Cutting Edge

[shinnery]

I guess I was the one that started this thread, I always liked reading anything you posted, I guess because you worked at a place I would like to visit. Bath Iron Works, I spent 33 months on Bath's second Gearing class Destroyer that they finished in '44. DDR-743. I was on it 60-63. It was also the first destroyer to drop anchor in Tokio Bay in '45. Bath actually built many Gearing Destroyers before The USS Gearing DD710 was built at a yard in New Jersey.
I hope you get all your problems fixed and get another crawler.
Bryce

[CuttingEdge]

That is a powerful testimony and one everyone should read, I'm glad you are headed in the right direction and hope you have more good days than bad ahead.

If you ever publish your book, I'd love to read it.

Best wishes,

Hey thanks 77 Ford, that means a lot. That ultimately is my hope, that people will read what we have gone through and realize that we have a loving God.

As for publishing my book, I approached a publisher, but they wanted a lot of money, about $3500 to publish it. That is a little too much money for me.

If you have read any of the woodworking replies on this forum, you will note that I am a huge believer in, “doing as much for myself as I can.” Since I could not afford to pay $3500, I wondered if I could publish it myself. I know a person should really get a copy editor first, but that too is $750, so also quite a bit of money. I figured if I just edit it as best as I can, maybe the readers would forgive me for not having a perfectly laid out book. I think I write well…

As for printing, that is easy to do in a home-setting, but what about binding the book? I looked into that and realized that is entirely possible too. I could not print off the cover for it, but found a copy place close by that prints stuff cheaply. I could make up the cover, back cover and spine, then bind the book, probably in small lots like 25, and sell them. If that many sell, print and bind another 25. I would not do so to make money, but just to cover the ink, cover, paper and shipping costs. I think that is a better plan because I never envision this being any best-selling book or anything.

Not that I think it is boring; we put up with some real hardships, but God saw us through, I mean most people with cancer are wiped out financially because it takes a full year to fight it. I have been fighting cancer for 3 years. Even though we have lost a lot, we still have quite a bit considering. And finding Maine’s second gold district is huge. This farm has been protected from mineral exploration because it has been in the family since the King of England granted it to us in 1746. I never see us being able to start up any sort of mine, but still, it is weaving that discovery, with battling all our trials, that I think makes the book interesting.

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

I think the way you do. We are talking as if we were in the same place. I have always thought that way online. That is because I have been in amateur radio much longer than online has existed. I began in the traditional way: Morse Code. Not voice, so I am not bothered by not hearing anyone's voice. I even use my actual name just as I do on the air. On other forums, I use my callsign. Doesn't matter as that is easily traced. Online these days, but they used to print Callbooks, which is like a Phone Book, just indexed by callsign.

Younger folks can now ask: what is a Phone Book??

Hey, is OK your crawler had to go. Gotta do what you gotta do. You are still a JDcrawler guy.

I think I might wander up that way once Winter wanders off. Drop by for an eyeball QSO. Oh, and remember Morse code? Since we have to tap out each character, we use shorthand more than Texters do. Most start with the letter Q. QSO means Conversation. The Q signals are so ingrained that we hams use them with voice as well. Or keyboards.

73's Stan WA2KQY

And, 73 is one of the old Western Union telegraph shorthand codes. We use those as well. Means Best Regards. I should also add 76, which means God Bless. Tell Katie 88. Means Hugs and Kisses. Unless you'd not like me giving her a kiss on the cheek. (!)

[Ray III]

Wow! That is a lot to deal with. I do believe that God has a hand in it though; had you not whacked yourself in the head with the saw the cancer may be terminal by now.

Sometimes I am angry that I work my ass off for my humble home while useless or immoral people drive nice cars and live in fine houses, but I need to remind myself that there are people out there whose entire life is a struggle only to have next to nothing.

Here's hoping you and your family are headed uphill now.

[CuttingEdge]

Hi,

I think the way you do. We are talking as if we were in the same place. I have always thought that way online. That is because I have been in amateur radio much longer than online has existed. I began in the traditional way: Morse Code. Not voice, so I am not bothered by not hearing anyone's voice. I even use my actual name just as I do on the air. On other forums, I use my callsign. Doesn't matter as that is easily traced. Online these days, but they used to print Callbooks, which is like a Phone Book, just indexed by callsign.

Younger folks can now ask: what is a Phone Book??

Hey, is OK your crawler had to go. Gotta do what you gotta do. You are still a JDcrawler guy.

I think I might wander up that way once Winter wanders off. Drop by for an eyeball QSO. Oh, and remember Morse code? Since we have to tap out each character, we use shorthand more than Texters do. Most start with the letter Q. QSO means Conversation. The Q signals are so ingrained that we hams use them with voice as well. Or keyboards.

73's Stan WA2KQY

And, 73 is one of the old Western Union telegraph shorthand codes. We use those as well. Means Best Regards. I should also add 76, which means God Bless. Tell Katie 88. Means Hugs and Kisses. Unless you'd not like me giving her a kiss on the cheek. (!)

Oh heck, I am not a jealous man, go ahead and give her a kiss if you want. She likes John Deere bulldozer's too...

[77 Ford]

I'm calling DIBS on the first 5 copies! Here is Missouri that is practically a legal binding contract.

[Lavoy]

Okay, I have an idea. I'll give you $100 in advance for a copy, give me an address, I'll send you a check, you send the book when it is done.
Lavoy

[CuttingEdge]

Okay, I have an idea. I'll give you $100 in advance for a copy, give me an address, I'll send you a check, you send the book when it is done.
Lavoy

As generous as that is, the book would never be that much money, but I suspect that is just your kind nature. It is your way of helping a guy out, not surprising since I know you had a rough patch there as well, back when your home caught fire many years ago.

But Katie and I have never given up on community either though.

Every year, for the past three years, we have opened our farm up to support those who are caught up in the opiate epidemic. I have never got into drugs, drinking or even smoking, but it does not mean we can just ignore the problem that other people have either. I do not want to die and have God say, "What did you do?" As Katie says, "we do not have much, but we have room", and so we have a benefit concert which is our way of giving back.

Our farm is on a hill and overlooks Mount Washington some 150 miles away, so it is a pretty good view. The top of the hill is flat in a big field, then drops away, so I always thought it would make a great place for a concert. Then at church I met a guy who had a band that was looking for a place to play. One thing lead to another, and so now we open our farm up to the community the second Saturday of August.

We have bounce houses for the kids, lawn games, and a main stage. We also provide food, like hotdogs and hamburgers, drinks and chips. Vendors come like a radio station and the media, and of course politicians. The first year three bands played, then six bands, and then eight bands last year. All were paid for their skills, although the concert itself is totally free. That includes food any everything. And all donations given goes to Teen Challenge a Christian Drug Rehabilitation program. Their success rate is 87% after 6 years of graduation...the States rate is 3%, but because they are faith-based, they get no federal or state funding.

There was some days we were not sure we could do Rock the Flock, just because we did not think we would have the farm due to back taxes, but we have been faithful, and so far have had (3) people make a decision for Jesus, and 14 people get baptized. Not a lot I know, but it is something.

This is the link to Rock the Flock 2018 when we did some professional drone footage. I will warn everyone it is quite long at 8 minutes, and is a little religious, but if nothing else, you can see a little bit of our farm, see why Katie and I do what we do (about 4 minutes in), and see this is not a small affair. We get about 700-800 people at the concert, and in 3 years have got about $10,000 in donations. (Katie and I do not get a dime, the event is funded by our church, and the donations are all given to Teen Challenge).

...
The book is pretty well done, I just need to go back over about 20% of it, and figure out what size it will be in book form. That changes the number of pages, which in turn changes the width of the spine. I have to get that right so when the covers are made, and it sits on a shelf, the spine has the name of the book on it. So there are some very ridged sequence of steps that must take place that cannot be changed afterwards.

Here is the youtube link to Rock the Flock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3MnEeHxd0o