Abandoned Missile Silos

While living in Colorado (1986-1988), I had an opportunity to tour some abandoned missile silos! These sites are scattered throughout the west, however the property that they lie on is generally owned by someone who does not want you there. Click on any of the thumb-nails below for a larger image...

For more information, check out this excellent Abandoned Missile Base tour. Or for more virtual adventures, pay a visit to the Action Squad web site!

The Western US

We lived in Utah for several years (1988-1993) and, since photography (and video editing) are among our hobbies, we have taken quite a few pictures out there...

But as pretty as these may be, neither words nor pictures can capture the beauty and peace that settles there in the Western deserts and canyons. So every couple of years, we take a trip back! Incidentally, our domain name, Marjum.COM, is named after Marjum Canyon, part of the House Range in Utah's West desert. It is a special place for us.

Satellite Dishes

Jeff became a DishHead in the late 1990s. It started with installing a simple Dish Network system in 1996 and culminated (I think) with putting together and installing a C/Ku-band BUD in 1998. I learned a lot in the process, especially from Frank Baylin's book "Home Satellite TV Installation & Troubleshooting Manual," and created a satellite links reference page.

Model Rockets

The kids and I started building model rockets in 2004.

The tall silver Meteor Master was our first rocket, and those 3 colorful satellites are set free when the parachute comes out. After over 15 launches, we have not lost them! Next, we built the black Astrocam which has a camera in the nose cone (we have not had the film developed yet). Next, the little white (in the second photo) crashed on it's first launch, but we repaired and rebalanced it and now it's okay. In 2007, we built the silver 2-stage rocket, which we've almost lost a couple times now. Last time we flew it, it came down on some telephone wires but, thanks to a windy night, we were able to recover it the next day. Finally, in 2008, we built the FC-803, whose initial flight in June was flawless.

Trains

As a child, my grandparents used to take my brothers and I on rides to see trains at the many railroad crossings scattered throughout Western New York. During my teenage years, one of my favorite places to watch trains was at and around the Niagara Junction in Depew, NY.

So I've always liked trains, and at least once every year, I take the family out on some sort of railroad-themed trip. Sometimes this is just a ride on the nearby Black River and Western, New Hope and Ivyland, or Delaware River railroads. Other times though, a train event is ensconced in our family vacation... like our day at Steamtown, or our trip on the breathtaking Durango and Silverton railroad, or when we rode in a caboose on the Heber Creeper, or traveled on the Skara-Lundsbrunns Jarnvagar.

One of our most memorable railroad trips was the time we travelled to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania to visit the home town of the Lehigh Valley railroad... where a quick stop a Packerton Yard turned into a very exciting adventure!