This is a bench outside the hotel where I am staying on Weds. I am in Kansas City for the testing here for T-Mobile. I was snowed in this morning from all the ice and snow from weds. night. However, it was nothing compaired to what happened in this city today, and this evening. It started snowing hard about 2pm, and it hasnt stopped yet. The tempature is 16 degree, and they are saying we should get approx. 10-15 inches of snow tonight on top of what we got today. We will see in the morning what mother nature did tonight. I heard----Its beginning to look alot like Christmas, playing in the background somewhere.

The art of hedge trimming was alive in well in Illinois yesterday. There were horses, Deer, elk, rams, and others. Do people really have the patience for this??? haha

I enjoyed a few minutes at a park to start my day yesterday, before testing. The temps were in the 60's , may be the last one of those in a couple of months.

This post is for those that has never seen a hang glider fly and land. It is also for us that are very air hungry, and in need of some airtime!
This link takes you to a short clip of a friend of my flying. I believe it was filmed by Wayne, or Steve's girlfriend. Thanks for the teaser !

Steve J. flying at Whitwell, Tennessee. Also on this link, there are other hang gliding clip that you can watch and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbX5eExZMLM

I am just outside of Kansas City, Missouri. The weather if frightful. I think the low tomorrow night will be 9. The high for tomorrow--- 24 degrees. Driving around tomorrow should be a challenge, to say the least!

I thought this was another one of those hoaxs, or spam emails when I first got it. After a little research, and making a card myself, glad to know that I was wrong! ! It only takes a minute or two, and I think it could do some real good. Email as follows:

Do something good for the holidays!

If you go to this web site, www.letssaythanks.com , you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.
You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second.Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them.

On a day when the wind does everything but cooperate,,, all the toys come out. See the home made dolly for the Zagi??

I call this next set of pictures----- The Boys and their Toys.

Bob Simmons, Mikey, Eric, Scott, Joel and I all came out to play on a non-flyable day.

This evening, Doris put on a great Leftover party at the pavillion. Guess what was served, haha! A lot of people turned out, and there was a great bon-fire tonight.

I leave out again tomorrow afternoon, heading to Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. Not necessarily in that order. Will post from the road when I think I have something worth looking at. Gentle breezes!

To me,,,,, this could possibly be the funniest/cooliest picture that I have taken in a very long time.
It goes to show/prove one important thing,,,,,,when you give a bunch of hang glider pilots too much free time on their hands,,,, you just never know what we are going to come up with ! !

A good look at both of the RC planes & the towline.

Mikey & Bob at take off !

Text book towing (too funny & too much funn!)

Just thought I would share some of the things that I am thankful for this season.
My soberity, my relationship with God, good health, a great job, true friends, my Dad & family, great weather this close to december, and my new Toy(which pictures are on the way soon).
I hope everyone has a great Holiday season. Stay safe, and be sure you remember all of our troops in your prayers.

This is a great family traditional dish called~~ Pineapple Goop. Here is the recipe for it, so you and your family can enjoy it to if would like to. It's fast and very easy to make.

1 package of Pistachio Pudding mix
1/2 pack of small marshmallows
1 cup of pecans ( finely chopped)
1 package of Cool Whip (large)
1 large can of crushed pineapple

Put the pudding mix in a large bowl, pour the juice from the pineapples in and mix the two until smooth, then just mix it all together, and chill for a while.

Part of the Thanksgiving spread at our lunch. Waiting on the rolls. The meal was excellent this year. Not one thing was burnt, too salty, or raw, haha. It was a LOT more quiet this year than normal----Jimmy had 2 bad teeth.

This was part of the crowd that showed up at the Thanksgiving, at the Flight Park.

Philadelphia in the background, and the shipyards.

Mike & Heather was able to come thru for the holidays. Good to see them again. We took a picture like this over 10 years ago. Wonder what happened to all my hair that I use to have?!

Breakfast on the farm. Reminds of McDonalds sometimes, haha

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I everyone can be exactly where they want to be for the holiday seasons! Peace and Joy!

This is pretty neat:

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1796513126

Any one that has ever been fishing, knows what a tough shot this was to take. Anytime turtles are basking in the sun on top of a log. and they see anything out of the ordinary, they dive into the water. They didnt stick around for long after this. Unfortunately, in the northern part of South Carolina, there wasnt any spanish moss.

I dont think I have ever seen virga do this before. And not just one cloud, but a lot of them. If someone in the pilot community could explain it to me, would greatly appreciate it.

Think I caught a UFO in this picture. The next shot that I took, it was gone. Think I should call Ripley's believe it or not? haha The cloud was different, to be sure.

I was working in Bennettsville, South Carolina. This was a small town where one of the towers were located. Heard they had a big Veterans Day celebration.

This is a warning about the link under this that I just posted. If you are at work, you might not want to play this because it is very addictive, hahaha. Wouldnt want you to waste so much time as to get yourself in trouble. But, if you have a minute, it's very funny!

http://www.mis-group.com/funny/drunk/help_the_drunk_get_home-Original.htm

The beaver dam on 75S, looks to have grown since the last trip thru this area. Next time your on you way to Atlanta( if you live in this area) stop and enjoy the view for a few minutes. Its around mile marker 301-302. You can still see where there use to be a barb-wire fence. Only the posts remain. Which is surprising, since it looks like they have cut down every tall piece of wood around there that was close.

My job is taking me to the north eastern part of South Carolina tomorrow. On the way I must go thru Atlanta. There is only 1 way to get this shot from the loop around Atlanta. That is to be still dead still, bumper to bumper for about 45 minutes. These are some trademark buildings here.

Some of the last of fall colors. I just liked how the sun was shining thru the yellow leaves.

I wish there was no war, however that isnt the way the world is today. On this Veterans Day be sure you hug, shake a hand, or just tell a Vet thanks for all that he has done. I salute all the men and women in all the armed services, and their families for dedication & sacrifices that they have made. There are many people that has, and will, try and take what our country stands for. We will not stand idlely by for that noise. Freedom is never free. May the good Lord watch over them all, and protect them so they can come home to their families and friends. Semper Fi !

Only one other wall is more well-known. I have always loved this picture.

Semper Fi !

Please remember all of our troops in your prayers. I have friends over there, and I try to pray for them and their families every day. Dub, you and Cindy are continuously in my thoughts. Your sacrifice for letting your sons fight for what is right, is beyond my understanding. I don't know how a parent could bear the burden. May the Lord lead, guide, and direct them safely.

http://www.pcsuccess.us/yrg/farewellmarine_final.swf

This is what is going on in Orting/Pierce county, Washington. Flooding from all the rain they have gotten in the last day or so. It is still raining now. You have probably seen the story on the national news. A friend of mine that live there sent these to me. A lot of people have lost their homes to this natural disaster.

UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING. * AT 4 PM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 8.4 FEET . * FLOOD STAGE IS 12.0 FEET WITH PROVISIONAL STAGE OF 10 FEET. * FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL RISE TO NEAR 10 FEET TONIGHT AND STAY STEADY. * AT 10.0 FEET...THE NISQUALLY RIVER WILL SPILL OVER ITS BANKS BETWEEN LA GRANDE AND MCKENNA. HIGH TIDE LEVELS ON PUGET SOUND MAY CAUSE THE RIVER TO SPILL OVER ITS BANKS NEAR THE MOUTH.

This is a Thank You post.
One year ago today, I started this blogspot. My intentions for starting this was, and is, to share my journey down this road called life. The people that are important to me, that pass thru my life and leave their mark, the places that my path has,and will take me to, the things that I find funny, sad, unique,wrong, and the things that I am passionate about, are all the things that I have tried to share. So, if you have appeared on here, or I have posted something about you, if your the owner of the flight park, or anyone else,, then I thank you for enriching my life, and hopefully others as well.
I will continue to keep it always on the positive note, and try to be as brief as possible so not to bore anyone to tears. There is one thing that I am going to try and change this next year tho,,,,, More flying & hang gliding pictures and posts. I am fixing to get a new toy, and I will show her to you as soon as I have her securely tied down, haha. I will leave it at that for now, just to make you wonder, and let you imagination run wild. OH, and there will be pictures ! To be continued~~~

After my time in Texas, I finally arrived back in Atlanta this evening. There was another great sunset this evening. Since it was a work trip, I was unable to see my friends that live in east Texas. I was also unable to spend as much time taking pictures of the different places that I was sent to. I could have spent a week easily in any one of the many towns that I worked in. I probably would have needed longer to get all the shots that I wanted to. However, I feel really good about the work that I did out there, and the time that it took me to complete the job. Hopefully that company will use us more in the future.

This is what I feel like when Im flying. Hope you can see it too.

It was Lee's Birthday today. She is happy to report that she's only 29 again, and again,and..... haha. She said next year for her 75th, shes going to hire a stripper. I think thats him hugging on her( just kidding). She told me that about 40 people showed up. There was still a lot of food left when I finally pulled in this evening about 9:30. There was alot of brie, a whole spiral ham,chips, and some desserts.

These are some of Lee's birthday presents.

These are, "The Mustangs of Los Colinas". It took the artist 8 years to do them. The area wasnt very well lit, and I didnt have the proper lights with me. You can Google them and see professional pictures of them,and the story behind them. I will be going back tomorrow to get some day shots of them. And better ones too. These really dont do them justice. The look like there are really running thru the water. Amazing work.

This horse didnt like its picture being taken, haha

It doesnt take much imagination to see these beautiful horses run.

Texas has its own type of beauty.

Fall colors in the middle of a Texas bodark grove. These are the most painful, and nasty trees/bushes that I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. I had to clear some land when I lived here many years ago, and it wasnt much fun! !

This is why this is such a nasty tree/bush. The limbs are covered with these razor sharp needles.

If you are a NASCAR fan, then you know what this place is. It's the Texas Speedway. There is a huge race here in Fort Worth this weekend. The place is already crowded. Cant even imagine what it will be like this weekend.

Another view of the speedway.

Droool Droool. With the wind blowing 15mph as a tailwind, someone ought to be able to fly 50 miles in an hour with no troubles! I think I need some air time--wait---I know I do.

The view from my hotel room in Dallas, Texas

There was a great sunset as I was leaving Lubbock today.I was heading to Amarillo to do testing in the morning. Trying to get a jump on tomorrow, since we had such problems out of the one in Odessa/Midland. Alot of people might not know that Texas is a huge cotton producer( as you can see here ). I really have a thing about sunsets, and maybe sometime I will explain what that is. I guess I will explain when I see, and am able to get a great picture of it.

There was a problem tower in Odessa yesterday, and I had to spend the night there. It took a couple of hours today to fix it, but now its all better. There was 100's of these oil wells in this area. It was amazing to see that many. They were everywhere! Wish I owned just 1 of them, and I could fly all the time, haha!

We had a few problems yesterday in Dallas. The tower I was at was by this nice park. I got to spend an hour or so here. I have spent time in worse places !

And me without my fishing pole.

This would make a tough jig-saw puzzle.

I finished Dallas/Fort Worth yesterday. So, my next town was Abilene, and then off to Midland/Odessa. This picture was taken outside of Big Spring,Tx. This is the area that last year the World record hang gliding distance record was broken. There are 100's of these here.

On every ridge down here there are these windmills.