Rootbeer - Bill's cat.

Rain Rain Go Away

Was scheduled to fly twice last week for Satelite Digital Imaging and "best of all" night flying for infared training. But alas - both got rained out. The Search & rescue exercise didn't fair well either. I didn't go on that one but the aircraft wasn't able to land due to a horrific crosswind.

Anyway, I stayed home Saturday and worked getting trash out for the large item pick-up starting Monday. I worked most of Saturday getting stuff out and was glad they changed the rule from one pickup load to a larger truck this year. I had about half a semi of stuff out there. They also left off the rule that the items must be small enough for two men to lift. So when Joe got home I said I was ready to give up on ever getting to set up the ping pong table again (I love that game). Anyway we rolled that big old table up the drive way and propped it against the fence. We thought there was no way two men were going to be able to pick that thing up and get it into a truck.

Then we went to church Saturday at 4. When we returned about 6 the ping pong table was gone along with a few other things. Wonder how many men it took to lift it into a truck? Or maybe a neighbor came and rolled it away!! We piled the remaining junk back up as neatly as we could - they had really left a mess.

It rained Sunday night saturating the "cardboard boxes" they insist we must use for the large item pickup. By Monday morning when I went to get the paper, the pile had been scattered again,all the old flower baskets were gone, and the boxes were a sodden mess. By 1 o'clock when I went to check the mail, the pile had been scattered again and more stuff was gone. I sure got tired of re-stacking all that stuff. By Tuesday morning when the trash men came to collect the junk, there was very little left. I suppose it's true that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Boy what a boring life - all I have to write about is trash pickup!!!!!

We had our 1st ever scramble team game Wed. I think everyone enjoyed it. John & I had the worst bridge game of our lives Thursday. 40% Yuk.

Going to Ft. Smith this weekend for Mom's 88th birthday. Believe it is supposed to be good weather finally and I will appreciate the 30 degree nights when I am in Ft. Smith.

Friday - What a Gorgeous Day

Not much going on - got razorbackdbc.blogspot up and running - now just have to keep myself from going nuts playing with it or this one.

Got on the computer yesterday around 9 am got off about midnight with one short break to fix Joe some dinner around 6:30. Found some really neat code while I was trying to fix some stuff, then got to playing around trying to do fancier stuff. Finally had to settle if I intended to publish it anytime soon. I remember when we got our first computer I used to do that same thing on weekends when I was working. Now I only stay up all night occasionally working on developing something.

Today I did much better. I forced myself to do a little housework and a few errands and walk the dog, Cookie. It is much healthier than sitting at the computer all day. But the tug is great to get out there and play some more.

Can see tandum props in this pix

Another photo of Adam 500. See post below for description

Walking the Dog!!!! or Why I like Cats!

Sunday I took my daughter's dog, Cookie for a walk (usually a pleasant 2 and a half mile stroll.) Now, I have never been a "dog" person and am actually afraid of them but I can usually walk her because she is a pretty calm dog and I use a choke chain.

Alas, at about the first half mile mark we came upon a chocolate Lab in the bed of a pickup parked in the front yard. I asked the guy with the dog if it was tied up. He said yes and so we proceeded past with Cookie prancing and well behaved like a show dog while the Lab was choking itself trying to get to us nearly falling off the tailgate while growling & barking with claws scrapping on the metal bed of the truck.

We made it about four houses past when all of a sudden I heard a loud noise, looked back and saw the Lab coming like the Hound of the Baskervilles. His owner quickly jumped from the back of the truck and followed.

I know you are not supposed to get between fighting dogs but I couldn't let anything happen to my daughter's dog so I yelled, jumped up & down, and yes, got between the dogs. The Lab jumped cookie and started biting at the neck. I had Cookie on the choke chain and pulled back real hard and got between them again. The lab rose in the air to attack again just as a body came flying in from the left at about 3 feet off the ground and landed right on top of the Lab. It was a super tackle.

Cars were stopping and people from the church were coming to look. Cookie was still scared and backed up right out of her choke chain. Thank God she headed away from the street but she was flying & I couldn't catch her. We ran all around the church and I got a severe stitch in my side. Occasionally she would let me get within an arm's length but then she was off again. Finally a couple of kids from the church were able to get her to come to them and we got the leash back on her.

We finished our walk and on the way back I talked with the owner of the Lab. He said the Lab had actually broken his choke chain. That was the noise I heard.

I figure cats do not need walks so nothing of this sort could happen. Well about 10 pm Sunday night with Ricky in and Hopper out, I heard a cat fight right outside the slider. I opened the door and there was a fierce battle in progress with bodies moving so fast as to be unidentifiable. Off they went into the darkness growling and fighting, big bang on the fence, silence. I called for Hopper and after a minute or so, here he came calmly prancing up to the door, sat, turned his head back & forth smelling the air and looking for intruders he could chase away. He did not want to come in, but wanted to stay where the excitement was.

I guess I need to get a pet rock.

Excitement - Even on the Ground

When we landed at TACAir in Ft. Smith on Friday it was in the midst of C130 touch & goes, F-16's taking off for the firing range, helicopter takeoffs, and (pictured) the Adam 500, a composite twin with centerline thrust and a six-seat interior which employs engines forward and aft of the cockpit and a twin boom empennage. The airplane is Rick Adam’s brainchild, one of those back-of-a-napkin ideas that Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites (X-Box winner) carried through to a full-sized proof-of-concept airplane.

Put out my hand and touched the face of God

Low Flight - We went to Oklahoma to photograph at Tenkiller Lake and then just south of Mount Magazine to photograph the Blue Mountain Reservoir. It was a glorious day for flying. Just a little gusty for photography. Sometimes the camera would just whip around as I pressed the shutter. But I got some great photos. To see the ones I uploaded, google WMIRS and select public. Look for the Arkansas mission. Click on images from this mission.

Yea! Going Flying Today

Going flying today. Going to be a beautiful day!!!

Oh! Weather

Was suppposed to fly today. Socked in - will fly both sorties tomorrow - supposed to be beautiful tomorrow. Guess I'll go play bridge instead.

Another Game Day

See if you can unscramble these words............THESAURUS TANGLE is a quick thinking word game in which you're trying to discover the synonyms for the keywords before your time runs out. As the keyword appears you race against the clock to unscramble the synonym by dragging the letters into their proper slots to discover the mystery word. Thesaurus Tangle is a test of your lexical prowess, expertise, ability, mastery, talent and deftness.

On Stand-by

I have been activated to stand-by status for satellite digital imaging missions as of Monday 4 Apr. Our unit is the first up if called. Have to be prepared for possible overnight.

Razorback Bridge Club

Razorback Duplicate Bridge Club - The Wednesday night 6:30 game has moved. We moved all the supplies and tables yesterday. April 6th is the 1st day we will play there.

Game Day