Tag Archives: community

W1AW/3 aka W3AO

Posted on June 27, 2014 by AnnieRie

It’s Field Day weekend. The weekend each year that my husband joins about 100 fellow club amateur radio operators, friends and family at a local school field to exercise their radio operating skills in remote, or portable, or emergency conditions. You all know the phrase, practice makes perfect. So, once a year the USA and Canada conduct this weekend event. Putting radio stations on the air all over the two countries.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). For Field Day the Columbia Amateur Radio Association and the Potomac Valley Radio Club get to use the national organization’s call sign W1AW portable 3. We in MD are in the “3” region of the country. The headquarters is located in New England, the “1” region. Since we are licensed to use their call sign for a week of the centennial, we will be using it for Field Day.

Instead of our usual club call sign. W3AO. I did a series last year on our Field Day. W3AO is extremely organized, competitive, yet one of the nicest groups of people you could ever meet.

Today about 30-40 of us were out there setting up the towers, antennas, laying coaxial cable, and getting ready for tomorrow.

A few fun pictures of set up day.

Generator. Check. Air Conditioner. Check. Say What? Air conditioner? Yes, when you bring all the generators and have built them for us, you do get to bring your own portable unit to keep the VHF tent THE PLACE TO BE when it’s 90 plus degrees out there.

Working on the power to the main tent.

Then there’s our solar unit, to get those points.

We also have the satellite tent being set up with all their equipment right outside their tent flap.

They were on the air late this afternoon using our club call to be sure everything was set up. The rest of the radios and computers will be set up tomorrow.

This was a really great group. All eleven bases of the AB-577s, the crank up towers, were in place in less than two hours.

Being level is important.

Coaxial cable was all in place before six pm today. We spent less than 10 hours out there today. Tomorrow it’s just a few more hours of radios, computers, power up and check out, before beginning on the air at 2 pm local time.

How many miles of cable do we use? Answer tomorrow.

As for all the planning, a small group does so much of it. This picture is one of my favorites from today.

K3RA, Rol, who gets us all organized, with his XYL, Audrey, who is in charge of feeding us all. After all, we know an army marches on its stomach. Along with Jim, N3KTV, seen above unrolling cable, they keep us focused and busy getting prepared.

Time to shut this down and sleep before the fun begins. Come visit us at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School tomorrow. We may put you on the air, as W3AO. I think I will operate our Get On The Air (GOTA) station. After all, W3AO holds all sorts of records, and this year the GOTA station is using that call sign, while the rest of the club uses W1AW/3.

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Posted in Community, Howard County and tagged amateur radio, community, Howard County, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

The New Blogs in Town

Posted on June 25, 2014 by AnnieRie

Howard County has been blessed with some really interesting writers, particularly when it comes to food. Using hocoblogs and HowChow as my go-to sources and my morning coffee accompaniment, I get what is happening in and around the area. And find new things to cook. And to blog about.

Like my latest finds in the food world.

Three Beans on a String. A fellow LFFC CSAer who loves to cook and takes amazing photographs. I met Elizabeth at Petit Louis Bistro, at a hocoblogs party there. I regularly read her posts and envy her photography skills. Her food looks great. I bet it tastes that good also.

The Unmanly Chef. Love the name. Jessie from hocoblogs sent me a link. HowChow had him guest post today. I see from that post we are both customers of Friends and Farms. And, I have to get my hands on these skewers, highlighted in his kabob post. I also need to try the egg in my kofta.

The Bare Midriff. Yes, Elizabeth’s blog isn’t new, just new on my regular reading list, that I just updated. I have been reading her blog for a while, but haven’t written about it. We met at the Gadsby event, another hocoblogs get together.

Next month we have an event planned at Secolari, my favorite place for olive oil, seasoned salts, vinegars, and of course, that awesome Pappardalle’s pasta. More on the event later.

Now, it’s nice to see more company on the food blogs column of hocoblogs. Bon Appetit!

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County, Locavore, People and tagged commentary, community, Food, foodie, hoco loco, Howard County, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

A Decade of Summers

Posted on June 23, 2014 by AnnieRie

Our tenth summer here. Time flies. The trees are much larger. The bushes growing together. It is even more private than when we arrived. Not quite as quiet, though. More development brought more traffic.

But still, summer out here is lived outdoors. Either mowing or weeding or trimming or harvesting or eating or drinking or whatever. I spend so much time outdoors. Watching the animals. The birds. The snakes. Yes, the snakes. Life in the country is always an adventure.

We also eat more meals at home. Shop closer to home. I almost titled this post, summer salad days, because we have transitioned into the summer routine of salads for lunch, and a big component of dinner.

It’s too hot some days to cook. Or, our appetites are affected by the heat.

We stopped up at the garden after dinner at Iron Bridge tonight. Tried to decide if we wanted to stand in that long line at the Woodstock snowball stand. Decided instead to come home for leftover crumble with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream.

Blueberry season opens this weekend at Larriland. I never went to Larriland when we lived in Columbia. Now, it’s a couple of times a month. Peaches and blackberries after the blueberries.

Getting ready for field day this weekend with the radio club. Hoping we don’t get storms.

Tomorrow I need to go and vote. Thursday is Fiddlers and Fireflies, a summer staple in this part of the county, out at the Conservancy. Things don’t always slow down around here when it’s warm.

Here’s to summertime. Officially here last weekend. To lazy days with minimal fuss.

To that perfect Caprese salad.

To Life in the Slow Lane.

#hocoblogs

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Posted in Community, Farms, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Weather and tagged community, cooking, farms, Food, foodie, gardening, Howard County, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Berry, Berry Good

Posted on June 12, 2014 by AnnieRie

Both my food sources delivered strawberries today. There will be some creative cooking going on.

Today Lancaster Farm Fresh began the fruit shares for those of us who opted for this add on. We got a jar of their incredibly rich “just apples” applesauce. Too bad we didn’t sign up for a meat share. They got boneless pork chops.

As for our chicken share:

Breasts, thighs and legs. 4.5 pounds of chicken. I have been so impressed with what we get, as always.

We get an email in the morning telling us what was selected. We do get advanced notice on Tuesdays, of the expected crop picking. But, it does change slightly.

There were nine items in the half share today. I did swap the cilantro, as I grow it, for that lovely fennel. There will be fennel, orange and red onion salad soon. I am impressed with the size of the leaf lettuce, and the romaine.

The bonus. Those radish greens, which are edible and quite tasty, albeit a bit peppery.

The CSA pickup was this afternoon. This morning I also got our Friends and Farms basket.

OK, I was brave and took the mussels, even though I don’t eat them. My husband was thrilled with them. They are gone already. Tonight’s dinner. White wine. Mussels. Butter. Shallots. Garlic scapes. A teaspoon of flour. Classic mussel dish. Served with the baguette from The Breadery.

The rest of this week’s protein and dairy. Short ribs and Ewe crème cheese. We also got baby bok choy, zucchini, baby bellas, broccoli, asparagus, spring mix, and those strawberries.

There will be stir fry on the menu this week. And, lots of salads.

Tomorrow night, slow cooked short ribs over greens.

For the Saturday night movie at the Wine Bin. Mushroom pate. The rest of the baguette. Chicken salad. Strawberry salsa.

Having fun with the fresh foods.

#hocofood

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Posted in Community, CSA, Food, Friends and Farms, LFFC, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food and tagged community, cooking, crock pot cooking, CSA, Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Sunday Night Tidbits

Posted on June 8, 2014 by AnnieRie

Us and Them. No, the answer is WE.

At our planning meeting for Howard County Conservancy events for 2015, we discussed the addition of the Belmont site to the Conservancy venues. Trying to remember to say “WE” instead of “US or “THEM”.

It has been interesting to observe the expansion of what my favorite non-profit organization manages and offers.

Like this event Tuesday night at Belmont.

JUN 10 – Tuesday 6pm Saving the Places We Love: Belmont, Howard County and Beyond: Come out for an evening with Ned Tillman, award winning local author of The Chesapeake Watershed. Ned will lead a 40 minute walk around the estate followed by a presentation on his latest book: Saving the Places we Love: Paths to Environmental Stewardship. Walk begins at 6 pm at The Carriage House followed by the presentation and book signing. Rain or Shine! FREE.

If you have never been to Belmont, it really is a treasure and worth a visit.

That brings me to a request of fellow countians. Please consider joining our cadre of volunteers. We now have so many cool opportunities to make a difference in a child’s or a family’s or a fellow adult countian’s life.

I just feel as if I drop all cares from my shoulders when I drive up that driveway and enter that quiet lovely farmland.

I like leading field trips. I like heading up events. Heck, this summer I am leading geocaching, and an ESOL hike, and a food preservation class.

I don’t think they collectively fall into the same box, so to speak.

Anyway, if you can’t make Ned’s event Tuesday, you could join us on a history geocaching scavenger hunt on Saturday. I have all sorts of surprises in store for the participants.

Saturday 10 am at our Mt Pleasant site.

Pre-register if you want to be guaranteed one of the loaner GPS units.

#hocoblogs

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Posted in Community, Howard County, Nature, Volunteering and tagged commentary, community, hobbies, Howard County, howard county conservancy, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

It Takes a Community (garden)

Posted on May 27, 2014 by AnnieRie

I didn’t realize the social aspect of having a community garden plot. I really enjoy being able to stop and talk with fellow gardeners. Taking that break when you feel that weeding is way too hard in high temperatures.

There are always people up there. Some of them gardening. Some fulfilling their service hours.

Last year, the community gardeners donated over 1000 pounds of vegetables to the Howard County Food Bank. About 800 square feet of garden space in the plots is dedicated to the Food Bank Garden, and other gardeners donate their excess crops.

Every Tuesday morning is Food Bank harvest. This week they harvested greens, as it is still early in the growing season. I got there a little late, as I was caught up in family things. I missed them by a few minutes.

So, I puttered around. Fed my plants. Picked potato beetles off my cucumbers and zucchini.

Zucchini is one of those love-hate plants. Love them when they produce, and hate them when they over produce.

This year though, I have to admit, I inherited the Godzilla of chives.

Now, I love chive blossoms but these are out of control. I also have one amazing common sage plant.

Along with, believe it or not,

TOMATOES!

Early girl and supersweet 100s. Both have tomatoes on them.

Life is good. There are tomatoes in the future.

#hocofood

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Posted in Community, Food, Gardening, Hobbies and tagged community, Food, foodie, gardening, heirloom tomatoes, howard county conservancy, Locavore, tomatoes. Bookmark the permalink.

Having a Meadow

Posted on May 19, 2014 by AnnieRie

Since we moved from Columbia to the western parts of the county. One of those things that just boggles my mind.

Having a meadow, that is. I am a city girl. Born and raised in Baltimore. In a row house. It most certainly is different to live where I can’t see my neighbors. Where I can have coffee on my patio in my nightgown.

I am lucky, I know. But, where did it come from? My mom hates it out here. Too dark and quiet for her. She is also a city girl. Born and raised just west of downtown B’more.

Why do I love it so much? Maybe a throwback to my great grandparents who had a small farm in western Baltimore County. Who knows?

Three times around our property line is a mile. A far cry from the 1/12th acre of our townhouse in Columbia.

All in all, it is something that interests me. That sense of doing something new. Of changing my comfort zone. Of growing even after retirement.

We all need to find those areas that challenge us. That make us different than what we were when we were young.

Me, I’ll just be happy out here in the boonies. If only those people who are running the triathlons these days would only clean up their trash.

#hocoblogs

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Posted in Commentary, Community, Howard County, West HoCo and tagged commentary, community, Howard County, nature, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Event Overload Again

Posted on May 14, 2014 by AnnieRie

The third weekend in May. Absolutely one of the most overbooked event weekends around here.

Wine in the Woods. Both days, Saturday and Sunday.

The Preakness. Saturday is the race in Baltimore, and the Balloon Festival at Turf Valley the 15th-17th if the weather permits it.

The Columbia Triathlon is Sunday morning. Our love/hate relationship with this event depends on whether we need to get anywhere by car that morning. We live right off the bike race route.

The EC Tasting Gallery Pop Up at Bistro Blanc is Sunday night.

There is a Family Open House at Belmont Saturday morning 10-12, with guided hikes and other goodies. The Howard County Conservancy is providing environmental educational programs at the Belmont site.

We are volunteering for Big Cork at Wine in the Woods.

Been fans of their wines since they opened the winery. Love the chardonnay, and really am looking forward to the release of their first red wines this fall. And, their new building out in Rohrersville.

As for that pop up dinner, we will be there. I can’t wait to see what the EC chefs and Chef Johnny at Bistro Blanc create in a culinary culture tour.

If I can drag myself out of bed Saturday morning to see the mass ascension at Oh-Dark=Thirty up at Turf Valley, I will be doing that too.

Belmont does interfere with Wine in the Woods. Darn. Van Wensil is leading two guided hikes which should be wonderful to do.

Sunday morning finds us cheering on the leaders in the triathlon as they pass the Royal Farms at the circle where Dayton and Glenelg meet. We like heading up there for coffee and bagels and to watch the world class athletes as they head out, and then back, from their loop out to Triadelphia.

And, can’t forget to sit out and watch the Preakness while sipping a Black Eyed Susan. Last year they changed the recipe for the cocktail. Sounds really interesting, if you have St. Germain around the house.

What are you doing this weekend? Are you guilty of event overload, too? I’ll need a week to recover from all this entertainment.

Oh, and the azaleas at Brighton Dam are still blooming. If the rain the next two days doesn’t mess them up.

#hocoblogs

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Posted in Adventures, Community, Food, Hobbies, Howard County, Real Food, Restaurants, Travel, Volunteering, Wine and tagged community, Food, foodie, hoco loco, Howard County, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, MD Wine, West HoCo, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Weather Or Not

Posted on May 7, 2014 by AnnieRie

As in extreme weather. The conference.

It may have started out sunny, but we did have a serious little storm with some lightning and thunder, so we brought the conference in from the rain.

I volunteer for field trips. This one, for ninth graders from four local schools, was the second year the Conservancy hosted all sorts of stations and presentations about extreme weather.

Want to know about power lines, and why you should be really careful around them? Let BG&E demonstrate what happens when live wires come in contact with ladders, poles, and gloves.

Oh, and they roasted a hot dog for the students. I missed that picture. At that point, we were checking the clouds rolling in and using the resources around us, including the Office of Emergency Management’s Command Unit.

I am always impressed by the thoroughness and the complexity of events hosted by the Conservancy. From Ava Marie’s opening remarks to the presentations all over the grounds, and the learning activities, and the displays, this was another chance to engage the community and have a fun day as well.

It was a pretty full house, and most of the students seemed to be intrigued and interested in what they were learning.

If only Mother Nature had cooperated and didn’t make us cancel the last session, as thunder roared and cloud to ground lightning was seen in the western sky. Oh, and getting back to the buses while it poured rain. Just what we are used to seeing around here. Wait a few minutes and the weather will change.

I love my volunteer “job”. We are never too old to stop learning, and sharing knowledge is even more rewarding. Congrats to Ann Strozyk and all the volunteers today, for putting on this conference for over 100 students.

#hocoblogs

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Posted in Adventures, Community, Howard County, Nature, Retirement, Volunteering, Weather and tagged community, Howard County, howard county conservancy, nature, volunteering, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Mother’s Day Stuff

Posted on May 4, 2014 by AnnieRie

Like tea and scones at the Conservancy. Or azaleas at Brighton Dam. Or brunch somewhere.

What are you doing for Mom’s Day?

What could be more enjoyable than a leisurely stroll through all the gardens at the Conservancy while drinking tea and eating scones (some of them are mine!)? Garden clubs and volunteers are there to show you the beautiful flowers popping out in the gardens. Tea is being served in the historic farmhouse. This is all on Saturday the 10th.

On Sunday, you could head out to Brighton Dam to see if the azaleas finally look like this.