The second time I went to Montserrat and stayed at Chod Harris's (VP2ML) place
((I was VP2MDC), in February 1988, I thought I knew the ropes. I went with my
Significant Other, Joan, getting there a couple of days before two friends,
Russ and Regina, were to join us.
The first morning, a vender came by and we bought a bunch of fresh (semi-green)
bananas. We left them on the kitchen counter overnight and, the next morning, a
giant RAT was walking across a ceiling fixture wire that was strung across the
high ceiling. A RAT. Holy shit, Batman. This sort of messed up the Tropical
Ambience.
I later figured out that RATS had got into the house because the idiot ham who
had been there a few weeks before had run some cables through a window and left
the screen open ... making a Rat Interstate right into the house.
I called Chod's property manager, Bobby Martin (VP2MO), who suggested we buy
some rat bait and spread it around. This didn't seem like a real quick solution
to a major problem.
That night, Joan and I barricaded ourselves in a bedroom, which was not real
effective because the door had slats. I heard scratching on the door and when I
opened it there was a RAT running back down the hall to the bathroom, maybe for
a shower.
Somehow we survived and that weekend I operated the ARRL DX Contest CW (made
Top Ten, too). Russ and Reggie had arrived earlier and we warned them about the
RAT situation. They were non-plussed.
On Saturday afternoon of the contest, I heard pounding noises in the house,
right through my headphones. I took a break and went to the living room to
discover that Russ had brained a RAT with a wrench. The RAT apparently had
taken the bait and was somewhat confused which only proves "don't go out if
you're intoxicated."
I went back to the pileup.
I published two stories about my Montserrat adventures, one in QST and one in
the National Contest Journal, but I don't think either story mentioned the
RATS. Rats.
Joan bought an original wall hanging on Montserrat, and it features a big RAT.
I'm sure she still has it.
I guess ever since I've associated bananas with RATS. Probably not fair to
either.
R.I.P., Chod,
Jim Cain, K1TN/2
Atlantic City
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|