Trout Fishing trip to the NorFork River

Fishing

These trout were caught on the Norfork River just below the Norfork Dam. It was the first time I had ever been trout fishing, but it is definitely not going to be the last. There were about twenty men from my church that went on this fishing trip in early September 2006. This year we are planning a trip in August to JFK State Park just north of Greers Ferry Lake. This time I have a lighter rod than last year, so I should be able to catch more trout. BTW, I'm the good looking, tall one on the left.

The History of Blogging

I came across an article today about the history of blogging and thought it was interesting. If you would like to know a bit more about how blogging got started, then click the following link. http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/2100-1035_11-6168681.html?promo=123&tag=nl.e123&cval=TR_today&ctype=default

NR-1

This is NR-1. This is the submarine that was looking for the worms in the Gulf of Mexico. We spent several days doing this.

My Last Ship

This is the last ship I was on, the U.S.S. Petrel ASR-14. It was an Auxiliary Submarine Rescue ship. My tour on the Petrel was an interesting experience. I went to some interesting places in the Caribbean. We even went to the Gulf of Mexico to study some kind of worm on the bottom of the ocean floor with scientists from Texas A & M, Galvaston. I kid you not.

My Second Ship

My second ship was the U.S.S. DeWert FFG-45. There was a six year gap between my first and second ships. Two of those years I was out of the Navy and the other four, I was stationed at NAS Memphis. Technology had improved ships in the six years. We no longer had to put up with 30 to 40 degree rolls, unless the the fin stabilizers quit working. On this ship I went the the Mediterranean. There are some places I would love to go back to with my wife.

My First Ship in the Navy

This is my first ship, the U.S.S. Carpenter DD-825. During the late 60's the Carpenter was used in the Apollo and Gemini Recovery Missions. During this time it was homeported in Pearl Harbor. When I got to the Carpenter, she was stationed in Alameda, CA. We spent about a third of our time in San Diego, consequently, I saw more of the coast of California than I wanted to. But I learn a lot on that ship. Like, you can take a 30 to 40 degree roll and survive. You tend to have footprints 3 or 4 feet high on the bulkhead though.

About me

I live in a small town in west central Arkansas. Mena is nestled in the Ouachita(Wash-a-taw) Mountains. Most people have a bit of a problem with pronouncing that word. We have lots of hunting and fishing in the area. There is a State Park with a Lodge on top of the mountain, just 13 miles north of town. If you are looking for a vacation spot, please take a look at Mena. I've been living here for almost twelve years now and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. My wife, Brenda, and my two sons, John and Rusty, really like it here. Well almost all of us do. Rusty is a Senior and will graduate in May and can't wait to leave this small town for a bigger city. I'll try to find a picture of Mena and I'll post it here when I do.