5R8AL Alain

 Tonight, we had a thunderstorm or rather a rainfall with a bit of thunder, which has left much static noise on 40m. I found old friends of mine, Don WB6BEE and Jack WA7HJV, on 40m like old days. That noise and some QRM made it a bit tough for me to read. How long has it been since such I often listened to such a QSO? Very rare for now. I could not be patient enough to stay there until they finish their chat. 

I have moved to 20m, much less noisy but scant activities. A few Europeans came through without making S meter move. There was a station working in an old style. Not rushing and talking something different from the so called rubber stamp. He signed as something 8AL. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to copy his whole call. Staying on the same frequency for a while, luckily, I have heard him calling CQ there.

It was 5R8AL Alain. Surprised and of course turned the beam to him. I asked him if he was the same 5R8AL which I used to hear or even worked in '80s. He answered affirmative and told me he had been on with this call since 1975. Yes, it was him. In '80s, 5R was a pretty rare entity. I can't remember if he was my first 5R. But I still remembered of his call very well.

He started radio as F6ACT at age 13 years, as he told me. Then, as stated above, he has moved to 5R and got this present call. He also told me there had been more active stations in his area but nowadays rarely on CW. I have visited his page at G3SWH, his QSL manager, web site. A neatly arranged gears on photos. At a corner, there were a lot of old boat anchors. He said he had been enjoying restoring those old radios. Now he is 77 years old. But his fist won't tell that at all. It was not a long ragchew in fact. But in the end, the condition was dropping. Saying au revoir, we promised seeing again on this old mode. I sure wished him good health and good activity on this mode.

There is always a pipe line path to southern Africa from here what band it might be. The path is over the Indian Ocean and the propagation is always secured. Back even in '60s, I often heard a lot of ZS working the West Coast through long path. It was a spectacle for me to listen to a number of big guns in W6 or W7 working Africa through long path. As told elsewhere in the past post, I used to break in W6ULS Merle, later K6DC, working with ZS2MI in Marion Island on 40m at our midnight. Merle was kind enough to let me work that pretty rare DX for me running homebrew 6146 transmitter with a wire antenna. What an excitement it was! ZS5KI, ZS6QU or ZS1AAX were other regulars. There might be others logged in the old log book. In '80s, when I came back on the radio after a decade absence, I was again thrilled to work a few Africans like ZS6BCR, later ZS6EZ, same ZS6QU, 9J2BO or ZE1FN, later Z21FN etc. Sadly, most of them went SK or inactive any more. The only exception is Brian 9J2BO who often shows up on 20m. But not so often as before.   

Surely this QSO with Alain has brought me back to those days. I am afraid those good days have gone and won't return to us any longer. Alain and myself are the remnants from the good old days. 

No JA has called him after we finished the QSO. 5R is not a rare one for them? Or they are watching only the display? 

Water melon

It has been a challenge for me to grow water melon successfully. It could be forgotten in the bush of vine of water melon and weeds among them. Crows around here would enjoy it before I realize it is ripened. It is another issue for me to judge of the maturity of water melon. It is advised to record the time of pollination but is easily forgotten as well. 

This year, this one is harvested without crow's attack. Our cat, Hikaru, is always wandering around the garden. He might be helpful to have this fruit spared that trouble.  

A bit overmatured but better than unmatured. Sweet and fresh. It is the best dessert after supper in this season. 

I must rush seeding or planting fall/winter vegetables. Feeling summer going away, I am again sure of repeating things not in the same way but in different way from the past. My life will satisfy myself and get me ready for transition to the eternal world soon. Not knowing when it is. But I should be ready for that.  

 

New potatoes

I have purchased potatoes named Nishiyutaka. It has shorter period of irresponsive state, that is, could bud out in shorter time than most of the other potatoes. It takes only 2 or 3 months to bud and could be harvested within the year if planted early in fall. It is developed in Kyushyu in '70s for a species in the warmer area like kyushyu than the ordinary species mostly grown in cooler areas. 

Some of them have already budded when arrived here today. Moderate in size. In spring, bigger ones of different species are always divided into two pieces per one fruit before being planted. For the fall species, they advise us not to do so. Because they could be decayed with the high temperature.

Well, where should I plant them in the garden farm? I would put compost but not chemical fertilizer. I believe potatoes could grow well in rather poorly nutrient ground. There are still some of potatoes cropped in spring. I would harvest potatoes, of different species, in spring and fall. This one in fall. I would keep some of them for seed potato every year. Then potatoes will be harvested twice a year.

As I already wrote, I am seriously worrying about the hyperinflation occurring in our country sooner or later. After he left the position, the former prime minister boasted at a lecture that he had conducted "fiscal finance", which is strictly prohibited by the fiscal law. As already well known, the government's fiscal debt exceeded one thousand trillion JPY, an astronomical figure. Bank of Japan has been purchasing tens of trillions of the national bond every year. It is substantially the fiscal finance. The total amount of national bond reached almost 300% of GDP. BOJ owns more than 400 trillion JPY of the national bond. I firmly believe our government could not go on without hyperinflation. If the long term interest rate goes up a bit, BOJ could be "bankrupted". It may trigger hyperinflation, either. I don't believe the basic performances of the industries, like automobile or semiconductor etc which used to economically lead our country in '70s through '90s, are not governing their market in the world. Toyota may still be occupying a exceptionally high rank but is getting delayed in the EV development.  

In such a situation, with the sharp drop of exchange rate of JPY and the extraordinary rise of living cost, the people should suffer from undermined social security and undergo hardship for a few years. Considering of the onus of declining birthrate and aging of population, it may continue more than several decades. Science and technology used to be the origin of this country's growth and development. But the government has reduced investments for education/

research for such field. Nobel prize awardees have been warning of that for the past years but no response from the government.  

Retirees like me will suffer most because their deposits/investments in JPY lose their value and the pension might be reduced so much that they could hardly live on.

I am concerned about the price of foods. Our country, as stated elsewhere, has only 34% of food self-sufficienty rate. We depend on the imports for foods. With inflation going on, the food prices would climb up, either of imported or domestially produced. So that is the reason why I am going to crop potatoes twice a year.

Am I too pessimistic? I really hope I am not right. I am afraid it is not the time for us to be indulged in such as Olympic games. People are not sober with a number of pan and circus in the society.  

String quartet Molto agagio by Lekeu

 Recently, I found this piece to be one of the most beautiful pieces in any genre.

Molto agagio sempre contante dolorioso for string quartet by Lekeu, a Belgian composer. He has lived in the end of 19th century. He was talented in music since young days and has been taught by Franck.

I have been enjoying his piano trio, piano quartet and cello sonata. Even though I owned this music as CD, I seldom listened to it and could not appreciate its beauty until now.

It starts with an ostinato motif by cello accompanying 1st violin singing the theme of sadness and desperation. Including this theme, all the thema have been tinted deep sadness. But interesting enough, they are associated with a kind of relief as well at the same time. Dual emotion is evoked with this piece as great Bach's works, I believe. In the end, the ostinato motif is recalled and it ends quietly.

A scripture is written on the 1st page of the score, they say. It is the saying of Jesus at Gethsemane as follows;

My soul is deeply sad even unto death.

This must be the motto of this piece. This religious background might be the reason why we could perceive a kind of relief throughout this piece.

The other and most impressive fact is that this piece was composed at his age of 17. Could that young guy compose such a serious work? He was a real genius in fact. Too bad he has died at the age of 24 years. All his works sound precocious or rather  matured too early. He has lived too fast even if it was not what he had intended. I feel that from his every works. 

Afghanistan and Dr. Nakamura

 There was a Japanese, Tetsu Nakamura, who worked as a doctor as well as a constructor of irrigation facility in Afghanistan. He was deployed there for medical aid from JOCS, Japan Overseas Christian Medical Cooperative Service, until 2019, when he was killed by a hostage kidnapper group there. He found it was necessary for the Afghani to have irrigation facility for life without the influence of frequent drought on the farming. Away from medical service, he constructed a canal in an area, which worked well for the people. That construction has been well appreciated by the people there. His life is described in WikiPedia; here.

He once told that Taliban, which has been deemed as a Muslim fundamentalists, had not conducted politics of terror for the people in reality. For example, they have allowed the schools for women to run and had not charged too much taxes on people. He seemed to be on the side of Taliban and to believe it was not bad to let them govern the country. He, a Christian, was welcomed and could work freely. His life tells us, respecting the people's life style, religion and ideas is essential for us to do with them. They are living in the society of tribes under the influence Muslim for centuries. It should be remembered.

The US and UN allied forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan. Spending over 80 trillions and having the victims of hundreds of thousand people, the war will have been ceased with Taliban's victory. It might be difficult for us to tell what war it has been at present. But the US should have negotiated to hand over Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaida, having lead the tragic attack to World Center buildings and to kill thousands of people in 2001, with the Taliban government. Without military action. If they should have supported Afghani with the money spent in the war for people's welfare there, the situation was drastically changed. Forcing certain ideology different from their own to such developing countries like Afghanistan and trying to hold hegemony there won't be successful as this event tells to us.　 

What would Dr. Nakamura say at ceasing the war for 20 years in Afghanistan? 

A sign of early fall and Brahms

 Several days ago, a couple of typhoons have passed by here. It has left a bit cooler atmosphere in morning and evening than in midsummer. A gentle wind stroking my face has surprised me a lot late in the afternoon. It sure told fall had come close to us now.

The egg plants in the garden farm have been bearing a lot of them this summer. I was surprised to see them grow slow simultaneously. The biological clock in them was faithfully marking the passage of time. The tomatoes are growing slowly for now. In my optimistic view, they might have gone on growing and bearing fruits much longer. 

Harvesting a lot of egg plants, I have cooked them with sweetened miso.

It was so fresh that the picture became cloudy with hot vapor from the dish. In order to activate the weakened egg plants, I have cut a few branches of each plant and have put some fertilizer. Hopefully, they might produce some more for a month or two.

It is the season to listen to Brahms as I have already told before. Clarinet quintet was one of his works which he had composed in the very last chapter of his life. As reiterated, it is a song of passion for life which is eventually overcome with resignation. Isn't it the same as my own life? That is why it attracts me so much. 

Two violins starts singing a theme in unison in three note minor chord. It sounds like wandering somewhere or breezing in fall hill. Very impressive. In my personal memory, this theme brings me back to a day when I listened to it played by a quartet in a orchestra camp. It was held at foothills early in fall, exactly, in the end of this month. It has stroke me intensely. I still remember how it sounded. The theme will be recalled in the end of the last movement as if remembering of young days. This variation in the last movement could not be listened to without tears in the eyes.

I have listened to this performance by Wlach and Wiener Konzerthaus String Quartet quite often ever since. I have not dreamed of listening it at this age in my life in this way.

Sorry I might have uploaded the same thing with the same clip. But anyway, it is the music for me to listen to in this season. It might be because of the cold lager I have had tonight. 

The very first message Samuel Morse has sent with Morse code

Recently, I learned what Samuel Morse had sent through the land line for the very first message to the receiver far away. It was a phrase from Numbers of the Old Testament. 

It says;

 

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

This was described in the story of Balak and Balaam in this one of the Pentateuch. There must be temptation to the Israeli from the heathens around them. It emphasizes that Israeli people after having wandered for the land of promise in the wilderness since Exodus, believed in God's words firmly, but not enchantment nor divination. It was a message to have the people united under the same belief for Yahweh, wasn't it?  

They say a daughter of Morse's friend has chosen this scripture. Whatever it may mean, I am sure, they intended to express their motivation and willingness to deliver the message through this new way of communication. It is not such as non scientific thing but an invention based on findings of physics. It must be an intense message they would communicate with this method from then.

Morse code communication has worked well as the main stream of communication world wide. It has conveyed numerous messages whether for commercial use or for ham radio fun. Since the other more efficient and reliable modes of communication have been invented and used mainly in commercial communication, Morse code was destined to be carried on only in the field of ham radio now. Unfortunately, it seems they are forgetting about Morse's intention and will to bring this mode of communication in the world. It was not for exchanging meaningless thing but conversing something meaningful just like the story of Numbers. 

In order to have Morse code live long, shouldn't we recall of the episode at the very beginning of communication on it? When we converse with it, the simplest mode of communication, we could feel being rewarded with it. It is comparable to listening to music. We should experience this pleasure in communication and deliver it to the next generation. Morse code itself is the origin of pleasure in communication.

Rob KD7H

I have known Rob KD7H since '80s. Late in '80, he and his wife Denise have come to JA7 area working as an English teacher. Getting a 7J call, he was quite active and seemed to get acquaintance with many hams there near Sendai. We were talking about meeting in eye ball sometime during his stay. But no chance for us. In our trip to Seattle in 2012, where he lived near to, I have met a lot of his friends but not him yet.

He, a great calligrapher with a fountain pen, has sent me a wonderful hand written letter. A classical old fashioned style. He let me know how he and his family are doing now. Sorry to hear he is still on rehab. for the hip surgery. But it is an illness bound for recovery even if not so fast as he would. It might be not too long before he will be a grandfather. I always share his thoughts of liberalism and respect his ethical way of life being with those handicapped and marginalized people in the society.

This is the envelope of the letter he sent to me. It says the photo is honoring fire fighters in Washington in 1974. A beautiful and impressive photo.

This is Rob back in '80s. A stout young guy. Now both of us have lost some hairs on head and have added white things there. Let's live healthy and meaningful lives together.  

 

Midsummer

It's in real midsummer here. It is hard to stay working outside for longer than an hour. I am still enjoying doing with weeds, flowers and vegetables in morning/early evening. Luckily, the weeds are growing slower nowadays due to the heat. I mow the grass with an electric mower my wife has given me for a birthday present this year. Does she want me to work even more?

The flower bed next to the gate. There is a grass place, or exactly, a weeds place ahead of the hedge next to the flower bed. A few trees of apple and of plum. Vegetables like pumpkin, corn and tomatoes are growing among them. It's a small farm but big enough for this old man. 

Mary gold is flourishing at a corner of the garden. There are a few more clusters of this flower. They live pretty long and please us until the beginning of fall. The seeds will be taken from them then.

Tomatoes are in the heyday at present. Fresh fruits are harvested almost everyday. 

Mowing the lawn under an apple tree the other day, I felt something hitting the mower blade. It was an apple fallen on the ground. The outlook was not very gorgeous but the cut surface was fresh with juice oozing out. I thought the tree was too young to bear a fruit. But it seems ready to do so. In addition to these apple trees and plum trees, I would plant some fig trees there. There might be a lot of fruits enjoyable some day... maybe, the next generation....

 

Abandoned people

Yesterday, our Prime Minister has announced that only those COVID19 patients, most severe and complicated with other precedent chronic illnesses, could be hospitalized and other patients should be cared at home.

The minister of HLW today tightened the condition of hospitalization saying those with precedent illnesses should be excluded from hospitalization.

The patients with moderate severity should stay at home cared by family members. According to the definition of moderate severity by MHLW, it includes respiratory insufficiency requiring oxygen administration. 

Respiratory failure due to pneumonia is a real harsh condition for a patient. Within the range of a few hours, COVID19 could deteriorate to fatal condition with cytokine storm. The patient could fall fatally sick. How could the family members care for such a patient. The anxiety he/she has due to respitatory failure and expectation of that aggravation is above our imagination.

What The PM and the Minister of HLW told is that the medical system won't function any longer and they will be abandoned by the government. 

There is a sharp rise of trajectory of the infected cases. The situation is getting worse day by day. The vaccination is not progressed compared with the other developed countries. It seems not to be the gamechanger as well. 

Some people try to convince themselves that the mortality rate is still so low that it won't be a serious issue. They don't know the increase of the dead cases follow that of severe cases. They also omit the problem of long COVID, which is developed by 30 to 50% of the patients irrespective of their severity. The latter is increasing steadily since the end of last month. The others are enjoying the Olympic game not paying attention to this critical situation. They seem as if drunken with "this circus". The government won't discontinue the Olympic games even though there are about 20 infected cases found in the personnel. Even though the Olympic games would work as a deteriorating factor to the pandemic.

The people is abandoned here while most of them are not aware of that.

What will happen next to our country? What a mess! 

Two old friends gone silent key

 Two old friends in ham radio have passed one after another recently. Both of them were active from mobile.

I have met Ed K8RD quite often on 40m in his morning hours. It was from '90s to '00s. He was commuting to Santa Barbara. I was imagining him driving along the beautiful beach there. It is the place I have been when visiting Merle K6DC. Remembering of the scenery there, each QSO was really pleasant. His CW was always correct and neat. It's been too long since we talked on the radio to remember each QSO. However, it was unforgettable that he would move to Arizona once retired. He must have wanted to be settled down there and to operate radio as much as he wanted. No chance for me to hear from his new QTH. But he has sometimes operated radio from his car or from certain club station. He was planning to attend the FOC gathering in Seattle in 2012 but his wife's accident has prevented him from coming there.

The other guy was Red K5ALU. He was also a mobile operation CW man. I can't remember when we started talking on CW. Maybe, in '90s. The conditions were terrific and easy to work those days. He always called me on 20m. His CW was fast and piquant as if his pickup truck pulling that big trailer was running through breeze. At the FOC gathering 2012, I had pleasure to see him and his wife Linda. Honestly speaking, his southern accent was a bit hard for me to understand. But he kindly proposed to bring both me and my wife to the luncheon restaurant at a pier. He has made an adventurous trip to Alaska with a couple of friends after that. It seemed he had lost his wife in a tragic way. When I heard he had given up struggling against cancer a few months ago, I was sure this day came so soon. He seemed to be surrounded with his family members and ham friends until the last day.  

Sorry to have them passed away in succession. But I believe they are free from all worries and anxieties in this world for now. Thinking of that, I wish them rest in peace with their most beloving ones in the heaven.  

Red and his pickup. A big mobile whip was set somewhere in the rear. He has driven around all the US on this car tugging a big trailer for his business. A cheerful and kind person. 

At our age, it is inevitable to lose those friends, rather not to add new friends. Unavoidable thing in our lives. That is why each moment being with friends is so precious and be treasured in our lives. 

RIP, good friends of mine, Ed and Red.