How cool is that. Dad use to do a lot of DXing and I remember so many QSL cards. I gave some of them to my grandsons and son-in-law who have become hams, and my daughter and granddaughter in same family are now hams.
Did you ever talk with W4ZWE Boyd (Big Old Yellow Dog)? That was Dad.
For a time from about 1979 thru 1997 he lived on 23 acres and on part of it he put up a vertical pole with 360 copper wires laying on the ground around it. It was very directional. When he sold the place he did not remove the copper wires from the field and I think the new owner may have cussed him when they went to clear that field. But all my life since I was 2 months old I've been around ham radio in one way or another.