Summer strikes NorthWest

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=-