Another unoffical gathering at the pond.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Sept 7th, I will be at the pond.
Everyone is welcome to jon in.

Since May, I have been at the VA hospital oneand two times a week.
The reason is, I am having odd things remove.
Some have been found to be cancer.
So far there have been 17 surgeries and 8 surgeons working on my face and neck.

Right now, I have two weeks before my next appointment.
It will be the biggest yet.
They say 2 to 5 day stay after the surgery.
Issue is, a groth on the back of my neck was taken out and they can not find the source.
E-rays, and CT scans do not show anything.
My case was taken to a 7 doctor panel and they agreed that surgery on my neck to remove somethings would be a defencive move.
It may show nothing which is good and it may show more agressive thing will be needed.

Anyway, I have 2 weeks before that happens so I am taking my Skipjack to the pond on Sept. 7th.
I am going to sit in my chair on the bank and run it for 3 to 4 hours.

Then I hope to recover enough to make the scheduled Oct 26th gathering.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Just looked at my avatar.
I need to take another photo.
The Gato is far enough along to get in the photo.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Today, Wednesday, I checked my radio Tx, the batteries in the Tx and boat.
They are all ready to go this Saturday.

I still have work to do on the Gato readr end cap so I will gather up tools for the tool box this Friday.
2 weeks of no VA hosptial visits has been a welcome change.

I know of 2 others that may be coming out.
Looking forward to visiting.

[salmon]

Ralph,
I wish I could be there! I am preparing for a conference that I am speaking at. Have fun and take photos!
Peace,
Tom

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

I have finished working on the Gato for today.
I think I will gather up the tools to take to the pond tomorrow.
----------
Tom, it's an unscheduled gathering.
If you could make it, it would be great.
But we all have things that take priority.
I will try to remember to take photos.

[salmon]

Yeah, unfortunately I cannot make it. Thank you for your willingness to take photos! I will live vicariously through your images.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

To day was a very nice day at the pond.
Sunny but not hot.
A light breeze but no waves on the water except when Will's tub boat plowed along.
3.5 hours of run time.

But I did run in to the weeds a couple of times.
Had to be rescued by Will's sub retrieving fishing pole and tug boat.
My boat was stuck and with empty ballast tank, the boat was standing straight up on the propeller.
Took 15 minutes or so to free the boat.
It was looking like swimming was in my future.
Glad that did not happen.
Thanks, Will.

Three of us showed up.
Mike Dory, Will Oudmayer and me, Ralph Fendley.

Baots.
Mike


Will


Ralph (my boat with Mike in the background)

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Last week I was in the hospital for serious surgery.
In for 2 to 5 days they said.
Well, I woke up after 5.5 hours with no residual effects. No groggyness.
They kept me over night to watch the drining tube coming out of my neck.
It did what it was suppose to.
They released me near 3pm the second day.
Got home Friday and took it very easy for several days.
I did get up and out on Sunday because I was starving.
Went to town and had a light for me lunch.

Now the best part.
Yesterday, Tuesday, I got a message from 2 of the guys in the group.
They did not ask how I was doing because I had sent e-mail with that info.
Their message was, "Are you up to coming to the lake this coming Saturday. We, Mike and Will, are going to be there.
I have a couple of progress appointments on Friday, but this is to just look at what they did and if I am taken the right care of the cuts.
So, I responded, I will be there if the appointments do not stop me.
All equipment is charged.
All tools are gathere in to the box.
I am ready to go.

So this is another unscheduled gathering at the pond. Sept 21st. 7:00am to about 101:30am or longer.

I am going to try to stay out of the weeds.
I am not up to going swimming right now.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

September 21st unoffical run.

Weather was perfect.
Water was so clean that at 9 feet you could read the date on any coin.

Still a weeds problem I stayed out of the weeds.
Long technical talk after running.
I learned some things.
Some thing I have been doing wrong which made running the boat more work than it had to be.
Using the wrong control to hold depth.
Will O. explain what to do and why it works better than what I was doing.
I ran my boat as he suggested and things got easier.

It was a very good day.
But my neck is tired.

I ran about 2.5 hours and stopped because my neck was no happy with turning right and left as the boat went by.
Others ran 3.5 hours.