20 Oct., 2008 -- Two cats, or three

Yeah, I can play with THAT, yeah... It's a CAT, right?

Well, I'll play with THAT cat instead.

19 Oct., 2008 -- Supper

After a bike ride, I hiked through the pasture to the little pond. The sprouts of bamboo that 'Nother One Grandma and I planted back in 2000 have really grown this year.

Caught two eatin'-sized bluegills and two throw-back bass. Blast, now I have to cook them. Granny-cat from across the road helped me clean them, crunch crunch.

18 Oct., 2008 -- Big Wheel

Well, two big wheels. See how tall my bike is? I can barely reach the ground.
Weather's been so good, perfect for biking.

My three tomatoes are holding out against the cool nights. They might not survive tonight. Supposed to frost. Lloyd said there was ice on his windshield two mornings ago, but it didn't nip my houseplants sitting on the porch awaiting migration into the house for the winter. Tonight, I might bring a few of them inside!

17 Oct., 2008 -- Cactus? No, don't think so...

Middle of October, and the wooley worms are rumbling! Lloyd captured 5 of them in his old faithful peanut can for me to document.

Afternoon flight, Ben and Lynn head off to Arkansas. They got home just at sunset.

16 Oct., 2008 -- Gotcha!

Jerod, on crutches and a broken leg, moved adroitly out the door at Cozumel after lunch, thinking he could outmaneuver me and my camera through all the other people. Wrong. He hoped he wouldn't end up on the blog. Wrong again.
Isn't a very good picture, but you can just see the left crutch next to the door frame, and the other one under his right arm. You can run, but .... Gotcha!

That's all for today. No news is good news? or, no news is just no news. Haven't had time today to work on Jan's challenge. I did work on it yesterday, though.

15 Oct., 2008 -- 8th Anniversary

Happy 8th anniversary, Fonda and Randy! And now we have LAD, what a DEAL!

And, of course, we also have Briggs. What a deal...

Lloyd captured a baby turtle trying to hijack the hangar yesterday, put him in a peanut can. This morning I intended to get a couple of pictures before relocating him in the woods.

However, Briggs and Squeaky had an intervention.

Hmmm, whaaasss-iss? Ain't one of those Flying Things!

Well, hallloooo, who you?

Yes, he's out there somewhere. Oh, there he is. Bye bye.

14 Oct., 2008 - Challenge from Jan

Spent the day lab-hopping in Springfield today. Jan set up a challenge, so look out! That's me, uh-huh, yep... You'll be sorry, Jan.

After dense fog this morning, it sprinkled this afternoon on the way home.

Zinnias have made a comeback, but the dahlias have withered in the cool nights. No frost yet, but it will come soon, as Oct. 15 is the average date, I think.

Oops, yesterday I didn't have all the facts. Here's the rest of Scott's story:

"One minor correction -- I deployed to Vietnam 4 times. From 1967 thru 1973 I spent at
least 3 months of every year in the combat zone. At least we got a tax break. Officers
got the first $500 each month tax free. Though it seemed like I was gone a lot in those
days, I think the soldiers and marines today are paying a far greater cost for our country
in Iraq. My deployments were 6 months (cut short by an unscheduled night landing in the
Gulf of Tonkin), 7 months (cut short by an unscheduled blowout of a disc in my back and
surgery), 11 months in country with the Army (I volunteered while on "shore duty"
as it was only scheduled to last 6 weeks to develop a new weapons system -- NEVER
VOLUNTEER), and 8 months as we fired the last shots at the official end of the war in Feb
1973 and then into Hanoi and Hai Phong harbor to do mine sweeping as a condition to
getting our POWs out -- (McCain, I accept your thank you)."

14 Oct., 2008 -- A friend's adventure

This story is so unusual, I just had to use it today.

Nora with golden eagle.

Scott with Goshawk.

My high schoolmate Scott and his wife Nora went from their home in San Diego to Montana to capture and band golden eagles recently.

Here is Scott's story:

"We landed in Jackson Hole, drove to Montpelier, ID to visit with my 89 year old uncle, then drove to Wolf Creek MT (about 6 hours north) where we spent 5 days, then in a driving snow storm, through Yellowstone in two days and back to Jackson Hole – still snowing. The trip was super, but quick."

Scott was a two-tour helicopter pilot in Viet Nam, and he survived a crash. He and I share
the same birthday, too. Good ole boy!

Scott Caveman

Scott & Nora at Old Faithful

Now, THAT'S a vacation.

12 Oct., 2008 - Look out! No, look UP!

Lloyd and John looked over the excavation project, but they should have looked UP instead.

The buzzards have been soaring on the winds recently. Look out below!!

11 oct., 2008 -- Poker Run

Black Bart!

John and Ben stirred up the recently applied seed and fertilizer. Not fair, I guess, to pick on them. Each airplane that taxied, landed and took off stirred it up.

EAA and MPA chapters sponsored a Poker Run today. That's where a bunch of folks fly their
airplanes to different airports to collect a winning poker hand, one card from each airport. We had about 15 airplanes come through Mtn. Grove, a couple of them were just passing through and not part of the parade. I haven't heard yet who won with the best poker hand.

Other flying things... lots of buzzards have been enjoying the thermals the last few days.

Look, Jamie and Jan and I have long legs!