Late April Trip to Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn, Georgia

Another hangliding trip to Chattanooga - I usually stop at this rest area as the car has been working hard getting up the mountain to this spot. It is mostly down hill the rest of the way. I measured my mileage. With the hanglider on top and the Tear Drop behind, I still get 33 mpg with my TDI Jetta. Not bad for a car with 250,000 miles on it.

It is a quick trip - takes roughly 3-1/2 - 4 hours depending on the traffic. I claim my favorite camping spot next to Ron's Trike hangar. The pine tree behind is a favorite glider break down area so I see alot of pilots come in and land nearby.

Obviously the first thing that I do when I get there is check the wind to see which way it is blowing. Today the wind is blowing from the SW, which is down the valley and not good for flying off of the mountain - which is what I am trying to do right now. (As opposed to learning to tow behind the tug - that rating is my next goal.)

This is a picture taken on the mountain launch. Note that the optimum wind direction is NW. However, despite the mostly south wind all week, I did take an early tandem (3rd) with Eric to clear the mountain and then my 7th flight off the mountain - still no flare...

I found a hanglider truck up on launch with a University of North Dakota logo on it. Do not see too many Dakota pilots here.

The boys from Lookout getting ready to leave for a two-week competition schedule. I only know two of them by name. Lucas is on the far left and Dale is on the far right. Lucas lives near by and make videos for contest submission. He is quite a good pilot and filmaker. Dale camps in his van alot near me in the LZ. He is an accomplished Arborist and does tree work all over.

Cowboy (alias James), his wife Dawn and Leanna. (Unidentified young toddler also in the picture.) Cowboy built a beautiful house right across the road from the LZ.

A better picture of Leanna...

Ron - the best trike pilot in the world - well one of the best anyway, depending on who you ask. All around good guy that loves to talk hangliding and triking. He has been all over the world so he can speak about just about every major flying site around.

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Imagine opening your Tear Drop door at 6:33 am and hearing the following... I can only imagine this is what waking up in a rain forest would be like. Ok SAO, the biggest bird lover I know... tell me how many birds you can identify... I will publish your answer.

A Family Day in Nashville: Earth Day Celebration

The family met again at Centennial Park for the annual Nashville Earth Day Celebration. There was a lot of free entertainment, bands and such, food vendors and many, "green" booths. It was a good time to catch up with each other and of course, take a few pictures of the kids.

Erica, Michael and Amaya next to the lake - Michael is feeding Amaya. Amaya is gulping her bottle because she wants to feed the ducks.

I do not generally take pictures of animals but Cathy always wants a picture of the ducks. (There must be a duck shortage in Canada.) At any rate, here is a duck picture for you Cathy.

Amaya wanted to feed the ducks - generally I am not very receptive to making-all-over-animals. However, in this case I made an exception for the pleasure of the baby. Amaya threw some bread in the water for the nearby ducks. I rummaged through the garbage can close by and found some duck tape.

A little history should be a part of every outing. James Robertson apparently found Nashville so there is an Obilith in the park in his honor. An interesting quotation on his memorial, if you care to look.

Eric's Family from Colorado at the Park - we enjoyed talking with them. John and Carrie are spending some time visiting the family Nashville household.

Amaya and Panama

Pancake and Carol enjoying a joke or two.

Panama eating a chip... then another one, trying to keep up with Grampa.



Pancake walking Dooli the Dog.

Christmas Card Pictures

Christmas picture 2005 or 2006 or 2007 I think.

Christmas Picture 2004, 2005 or 2006 I think.

Bob's 60th Birthday Party in Canada

Carol and I went to Buffalo to visit Bob & Cathy for his 60th birthday. They did a great job of showing us all of the sights around Niagra Falls - unfortunately I lost all of my actual Falls pictures. We did explore the locks in the areas - this is how the ships go from one lake to another.

The Canadian Niagra area has some great wineries. We went to at least 2 or 3, including the above Paul Bose Estate.

Carol, Cathy, Bob and Doug taking a testing.

The girls shopping somewhere before or after a couple of wine tours.

Flowers that I no doubt bought for Carol - do not recall where, when or how much.

Bob's family had a great party for him. It was fun to meet all of them - some of them we have met on the West Coast or Florida during earlier visits.

Marne (Cathy's mom) and I had fun going through some of her travel pictures that she and her husband Frank took during their many travels. Somehow the term "going commando" came up during dinner at her house. If you can believe it, I had no idea what that meant. We all had a good laugh about that. I told everyone that I was going to Bob's party commando now that I knew there was a word for it. I thought that the joke on me would end there, but it did not.

The next night at Bob's party, Marne told me she had come to the party "commando." I told her I was commando too so we posed for a picture - look close - no underwear lines under our slacks. It was funny - she has a great sense of humor.

The Other Colorful Wedding in Seattle

A very nice wedding in a handsome, refurbished building on the river.

Keith and Myra entering the wedding area.

Jodie and a handsome escort. She looks lovely.

The bride and groom at their special moment.

Keith and Myra on their way out of the ceremony.

The Bride and Groom - their first dance documented by a very special young relative.

Firworks!!! Lets send them off to their Honeymoon in a blaze of glory.

Went to the New Jumpzone on Sleep-over Nite

Some people cannot wait until a new restaraunt is opened so they can try it. Carol and I could not wait until Pancake could come over long enough that we could all go to the newly opened in Clarksville Jump Zone.

Panama was timid at the start but quickly got "with it." She sort of walked around all of the play areas with a "I am more sophisticated than this" attitude but the rest of her body language was screaming... "I am having fun!!!"

Nana and Panama getting ready to fall 40-feet straight down in the "Drop Zone" Jump. (Ok, I am teasing... they are laying down, their only drop is into the 2" crack of the horizonal portion of the slide that they are laying on.)

Pancake with her "I've been to the St. Louis Zoo" shirt. Doug wore his "I've been to the Top-of-the-Arch" shirt. Carol just wore a regular shirt but she was with us so she was cooooooool.....

Pancake and Nana on the "Terminator" slide. You get to the top and realize that the Gov of CA has cancelled the balance of the project. You slide into infinity............. now that is an awesome ride. And it lasts a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really,really really, really, really long time.

Squeeze Play... I cannot even attempt to describe the intensity of this ride. Suffice to say that while Pancake was laughing hysterically, my left arm was getting numb. Carol, by the way, being a nurse, has a name for that pain... she calls it, inflammation of the get-more-insurance-nerve. I cannot tell you how many times she has taken me to our insurance man every time I am doubled over with that pain. The insurance man takes my check and tells me to take an aspirin.

Pancake egged Grampa on until he finally said he would go on the ride with her. This particular ride, you put on a harness, helmet and hook into a set of wings. Then you run like heck and fly off a radial ramp. You hope the turbulance doesn't turn you upside down, if it does, you throw your parachute. "Hey Panama, Gramps likes this ride - it is just like hangliding."

The Family Babies are Having a Sleep

Pancake came over for a sleep-over while Eric and Megan went Mushroom hunting. The two little ones got a head start on the sleep-over by taking a little snooze before supper.

There are three faces in this picture, can you find the 3rd one?

Catholic Baptisms All Around - Michael and Amaya

The family on the way to Baptism. Amaya decided to wear the diamond bracelet that Bob and Cathy gave her. Nana decided to wear her Mother's ring. Grampa wore a sport coat, no tie. Erica wore 6" high Guess Gold heels (I am serious, I just looked now at the label) and Michael wore flip flops that he bought at Walmart.

Historical church built in the 1500's, ok I cannot remember when it was built - I will get back with you on that... (It is on the State of Tennessee Historical Society Building Register.)

Amaya met her guardian angel (GA) before church. (Michael's angel apparently had a previous committment because we never did see him/her.) Amaya really liked her GA - I asked her later what it was she was most impressed with. She was at a loss for words, so I prompted her a bit. Was it the fact that she had wings and could fly like Grampa can? Was it that the angel lives in Heaven and can have tea with God every day or so whenever Amaya is sleeping? She finally said, those things were nice but she best liked the ice cream cone that she brought to her.

Roben, Tim, Michael, Shannon, Amaya and Erica before Baptism - RCIA buddies/buddettes.

Some of the beautiful stain glass in the historic chapel.

More of the stain glass in the chapel.

The Baptism of Amaya - Michael was baptized first - it was a rather touching scene. Catholics are now doing more baptism dunking than they have in the past. Michael has shed his Wal Mart flip flops and is now knee deep in holy water.

Erica with Michael and Amaya in their white after Baptism garb.