Day 5 - Going Home from Lookout Mountain

Megan, Panama and Eric have just left. Keith and Myra were just leaving when we realized there was a slight misunderstanding when Erica told Myra she can have the baby. Keith jumped in and told Myra she could take a cardboard box full of kittens. Not sure though how the stray kittens are gonna fare with the two big stray dogs that Keith put in the back of his car early this morning.

. Thanks Keith and Myra for coming to be with us. You added lots to the party - we will try to come see you in Rolly - always fun there. Happy 50th Birthday Myra!!
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"Grandpa, how come we always have to lay here every morning for a tick check?"

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Alas... all of us are driving back home to the reality of thirsty flowers, grass-too-long and the unfinished tile work... we had a great little family outing though.

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Day 4 - Lookout Mountain Flight Park

First things first - everybody gets up and brings the kids over to catch up with Grampa and Nana. Pancake is showing Amaya what a raisin looks like before she pops it in her mouth.

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Amaya getting a Grampa hug before breakfast.

. Today we went to the CNC in Chattanooga and paid admission to use their boat drop in for a quick river trip. This is a picture of Eric and Megan on their first voyage. They went out for a little spin before Pancake joined them.

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On the way to the river, we saw a place called "Nana's Resale Tore." Not ure what they ell there but we hould top ometime.

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The CNC sign showing all of the things to do in this little park. It was fun.
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Carol took a picture of a Blue Heron, can you see it?
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Panama, Megan and Eric close to the railroad bridge - we had a train go right over the top of us as we were paddling under it. It was pretty awesome seeing a train from below.
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I was designated Captain of Keith's canoe since he had to stay and work. I hired these two girls to work on my boat - the front one paddled good. The middle one sort of took advantage of the fact that she had the cooler and could dictate who got what - she left the paddling to us.
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They had a couple of beautiful tree houses in the park. They were built to accomodate the trees that they were nested in. Very professionally done with some wonderful stain glass pieces incorporated into it. It was quite impressive.
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Another view of the Tree House.
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The Blue Heron stain glass piece in the house.
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Eric, Panama and Megan in the swing in the tree house.

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More antique stain glass - no doubt salvaged from an old, vintage Chattanooga house that was being dismantled. Very good quality piece.

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The park had a great Eagle's nest display.
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The kids doing the "vulture" in an eagle's nest. No shortage of humor in this family.

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It was a long day - we had another great family meal that lasted into the darkness. From outside the cabin, I caught Keith and Carol doing dishes.

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Day 3 - Lookout Mountain Flight Park

It is a slow news day since everyone but Keith and I went into Chattanooga to the world famous aquarium. Keith did not go because he had to work, I cannot remember why I did not go, I think that I told everyone that if Keith could not go, I was not going to go either. (I wanted to stay to see if the wind was going to change to a flyable direction. It did.)

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Since I do not have pictures of the world famous aquarium. I thought I would throw in a couple of edited pictures that are my favorites. They do not necessarily belong on Day 3 but what the heck. Sometimes you have to live outside the box.

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Myra was all-the-time fixing little snacks for the Pancake. I caught this little exchange one morning or afternoon, cannot remember which.

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I kind of liked this picture. Myra, Carol and Doug in Myra's Volvo with red canoe on top following Eric. Megan and Panama's Toyota with their little red Kayak on top.

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I thought that this picture was also kind of neat. A sign for a Reflection Riding reflected in Myra's front windshield.
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Carol took a great picture of a Blue Heron on our canoe trip. This one I cropped. Good job Carol.
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OK, this really did happen on the morning of Day 3. I took a flight off of the mountain in a slight tail wind with a slight north cross wind. By the time I added all of the wind vectors, I just got confused and yelled "Clear" and took off. Keith took the pictures of the flight.
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I was closer to the trees that I have ever been I think due to the tail wind blowing me down the takeoff ramp - it is sort of pretty down there. I did notice something else on this picture as well. Dan, one of my instructors told me that he noticed that I was cross controlling on flight # 13. After looking at this picture, I can see that he is right. If you are trying to turn your glider right, as I am in this picture, you need to have your whole body right, not just your shoulders as is shown in this picture. Cross controlling in an airplane is similiar - if you turn the aileron right and then press the left rudder, they essentially cancel each other. Cross control, doing a sled run in a hanglider, is not a real big problem if you eventually get the glider turned the way you want it - however cross control while trying to learn to soar could be a problem. Thanks Dan for pointing out your observations. I will really try top be aware of the problem now.
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Another shot of my flight as it progressed toward the landing field. I remember yelling as I passed over cabin S1: "Whats for Breakfast?" Carol begged Myra not to answer back because I think that she thought that if I thought the meal was not glutten free that I would catch a thermal and work my way back cross country to Clarksville for breakfast. (Carol did not know that this was only my 11th mountain flight - they do not teach catching a thermal out of the landing zone to go cross country 149 miles until you have had at least 15 flights.)
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Day 3 - Lookout Mountain White Water Trip & Aquarium Visit

The Raft Trip down the Oceeanousecachewie River (Something like that and too lazy to google it.) The kids said that they had a great guide, seen here jumping off the raft so that they even have a wilder ride.

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Looks like some fun...

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Self explanatory... that is some white water...
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Megan and Erica inadvertently changing places in the raft.
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I thank Myra for the Aquarium pictures since I did not go but chose to stay at camp and wait for a good flying wind. Apparently there was a 3-D movie involved here - everyone but Amaya saw it.

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Myra caught the Pancake in front of what appears to be a tank of many assorted fish. Looks like fun.
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Myra caught Eric and Panama in front of the tank full of fish with flippers: a penguin?
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Day 2 - Lookout Mountain Flight Park

A very long Day 2 ended with a Corn Hole game. The game consists of drinking beer or wine and tossing little bags of rice 40 yards into a hole in a painted board that resembles a toilet seat.
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I was with the baby so I had Carol take a couple of pictures. I think that she took a nice picture of a Nike Swish. The game obviously extended well into the night.
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Erica, Michael and Myra's front left Volvo wheel next to the moon.
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Everyone intent on the final result. Did she bag the shot, it was pure excitement the whole night. .
A close up of a good round: one in the hole and 7 counters.
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Keith taking care of the babies, I mean working. Keith was working in this picture.

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Megan awash with crawling babies. She did not seem to mind.
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Panama showing Amaya how to play with her toes.
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Panama showing Amaya how to do the back stroke. Amaya noted that she didn't need to learn to swim yet - "Grampa carries me everywhere I want to go."
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We really like traveling with Keith and Myra. As their cabin was burning down around me, I saved the Mexican beer and the case of Menage a Trois. I kept it in my cabin for safekeeping until Keith noticed it was not burned up after all.
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Early in the morning, there was a fire in the area - like right next to Keith's cabin that was next to Eric's cabin that was next to Michael's cabin that was next to my cabin. I will save the sharing of the details for those who were there. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the bad guy is in jail.
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The back wall of the P-4 cabin. A bit charred - quick put some new siding on...
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Cabin P-5 was completely gutted.

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The original scene of the crime. Someone (in jail now) started a fire in the office.

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Day 1 - Lookout Mountain Flight Park

Carol and I posed for a picture as best we could and still stay on the road. We believe that we probably are drawing looks from people because we very closely resemble the Clampetts. We are pulling a small trailer with a small beat up looking car with a long thing on it - probably teepee poles. To add to that, the back seat of the car is full of styrafoam coolers.

We had 4-cabins reserved and a nice welcome note on the front door of each one.

Keith and Myra catching up with kids during supper on the front lawn of P-1.

Michael and Erica "ham"ming it up after eating pulling pork and BBQ ribs. Great meals were had by all for the entire outing.

Erica, Amaya and Carol on the front porch - you can barely see in the twilight the north end of the landing zone.

Megan and Panama racing back from the river after otter lookout.

Looking for otters - found by feeding the fish. (The bread draws the minnows that draws the otters.)