Chazd's (Charles Dowdell's) News Burps

Life in Northern Atlanta. If you substitute the car for a small airplane in this pic it would hit the national news. I am glad I am flying to stay away from wrecks like this one. Aviation is so much safer. I did a nice emergency engine out (simulation) the other day (required). I picked a great spot. My flight instructor had a good laugh when I told him the engine out field strongly reminded me of landing in Greene NY. I wish I had a pic, but I was busy. Clear the trees, towers, hills, and wires and you have it made. I won't trade any of my sweaty palms (anywhere) for anything.

Time moves fast. It moves faster as you get older. Maybe it is as simple as the ratio of your entire experience vs. recent experience or maybe it it is something different. I went for a hike today. I hiked the next section I hadn't hiked on the Appalachian Trail. Reaching for the calculator, I have discovered that I will finish the entire trail at my current rate in about 22 years. The forest was very quiet today only speaking with occasional squirrels, a grouse, occasional other birds and a couple of hikers. I am getting better at hiking. Today's hike was a short 8 miles with some very serious vertical. I rested quite a bit and spent 4 hours on the trail, ready for a lot more. There was a cat that lives at the Hawk Mtn. shelter. That was a nice treat. Of course the cat (with several names in the register. I accepted "Bagel" as the cat's name) was a bit friendly. The cat enjoyed some of my ham and cheese. I enjoyed the cat and conversation with a hiker.

I was up in NY for the weekend. The weather was pretty nice. We fished in the farm pond and had large mouth bass and fresh eggs. It really shouldn't be called fishing in the pond. It is more like catching. We didn't get any of the whoppers that are in there, but we got some nice ones. DJ got a lot of mowing done. The fields are looking good. I don't get tired of driving up on top of the hill in the jeep and looking down the valley. Pictures don't do that one justice. We went to the Cortland County Airfest. They had a C-54 which was the primary aircraft used in the Berlin Airlift. It was inspiring. The dog and the rooster get pretty close. They both avoid eye contact with each other, though.

Prague was excellent. It was nicer than I thought it was going to be. No matter what your impression is about Prague, it is the place for "Pils" (the term taught to me by my brother's expatriated Czech friends) and the original Budweiser (Budvar). It is a great place for global convergence. The city is a bit like Venice, a bit like Amsterdam, but mostly it is like Prague. The big joke is when you are in a restaurant and you ask for the... "Czech." Most folks are very capable with English downtown. There are casinos, museums, blue-light, all in downtown and a whole lot of history (including recent important history). I spent time in the National Museum (well worth every second). It also occurred to me that my meeting attendees list sounds a little like the beginning of a interesting joke. You know, "an Englishman, five Finns, a Dutchman, three Germans, a Frenchman, a Scot, two Danes and an token American walk into a Bar..." We had a great meeting.

I have a lot to post. I have been in czech, switzerland. Back in the us, flying, bbqs, hiking, camping, airshows. The internet is down in ny. Tommorow. It should be up again. The storms have done a lot of damage.many photos to come.