The Great Navy Birds of Lake Michigan

September 28, 2019Misc:DWMack

Today was a special day for me in that several months of planning came to fruition with Taras Lyssenko of “A and T Recovery” discussing his book on the recovery of “The Great Navy Birds of Lake Michigan”.

The Morton House Museum of Benton Harbor sponsored Taras Lyssenko’s presentation and book signing. In addition we were fortunate to have the support and facilities of the Benton Harbor Regional Airport made available. Can you think of a more appropriate place to talk about airplanes?

Taras has an interesting way of presenting the history and recovery of these historical aircraft. He begins by having a slide presentation on auto as he is speaking. He encourages the audience to stop him and ask questions on the slides and or his comments as he progresses.

Tara’s begins his talk about how he got started in aircraft recovery, then the trials & tribulations in working with local, state, federal agencies and the glaring efforts by the Navy to actually inhibit the recovery and restoration of these magnificent historical war birds.

Bonus items included information on the two aircraft carriers used in Lake Michigan to train pilots during which the subsequent losses of over 150 aircraft during this training are the aircraft he is recovering. In addition to aircraft found, he has located a underwater forest from +7,000 years ago, numerous shipwrecks, and even a WWI German submarine off of Chicago.

Though no specific details were presented, it is possible that the Chicora, owned by the Morton & Graham Steam ship line of Benton Harbor, has also been located. It is hoped that live coverage of its ROV exploration by A and T recovery will be done and made available for viewing at the Morton House Museum at that time.

If this is something you would enjoy attending keep reading the local Herald-Palladium because Taras will be presenting his story to several Museums and interested parties in SW Michigan.

Morton House Museum – Benton Harbor, MI.

Taras Lyssenko – A and T Recovery – Author

Benton Harbor Regional Airport (KBEH) – MI.

Driving thru Saint Joseph

September 28, 2019Miscellaneous Ramblings, WalkaboutMI- Lake Bluff Park, St. Joseph, stjoetoday.comDWMack

Today, as I was driving thru St. Joseph from the Benton Harbor Airport, I decided to see what the lake looked like from the bluffs. Just driving by the bluffs, seeing the tents, the colors, and the crowds of people were enough to peak my interest to stop and look around a bit.

If you live around St. Joseph have not been doing much on the weekends or you are wondering what there is to do take a look at https://www.stjoetoday.com/.

You just might be surprised at the variety of events available and many at little or no cost. And more than likely you will find something that peaks your interest.

St. Joseph Michigan Farmers Market on Lake Bluff Park

Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (3TR)- Niles, MI.

September 21, 2019Fly Days, Miscellaneous RamblingsEAA 865, Heath Aircraft Company, Jerry Tyler Airport, Niles Airport, OrnithopterDWMack

So we started out today in the morning at the Dowagiac Municipal Airport (C91) then to went to the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (3TR) in Niles, MI. So why there you might ask?

That’s easy , there EAA Chapter 865 was also having a “Fly In Breakfast”. Chapter 865 of the Experimental Aircraft Association has been chartered since 1986 and is dedicated to the preservation of Sport Aviation and it’s history, the promotion of safety and the mentoring of young people in aviation. There Chapter Hangar is located on the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport. Their slogan is “Home of the Heath”, because The Heath Airplane Co., founded by Ed Heath a pioneer of the Home Built Airplane Kit, was located in Niles from 1931 to 1934.

**Jerry Tyler Airport – (3TR) Niles, MI**

**Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 865**

Aircraft at 3TR today in front of the FBO (Fixed- Base Operator) – provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hanger-service, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, and similar services.

**Home of the Heath Aircraft- Niles, Mi.**

Fly In – Dowagiac Airport (Mi) – C91

September 21, 2019Fly Days, Miscellaneous Ramblingsairplanes, Dowagiac, Fly In's, MIDWMack

Todays biggest challenge was where to go and what to see because there were so many choices. But since it was a nice fly day, the decision on where to go was simplified.

Starting out in the morning it was off to the Dowagiac Municipal Airport (C91), in Dowagiac, MI where the Dowagiac Fire Department hosted a Fly In, drive in, walk in pancake breakfast fundraiser beginning at 7 a.m. After a great breakfast You could then spend your time looking at the aircraft based on the field, at pilots flying in for breakfast and to show off their planes. Heck, today you could even go flying yourself in an open cockpit bi-plane for a nominal fee. Included a few pictures of what there was to see at the airport.

**This “craft” could provide you with an interesting “experience”**

**Standard D-25 Waldo-Wrights Biplane Open cockpit rides off a grass strip – a favorite for most anyone!**

Walk About Pictures

September 14, 2019Miscellaneous Ramblings, WalkaboutBee's, Butterflys, Flowers, Pirates, Vegitation, walk about picturesDWMack

This afternoon was bright and sunny day and well suited for a Walk About. This area was in Benton Harbor between the old ship canal, down an around the new pedestrian bridge, the turning basin by the Inn at Harbor shores and along N Riverview & Whitwam Dr, and Graham Ave. This area is not yet developed and parts along the river are a bit swampy. Lots of natural vegetation, insects, bugs and birds to keep one occupied. Hope you enjoy the solitude and scenery as much as I do.

Working the last flowers of the season.

Fall migration of the butterflys.

Light colored butterfly’s in the bushes.

Sailing Program by the St. Joseph Junior Foundation (SJJF) based on the US Sailing training system. They have Youth , Adult, Intro to Keel Boats, and Monday Night Fun Races.

If it’s to rough to go on the big lake the St. Joseph river and turning basin are great spots to learn to sail.

This is in front of the Inn of Harbor Shores on the shore of the turning basin.

The rails always spark the wanderlust in me. Robert Louis Stevenson in Travels with a Donkey said, “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”

**Path way from the pedestrian bridge in Benton Harbor to the Harbor Shore Inn ship basin.**

Looking inside at what’s really there.

Vegetation and Swamp Area

Fall Flower

Nope! I have no idea what this plant is! Do you?

Another interesting plant

Thistle Plant

Pedestrian bridge over the Paw Paw River.: Its 12-foot wide, 210-foot long span links the Harbor Village neighborhood and the existing public pathways to the opposite side of the river and establishes a path along the former Benton Harbor Ship Canal.

Spider Web: Many spiders build webs specifically to catch insects to eat. However, not all spiders catch their prey in webs, and some do not build webs at all. Spiders produce silk from their spinneret glands located at the tip of their abdomen. Each gland produces a thread for a special purpose – for example a trailed safety line, sticky silk for trapping prey or fine silk for wrapping it. Spiders use different gland types to produce different silks, and some spiders are capable of producing up to eight different silks during their lifetime.

Wolfs Open House & Marine Flea Market (AM)

September 14, 2019Scuba, WalkaboutFlea Maret, Wolf's MarineDWMack

Today was the Wolf’s Marine Open House and Annual Marine Flea Market which I always like to go to. But with that said, I am cautioned to seldom carry more than $20 cash with me because the desire to buy “stuff” at the Flea Market is over whelming. It seems like there is always something there you really need. And yes, I was weak!

I saw a reported functional Hummingbird 1159 without cables or transducer and a hummingbird coupling devise for just the exact amount in my pocket and I bought them.

Now several months ago I had given away my older but functional Humminbird 997 with transducer and tow fish away. It was set up to be portable and could be setup easily and used on anyone’s boat when going out to search for wrecks.

It had been a couple of years since it was getting any serious use as I was not actively using it and have never even owned a boat. But there is a dive buddy, Big John, who is years my junior, dives a lot, has several boats, and uses them. Bottom line is Big John will use the darn thing to search for wrecks.

Sorry, I digress! Back to my story.

The Humminbird was such a sweet deal I had to have it. Not even after I had it hidden in my car trunk, I mean put it away in a safe place for transport, I did not have buyers remorse! Honest!

Now having said all of that, I knew I was not really going to use it or even play around with it but I did knew someone who would want it, would use it or would experiment with it at least.

So I went over to his place of business and mentioned what I had seen for sale at the Flea Market and its remarkable low price. He said he had seen it already and was going over later to make an offer on it. I casually mentioned that I watched it being sold a little while before. He was more than a bit bummed out when I told him what the guy bought it for.

He was beside himself for losing the opportunity to have bought it himself. I let him rant for a few minutes and then casually mentioned that it was me that bought it and would he like to see the booty.

Bottom line is I sold it to him for what it cost me. I knew he would have bought it earlier had he even suspected anyone else would have picked it up. He will work with it and make it work and even if it is not like new, the parts and pieces are worth the $20 anyhow. It’s a win- win for everyone😊

Looking from the front door into Wolf’s Dive Shop

Long rows of tables and a little bit of everything marine related.

Just a sample of all the neat stuff for sale

Diver Etiquette on a boat dive

September 12, 2019Miscellaneous Ramblings, ScubaBoat Etiquette, Diver EtiquetteDWMack

Though it is getting toward the end of boat diving here in Michigan the topic of what divers should be doing when invited to go on a buddy’s boat for a dive. It appeared that many divers did not know or practice the finer points of Diver Etiquette. So I did a bit of searching and Q&A on a few of my buddy boat owners and came up with this. It was also posted in the MUD club newsletter.

Diver Etiquette: How Not to Be “That Guy” On a dive boat

Hey! You’ve been invited to go on a boat dive with your friends! But there are a few rules you need to follow in order to get invited back. Keep in mind, boats aren’t cheap to buy, maintain, or haul around to different lakes and ports. Your host is spending his or her time and money to take you out, so don’t act like some buffoon at a frat party.

Here are a couple of rules to ensure you’ll receive future invites.

1) *Don’t be a NO_SHOW & * Don’t be late – Last minute cancellations suck because someone else could have gone! Also, nothing is more tiresome than sitting waiting on that one person who didn’t plan ahead. Have some respect for your friends and get there earlier rather than just in time. It’s not fashionable to be tardy!

2) Food: Don’t be the guy that brings one bag of pretzel rods for a full day of boating. Consider bringing sandwiches, chopped fruit, peanuts, chips, or whatever. Be gracious when someone does offer you their food, and don’t take it for granted.

3) Drinks – Always bring twice what you can drink and don’t assume there will be room in someone else’s cooler. Boating is a communal affair and you may have to share some of your rosé with others, because there will inevitably be one person who comes empty-handed.

4) Guests – Inviting tag-alongs without notice is a big no-no. Always check with your host/hostess before dragging along a sidekick.

5) Littering – Orange rinds, peanut shells, and such are no big deal but be mindful of your trash. Litter can be destructive and disgusting on the boat or in the water. Drop nothing overboard.

6) Smoking – Don’t

7) Be Prepared – This includes sunscreen, sunglasses, chap stick, towel, hat and jacket. It can get cold when under way and when the sun goes down.

8) The Captain – OK here’s the deal: The captain oversees the boat. If he/she says it’s time to go, it’s time to go. If they ask you to move, sit down, or shut up, do it. As fun and relaxing as boating is, it is the captain’s job to ensure the safety of all the people on their boat and they are liable for you. Also, the captain chooses the music—end of discussion.

9) Safety – If you feel a “Hold my beer and watch this” moment coming up, just Don’t!. In other words, don’t be dumb.

10) Passenger Etiquette – Respect the boat! Don’t step on seats—only hard surfaces if possible. Wear soft soled slip resistance footwear for wet, slippery decks and minimize any scuffing or marking the boat. Don’t try to “help” unless the captain asks you to. Spray sunscreen before getting on the boat.

11) Organize your gear – Dive boats range in different sizes and the layout will be different for each. One common trait is that space is always limited. Bring any gear you have in a soft bag that can fold up and ONLY what is required for the specific planned dive.

12) Equipment stations – Especially If you are diving from a rigid-inflatable boat (RIB) or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat, (RHIB), you will likely set up your gear before boarding. Ask the Capt. how he/she want’s your gear stored. Keep all your gear within the limits of your space and out of the way. Note that sharp pointy things on inflatable boats are hazardous.

13) Briefings / Dive Plan: Make sure that YOU know the location of safety gear on board including life jackets. Ask how you need to enter and exit the water. Some boats might have you pass up all your gear or have equipment line with hooks off the boat sides.

14) After the dive – Secure your gear as soon as you can and try to stay out of the way of everyone.

15) Disembarking – Make sure you grab everything you brought with you. Ask the Captain if they need help securing the boat and unloading. Many hands make lighter work for all.

16) DON’T FORGET TO CHIP IN FOR GAS – Sometimes not necessary BUT ALWAYS appreciated!

Black River – South Haven Recovery Dive

September 10, 2019Metal Detecting, Misc:, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Water-RelatedLost ring, Metal DetectingDWMack

As this site is called “On the Hunt for Treasure” today was one of those special days where I actually got to go out looking for some. Jim, the manager of Wolfs Marine Dive Shop in Benton Harbor, had gotten a call looking for some one to recover a lost ring. Since Jim was not wanting to dive this day he gave me a call to see if I was interested. Yep! I was.

So on Tuesday we drove up to South Haven Mi to see how accurate the rings owner was in placing an X in the river to mark the splash site. The river waters feeding Lake Michigan have been fast and high this summer and the Black river flowing thru South Haven was no exception. In fact the Black River had a very notable seiche this year which was a temporary disturbance in the water level caused by changes in atmospheric pressure. It actually pushed up the already high water lever to flood the docks.

The river takes its name from the dark brown color of its water, which is caused by suspended sediments and organic materials picked up along its course. The river supports a variety of wildlife including trout, snapping turtles, leeches, and many other varieties of flora and fauna. What this sediments & organic material means to a diver is the visibility is going to be poor to non-existent. I was not disappointed!

If you have ever lost something in the water from swimming or from a dock, pier, or boat its often very hard to really say exactly where the splash really was so you make a mental X on the water. From vast experience that X on moving water is just that, a moving target.

So the rings owner showed me where he was on the boat, how the ring was lost, and where he believes it went splash. So, I handed him a penny and said to throw it in at the splash area. He did so and noted that the penny splash was pretty close to the splash point. So I then took the remaining 9 pennies from my pocket and threw them in at this new splash point. Jim helped me suit up and enter the water from shore then positioned a drop weight and line from the back boat platform establishing a defined reference point.

Swam up to Jim on the platform, checked buoyancy and then Jim handed me my metal detector. Once on the bottom I started my search. Locating my first penny I knew I was in the proper area. Then I found three more pennies and then BINGO, the ring.

As you can see in the photo he was VERY pleased with the outcome and was darn lucky. The area where the ring was in was clear of junk and was mostly silty mud. A couple feet in any other direction the bottom turned to a junk yard of every thing especially rusty metal. If it had been in that area finding that ring would have been almost impossible to find, if found at all. The owner was happy and I was happy. A good ending for us all.

3rd – Stop and Smell the Flowers

September 6, 2019Misc:, WalkaboutPause a moment, Stop and smell the rosesDWMack

Your busy, you have pressing issues, does it really help for you to take a few minutes and stop, even if just momentarily, to look, see and appreciate that which is around you?

Does stopping to see and feel your surrounding calm the restless and bothered soul? Does it mean that you should take a moment and be grateful? To take a moment and relax. Take time for yourself- if even for just for those few moments.

Everyone already knows the expression “stop and smell the roses” is not simply about flowers, but rather about how to fill your life with a deeper appreciation of the world around us. It reminds you to slow down and notice the little things that make life worthwhile. Despite a busy life, it is important to know how to be present in the moment; otherwise those moments will pass you by.

Be present in the moment with the people around you. It’s easier now to multi-task with modern technology, but it often lessens the experience of “being in the moment.” Take the everyday experiences more memorable by sharing them with someone.

By paying more attention to the moment, you experience more about the world around you. Burnout happens because you are constantly reacting to stimuli. When you unconsciously take a moment, it lessens the reactivity of the mind. Those brief moments reshape your thoughts which will often enable you to have a better sense of how to achieve your goals in daily life.

So, take that deep breath and look around you. While there are things that you wish could be better, be grateful for the things that you have, and the beauty of living. You only have one life to live, and it is yours.

Not sure what this is but I found it to be pretty and interesting.

This certainly looks different when get up “real” close 🙂

Not sure what these are but worth a look.

Looks like it has eyes: Who is looking at whom?

It may be just a yellow flower, but when was the last time you took time to “really” look at and appreciate the simple life of a flower?

Don McAlhany

Trash & Treasure Hunter, Scuba Diver, Skydiver, Pilot, Speaker, & Presenter