Spent part of the winter restoring antique radios.  One we donated for display in the Crow Wing County Historical Museum.  It is a 1951 vintage Zenith Trans-Oceanic.  A real gem, it is displayed next to one of Mark’s father’s books titled “Where Have All The Broadcasters Gone?”  You can hear the audio version at: mwpersons.com/old-radio/books.  Mark’s father had quite the sense of humor and it showed in his writing.

Mark was up and down his 65-foot tower this summer putting up three new amateur radio dipole antennas.  He talks to friends all over the country on ham radio.  Mark’s most used phrase at this time of year is “But Santa, I can explain!”

Paula spent Monday and Wednesday mornings cleaning old tombstones with a group of her Daughters of the American Revolution friends.  Finally finished up the Garrison Cemetery after nearly three years.  Many of Paula’s mother’s ancestors are buried there.  They cleaned 400+ stones there this past summer. Some date back to the 1800’s.

In August Paula completed her 900^th dive in her 22 years of underwater adventures of swimming with the fish.  She volunteers at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth cleaning the tanks, feeding the fish, and waving to the visitors.  She carved Halloween pumpkins underwater there and in the iron mining pits near Crosby, just 16 miles from home.  Mark hoped she is done diving, but she is now shooting for 1000+ dives. 

In October we took a 13-day driving trip to Grand Rapids, MI, to attend a wedding.  Paula and the groom’s mother have been friends since they were three.   Along the way we spent two nights on Mackinac Island. Got a few horse carriage rides as cars are not allowed on the island.  Enjoyed touring the Fort, seeing the Grand Hotel and ate some good food.  Wandered back by way of the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.  Hadn’t traveled since Feb of 2020 so it was nice to get away.  We were careful and have not had covid yet.

Mark is an avid photographer and amateur website writer.   His www.brainerdvfw.org site won first place two years in a row in the MN VFW competition.  Another www.sbe17.org took first place nationally in the Society of Broadcast Engineers organization.  He continues to mentor broadcast engineers and thoroughly enjoys it.  It lets him keep his fingers in the broadcasting world.