Murphy

There I was in my kayak and drum fishing.....that is to say angling for aplodinotus grunniens. With one hand I was holding onto (for dear life) a rusty mooring stanchion set into the electrical authority's concrete on a wing wall below Wilson Dam. The other hand was busy trying to land at least a twenty pounder. How I managed to hold on to both the iron ring and my fishing rod and be able to turn the reel handle is still a mystery. But in fullness of time I unhooked and released the slimey, scaley beast to finally ken just what was causing the perilous (or do i mean treacherous?) swells of green water that threatened me. A self-propelled dredging barge on a bigger barge was exiting the westbound lock and I guess the lock gates opening had caused the sudden current.

Everything had almost settled down when the tugboat pushing the barge(s) engaged its props or screws or jets and my kayak dropped just enough in a trough that I lost hold of the ring and had to resort to the paddle. Then I just as quickly rose about five feet on a crest. Thankfully, that ridge of water was wide enough that I could paddle thus riding it out instead of being swamped by the chop. So there I was sort of involuntarily following in the wake of the tugboat. With many grunts and much farting, I managed to paddle away from the pull and reach water that was slack enough to finally veer southward to where my truck waited.

Bust a gut or die as they used to say, I surely wanted to know where that dredging barge was bound and what it was about when it got there. But as obtuse as I can oftentimes be, for once I had the sense not to follow in/on the kayak. So it was just happenstance I guess that about an hour later I spied from the highway the same barge and tug but the barge was now empty. That barge must have been of the floodable variety with a bow drop-ramp and the smaller dredging barge had to be loose, presumably back upstream a distance.

After some thinking, I made a u-turn and luckily found both an adequate place to park the truck and a safe place to get the kayak back into the river. In just under a half-hour of more grunting and farting assisted paddling upstream, I rounded a bend and spied what I took to be the dredging barge ahead. As I neared enough to get a better view I exclaimed aloud to no one in particular but myself, "There's a 'shurnuff' yellow submarine !" Kid you not ! Just aft of the dredge cab/turret and attached boom -arm and two-part clawed bucket-pincer lay a bright shiny efficient looking mini-sub.

After the surprise and wonder at encountering the unexpected I remembered back, after the barge had first cleared the lock gates, seeing something rectangular hidden somewhat under silvery tarps. The tarps and the underlying framework that had draped them had obviously been now removed, revealing the submersible contraption.

The river current here was not too bad and I soon got near enough to see and hear activity onboard the barge. It appeared to be anchored to the river's bottom with a substantial bow-chain and there were 5/8 or 3/4 inch lines, aft and starboard, limb-hooked to trees ashore. The barge was just large enough and of an age to have an internal engine as there were no visible outboard motors. Nor could I see any sort of bridge or helm or coxain's console. I assumed that the throttle and rudder steering controls must have been self-contained in the cab/turret and amongst the boom and claw/bucket levers and pedals.

No matter, there was at least a crew of four rough and sun-browned fellows on deck and another visible inside the dredge cab who seemed to be in charge of the operation. The whole turret swiftly swiveled 180°s and the boom deftly dangled the bucket some distance above the submarine as two of the crew hooked chains to both the bucket above and the submarine beneath. Those chains tightened as the submarine rose and was swung outboard free of the barge and lowered to float on river with the two brave souls who had chained it gracefully riding down with the thing.

Just enough slack was given the chains to facilitate unhooking the sub but not quite enough to pinch the men's fingers as the chains retightened and the two men were raised aloft and swung safely back aboard the barge, riding the chain's lower hooks on the arches of each one's right foot. Best I could tell, the submersible operator must have been already onboard it as a face could be seen behind its clear bubble and an equally clear hatch with quick-acting dogging wheels internal and external was raised open.

To be continued.....

Here is the update from her on his condition:

Finally saw Doctor. Basically his spine is pretty messed up. C2 vertebrae is bad but c6 and c7 - the ligaments are disrupted all around them. He also has chronic/narrowing (old age) in portions of his back. So they have to make a plan how to proceed with surgery (surgery is likely - unless Jesus gives us a miracle). Multiple areas - different issues - may require different access points? Brain bleed is minimal and they aren’t worried about it. Neck bleed should resolve on its own.

* we deeply appreciate all the prayers and love. I know dad is “one of God’s Favorites” - I’m sure many of you have heard dad say that to you.

I’ll try to post major updates as I get them.

For those who did not know - he also has 2 broken ribs and a broken clavicle. Those are clean breaks and look like they will heal well. Please pray for his neck and back. Thank you.

Praying earnestly.....

Dave

Is there any reason for me to look past the classic "fill up the case with 4350" load, say 57.0 grains? Or should I just load that and forget it?

-AaronB

I particularly like the last line.
"I ain't slow,..... I just ain't in a hurry no more."

This so-called artificial intelligence is at the very least annoying. Case in point : the confounded auto fill/correct.....most aggravating.

Then there is the legion / myriad of social media videos that are suspect.....supposedly rife with malevolent subliminal messages.

Now there is no attempting to hide those evil messages. Many videos, including otherwise benign outdoor activities such as sport fishing have what is referred to as "a.s.m.r."

Also, many public school systems that use electronic tablets and laptops with online learning and homework feature "a.s.m.r." time for students that need "safe-spaces".

Maybe just me but all of this seems concerning. The times remind of when I was just a wee pup and Larry Norman's controversial "left behind" songs and Hal Lindsay's "late great" paperback hit the shelves. Scared the snot out of little ray !

Over the next years she adopted Twyla and I as "parents" ..

2018

Since then I have kept in touch with her, sending money at times to help her along. After graduating High School she went to Nursing School to become a Nurse.

Earlier this year I received this email:
Boa tarde, pai. Primeiramente, agradeço a Deus Todo-Poderoso. Hoje defendi minha tese e recebi 17 de 20. Sou muito grata a você, pelo apoio emocional e espiritual, te amo pai fico muito feliz de saber que pai está de boa saúde, Você é incrível e está sempre ao meu lado, me apoiando e me dando amor.  Eu te amo pai❤️ A formatura é em março.

She had defended her thesis and received a grade of 17 out of a possible 20. She told me Graduation would be in March. I had some money sent to her as a graduation gift.

Boa noite pai hoje estava a graduar,obrigada pela ajuda e apoio emocional e espiritual,obrigada por tudo que tem feito por mim tou sem palavras

I am the guy greatly resembling a garden gnome hiding behind Murbach there with my son behind Tony B.

Dave

Thank you for the dies.

-AaronB

I can manage N-frames, but honestly I feel like they are just a smidge too big. If they are wearing Magna grips and a Tyler-T that is about as big as I can mange. I have a large palm and medium length fingers, and I feel like I’m stretching to the trigger.

The K on the other hand is just right. With Magna grips and an adapter, I am in my comfort zone. Gotta love ‘em!

The blue M&P is from either ‘48 or ‘49, while the SS Model 64-2 dates to approximately 1982. I have been reworking a set of Altamont grips to install on the 64, but I think I’m going to just pick up a grip adapter and combine it with some Magna slabs. It plain works.

Nothing like a J-frame, that’s for sure. Either of these is a solid handful, and recoil is negligible compared to an Airweight .

I got froggy when I picked these up, and haunted eBay and Gunbroker buying up the components to assemble a Galco double shoulder holster rig.