Generally when a fisherman hears the word trolling the picture of a bass boat or a large surf-boat chugging along dragging baits behind it comes to mind. Trolling from a kayak is just not what one pictures in their mind.
Kayaks are perfect trolling platforms for shallow waters. Their inherent stealthy nature combined with their ability to get into places where a larger motorized boat just cannot attempt to go makes them a sure fire winner. Dragging a bait behind a kayak along an oyster bar or across a creek mouth or around the end of a sandbar can & usually does produce rsults of the best kind!
Many times a large boat cannot get you in along a mangrove bank or a tight shoreline point but the kayak can d so with ease. When the tide & current cause a backup along such terrain features that is where snook, redfish & even speckled trout like to lie up & wait for a meal to happen by.
Various artificial baits are used but my favorites include the Zarra Spook red/white, a gold Rappala, or evan some good blade spinners. Sometimes dragging a plastic lizard or shrimp works well too. Live baits work well if you know what to do to keep them acting like they should.
Recently I have been noticing more & more folks fishing from kayaks. I see less & less of the bigger gas-hog boats. Seems that the high cost of fuel has even hit the sport fishermen! Kayak fishing especially trolling is catching on quickly. Karen Butler, a lady-friend, who is a fishing fool recently took up this form of angling. She told me that she was tired of just sitting on her rump on a seawall or dock or pier. Well let me assure you that this gal has found true happiness with her Prowler13 kayak & fishes 2-4 times per week with good results.
Try kayak trolling sometime! You will be happy with the results. You get exercise, enjoy the great outdoors & you can eat your catch!
Copyright © 2006 - 2009 Donald R Houston, PhD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Old Time Radio Fun
Old Time radio is a hobby that is growing in leaps & bounds! It amazes me how fast
&how large it is growing. Many of the new folks joining in are younger and have never
heard the original broadcasts. That does not stop them from becoming fans & having
an interest.
One of the best things about this hobby is that it is cheap! You can get programs form your local public library, from older radio stations, download off-line, from other collectors, etc. I have in my collection now some 400+ shows. they range from The Lone Ranger, to I was A Spy For the FBI and all in between. As I find them I record, copy & download as the case may be. I share these with my buddies who also are into this fun & interesting as well as entertaining hobby.
I have prepared a small list of links on the Net for those of you who may want to find places to download, buy, trade or learn about OTR.
OTR LINKS:
http://f.webring.com/go?ring=otr&id=1&nex
http://www.comicweb.com
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com
http://oldtimeradiohome.com
http://oldtimeradiohome.com
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com
http://www.oldtimeradioprograms.com
http://www.radiolovers.com
http://www.rusc.com
http://www.old-time.com
http://www.radiospirits.com
http://www.wayback.net
http://www.otrcat.com
&how large it is growing. Many of the new folks joining in are younger and have never
heard the original broadcasts. That does not stop them from becoming fans & having
an interest.
One of the best things about this hobby is that it is cheap! You can get programs form your local public library, from older radio stations, download off-line, from other collectors, etc. I have in my collection now some 400+ shows. they range from The Lone Ranger, to I was A Spy For the FBI and all in between. As I find them I record, copy & download as the case may be. I share these with my buddies who also are into this fun & interesting as well as entertaining hobby.
I have prepared a small list of links on the Net for those of you who may want to find places to download, buy, trade or learn about OTR.
OTR LINKS:
http://f.webring.com/go?ring=otr&id=1&nex
http://www.comicweb.com
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com
http://oldtimeradiohome.com
http://oldtimeradiohome.com
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com
http://www.oldtimeradioprograms.com
http://www.radiolovers.com
http://www.rusc.com
http://www.old-time.com
http://www.radiospirits.com
http://www.wayback.net
http://www.otrcat.com
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Standing Up For Your Beliefs
In my lifetime I have always stood up for my beliefs. Doing so has not always been the popular course of action, the politically correct course of action nor in some instances the one that would endear me to the masses. Doing so has however allowed me to keep my sanity, stay balanced & stay focused on the rest of my life and to be able to live with myself..
Recently a Net-friend told me that I am causing him pain because I support eradicating the fundamentalist, radical Moslems who are perpetuating this asinine war of terrorism across the globe. I do not support the shady or Illegal actions of my government but we have a process to take of that in this country. It is not a fast process but it works if allowed to develop & proceed.
Let me say that I do not believe that all Muslims are involved in this anti-Western culture action. I know full well that less than 3% of all Muslims are supporting such actions or are actively involved in them. Having stated that let me go a bit further by saying that in my work I have worked in many Islamic nations. I have a great many friends who are followers of Islam. The vast majority of Islam does not condone nor support the acts of the radical few.
My contention is that when I see a photo or a news clip showing Muslims carrying signs saying things like, “Destroy the great Satan USA!” “Death to all who oppose the jihad!” and the like I am allowed to feel anger, feel revulsion & wish to confront these perverters of their own faith! Basically Islam is religion of peace & tranquility. It is mired down in a medieval set of social customs but by & large it is a peaceful religion. Certain people such a the Ayatollah Khomeini & his ilk have perverted their faith. Their followers have further perverted it. This nothing new. It happened in Judaism many centuries ago & if one believes the Hassidim, is still happening among the Jews of the world. We are all familiar with the various schisms of Christianity that began with the split between Orthodox & Roman Catholicism was further perverted by the Protestants & Catholics during the Reformation & continues today in some small spheres of the Christian community.
I do not apologize for my stand against the Jihadists of today! I rebuke them, I despise them & I would never give in to them. Recently Britain backed down to pressure from the Islamic community at the instigation of the radical Islamic element. This was wrong. I do not agree with the British stand on this. The way to defeat a bully is to stand up to him & keep doping so until he gets the message & quits. I have very good friend who is a Muslim Imam in Istanbul. He is against the current radicalism in Islam but he & his family have been threatened by the extremists with death if he speaks out publicly against the Jihadists. This is so wrong!
My stand is my stand. I will not back down until & unless someone shows me a reasonable reason to do so. I have an open mind but I also have thinking & decisive mind as well as that streak of maverick that makes me a an American.
What do think? Should we give in just to appease some misguided or perverted outlook of a single religion? I vote …NO!
Russia's Hermitage Museum: History & Art Extraordinaire
The State Hermitage Museum occupies 6 magnificent architectural edifices buildings that are situated along the bank of the Neva River in the heart of St. Petersburg, Russia. The Hermitage Museum main building is comprised of the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian Tsars.
Exhibits change periodically and are based upon various collections of the 3-million+ items in the collection. New items are acquired as they become available & items are loaned to other museums around the world from time to time. , the residence of the Russian tsars that was built to the design of the famous Italian architect, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in 1754-62. This ensemble of beautiful architectural marvels, formed in the 18th. & 19th. centuries, is made up of the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace as well as the newly constructed Hermitage Repository.
Assembled over the past 2 1/2 centuries, the Hermitage Museum's collections of art numbering over 3,000,000 along with historical items such as clothing, weapons, toys, crystal, dinnerware, porcelain, clocks, scientific tools & jewelry represent the development of culture as well as art from the Stone Age up to the 20th century. Today the Hermitage has created its digital entity to be displayed via the Internet to the entire world. Computer technology enables the Hermitage Museum to teach & show people the world over about the Museum & its treasures.
The following time-line demonstrates the history of the Hermitage Museum. From its beginning in the 18th century as the private collection of the Tsarina Catherine II to the 20th century when it became 1 of the largest museums in the entire world.
1754-1762
Construction of the Winter Palace commissioned by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli (1700-1771)
1762
Empress Catherine II's accession to the Throne
1764
Empress Catherine II purchases Johann Ernest Gotzkowski's collection, the first collection of the Museum
1764-1775
Construction of the Small Hermitage
1769
Purchase of Count Heinrich von Bruhl's collection
1771-1787
Construction of the Great Hermitage
1772
Purchase of Baron Pierre Crozat's collection
1779
Purchase of the Walpole collection
1781
Purchase of Count Baudouin's collection
1783
Construction of the Hermitage Theatre
1787
Purchase of the John Lyde-Brown collection, London
1795
Creation of the St George Hall
1815
Purchase of Empress Josephine's collection
1825
Emperor Nicholas I's accession to the throne
1826
Creation of the Military Gallery of 1812 by Carlo Rossi
1830-1840
Finishing of the interiors designed by Alexander Bryulov
1833
Creation of the Fieldmarshals' Hall and Peter I's Room (Small Throne Room) by architect Auguste Montferrand
1837
Fire in the Winter Palace
1840
Reconstruction of the state halls of the Winter Palace by Vasily Stasov following the fire of 1837
1850
Purchase of the Cristoforo Barbarigo collection
1852
Opening of the Imperial Museum of the New Hermitage
1858
Construction of the Pavilion Hall by architect Andrei Stakenschneider
1860
Creation of state rooms in the Large Hermitage by architect Andrei Stakenschneider
1861
Purchase of the Marquis Gian Pietro Campana collection
1865
Purchase of Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna and Child (Litta Madonna)
1870
Purchase of Raphael's Madonna and Child (Conestabile Madonna)
1884
Purchase of the Alexander Basilewski collection
1885
Transfer to the Hermitage of the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Arsenal collection
1895
Emperor Nicholas II's accession to the throne
1914
Purchase of Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna with a Flower (Benois Madonna)
1914
Start of World War I. A hospital is opened in state rooms of the Winter Palace.
1917
The February Revolution and Emperor Nicholas II's abdication
1917
The October Revolution removes the Provisional Government
1917
The Winter Palace and the Hermitage are declared state museums
1920
The Hermitage transfers 460 items to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
1920-1930
Acquisition of items from nationalized private collections
1932-1934
Sale of Hermitage collections and transfer of works of art to museums of the Union Republics of the USSR
1941
Start of World War II for Russia and evacuation of the Hermitage collections to the Urals
1945
Re-opening of the Museum after the conclusion of World War II
1948
Acquisition of a collection of late 19th ? early 20th century European paintings from the former collections of Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov
1964
The 200th anniversary of the Hermitage
1967
First donation by L.N. Delektorskaya of works by Matisse
1981
Opening of a museum in the Menshikov Palace, a new branch of the State Hermitage
1992
Opening of the display "The Winter Palace of Peter I" in the building of the Hermitage Theatre
1995
The exhibition "Hidden Treasures Revealed"
1996
By decree of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, the State Hermitage is placed under the direct patronage of the President of the Russian Federation
1996
The official announcement of the creation of the international Hermitage Friends Club
1997
The return of Rembrandt?s Danae to public viewing following restoration work
1997
A small planet in the solar system, ?4758, is given the name Hermitage
1997
The beginning of the Hermitage - IBM Project
1999
The transfer of the national flag of the Russian Federation and of the standard of the RF President to the State Hermitage
The opening of exhibitions in a new museum building : the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building
The presentation of the "Great Hermitage" programme
2000
The opening of the Hermitage Rooms in Somerset House (London)
2001
The "Russian Ark" project of the State Hermitage and Alexander Sokurov
The opening of the Hermitage-Guggenheim exhibition centre in Las Vegas, USA
2002
The transfer of Kasimir Malevich?s painting Black Square to the State Hermitage
2003
The creation of the State Hermitage's Board of Trustees
The opening of the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace and the new entrance to the State Hermitage from Palace Square
The opening of the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace and the new entrance to the State Hermitage from Palace Square
The inauguration of the Museum of the Guards in the General Staff building
2004
The inauguration of the displays of the Museum of Heraldry and the Museum of Awards and Decorations in the Konstantinovsky Palace
The opening of the Hermitage-Amsterdam exhibition complex in the Netherlands
No trip to Russia is complete without going to St. Petersburg & visiting the Hermitage Museum. Take your camera, a lot of film or memory chips, comfortable shoes, a note book & enjoy learning history through beauty! Plan on more than one day as well!
SOURCES:
The Hermitage
By: State Hermitage Museum
ISBN #: 978-0385419666
Treasures of Imperial Russia Catherine the Great From the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
By: Isabella Forbes & William Underhill
ASIN: B000FNABGK
State Hermitage" (Our Museums) Hermitage Museum Guide in Russian
By: Statr Museum
ASIN: B000G3AJQG
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En
Copyright © 2007 - 2009 Donald R Houston, PhD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.
Mangrove Tunnels
Kayaking is for me a way to relax, exercise & commune with nature. I am blessed with being a native Floridian, living on the Gulf coast & being able to kayak pretty much year round.
In the Tampa Bay area are number of parks, wildlife areas, etc. that provide some of the best coastal kayaking anywhere. Recently I was invited to join several of my friends on a day trip in the mangrove tunnels of Cockroach Bay.
Cockroach Bay is located in southern Hillsborough County near Tampa. It is a tract of land that is wildlife, wetlands preserve. It has been a source of great inshore fishing all of my life. It abounds with mangrove covered islets, islands coast line, oyster bars & a huge variety of Florida seabirds, wildlife such as manatee, nutria, dolphin, as well as game fish such as red fish, sea trout, mangrove snapper, etc.
My day-trip began at 6am when they picked me up. We traveled to the launch site, put in & thus began our day. As we quietly paddled across the water we saw a large number of brown pelicans gliding along reminding of C-130 aircraft. Gulls of several types were in evidence as were several large blue herons, snowy egrets & of course sand pipers. We saw millions of fiddler crabs on the mud/sand as the tide was on the ebb. As we crossed one deeper channel I heard the whisper of a dolphin blowing & turned to see several working their way up the channel most probably seeking a school of mullet to breakfast upon.
As I paddled across a grass flat I startled a large sting ray & shook up several sea trout. We took a break for some iced tea & beef jerky about 9am sitting in our yaks as we drifted in the lee of a large islet. We headed back for the launch point, racked the yaks on the cars & headed for lunch at Kazbor’s in Riverview, just north of us on U.S. Hwy. 301.
Following lunch we went over to Gibsonton, at the mouth of the Alafia River (pronounced Alafi not Alafiyah), on U.S. Hwy. 41 and launched at the old Giant’s Camp boat ramp. We paddled past the largest phosphate production plant in the world & headed back into Tampa Bay. Turning south we paddled for about 23/4 of a mile & entered the mangrove tunnels of the estuary of the Alafia River. This area abounds with flats, oyster bars, islets & islands also abound with the same sort of fauna we had seen earlier in the day. A breeze was developing but it di not hnder us in any way.
As we traversed the area I saw a number of large blue crabs in the water along the edge of the oyster bars. I paddled across a large horseshoe crab and spooked a large snook as it was drowsing under a mangrove overhang.
About 3pm we headed back to the ramp, loaded the yaks, went back to Kazbor’s for a well deserved snack & beverage. I was a bit sun-baked but intact, feeling good & wanting to do another day on the salt in my yak.
All day I had a desire to fish but not having my tackle with me precluded such action. I know where I will return soon to do so!
If you want to have some fun, get some exercise & enjoy nature come on & try my mangrove tunnels!
Copyright © 2007 - 2009 Donald R Houston, PhD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.
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