Yesterday I was right. I got a visit from the police at 0815.

I was up early and the neighborhood 'rules' are that no loud activity takes place before, say 0900.

Cutting an antenna is quiet so I decided to cut a long wire antenna for 80 meters. It's a long one, about 151 feet long.

The easiest way to do this is to lay the wire out on the side of the road and measure twice and cut once. I was in the driveway when I saw Nebshit Al doing his daily walk.

Now, next to the garage door are a number of OD fiberglass mast sections that nest together that I can use for portable dipoles.

Nebby Al stopped and asked me what I thought I was doing.

"I'm cutting a detonating wire. See them Bangalore torpedoes sitting against the wall next to the garage door? It's time for my annual brush clearance in the back yard. I'm tired of bustin' ass down there so I'm just gonna blow 'em all."

"What?"

'Yeah. I bought them from a guy on eBay and checked them out. They're a year or so past the due date, but I don't think they've gotten unstable yet so it's not like they're going to go off like old dynamite does. They'll be OK."

He turned white and walked off.

Then I went inside quickly and poured myself a cup of coffee and put the rest of the pot into a thermos and went back outside and sat on the wall to wait.

My ass had just hit the stonewall when a cruiser hove into view. I stayed seated. The cruiser pulled up and the window opened.

"WHat's going on here?"

"Bangalore torpedoes? Nebby Al call?"

"OK, I gotta check." He got out of the car and walked over to the mast sections and looked down the end of one and shook his head.

"Last year it was land mines," he said."What ARE you doing, anyway?"

"Cutting an antenna wire. Shortwave rig." I answered.

"You're going to have to quit telling people you're blowing things up," he said.

"Nebby Al doesn't count," I answered."You know I am totally incapable of doing anything to him but feeding the nosy little do-gooder a bunch of baloney. Besides, it gives you a golden opportunity to drop by and see what I am up to. Coffee?"

"No, thanks." he said. He faced me with a serious look which turned into a sheepish look and then he started laughing.

"Let's see now," he said. "Over the past few years, now. Bangalore torpedoes, land mines, a couple dead hookers in the trash, and stuffing little kids into the chipper-shredder...Oh, yeah. The nuclear reactor in your basement. What are you going to do next? Nice flowers this year, by the way."

"Thanks," I replied."It depends on what I am doing when Nebby Al walks by."

"How about giving it a rest for a while? At least until I get off of vacation, which I am leaving on next week."

"I can do that," I replied.

He got back into the cruiser and drove off.













my other blog is: http://officerpiccolo.blogspot.com/ http://piccolosbutler.blogspot.com/