First licensed as Novice, April 1, 1977 with call WD5CSU, Worked All States on CW as Novice.  At that time a Novice class license holder was required to operate with novice license for 1 year. I upgraded to General class license December, 1978. The first attempt at the Advanced class test, I did not pass!!  I think I passed the Advanced class test in 1980.  At that time the New Orleans FCC office sent a License team to Jackson, Ms. in June and December of each year. 

I enlisted in the U. S. Navy five days after graduating from high school on April 20th 1949, and17 years of age. I was on the island of Guam still at age 17 and struck by a typhoon. I witnessed the second typhoon at sea three days out of Midway Island, aboard the USS Chicot, with a load of munitions bound for Sasebo, Japan. I will never forget that experience of 2-3 days in that typhoon!!! NEVER, NEVER!!  Above photo is USS CHICOT in drydock, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 1951.

Anyone can usually find me on 40 meters each day. Rig is a Ten-Tec Orion II,  amp is an Alpha 78, antenna for 40 meters is a ground mounted Phased Array, with 60 radials under each vertical. Other antennas are a 6 element Tennadyne Log Periodic, and inverted Vee for 40 and 75 meters. I applied for and received credit for DXCC, 278 countries in 1982.

I have one other hobby,growing loblolly pine trees. I began this hobby in 1973 when my wife and I purchased 64 acres from heirs of her Grand-Fathers estate. 

40 acre pine plantation. Joins 64 acre tract.  Purchased in 1988.  Planted in January 1990.  Photo taken prior to burning and thinning July 2004.

  

 Forestry consultant, Todd Tindall starting fire inside fire lane that has been disced in order to control fire if conditions should change.Time is about 3 pm.  Burn was completed at 1 AM.

Fire beginning. March 18, 2008

This is a 12 acre `Beanfield' that my late wife inherited from her father. This field had been planted in soybeans for 3-4 years then naturally seeded from adjacent mature pine trees in 1985.

four rows remaining

Twenty-six acres. At the present time these trees are 9 years old.  These trees were my first experience in growing SUPERTREES. Supertrees grow much faster than regular nursery trees.

 

Forty acre plantation.  Remaining 4 rows thinned, leaving approximately 200 trees per acre.  These are the same trees you saw in the first picture of this presentation,  20 years later. Unfortunately in 1990, I was not aware of SUPERTREES.  These are Miss. State nursery trees.  Total cost for reforestation was:Roll-chopping(site prep) $3000.00, Burning $280.00, Labor hand planting $1400.00, Nursery seedlings $980.00  $35.00/1000 for Nursery seedlings. Total $5,660.00

 

Twenty-six acres of SUPERTREES in foreground, 12 acre `BEANFIELD' in background.  This was a hardwood bottom.  We clearcut  this 26 acres and thinned the 'Beanfield' in May 1998.  Proceeds from sale: $25,068.39  Pine pulpwood $5471.90; Hardwood pulpwood  $7909.82; Hardwood saw logs $11,686.67 

SUPERTREES.  Fifty-three acres 2 years old. , 5-26-2008

Preparing to plant 53 acres of SUPERTREES, January 15, 2006.

Site prepping 53 acres in 2005 with application of herbicide.  Sealed bids were taken 615-04.  Eleven bidders;  Difference in high bid and low bid, $37,070.59

 

  from SONNY 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Forty acre plantation.  Remaining 4 rows thinned, leaving approximately 200 trees per acre.  These are the same trees you saw in the first picture of this presentation,  20 years later. Unfortunately in 1990, I was not aware of SUPERTREES.  These are Miss. State nursery trees.  Total cost for reforestation was:Roll-chopping(site prep) $3000.00, Burning $280.00, Labor hand planting $1400.00, Nursery seedlings $980.00  $35.00/1000 for Nursery seedlings. Total $5,660.00