17 May, 2008 - - More flying stuff, please!

John flew again today, the 180 this time. "And let's have more flyingstuff on the web page, ok?" Ok. He worked his fingers to the bone yesterday to get the 180 shiny & spiffy, but after a trip to Willow Springs, it got too windy to go to the Gimlin Fly-in.

I found this smiley face, it's the magnet on the back of a tiny speaker out of that ill-fated video monitor. I was cleaning up the mess of brackets and screws and wires, deciding that I would pack-rat it all back into its box for storage. The magnet was holding the heads of the mounting screws, and they were standing upright, making the eyes. Thinking that I wouldn't have any pictures for the web page today, I gave it a comb-over hairdo and made a close-up.

Then I found the cats lounging around. I had noticed that Squeaky the calico mama has all black whiskers except for one white one, and that Briggs, her yeller yearling son, has all white whiskers except for two black ones. Oh, why couldn't he have just had one black whisker. Guess I could clip one off, then the cats would sort of match, sort of. Isn't this fascinating stuff???

So, I at least had a few pictures for the web page, I could relax now.

Well, the day got more interesting when my buddy Val from Osage Beach stopped by to chat and bring us flowers for the garden, a pot of gold! Gerbera Daisies.

E T Phone Home! War of the Worlds!

The Pod People! Oh, my gosh, we're all gonna die!!!

("Cocoon", Jan reminded me).

Later, Jody brought his track-hoe for some future work, and we told each other where to go... with it.
Jan got these pictures of me trying to be the "airport manager", putting Smudge in for the night.

When I got home, naturally the sun was setting and the moon was
dodging in and out of a cloud layer. That's enough for one day, I
guess. Posted by Ma

16 May, 2008 -- Mini Air Show!

John made an early morning flight to Springfield in the RV-4, his shiny little airplane!

Sunshine and blue sky today, for once, then clouds and mild winds, no prospects for a sunset photo.

OK then, I'll settle for a moon shot.

And... OK! Eddie and Jerry shooting soft and short field landings and take-offs in the Maule over in the grass.

Sherri, you just missed the show.

Posted by Ma

15 May, 2008 Bumbershooting

Bumbershoot... (1896)

Bumbershoot day. Rained all night and all morning, seemed like 3 inches, but in reality only 2.
When I opened the hangar door this morning, four cats bounded for the outside, came to a screeching halt, then backtracked to watch longingly out the door. Well, three of them bounded, and one sauntered.

Briggs and Bitty terrorized Lloyd's office for awhile, and Briggs tried to put holes in the bumbershoot, so I had to hide it.

About 2 p.m., the clouds pretended to break up and there was a patch of blue sky. It soon disappeared again into gray overcast.

I wonder if the boys at Booneville got any spraying done today. I doubt it. Look at the radar!

Posted by Ma

14 May, 2008 Rescued!

Three of the cats were herding this baby bunny around, sort of taking turns tormenting it.

I lured the cats back into the hangar, then turned the bun loose in the woods out back, as I closed up the airport this evening.

Poor guy was sort of dazed... sat quietly while I took a few pictures.

There's that pretty red & white airplane from Michigan again!

I printed & mailed photos that I shot Monday. I like the design in this vertical aerial shot, that's in Oklahoma.

13 May, 2008 Big Decision...

Big decision today... which hat to wear? Today I'll wear blue. That was easy.

Ferocious winds today, overcast, and it didn't hit the forecast 75
degrees. Rained all around, but not on my parade.

Spent the morning cutting limbs and brushy stuff with my long-handled
tree trimmer (no chain saw for me, that's sissy stuff). Now I need a
muscle relaxer.

Edited some aerial photos that I shot yesterday. Then helped "Grandma
Jan" with a computer movie project, and in the process I learned some
new software.

That's all for a quiet Tuesday.

12 May, 2008 It's a bird, no it's a plane...

It's a B 1 R D

Since the sky was clear today, there was no sunset, even though there
was a sunset, of course there was a sunset...

Once again, Mother Nature provided the final touch. I swear, I did
not see the buzzard when I shot the picture. Actually, I thought it
was a spot of dirt. Actually, it might be a crow or a hawk.

Shot the aerial of Beaver Lake, on my way to the Arkansas/Oklahoma
state line this morning. Half of the lake was brown, half blue. I
took the vertical shot over the narrow place that I circled with yellow.

Randy took off for Booneville in the Ag Husky after I got back from
my three hour flight. Airport is quiet again, for a change!

11 May, 2008 Mother's Day

Aunt Susanne, Oma Bruni, Mommy Fonda & LAD & Randy all stayed here
Saturday night. They met Grandpa Allen for breakfast at the Wagon
Wheel Restaurant. Then everybody went home except Randy. The wind was
ferocious today, peak gust was 38.5 mph at the University Research
Station in Mtn. Grove. Monday, Randy heads for Booneville in the Ag
Husky, and I head for OK/AR state line to shoot a couple of quarries.

The robins are all gone... I'll have to find another critter to shoot!

10 May, 2008 Nest empty, nest full

The robin babies left the nest on their solo flights today.

When I checked on the birdies, two were already gone, and I startled the third one that busted out of the nest and flew off into the woods, like a pro flier. The fourth baby robin hunkered for a few more hours, and then was gone when I checked later in the afternoon. The parents squawked all afternoon. When it got quiet out back, I figured number four had soloed.



LAD came back from Arkansas with Aunt Susanne and Oma Bruni, and landed in Mommy's nestling arms, happy happy happy.



Aunt Sus is the wardrobe designer to LAD.
Life's Good When You've Got An Aunt Like Mine!

Mid-day, Lloyd & Larry hitched up their wagon train and headed up to Booneville, on the Missouri River, about 4 hours away. Randy will fly the Ag Husky up there on Monday when the rain quits, and they will assist another ag operator.





Pilot gets left behind.





Pilot working. Well ...

Robin babies solo, LAD lands in Mommy's lap, pilot gets left behind, wind's blowing again, rain rain...