12 July, 2008 .. Saturday

John fueled up Black Bart, then fueled up Zipper, then took off for Willow Springs and the EAA meeting. And lunch, don't forget LUNCH.

Too windy for Young Eagles flights, this youngster had to settle for a static ride in the 180 Cherokee in the hangar. He didn't care, he had fun imagining the ride. His turn will come when there's a better day.

Found this critter marching across the ramp. I relocated him to a clover patch. According to the book, he prefers wild carrot, Queen Ann's Lace, but I didn't know that at the time. Upon morphing into butterflyhood, he will become a black swallowtail. He shall be known as Black Bart.

11 July, 2008 .. Wheels & Wings

So, there I was, merrily mowing along the runway this afternoon, and ... drag, drag, spit gravel... what the... oops, there goes the wheel off the mower deck! Just rolled away into the weeds and laid there, innocent- passive- quiet-. Well, raised the deck a little and finished mowing, then made a rush trip to the tractor place to order new wheels. "The stuff you need out there..."

Which ones???? Whaddyamean, which ones????? So back to the office to hunt up the manual to verify my choice, then back to the tractor place to verify the order before closing time. Friday, so delivery next week, cheap little plastic things twenty five dollars each. One broke, the other one's gonna. I sold about that much av fuel today.

You gotta piece of farm equipment you want tore up??? Call me.

Lookie!! Angel wings!!

You think I'm hung up on sunset pictures? Well, you might be right. Here are a few more. Fonda's dragonfly, my favorite yard ornament. Next favorite, Randy's old green pickup. It's almost photogenic. Almost.

G'ma Airplane

10 July, 2008 .. Sprinkles & fog & overcast

Little Pitts Special ferrying to Harrison came in under a low overcast, same overcast that kept me from flying to northwest Missouri to take photos. When he unfolded himself, he was about 6 feet tall! It was an ordeal to get back in. Next, he had a Yak to ferry from California, then he was returning home to Anchorage. He gets around! See that sucker hole? Not me ...

Later this afternoon, after I had locked up the War Kittens at 3:30 when a rain shower came along, Ben decided to exercise the Sport. Then he exercised the Luscombe. And look at that rain shower/sunset! I guess he stirred up the air. Even had a short rainbow.

Now, wasn't that sweet? Niiiiiice.

G'ma Airplane, waiting my turn to fly

9 July, 2008 Ain't Summer Wonderful?

Took a sauna while anchoring the van hitch into the back of the airplane, intending to deliver it to the boys in Marshall if I land there tomorrow. Going to northwest MO to shoot some corn. I should have taken it along yesterday on the driving trip, but didn't. It is very steamy today after several heavy rain showers. We got about an inch. (That's Lloyd dismantling the hitch before he drove to Marshall with the motor home.)

Friend Theresa sent me the squash picture from Booger County. She said "bigger is not better", and predicted it wouldn't be very good. Get your mind out of the gutter.

The flower garden is blooming now, just barely, got a few zinnias (oops, marigolds) in there. Also, got a few bugs! Tiny spider, and two views of the same skinny long-legged thing on an elephant ear leaf. Also, the drop of rain is balled up on a big leaf. Isn't summer wonderful?

They're baaaack! Those pesky @#$%^* ants are all over the countertop again. Maybe the soaker rain drove them back up out of the ground. So, I'm at war again.

Late Breaking News! Jan makes the paper! Wins Ribbons! Congratulations!

I'll bet you a dollar that I don't fly to northwest MO in the morning. This was just before dark. You should see it out there now. The half-moon is visible straight up, but that's about it.

G'ma Airplane, another rainy day

8 July, 2008 ... Long day, rain rain

Started the day checking weather at 4:30 a.m. (yes, ME at 4:30 in the morning). By 6, I had decided that blossoming rain showers would prevent any flying today, so I would have to drive the van to Marshall for the guys, tow the vw, then drive it back home towing the dolly. First, Jody installed new spark plug wires on the vw, rendering it functional again on all 4 cylinders instead of 3. putt putt.

Ben rounded up Don so they could watch the airport all day. They put 16 gallons of jet-a in an Air Evac helicopter. Big day.

Rained rained rained. Big cell came from Kansas City and hit Marshall about the time I had to start for home. The driver side window was open on the vw while we were rolling the awnings up on the motor home, and the rain was so horizontal that the inside of the window on the
passenger side was wet! As were both seats. As was my seat and backside all the way home. I had to stop about an hour out of Marshall and get gas, and boy did I look funny. But, what can you do... laugh about it.

Big thunderheads all around Mtn. Grove when I got home, but no rain this afternoon. Tomorrow will be rainy, I'll bet.

G'ma Airplane, dried out

7 July, 2008 .. Bees & Bugs, no Butterflies

Flying things, bees and bugs were working the butterfly weed at the airport. No butterflies, that I saw. Looks like Halloween, doesn't it?

After an afternoon pop-up shower, a Cherokee 180 fueled up, and then flew off for Louisiana. That's all the flying things for today.

I've been SLIMED!!! This critter is a BABY compared to the one that was eating out of Granny cat's butter dish of cat food that I left out on the deck in the damp night air. When I flipped the contents out into the pasture, the slug flipped backwards into my hair! Do a little dance.... talk about GLUE. And the little tree frog, one of the tiniest I've ever seen, jumped from the screen onto my shirt sleeve while I was photographing him. Him, I didn't mind giving a ride.

G'ma Airplane, I'm off to the shower.

6 July, 2008 ... Quiet around here again

Lloyd started out for Marshall this morning. An hour later, started out again. Van didn't tow very well, so he had to leave it behind. Weather kept Randy in Iowa, he'll fly down tomorrow. Get to work, boys!

Don and Bob rumbled in for a short visit.

Quiet evening, just a few leftover fireworks in the distance.

G'ma Airplane, back on airport duty