[PVRCNC] Is there a writer in the house?

[Brad Hedges]

To respond to Ward, N0AX, in the Rate Sheet?

The QSO Count Also Rises
By Kevin KE6RAD

In the fall of 2006 the rains fell as usual and washed the towers of the
dust and dripped from the guy wires onto the ground. The cars drove through
the rainy streets and took the people to club meetings, then later brought
them back, their tires spraying the mist into the air.

Many days N6CCC stood for a long time and watched the rain and the cars and
drank his double-tall mochas. With the mochas he was strong.

Dean who worked the propagation prediction and who was large with microbrews
came to him and told him that Sweepstakes was upon them but there were not
enough operators.  There was never enough operators even when you were past
the CW weekend sipping a Redhook or a double-tall mocha and you thought you
were safe but there were never enough and although Marc rallied the members
and the mochas were hot the PVRC was there and they ate at you.

When Dean told him this he asked how many Qs. "The PVRC is huge with Qs,"
Dean said. "The Qs are infinite."

"Why do you ask me? You know I cannot do this thing anymore with the Qs."

"Once you were great with the Qs," Dean said. "No one was greater,"
he said again. "Even Prado."

"Prado? What of Prado? Let Prado log the Qs."

Dean shrugged. "Prado is finished. He was gored by three CW WW DX's in
Barbados. All he does now is drink herb tea and play with his logging
programs."

"Herb tea?"

"It is true, my friend." Dean shrugged again. Later he went to his shack and
sat in the dark for a long time. Then he sent e-mail to N6CCC.

N6CCC came to him while he was sipping a mocha. They sat silently for
awhile, then he asked N6CCC, "I need you to operate for me." 

N6CCC looked down. "I don't do that anymore," he said.

"This is different. The Qs are enormous. There are an infinity of Qs."

"I'm finished with that," N6CCC said again. "I just want to live quietly."

"Have you heard Prado is finished? He was badly gored. Now he can only drink
herb tea."

"Herb tea?" N6CCC said.

"It is true," he said sorrowfully.

N6CCC stood up. "Then I will do it, my friend," he said formally. "I will do
it for Prado, who was once great with the Qs. I will do it for the time
Prado won only with wires, and for the time PVRC wrote us off and we slew
all of them with no fear and only a great joy at the combat. I will do it
for all the pizza we ate and the bottles of Coke we drank."

Together they walked slowly back, knowing it would be good. As they walked
the rain dripped softly from the towers.

******************

I am still relatively new to the Contesting Fraternity, so while Dean is
obvious, who are "Prado" and "Marc" supposed to be? N6CCC is a Tech
licensee... probably not a world-class CW operator (although I mean no
disrespect to him with that).

Can anyone enlighten me?
73, and see you Thursday!

Brad
AL4T