Friday, July 29, 2005

MCPON

I just saw the funniest thing over at Ultraquiet No More. Thanks to bothenook for this one.

Check out this Easter egg I found. If you go to the webpage for the U.S. Navy's MCPON, you'll find a page full of info and links for Terry D. Scott the current MCPON. If you scroll your mouse over the picture of him and hold it there you'll get a little blurb to pop up that says "Photo of Admiral Clark". I guess they just used the former CNO's webpage as a template and forgot to change that one little thing. Kinda unimportant I guess, but the man was my first COB and had a lot of impact on me in my first two years as a submariner.

Back in good old Cold Bay for a few more days. I should end up with a few more fish this time. We'll see tonight what the red fishing in the lagoon is like now, it ought to be peaking around now so I'm expecting a good time this week. I went down to Russell creek last night and couldn't stop catching the dog salmon that are spawning down there or the pinks that were coming in on the tide. The pinks at least were bright, I even caught one fat dolly that was gorging on eggs. I wanted to catch more dollies but I kept hooking into the dogs with my ultralight tackle and couldn't afford to lose any more lures so I switched to my silver pole and knocked 'em dead (the dogs). I eventually got bored with the super hot chum fishing and went home for the night. There was just no challenge to it after awhile. I'm surprised to have not seen any bears down there yet, the fish were everywhere.

I tried to mow my lawn two days ago before I flew out here. Unfortunately my lawnmower wouldn't stay running. I'd prime it and it would run for about four or five seconds then die. I'll investigate that when I get back home, for now the jungle will have to continue as is.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

It's official...

I guess this really qualifies as a blog now, I've gotten some posts up and even derived a comment from a fellow blogger.
So, I'm off today no "work outside the home" as my wife likes to say. Just a bunch of hunnydo's before my next trip.

More bad news for the Boy Scouts. Four Alaskans this time. Troop leaders electrocuted at the Boy Scout Jamboree. Our condolences to the families.

The shuttle Discovery went into orbit today, congrats to NASA on getting this far in their return to flight.

The Anchorage Daily News reported today on a procedural error by the Coast Guard in Valdez earlier this month. The real story is that the Coasties let two tankers into the Valdez narrows at once which is a no-no. The story is here http://www.adn.com/news/Alaska/story/6749164p-6637253c.html. I don't think that this is any big deal except for the guy in the VTC who screwed up. Maybe a little EMI (extra military instruction, for those who never had it) for the guys on watch at the VTC but that's about it. I don't think there was much to worry about especially since there was a two mile separation between them. After surviving one collision at sea I can understand the way different factors can snowball and contribute to an accident but I didn't see anything that would cause me to worry about the safety of the vessel traffic in and out of Prince William Sound in this story or in my past visits to the MSO/VTC in Valdez. Those Coasties are usually pretty thorough down there and there's so much oil money in Valdez that they can and have afforded a lot of spill prevention equipment and training for just about everyone that lives or works in that community. Whatever the enviro-whackos say, I don't think we'll see another Exxon Valdez type disaster in PWS unless it's a terrorist action.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Cold Bay, Alaska

I just got back from one of my favorite sites in AK. Cold Bay. It has great fishing and hunting plus there's enough work to keep me pretty busy until it's time to knock off for any of the afore mentioned activities.
Just look at the some of the fish I caught this last trip.

Just prior to catching these beautiful reds I saw what was probably the biggest bear I've ever seen running away as we approached what became our fishing hole. Big and the color of dark chocolate with a belly that almost drug on the beach.

In other news, my lawn which I had hydroseeded(what a wonderful invention) has blossomed forth into a most magnificent growth. So much so that in the month since it was first sprayed I must now mow for the first time. All hail to the land of the midnight sun and the giant produce it produces.

I've also noticed that yet another neighbor in this neighborhood has copied my fence design. Of course I merely copied it from my fathers design but they wouldn't know that now would they? For those who have stopped to read this blog and don't know me or have never seen my excellent custom fence, suffice it to say that it rocks and I am definitely a trendsetter in this neighborhood.

What else might I spew forth tonight....?

I've read in a number of places on the finding of the USS Lagarto, a WWII Balao class submarine sunk by Japanese mines in the Gulf of Thailand in May 1945. An English shipwreck diver is seeking permission from the Pentagon to explore the wreck. From what I've heard they won't get the permission because it's a war grave. I can only agree with this and wish my brethren on eternal patrol to remain undisturbed.

The Navy is considering quite seriously a new riverine/naval infantry type of unit. Don't they already have that capability with the special boat units? Aside from the task of delivering SEALs and other spec ops units, don't they already do that job? Wouldn't you just want to increase their numbers?

I recently heard back from a long lost friend. I was searching the submarine forums lurking out there on the 'net and came across someone whom I had been trying to get in touch with for some time. He was living in a state were I was not looking for him and not doing the kinds of things to make himself easily found. I'm glad to have gotten ahold of him again. Isn't the internet wonderful?

In interesting local news, a Boy Scout from Texas was mauled by a bear near Cooper Landing. It's a good thing there were other scouts on the hike since they certainly had some expertise in first aid. I think the best part, aside from the fact the 15 year old Boy Scout survived with surgery and is listed in fair condition, is this quote from the young man himself after startling the bear "I think I caught it going to the bathroom"! That ought to end up in Whitekeys place somehow (for those not in the know, try flybynightclub dot com).

That's enough for now I suppose.

G'night.

Monday, July 11, 2005


TEST

Update

I've added a few links, poked and prodded somewhat at the blog. I'm still poking at it's soft white underbelly yet. Eventually I'll have something to say.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Inaugural post numero uno

I can't think of anything to blog about just yet, I really only wanted to comment on a friends blog but she doesn't accept anonymous comments. I have been reading a few blogs from this site though. I just don't have the time currently to spew at any length.