A couple of memorable QSOs

Last night, I happened to see an old friend of mine, Aki, JJ1TTG on 40m. It has been a few months since I saw him last time, a ragchewing oriented ham on CW. The condition was not very helpful to us. We still have had great time conversing on her mother's passing, his work and time before retirement etc. He remained being a young guy in my memory. He told me, however, he would turn to be 58 years of age in a month. Assignment on his business has forced him to live alone in JA7 and later JA6 for several years away from his family in Tokyo area. He used to be pretty active with his modest set up from those places then. We used to chat on his way back home in his driving trip from JA7, which required a few hours one way. His keying, not very fast but reliable, has reminded me of those days. It has not changed a bit as his personality has not. He is keeping the operating style from the good old days.

After that QSO, I have called CQ DX for a while. I have been annoyed by a few beginners in the Eastern/South Eastern Asia endlessly calling me whether I was in QSO or not. Too bad they have not been trained themselves listening the band before starting operation. The same trouble is occuring everywhere in the world. It could be worst in this region in the world, I am afraid. They are taking CW as a kind of PC game but not as a communication with living human being.

I was called by Gord VE5UJ later. His call sounded familiar to me but has not lit in my memory. Despite of QRN/QRM, I have not missed him saying he was a friend of Summer VE5SDH. Yes, Summer used to tell me of him and she was often operating from his shack. It was him. Gord told me he had enjoyed being with her and she used to tell him, when Gord's wife was not at home, Summer complained of too simple meal Gord had prepared. Their relationship must be so close that she said something like that. 

I have first met Summer in 2014, a year later from her starting ham radio. She was not very proficient with CW yet then. But in a year, she has became a real great CW operator. It was a big surprise. Gord told me he used to give her lesson on CW early in the morning those days. At 6AM every day. As I told in the previous post in this blog, ham radio through CW must be literally a window open to the world for her, a visually handicapped since very early childhood. She has gained the membership of FOC by 2016. I still remember she has proudly given me the membership number 2090. She seemed to be invited to W4 FOC gathering as a guest. It must be one of the most brilliant times for her in her life. It won't take too long, however, before she was diagnosed as advanced breast cancer. She has been missed by many people. 

I know how much Gord has done for her. He has taught CW, helped to set up her own station and let her operate his big station from time to time. I believe Gord and his wife have treated her like own daughter. I thought this story should be remembered by many hams and proposed to make a write up on his relationship with her. It should be a great article in FOCUS, the FOC magazine. I don't know if he has not copied it or he was not willing to do that. He has not answered to me. Maybe, he thought he had done only what an old elmer used to do for beginners since good old days.