I worked Guadalcanal yesterday on 20 meters by accident.

I was spinning the dial on 20 meters shortly after I woke up. I heard a pileup and listened a minute or two and it sounded like it was a split so I went down 5 and heard an H4 callsign.

The Solomon Islands! I'd never worked the Solomons. I've wanted them in my log for years so I set the rig to listen on the H4 callsign and transmit 5 kHz above it and joined the fray.

A glance at the propagation reports told me there was no way in hell I'd be able to work the H4 callsign. I should not even be hearing it and it was an unworkable whisper on 20 meters at the time. Zero percent of a chance but it was likely to lift to a 1% chance over the next half hour. the signal started going up and down and I threw out my call on the crests but to no avail. I couldn't bust through the pileup and really had no way of knowing it I was actually able to reach him. 

I decided to walk away for a cup of coffee and I drank it on the front porch which I generally do and I took my time.

When I returned the signal was workable so I threw out my call and the third time I did I was treated to listening to him repeat it and say ''You're in the log."

Done deal.

I looked up the DXpedition's website and found a Clublog log for the DXpedition and apparently through the magic of the internet and it's ability to show a real time log I searched for my call and there it was.

Bingo! I'm listed there on 20 meters and when they open things up to request cards they'll get my $3 and I'll hopefully get my QSL card.

I had a neighbor growing up that had enlisted in the Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor and lost an arm at Guadalcanal in '42,  and I admit that it came to mind when I looked up which part of the Solomon Islands the station was working in. The Solomon Islands are all lumped together as a DX entity. They were on the Canal.

Then I thought about my classmate's father for a minute. He had one arm yet was able to go into his shop and make wooden toys for his kids. He was an amazing man in many respects even though I didn't know him very well.

Anyway, the Canal is now in the logbook after years of trying to put it there. I'll see if I can get lucky and work him on another band.

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY