Friday, June 15, 2012

New Horizons Amateur Radio Club



New Horizon Amateur Radio Club.


New Horizon Amateur Radio Club.
Ham radio is one of the most dependable forms of communications.. It is a vital link that has proved itself over and over in times of Crisis and emergencies.
When the phone goes out, as it does in many areas like Sooke and Thetis Island, It is the HAM radio operators that man the mic and get emergency messages through or just keep in touch with the out side world.
Cell phones, may seem like the wave of the future, but if there is no power, they go flat, or the system gets overloaded and collapses collapses.
But HAM radio the old standby is always there.
I helped with family reunification during the Kelowna . People were in different part of the area in reception centres, Families needed to get together, and distant relatives needed reassurance that their loved ones were safe.
For this reason we have “nets” Certain groups, at certain times will check in to a net controller.
This serves a number of purposes. We know who is on the net and where their signal can reach if called on for emergency,

 Our group are all retiree’s so it gives us  sense of connection and a caring support group.
If someone has a  radio problem, someone else will fix it We have the experience of centuries of learning to draw on.
Several times a year, we have a luncheon.
Last Wednesday, it was t the Howard Johnson.
It is great to get the people together and match voice with person, to visit and to renew old friendships and start new ones.
For fun we have  gift for the ladies and we have a door prize .
 For many years , Allan Robson wood turned wonderful bowls. Health issues made it impossible for him to produce on of his master pieces this year, so Sheila Holliston VE7DAX and patty-anne Lea, VA7PTY, contributed gifts for the door prize.
It is the Honour of the club to never forget.

We have a book of memories that Chronicles birth, marriages, new arrivals, and deaths of members. One who have passed away, are called Silent Keys.
Their names will always be red and they will always be remembered.
We also have a trophy that was donated by VE7QT. It goes each yer to a member who has served the club well.
Last year, it was stolen from a members car.
Two members recreated the trophy and  it was awarded to Ken Tomlinson.
We had to put a tone in our radios this year due to so much vocal traffic on the bandwiths.
Every radio seems to be different, but without a doubt, each is difficult. When you have a member in their 80′s and 90′s trying to work the buttons in one hand and the manaul in the other, it can be a bit of a challenge.
So dfter the luncheon, the radio’s, computers, and screw drivers came out and member helpeed member to reprogram their radio's.
This is what is all about, caring and sharing and being ready to serve. 
The body may be weak, a walker or a wheel chair may impair mobility, but put a HAM behind a mic, and he or she is as efficient and has more experience than many of the emergency workers of today. And we don’t require  parking spaces.
You can find more information on NEW HORIZON’S WEB PAGE
73′s till next time.

Esquimalt 100 Years

100 Years for Esquimalt

100 Years for Esquimalt
|When Victoria became the capital of BC 150 years ago, they land based military protection from Albert Head and Fort Rudd Hill .
It was 50 years later that the the Royal Canadian Navy Established itself here.
It is  ritual now to have the Annual Buccaneer  Days.This covers about 3 days of celebration.
We were involved with the Parade held on the Saturday.
Several Vehicles from Saanich Historical Society had two entries, Norm Smith and his 60 year old Transit Bus,
and John Walls and His 1969  Fire Truck
Here are some scenes of the Blackstone of the parade.
The week before, we were in the Oak Bay Tea Party Parade and Next week it will be Sidney July 1 Parade.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Do It For Dad

You could smell the testosterone and the gasoline.  It was  sunny day and there was bikes from trikes to strip down and riders local, and import as well as some foreign bikers.
Ordinarily, we would get out of the way and wonder what 700 plus bikers were doing in one area.
There were some patches and colours. Some were on vintage bikes some on the very edge of technology.
I saw Harley s, Suzuki s, Ducti, Moto Guzzi,  BSA,  on road, touring, and enduro. 
And they were all there for on purpose.
To raise the awareness of prostrate cancer and encourage all me over 40 to see their Doctor.
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States behind lung cancer.
One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
This year, about 241,740 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,170 will die from this disease. African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer have a 60 percent greater risk of developing prostate cancer.
With new break troughs, this can be beaten, but early detection is the key.
Many of the Bikes had a piece of while paper on their windshield saying simply “Doing it for…………” As they remember loved ones who dies of cancer. One female rider added my husbands name  to her paper. he died in 2002.
Some on who should get a huge accolade is Steve Dane. It was t his wonderful modern  show room and shop that the bikes made their start.
This was  poker run. They got their first card at the Harley shop, then toured to other sites on the route and would collect another card.
At the end of the day, they would see who had the best hand for the many classy prizes that the Biker community had collected.
There were women as well s me riding. Some on modern machines, and some on beloved antiques.
The bikers were willing to explain any feature to the non riding public, and listened to endless stories of ” My Grandpa’s Indian”
Thanks Steve, his staff and the volunteers for this wonderful opportunity to make Canadians aware that cancer can be beaten,
Also thanks to the Tim Horton’s on Westshore Parkway for their good spirits under  heavy load.
I would invite you all to come out past Langford and visit Steve Dane’s nd drool over the bikes, and many other item, even clothing.
Well done Men and women in the Biking Community. I hope Drivers give you a break when you are on the road. We need you all.