9 June, 2011 - Are we there yet?

Headed for Murray, KY to pick up granddaughter at summer camp.
Southeast of Sikeston, this is where the bootheel is glued to Missouri.
Usually planted in corn, it was flooded to save the town of Cairo, IL.

I thought of the Tin Man.
No, it wasn't a tornado.
Are we there yet?
A sign said, "road ends in water".
About every half hour. Or so.



That's the captain and Brandon the deck hand. It cost $14 to ride. Saved me about a hundred miles. $7 return ticket, no time limit.
Hickman, KY, the far side.
The old downtown is
protected by this huge levee. Well, almost protected.

The back side of the 1914 jail
is what drew me down the street into the old downtown area.

7 June, 2011 -- Thanks, guys, for everything you do

John signals the big-un Blackhawk to come on in for lunch! John lost his hat.

Jet Ranger escort helicopters getting fuel.


While the choppers slurp up the jet fuel,
the crews slurp up burgers and brats, cooked up by our friend Jerry P.
Thanks for the help, Jerry, now I can go take pictures!

NOTICE the blank wall behind the soldiers. It is really important.
R & R.
Naaa, I didn't get to take it up.
Yaaa, he Nail-ed it.

So long, guys.
They departed Mtn. Grove on their next leg of the journey from Ft. Carson, Colorado
to Ft. Bragg, NC, home base; next stop Ft. Campbell, KY.
Here's where the story gets important, so LISTEN UP!
This morning, before arriving at Mtn. Grove Airport from an overnight stay in Wichita, KS the flight circled the Joplin tornado site and before landing at JLN for fuel, towed several large United States Flags around in tribute to the folks in the disaster area.
In thanks for our hospitality in providing lunch for the crews, each crew member signed one of the flags that they had just towed over Joplin, and gave it to us for our pilot lounge. "Don't you think you ought to give this to Joplin?" "They got the first one!" "OK! We've got number 2!"
How great is that?

Lloyd carefully pinned the flag to that wall. Sarge Forrester had made note of the frayed bottom right corner, like the frayed south part of Joplin that was torn apart on May 22.

6 June, 2011 -- Summer? Not yet.

Summer's here,
and it isn't even summer yet. Kildeer is still sitting on her eggs, the robins have left the nest, and the bluebirds are sitting on their second batch of eggs.

There's a mad scramble to
bale all that grass now that the rains have stopped.

22 May, 2011 -- Go west, young man and a lady

Almost an optical illusion,
there are four planes there. These guys and a gal had been to a 4-day competition,
and were returning to Rangely, Colorado to their flight school. Picked a humdinger of a day to travel, it was the same afternoon that the Joplin tornado hit, and they were heading that way.
The lead plane
wouldn't start, Randy tried to jump start it, ended up propping it.
Heading out into the wind.


This was a few
days ago. Lots better weather.

19 May, 2011 -- Getting ready to fly

Testing new engine
Testing new wings.
When I checked on the baby bluebirds, a couple of them "flew" out of the box. One baby was able to fly a few yards, but I caught up and put it back. The second one wasn't as ready to fly; made it to the ground and ran. For now they are safe back in their nest box. Tomorrow might be a different story.

16 May, 2011 -- Critters in the long grass

Took him out of the grass to take a portrait,
but he wouldn't open up.


Cell phone shot.

6 May, 2011 -- Coming home

Is that Dad? Coming home from Missouri? Yahoo!

Iowa corn fields are getting planted. By July, you won't be able to see the horizon!
Hey, Dad! Welcome home!
LAD helps unload the plane.
Then... joyriding! Yee-haw!
Faster, Dad!