrase “48 hours” which means 24 hour set up and 24 hour operations. A few shots of set up are included here. I will have more when we finish tomorrow. I just fried four pounds of bacon and need to get up at 0 Dark Hundred to scramble 4 dozen eggs to take breakfast up there. They are set up a mile up from the road from us. Lucky me. I get to avoid the spot a pot.

This is Columbia’s club testing out our satellite communication capability to see if everything works.

This shot I like particularly because it shows how much fun the younger family members of current operators are having while learning to put up temporary towers. He was not the only young person we had out there Friday.

Yes, we are crazy. We put up eleven of these using old military surplus crank up towers. Here are a few. we had other wires and crank ups as well. We operate as 27A, which means 27 simultaneous transmitters using generators.

The clubs are operating until 2PM Sunday. Come out and check it out. Anyone can Get On The Air (GOTA) at our station designed to get inactive licensed operators on the air, and to introduce unlicensed operators to the hobby. We are at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School on Triadelphia Rd. just off of Rte. 32.

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The Wegmans Effect, Part Two

Posted on June 20, 2012 by AnnieRie

The past two posts focused on my initial visit to the new store, and what it was like to get there and back. A while ago, I wrote about what I thought might happen in the area once the store opened. I thought it might affect Costco or BJs, in addition to the chain grocery stores here in Howard County.

Since I only used Wegmans in the past for hard to find items, or specialty fish and meat, I never wandered their organic aisles, or their grocery and bulk sections. Now I have, twice. We went back this morning to pick up some items for my husband’s upcoming field day. Items for hydration. He also wanted to see the new store, and as retirees we can wander in at 10am when parking is relatively easy.

This is what we went to get. Bananas and oranges and vitamin water with potassium. Field Day set up in 90+ degree heat this Friday will be tough on the guys doing it. Hydration is important so we stocked up on supplies. I also found they got distilled vinegar in last night to fill the empty shelves I found yesterday. For pickling, I go through lots of this stuff and the price here was really good.

Of course, as usual, I got way more than what I needed as items tempted. Just what you expect when you go shopping.

Organic lemons and limes. Key limes. Meyer lemons. I always buy organic citrus so I can use the zest without worrying about what may have been sprayed on them. A couple of the key limes will be used for tongiht’s rockfish on the grill.

The Meyer Lemons! With my basil and some Aranciata and vodka, it will be Meyer Lemon Basil Fizzes on the patio while the fish cooks!

With all the organic foods there, I wonder how it will affect Roots, MOM’s and David’s. I found their prices to be better than Roots for organic dairy items. This will be an interesting evolution.

And, like Tale of Two Cities found out, take out dinner from there can be very reasonable, so how will this affect the takeout places near there?

We got in and got checked out very quickly today. And, stupid me. I forgot to give the cashier the two coupons to get the eggs and bread free. I bought them to use towards the field day egg and toast breakfast we make for the radio operators who work all night Saturday making contacts. No problem. As I started out, I remembered, turned around and headed for customer service where a roving employee took my coupons, walked behind the counter and gave me $3.48 in cash for my coupons. Didn’t even ask to see my Shoppers card. No hassle and great customer service.

Giant and Safeway will be affected by them definitely. Who else? Only time will tell. They also were giving out cups of iced water at the entrance for hydration. A map of the store. Free Menu magazine with $10 more in coupons good until September. The magazine had great recipes in it, like for grilled pizzas.

I actually watched one couple wandering the store with the magazine looking for items to make one of the recipes. Very slick marketing. The pizzas looked great.

Yesterday I picked up a loaf of their miche bread.

Their specialty breads will be giving the local bakers competition, that’s for sure.

I have to admit, I am seeing my habits change to use them instead of Giant or Safeway for the things I don’t get from the farmer’s markets, local farmers and dairies, my CSA and some bulk items. I used to drive to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods occasionally. I believe for me that will stop, as Wegmans becomes my substitute.

Now, if I can just figure out where everything is located.

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OK, I Caved and Went to Wegmans

Posted on June 19, 2012 by AnnieRie

I admit it. I just had to go and see the place, even if it was super crowded. Just to compare it to Frederick and Hunt Valley while picking up a few things I needed before Amateur Radio Field Day. And some things for canning and pickling.

This is my first grocery run this month. I really only wanted coffee creamer, vitamin water, plain yogurt to make tzatziki with my cucumbers, hoagie rolls and fixings to make lunches for the better half as he sets up Friday and Saturday for field day, and white distilled vinegar for pickling. Oh, and fresh dill because I didn’t plant dill this year.

I got there before the noon rush. Not hard to get to the top deck and park near the clock.

Inside a little confusing as things are laid out a bit differently than at Frederick, but I got my hoagie rolls, some good whole grain bread, and headed back past the cheese aisle where I knew I could find The Wild Pea hummus. I resisted spending money on cheese, as I use my local sources for it.

Got a pic of some of the organic prices to use to compare to my CSA organic veggies. I may need to go back and adjust my savings as this price for baby bok choy was higher than I have been using for my cost analysis.

Bought no fruit or produce, as again, I use the local farmers for these items. Same with meat. Only got some deli sliced turkey to make the hoagies. Could not believe it, they were sold out of the large bottles of distilled white vinegar. They even went into the back to look. At $0.62 a quart for the gallon jug, I wasn’t going to buy four quart bottles for twice the unit price, so I guess it’s off to Costco to pick up vinegar. I will be out of it when pickling things Thursday.

I got a really bad picture through the glass of my cart coming up the escalator behind me. Too much glare to get it. I did walk right up to a checkout counter mid store that had one person paying as I placed my items on it. The next register was the same, and there were employees directing us to open registers along that long row.

Out to my car, and here is the time. Less than an hour, including running all over the bulk aisles looking for the vitamin waters. And, getting the fish department to select some large diver scallops to grill for dinner tonight. Stay tuned for the dinner posts sometime later.

My haul, a bit more than I went in to buy. But, much of it prep stuff for Friday at Field Day, and I did pick up the K Cup sampler I like. And, Chobani at $1 is a deal. I needed the plain Greek yogurt to make tzatziki and their prices are better than anywhere for Chobani.

I also grabbed a large bottle of their olive oil to use to make berry vinaigrettes.

And, yes, as I was leaving, it was getting crazy. Long lines of cars to get up to the parking garage.

Lots of people eating outside of the Market Cafe.

As others have said, avoid the food court and the prepared food section, and you can get in and shop fairly efficiently. I will probably be using them for all my grocery needs that can’t be filled by Roots and Boarman’s. Definitely for fish. The bakery may tempt me, but I still love Atwater’s breads. Wegmans may be a once or twice a month visit to get staples and some really good seafood. Oh, and sushi. None today because I am making the scallops tonight, but I do like to treat myself to their sushi.

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The Friday Morning Harvest

Posted on June 15, 2012 by AnnieRie

Ah, the beginning of the garden harvest. Today gave me six pole beans with the promise of a half dozen more tomorrow.

I had to harvest these close to the ground ones. Baby bunny squeezes through my deer fence, and these looked too tempting to leave until tomorrow. With the ones farther up the fence, and bunny proof, that I will harvest tomorrow, I will be steaming green beans to have with grilled petit filets tomorrow night.

I have another cucumber getting closer, and hopefully it won’t get bite marks like the last one. I will leave this one on a few more days to get bigger.

I did check out the asparagus to see what was there. One to cut, and one went to seed.

The herbs are flowering, particularly the varieties of thyme.

The tomatoes are coming along nicely. These are orange blossom.

About five of my tomato plants have tomatoes. All the rest are still in blossom stage. Can’t wait for the first cherry tomatoes to ripen next month. July 4th is usually when I get the first ones.

All in all, a nice Friday morning with a promise of a lovely weekend.

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Summer CSA Week Six

Posted on June 14, 2012 by AnnieRie

Week Six from Sandy Spring. Another huge haul. Too big for the picture again.

Here is the official list at pick up.

I swapped the green cabbage. I am using most of last week’s to make sauerkraut, and some for cole slaw with the lovely carrots we got this week. I picked a second bag of these precious sweeties. I ended up with a dozen miniature white cucumbers. This variety is very sweet. We loved them last year. This year I am making sweet pickles with them.

The carrots and onions were gorgeous. Who knew you could get excited over vegetables?

And, this green oak leaf lettuce. Yum! I was eating it while rinsing and spinning it. It is such a great tasting lettuce.

Now, the dandelion greens and kale. I need to get creative this week. Might be steaming and freezing to use in soups this winter. As for the analysis.

Kale $2.50. Chard $3 for this size. Three pounds potatoes $4.50. A dozen cukes $6 at 2/$1 the going price at the market last week, and these are more exotic. Carrots $2. Onions $3. Dandelion greens $2. Lettuces $3 each for these two varieties. Scallions $2. Zucchini $3. These prices reflect organic pricing, and not the cheapest prices for veggies found that aren’t organic. Total for the twelve items, $34. Running total for six weeks. $48.65 ahead of what we pay for the CSA.

On a closing note, as I drove down through Dayton on the way to pick up in Columbia, I spied the bunny by the old general store and post office. He sums it up perfectly.

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Meet Me At the Fair

Posted on June 11, 2012 by AnnieRie

I know it’s summer when the fair brochure arrives in the mail. I go browsing through the home arts section to decide what to enter this year, and check on my tomatoes to see which ones will be the heirlooms to choose to enter.

I picked my first pickling cucumber this morning.

Not to brag or anything, but I put it up against the CSA pickles that came last Thursday. Mine is the big one on the left. 🙂

My husband wants me to make dill pickles like his mom made, and keep them in a crock. I hope my six plants give me enough to put up a crock of them. I also want to do bread and butter pickles for the fair.

In the past I entered tomatoes and herbs. This year I may branch out and do photography. I have lots of cool pics taken for the blog that would work in many categories, like historic Howard County, and animals, and still life (my flowers). Entering the fair is fun. Most of the time I get nothing but I have two ribbons, one for herbs and one for heirlooms.

Purple calabash, in 2010. This year I planted chocolate stripes, amana orange, legend, pink caspian, great white, pineapple and orange blossom. We will see what does best in my soil. I also planted lots of cherry and grape tomatoes. I never seem to do well in that area.

I did get a ribbon last year for my herbs. This year, the new herbs include tarragon and marjoram. I didn’t do stevia again. I did put in a number of lavender plants, and more varieties of basil. Can never have too much basil. Particularly when the tomatoes come in like this.

If you have never entered the fair, it is really easy to do. Herbs are the easiest. Flowers too. Growing enough veggies to meet the minimum in some categories is difficult but for grape or cherry tomatoes, it is easy to get 15 of them. It is not too late to plant a few tomato plants or an herb border in your yard, and you can put together the three herb arrangement you need to enter.

Try putting something out there this year. And, come to the fair in August. See if I got any ribbons!

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