Time to get caught up. It's been waaaaay too long since I updated the blog.
March (yikes, that was a while ago): At the end of March, I went to a meeting at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, near Waveland. This area was Ground Zero for Katrina, and the evidence of the hurricanes was all around. I didn't have the heart to take pictures of the devastation. Suffice to say that there is a long way to go before that region recovers. Still lots of blown out storefronts and neighborhoods of empty slabs. Very sad. The people are wonderful, though, and are taking it all in stride - if you can take something like that in stride.
Production floor at Marine Technologies - I had a factory visit while I was in Mississippi.
My next trip was just a week or so later. In early April, I went to Puntarenas, Costa Rica for an inspection of the Research Vessel MELVILLE. This is a gig I have with the Office of Naval Research. I go along with a Navy INSURV Inspection team, and do assessments of the scientific outfit of the ship, science operations, and deck equipment. I do one or two of these a year. This is definitely the most exotic location I've been to for a ship inspection.
R/V MELVILLE at anchor in Caldera Harbor, Cost Rica
The Navy inspection team picked the hotel, and it was a hum dinger. The Doubletree Resort in Puntarenas. It's a big place, and all-inclusive. They put a bracelet on you when you check in, and that's all you need to get meals, drinks, whatever you want. Just show up and order. It's all taken care of! It was great. The downside is that you don't really get to interact with the locals very much. I did get to have lunch with a local family on my last day in Puntarenas. The ship's agent, Vasile (pirate or saint, depending on who you talk to) arranged for 2 of us to eat with the family of the ship chandler that he deals with. It was a totally local lunch, fish, rice, savice, the works. Wonderful meal, and wonderful people.
Sunset over Puntarenas from the beach at the hotel.
My "Costa Rica Workstation" in the main bar at the hotel.
A week or so after I got back from CR, I went on a drive up the Menominee River, scouting for fishing spots. It was really pretty in the early spring, and has gotten even nicer since. This picture was take about 20 miles upriver from Marinette.
Up the Menominee above Marinette
At the beginning of May, I went back to Oregon for a brief (1 week) visit. Not much time to do anything really fun, but Julie and I played hooky from work one day and went to the coast. I visited my homies on the WECOMA, and we walked on our favorite agate picking beach. It was great to be home, even for a short visit.
Gleneden Beach, Oregon, north of Newport, on a wonderful spring afternoon
That's the brief outline of what I've been up to for the last couple of months. I still can't believe that it's been that long, but... I'm determined to do better with the updates, and with the picture-taking.
Spring has come and gone, and summer is here in Marinette. I have my fishing license, brought my waders from home, and I've been out a couple of times. I'm still trying to figure out the local scene, including the fish (besides trout) that are available. I've met a lot of nice folks who have offered some tips. Not many fly fishers out here, so I always make a point of talking to the ones I do come across. So far, I've caught a few bluegill. Heck, even panfish can be fun on light tackle. More on that in a future post.
Again, sorry for the long delay.
