Captains Blogg, star date 061608… We survived SNOW MEGGEDON (photos here) FLOODMEGGEDDON (Photos here) LEAF MEGGEDON, MUD MEGGEDON, DUST-MEGGEDDON, and even CAR MEGGEDDON (last weekend, Car D’ Alene, Idaho) and at last… SUMMER IS HERE!

There was no question about it this weekend, Father’s day, and the sun blasting puffy clouds popping up like popcorn dotting the skies. Early in the Morning Aaron and I went flying up to Deer Park do so some touch n’ goes (Those pics will be posted HERE) in the 152 but we had to keep our place in line with all the sailplanes using the other runway. The little “Pawnee” tow plane would tow them up to 5,000′ and pull then Northwest of the airport where they’d find pockets of lift below those drifting clouds and start their tight circles under powerless flight, up, UP! Like giant Eagles (or Turkey Hawks) in quiet ghostlike movement. The gliders are always a beautiful sight, and, *as the first aircraft I flew back when I was barely knee-high-to-a-grapefruit, it always makes me a little jealous I am not up there finding the “mother lift” and soaring that cloud street as far and as long as Nature’s furnace (And a good lift resource strategy) will allow you to go. If you ever get a chance to do this, you should not pass it up. Once you’ve been in a Glider, and you pull that red knob and release from tow-rope and pull up and away from the tow-plane, you never forget that sound of rushing air, alone, and the seagulls who fly with you in their own quiet respect (or is it in awe?) of this giant white silent bird.

The pattern practice and soft-field technique training went well for the day and we tried to stay out of their way, performed our own little “crop duster” salute down the runway at high-speed barely four feet up… but then it was time to come back to Spokane Airways and we were greeted by the wonderful news that Dale Jr. had actually won his first race in two seasons! And then, when I got home, there were the kids with some great cards and a small gift I intend you use everyday. What a perfect father’s day (Flying, Racing, The well behaving kids, Summer WX, The wife’s “special dinner”, and all those Classic Cars!!!) weekend.

Which brings me back to reality, and, the next two “Natural disasters” we’ve yet to survive this summer: SUN-meggedon … and (if we make it) finally, BEER-Meggeddon. ahhhhhh. We must be prepared… .

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So, I’m stocking up now.
-=Gs=-

Now that we have officially announced “the big show” for August 22nd at Greyhound Park (P.F., Idaho) with SEETHER, SEVENDUST, RED, HURT, EGYPT CENTRAL, SICK PUPPIES, IN THIS MOMENT, TANTRIC, (AND MORE!) ROCK HARD AT THE PARK.

I am reminded how lucky we are to live in such a fantastic area where there is so much going on and so many things to do just about any direction you choose to travel. Fishing and hunting and backpacking, skiing (this year until September) , bike riding, walking along the river, camping at the lake, Riverfront park, all those theatres and concert halls, the Gorge and the malls, Mountain Biking trails and historic little landmarks hidden in the sleepy hollows of the inland Northwest, the farms and the markets, the grasslands and the places like Steptoe where you can just go and feel TOTALLY ALONE if you want to. (See my HOTSPOTS photo pages for a few of these) But it’s even BETTER when you DON’T have travel so far for something so BIG and here it is right at our backdoors.

Especially if gas is going to be $9 a gallon for the foreseeable future. I have bought Big Wheel’s for the entire family (the touring version) and i think this may be the best bet to get ’round town for the daily errands and excursions. So all we ask is if you see us cruisin’, AFTER you’re done laughing for a few minutes, be sure to ask yourself; “wow, what do you suppose Geoff is going to do with all that extra cash they must have???” (right!)

Answer: saving it for the fall when we have to fill our home heating oil tank.

-=Gs=-

WOW… just got back from RUSH (the band) at The Gorge, and man o’ man what a freakin’ ride! Yeah, the concert was good, the Drum Solo was the best I had seen him play in 10 years or more, there were a lot of those classic Rush tunes, and the new stuff definitely ROCKS live. It was also great to see that Bob & Doug McKenzie are still around, and all the video shorts were VERY funny (What’s that smell?) including seeing Geddy waking up dreaming about Alex waking up dreaming about Snakes …”Gee, honey…who would dream about snakes? That’s creepy!”. Then “honey” wakes up and it’s actually NEIL , and they both scream in terror as the show kicks off.

But the COOLEST part for me was that we tried a new way to GET to the Gorge this time… we FLEW in a small airplane piloted by AOPA “Project Pilot” mentor Blake McKinnley, and this turned out to be a MAJOR time saver, if not, a lot of fun! Sure there were “air pockets” and the lengthy pre-flight, and then having to have someone (John) come pick up at the airport once they find it (2hrs) and the fact you have to have $200,000 for an airplane and $250 for the Av-Gas and the weather has be just “so” …But STILL.

Pictures from our journey:
http://picasaweb.google.com/geoff945/Flyboy

“It’s $200 in Av-Gas and 1:40 in flyin’ time, or $70 in diesel and 7 hours drivin’ time… what is your time worth?” In the words of our great pilot extrodinaire Blake. Thanks RUSH, and good luck on the rest of the tour, wich left us all wanting more and wiping the “Chicken” from our faces.

More of the RUSH highlights at Fan-site POWERWINDOWS.

-=Gs=-