WQ6X FIVE(5)-OP's End of August Radiosport

I recently put together a "Blast from-the Past" Blog about the last contest weekend in August.
([CLICK HERE] to read that.)  @023's 4th radiosport weekend in August was headlined by the Hawaiian QSO Party (which was also summarized in a BLAST post.  What made the weekend
unique is that (with the exception of the YOHF Dx Contest), all other events were run at the QRP
(5-watt) power level.  Having access in Ramona to NX6T's old Tower Trailer#2 55' high antennas
(3-ell Stepp-IR + 2-el Shorty-40 and 80/75 coaxial "bazooka") from Fallbrook and a hilltop QTH
makes all the difference.

When it comes to radiosport I am rather flexible with when/where/how a given weekend
goes - as long as I get time in the "operator's chair".  This weekend provided a weird opportunity
to accomplish all, opening with another monthly live meeting of the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA).

While there were SIX HF-style events on the calendar, as WQ6X, I managed to participate
in all but the digital GiG.  To accomplish that would have required a physical presence at the
Concord QTH - the only location from which I can currently run RTTY.

After the ARCA club meeting, I spent the afternoon behind the helm of the K3/0-Mini on the desk at my Alameda office LooKing for: HI / KS / OH stations.  Because Hawaii and KS/OH are approximately 180-degrees apart azimuthally, the Stepp-IR's Bi-directional mode enabled looking for counties an ALL 3 locations.  Hearing a callsign, it required just a single double-click to focus the antenna
NE (for KS / OH) or 180-degrees opposite (SW) for Hawaii (KH6).

• [X] - Hawaiian QSO Party
• [X] - World Wide Digital Contest
• [X] - YO DX Contest (Cw/Ssb)
• [X] - W/VE Islands GiG
• [X] - Kansas QSO Party
• [X] - Ohio QSO Party

For this contest weekend, the HQP event started off with a HUGE flurry. 
Then, as quickly as it began, that seemed to be the major LoT of it - HuH? 
As I write this part (Sunday morning), I am hoping maybe the propagation GoDs
will properly conduct our atmosphere to the Southwest.
(Ed. NOPE - never happened.)

Working both Ssb & Cw, when I told operators I was a QRP station, they were incredulous
until I described the QTH (Ramona) and the antenna configuration the 5-watts was feeding into. 
For the YO-Dx contest, because the QSO point-value favored DX (not domestic), the power level
was upped to 95 watts; enough to produce RBN spots, working stations throughout Europe including UY5 (Ukraine) and EW8 (Belarus).

After 20-meters folded-up I found time for sleeping, waking in time to work East coast stations but no more Dx before the 12:00z contest end.  After another sleep stint, @14:30z the hunt was on again for Kansas stations.  There were an incredible number of mobile/rover stations wandering all over, some even camping out at a 3-or-4 county intersection - how CooL is THAT?

I would venture that next to California, the state of Kansas conducts the most efficient and original single-state QSO Party.  With BONUS Points for spelling K-A-N-S-A-S and S-U-N-F-L-O-W-E-R and
Y-E-L-L-O-W-B-R-I-C-K-R-O-A-D.   

This adds a more "Personal" feel to an otherwise rather std. QSO Party.  

Meanwhile, all of a sudden, the KSQP GiG has JUST ended - DEAD OVER.   
It would seem the 2023 KSQP is by far, the most successful one I have ever run;
the amazing thing being that it was run ENTIRELY QRP.

When KQP ended (20:00z), switching the 3-el Stepp-IR 180-towards KH6 yielded nothing except dead-air STATIC.  When I switched locations to run remote from Concord, a pair of KH6 stragglers called-in on 20-meters, responding to my "CQ HQP WQ6X WQ6X/QRP" calls.

As for the U.S./VE islands GiG, like the [RSGB] IOTA affair a few weeks back, it is always a disappointment.  What am I NoT getting? I heard only TWO weak island stations - both unworkable.  Increasingly, I am resorting to ([F-12]) "WEIRD" as stations unexplainedly disappear into the ether.

DiD YOU work the contest conglomeration ending the month of August?
What WEIRDNESS DiD YOU Encounter?