The Return of Van Huskey

[Rich Riddle]

Did you folks notice Van has risen? Hadn't seen Van in four years. Welcome back.

[Jerry Bruette]

And the thread didn't have anything to do with bandsaws.

Good to see you back!

[glenn bradley]

I noticed but, didn't say anything since I didn't want to spook him :D:D:D.

[Bruce Page]

Van, good to see you poking your head in the door.

[Jeff Bartley]

Nice to see him back. And not be morbid, but being a forum we have no other contact with folks so when a prolific poster disappears it makes you wonder what happened!
Good to see you back Van!

[Prashun Patel]

I missed him! Glad he and his tool knowledge are back!!!

[Rich Engelhardt]

LOL! I recently sold my 14" bandsaw and have no plans to replace it. He must have sensed that disturbance in the force ;).

[Erik Loza]

You know you're gangster when they make a thread hailing your return and you don't even drop in to say thanks.

Erik

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It was good and exciting to see Van post again. I hope he doesn't make it another 4 years before he posts again.

[Rich Riddle]

He did say thanks to folks in the table saw thread and indicated he became busy with other hobbies. He also still reads here and has an "affinity" for band saws.....imagine that.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks guys, it has been a long strange trip. My wife and I were sitting on the sofa back in 2013 and we were watching one of her guilty pleasure shows and the people were taking a vacation and she looked at me and said we NEED a vacation. Within an hour the vacation turned into a sabatical and we sold both houses, spent 4 months on the boat then decided to travel around the world. Since the boat was too small to consider that as transportation we docked the boat and headed to Kauai but we never continued on. We spent 16 months diving, snorkling, hiking, surfing, sea kayaking and watching sunsets on Polihali beach then decided to come back. We just finished building and moving into a new house and it is time to build another shop. I never quit woodworking but have be doing it in other peoples shops for a while now. I feel like everytime I get a shop built and set up to my liking I move on. I did store most of my tools but I sold off half of my bandsaws so I am down to just 4 now. :) I'll be around a while, until I am not...

[Erik Loza]

Van: Wowwwww......

Honestly, though: I think many of us were worried that you had a health episode (or worse). Glad to see you back.

Erik

[Van Huskey]

Van: Wowwwww......

Honestly, though: I think many of us were worried that you had a health episode (or worse). Glad to see you back.

Erik

I come and go from forums and in the past I have tried to post that I was going to take a break but it often just sucked me right back in, it is like I imagine drugs to be, you have to quit when you are in the correct frame of mind!

Plus, I figure if I croak someone from each of my hobby forums will figure it out because they will see the Craigslist listing my wife will post with all my stuff. :)

[Rod Sheridan]

Did you folks notice Van has risen? Hadn't seen Van in four years. Welcome back.

Just when it was now safe to read a band saw thread, what poor timing!

All kidding aside, very nice to have him back............Rod.

[Rich Riddle]

Van,

This is a tough crowd. A couple weeks ago when I posted a thread that the IRS left a message saying I was headed to prison, one of our non-felon members asked if he could have all my tools. They might try to get the few band saws you have left. It ended up that there were enough of us headed to the prison from IRS calls we can have our own tier. Welcome back, and we're glad to have you as long as you stay. On a selfish note, I do have some bandsaw questions.

[Bruce Page]

Back when they were still growing sugar cane I spent many weeks working at Barking Sands/PMRF, only a stones throw away from Polihali beach. It would be hard for me to leave the Garden Isle once I was settled in.

[Chris Padilla]

Thanks guys, it has been a long strange trip. My wife and I were sitting on the sofa back in 2013 and we were watching one of her guilty pleasure shows and the people were taking a vacation and she looked at me and said we NEED a vacation. Within an hour the vacation turned into a sabatical and we sold both houses, spent 4 months on the boat then decided to travel around the world. Since the boat was too small to consider that as transportation we docked the boat and headed to Kauai but we never continued on. We spent 16 months diving, snorkling, hiking, surfing, sea kayaking and watching sunsets on Polihali beach then decided to come back. We just finished building and moving into a new house and it is time to build another shop. I never quit woodworking but have be doing it in other peoples shops for a while now. I feel like everytime I get a shop built and set up to my liking I move on. I did store most of my tools but I sold off half of my bandsaws so I am down to just 4 now. :) I'll be around a while, until I am not...

I look forward to such spontaneity in my life!!!

[David Helm]

Back when they were still growing sugar cane I spent many weeks working at Barking Sands/PMRF, only a stones throw away from Polihali beach. It would be hard for me to leave the Garden Isle once I was settled in.

Back in 1964, an aircraft (Navy Super Constellation) I was a crew member in made an emergency landing at what was then called Bonham Alternate Landing Field; later called Barking Sands. We were flying back to Oahu from Midway Island, lost two engines just past the turn point. The Connie normally took nearly 5000 feet of runway for landing. Bonham was two 2000 foot runways with a minor turn at the middle. We burned up the brakes and overboosted the two turning engines but did get stopped. The blacktop ramp was too soft for an a/c of that weight. Didn't get to see any more of Kuaui on that trip.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Back in 1964, an aircraft (Navy Super Constellation) I was a crew member in made an emergency landing at what was then called Bonham Alternate Landing Field; later called Barking Sands. We were flying back to Oahu from Midway Island, lost two engines just past the turn point. The Connie normally took nearly 5000 feet of runway for landing. Bonham was two 2000 foot runways with a minor turn at the middle. We burned up the brakes and overboosted the two turning engines but did get stopped. The blacktop ramp was too soft for an a/c of that weight. Didn't get to see any more of Kuaui on that trip.

Considering the reasons for and the successful arrival, I suspect you weren't too disappointed?:confused::rolleyes:

[Van Huskey]

Back when they were still growing sugar cane I spent many weeks working at Barking Sands/PMRF, only a stones throw away from Polihali beach. It would be hard for me to leave the Garden Isle once I was settled in.

We saw three practice launches from PMRF while we were there. Two from the beach and one while headed out to dive off Niihau where the water is stupid clear, off the boat in 100ft of water the bottom was like looking into a foot of water, truely unreal.

Interesting you mention the cane, my wife's family grew up in Louisiana and several were cane farmers including her grandfather. Her grandparents live in Port Allen LA surrounded by cane next to the Mississippi, and I imagine you remember the commercial port on Kauai is also Port Allen and also surrounded by former cane fields with a sugar mill that looks just like the ones in Louisiana.

I saw the sign above many times headed to Polihali it was fun passing all the "tourists" as they moved at a near idle down the road. We actually prefer the south to the north side of the island and our house was between the Beach House and Spouting horn, we spent more time in the north in the summer due to the weather when we would hike and Kayak the Napali coast, but kayaking we would put in at Haena beach and around to Polihali. When the weather is good the 17 miles along the Napali coast is one of the greatest experiances of ones life.

I have travelled a good deal and Hawaii, in particular Kaua'i is one of the most perfect places on the planet. BTW if anyone decides to visit Kauai lemme know I am happy to spend a few minutes or a few hours helping you plan your time there.

[Jim Becker]

Kaua'i is on my "bucket list", VH...Professor Dr SWMBO has been there more than once, but I've only been to Maui. It will likely be awhile, however.

And welcome back to regular posting!

[Jeff Bartley]

Van,
I forgot to ask: did you ever go into Bubbas on Kauai? My cousin and his wife work there.
It's on my bucket list too!

[Bruce Page]

I ate at Bubba's in Poipu too many times..

[Van Huskey]

Van,
I forgot to ask: did you ever go into Bubbas on Kauai? My cousin and his wife work there.
It's on my bucket list too!

We ate at the Poipu location many times (just a few minutes from our house) and the one in Kapaa a few times. There burgers are rather small but good, I finally had to get my wife to always remind me NOT to get the onion rings, while perfectly cut, breaded and cooked they were rather tasteless. One of their slogans is something like "We refuse to sell any burger that cost less than a can of dogfood" which is reassuring though the other slogan is "We cheat tourists, drunks and attorneys" this always concerned me since depening on the day it could be three strikes for me!

Our favorite burger there was Kalapaki Beach Hut on Rice street right behind the Marriot resort we would always sit outside surrounded by the chickens.

Ah yes the Kauai chickens! They are EVERYWHERE, probably 10 (maybe 100) feral chickens for every resident. They were released by hurricane Iniki in the early 90s and are simply a part of Kauaii. While I said everywhere you don't see them on the actually beach sand too often and when you start hiking you realize they stay near the concentrations of humans, but if there is a road to where you are going there will be chickens.

I am sure most know each inhabited island of Hawaii has a different character. Kauai is the one to visit if you are an outdoors person. The Kalalau trail on the Napali coast is one of the greatest backpacking trails in the US and considered a fairly dangerous hike (Backpacker has it in the US top 10 for danger) but if you are OK with exposed ledges 300 feet up you will be fine, it is more of a mental thing than actual danger. The first two miles are done by many tourists (no exposure) and it is highly recommended though the 4 mile round trip is deceptive you are either going steep up or steep down the entire way. The two mile hike you can do without a permit ends at the most dangerous beach in the US where over 100 people have died. There are strong currents all around Hawaii and this beach is rather exposed and people venture out an get caught in the current, unlike many of the other beaches the problem is once you are caught it is literally miles of cliffs so makinging it to the next beach, Michael Phelps could get in trouble here.


My love affair with Hawaii goes back over 20 years and can't recommend it enough as a bucket list destination. The thing about even the "tiny" island of Kauai is it is literally covered with bucket list adventures and in a single day you can skydive, swim with sea turtles and watch a sunset on a beach that may have 10 other people on it for miles, I know you can because we did it on our third day on the island and closed on our house in between the turtles and the sunset all the while in our swim suits.

Shaka brah.