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Some info on me!

I am 61 years young and have been employed by Securitas Security Services at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant since August 26, 1983 as a Central Alarm Station operator and an Armed Security Officer. Comanche Peak is a nuclear powered high pressure reactor electric generating facility owned by Luminant. I occasionally sell and repair computer systems and land mobile, CB, and Amateur two-way radios to help support my addiction to high tech hobbies. I have been involved in agriculture off and on for about 35 years and I have been involved in photography for about 40 years as professional photographer and an advanced amateur. There's really not much difference except that as an advanced amateur, I no longer try to compete in the market place and I am free to voluntarily give my time and skills rather than sell them. I switched to digital photography three years ago when I purchased an Olympus E1 system and stored my Olympus 35mm and Mamiya role film cameras. I am now using the Olympus E-3 which I carry everywhere! I don't think I will ever be able to part with my trusted Olympus OM2n and my Mamiya M645 but they will probably not see much use in the future. Good bye film, hello digital! I have many photos I have taken over the years and I am very slowly uploading some I that I like into the Photo Galleries and Our Slide Shows sections of my web site. However, time to do website work is scarce! My wife, Linda, uses an Olympus E510. My oldest daughter and her husband now own my Olympus E-1. My middle daughter, Kristie, uses an Olympus E-300 and my youngest daughter, Kathie and her husband, are now the owners of my wife's first digital camera, the Olympus E-20.

My oldest hobby is Amateur Radio. I hold an Advanced Class amateur radio license, WC5WC (ex- WA5OTR/WN5GQH), and have been continuously licensed for more than 40 years. To read more about my Amateur Radio hobby, click on the link to my Amateur Radio pages. My oldest daughter, Shannon, is a Technician Class license holder, KC5JGE, and my middle daughter, Kristie, is also a Technician class license holder, K5KCW (ex KC5QCC). My mother, Annabeth Clarkson, holds a Novice license, WB5REB, and at 87 years old, she is probably the oldest novice license holder in the U.S.A. I am a Life Member of the ARRL, and I can be found on 146.550, the 147.270 Chalk Mountain repeater, the 147.080 and 442.025 repeaters from Granbury. On HF, I can usually be found listening or chasing DX between 14.200 MHz and 1.9MHz in the early morning. As band conditions improve, I will be operating on or near the 28.350MHz and 50.125 MHz. I am also licensed as WPQM280 in the GMRS radio service. I monitor 462.550 79.7 PL.

I am a Life Member of the NRA and actively support the right of the individual to own and use firearms for both sporting use and self defense. I received my Texas Concealed Handgun License (CHL) about one month after the program was initiated. I enjoy bird hunting in the fall and have dove, ducks, quail, and turkey on my property. I also enjoy bow and pistol hunting when time permits for whitetail deer and turkey. Other native wildlife that we have seen on our property include mountain lions, bobcats, red and gray fox, coyote, raccoons, possums, porcupine, skunks, and beaver, along with numerous smaller mammals and reptiles of both the deadly (Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Cottonmouth Water Moccasin, Copperhead, and Coral Snake) and numerous non-deadly varieties. It is really nice to live in the country! We have year round fishing on our small cattle ranch from our stock tanks (ponds or lakes to the rest of the world!) which are about two surface acres each and produce bass and catfish with weights up to eight pounds.

My Family

I have a beautiful, wonderful wife, Linda, to whom I have been happily married for over 36 years. Linda who works for The SHAW Group, inc. at Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant. She worked for the Operating System Group until around November of 2009 when she was transferred to the Engineering Group. Linda has also been self-employed as a computer graphics artist producing high resolution color drawings for training departments in the nuclear power generating industry using Deneba "Canvas," Microsoft Visio, and Corel Draw. She has written Computer Based Training programs using MS Power Point, and small business web sites using Microsoft Front Page and DreamWeaver, along with being close to expert level in MS Word.

We have three beautiful daughters (The oldest is 34 and the youngest two are 32). My oldest daughter is Shannon. She graduated in May 1998 from Abilene Christian University with a BS in Agriculture Range Agronomy. She earned her Master's Degree in Christian Ministry, emphasis on children's ministry/education, in Dec 2001 from ACU. Shannon's husband is David Rains, who is employed by AdminiStaff in Kingwood, TX, which is on the northern edge of Houston. Shannon is the Children's Minister for the Kingwood Church of Christ. Their daughter and our first grand child, River Cadence, was born on Jan. 22, 2003. Their son, Reese Alexander, was born on Feb 4, 2009. Kristie is our oldest twin daughter. She is presently employed by Shaw at Comanche Peak in the Maintenance Group. Kristie graduated from Abilene Christian University on Dec 15, 2006 with a BA in Busniess Administration, Organizational management. Kristie is married to Robert Wade and they live on our property at Walnut Springs. Kathie, our youngest twin daughter, is married to Robert (Rob) Swenson, of Roswell, New Mexico. Kathie and Rob presently live in San Angelo, TX. Kathie graduated from ACU on May 8, 2004, with a BA in in Business Administration, Human Resource Management. She presently works for an optometrist in San Angelo. Rob is working as a Texas Department of Corrections officer.

Linda and I are members of the Granbury Church of Christ. Linda is the teaching coordinator for the 2nd grade. Kristie and Bobby are the 2nd Grade Spring Quarter teachers and Linda and I are the 2nd Grade Fall Quarter teachers. Kathie and Rob presently attend the United Methodist Church in San Angelo.

My whole family is politically conservative and we identify with the Republican Party and conservative economics. I have been a Republican since I was 10 years old and don't plan to change--EVER! The Democratic Party and its official political platform is the biggest single threat to the security of our wonderful country that has ever existed. I believe ultra liberalism has got to be stopped before it causes the death of our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

About Me and My Family