ksudad Loc: W Valley, PHX

thank you and your wife for your years of service. I RETIRED FROM THE SALT capitol 4 years ago to phx area. the ducks at the bottoms were pretty safe from my 12 gauge. better shot with my fuji. change is in the air me me to, columbia river in WA next month. welcome to uhh glade you found us.
go KSU WILDCATS

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Thank you all for the warm welcome -

The fall bird migration is generally mid to late Oct - the Kansas Wetlands Center at Cheyenne Bottoms is excellent and worth a visit (and it's free). Their web site shows that Quivira is starting to see some birds now - http://wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu/ (tool bar - new - recent bird sightings) - Hope the weather is good and the birds are plentiful for your trip...

The blackbirds should be arriving in a few weeks as harvest is just around the corner. They will present us with their ever changing swarming which is awesome to watch. Google has some excellent images of swarms: https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+swarm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MVZEUvGQKKXk2QWyhIGYBg&sqi=2&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1469&bih=856&dpr=1

Ah yes - the "honey-do" list - as my friend tells me, your list is so long that to finish it you're going to have to live forever 8-)

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

And I thank you for your service. I hope your tour with the Navy didn't corrupt you too much...

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Thank you - My sister lives in Phoenix and tells me it's a "dry" heat :)

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

Welcome aboard Shellback. I was guessing you lived in Hoisington or Claflin until I read this. I was born and raised NW of Hutchinson. Used to go to Cheyenne as a kid, but still like to check out Quivera whenever I get back to Kansas.

norvik1943 Loc: Jenks, OK and Domazan, France

Hi Dave, welcome to the group.. I see that you did what I did at 18. Got away from Kansas, as far as I could. In my little hometown in Brown County, NE corner, most joined the Navy to see the world, I joined the Air Force, served 21 years and enjoyed most every minute, 'Nam not withstanding.
Your Yashica was a great starter camera, the Yashica GSN 35mm was known as the "poor man's Leica." It took some great photos, nice lens too. I also had one, my son used it in college and got some great B/W shots with real character. It's in a drawer at home now, retired. Batteries hard to find now.

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

Welcome aboard

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

What a small world Coyote. I was raised in Nickerson and have relatatives that live in or near Sterling. Clarence "Pops" Newby, the police chief there for many years, was my wife's grandfather. His son Gerald, my wife's uncle, was the city administrator there for many years also. I'd bet your wife knew or knew of them.

JackM

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Thanks - actually you're right on - Hoisington is my postal code but we live north of Hwy 4 seven miles which puts us closer to Susank and Beaver but they don't have post offices anymore -

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Thanks - actually grew up in Mitchell SD. Had the choice of joining the Navy or being drafted - family served Navy, Army, Army Air Corps and Air Force. Brother just returned home from the Air Force and told me to go Navy for the training - flipped a coin a couple of times and went haze grey... Would do it again without hesitation - Saw both sides of the world - Atlantic in the 70's and Pacific in the 80's -
I lost my Yashica in Patuxent River Md - seems to have walked from my locker while I was in training - I didn't purchase another camera until I was out of the training cycle.
If you're interested, YashicaGuy has adapters for your camera...

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Thank you. Will be traveling through Jax in a week or so - headed to Orlando and Tampa. Hope the hurricanes stay away
:wink:

Railfan_Bill Loc: "Lost Wages", Nevada

Hi Shellback. Welcome to UHH. Here is a question to all those photogs who WERE NOT in the navy. What does "shellback" mean? I know, but never earned the name.

luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

Welcome!! Very nice photo!!!

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Ok - a quick bit of Naval History about the honored title of "Shellback".

A shellback is a sailor that has crossed the equator and endured the time honored tradition of participating in the initiation ceremony that transitions a pollywog (a sailor that has not crossed the equator) to the status of shellback...

This two-day event (evening and day) is a ritual in which previously indoctrinated crew members (Trusty Shellbacks) are organized into a "Court of Neptune" to indoctrinate the Slimy Pollywogs into "the mysteries of the Deep".

Physical hardship, in keeping with the spirit of the initiation, are tolerated, and each Pollywog is expected to endure a standard initiation rite in order to become a Shellback.

After crossing the line, Pollywogs receive subpoenas to appear before King Neptune and his court (usually including his first assistant Davy Jones and her Highness Amphitrite and often various dignitaries, who are all represented by the highest ranking seamen), who officiate at the ceremony, which is often preceded by a beauty contest of men dressing up as women, each department of the ship being required to introduce one contestant in swimsuit drag. Afterwards, some wogs may be "interrogated" by King Neptune and his entourage, and the use of "truth serum" (hot sauce + and whole uncooked eggs) put in the mouth. During the ceremony, the Pollywogs undergo a number of increasingly embarrassing ordeals (wearing clothing inside out and backwards; crawling on hands and knees on nonskid-coated decks; being swatted with short lengths of firehose; being locked in stocks and pillories and pelted with mushy fruit; being locked in a water coffin of salt-water and bright green sea dye (fluorescent sodium salt); crawling through chutes or large tubs of rotting garbage; kissing the Royal Baby's belly coated with axle grease, hair chopping, etc.), largely for the entertainment of the Shellbacks.

Once the ceremony is complete, a Pollywog receives a certificate declaring his new status.

All pollywogs, even the Commanding Officer if he has not crossed before, must participate.

A humbling experience that is forever imprinted in your memory.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Thank you - and from your avatar, I'm going to guess you also like cats.

Are you familiar with Confucius Cat? The book "Confucius Cat Says" is a collection of advice and observations from the wise and wonderful one!  

By Patricia Mason writing as P.R. Mason* Copyright 2012

It is quite interesting...