Another trip between Georgia and the New York farm

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Its unusual that I make the trip this late in the year. Although it is highly unlikely it would snow (and bring the road salt and all the other bad stuff). It is often rainy. I had excellent weather. The main objective was to bring the brush hog up and mow trails. The trails have been disapearing and there are a number of bush islands appearing everywhere a small finish mower can't do the job. The tractor worked well. Back up over a multiflora rose bush with the brush hog up and drop it down and take care of business --at least for another couple of year or so. I spent many hours years ago yanking these things out of the ground with tractor and chain which yields a more satisfactory long term outcome. I will be doing the same with the largest ones for sure. I understand that these bushes were originally planted as a natural fence. Animals and humans alike don't like the thorns. They are invasive.

I am planning meetings in England and Finland.

I continue to figure things out. One of the items "I seem to have regressed on" is that when I was a small child I was exposed to Brazilian music. I remember (clear as day) "Brasil 66" when it was popular. My Grandfather read to me as a child in Latin. Spanish missed the mark.

Brazilian Portuguese speaks to me. It is pretty weird as I am get more advertising in Portuguese on the web as part of my normal experiences. I have finished my Portuguese 101. I start 102 shortly.

I snapped the pic of the geese through the windshield of the plane at the departure threshold of Runway 31 in Winder, Georgia. I am waiting to take off. Looks like I am about 17th for departure!

I had the hardest test of my life (so far) this past week. My "checkride" reached deep. I appreciate the growth it induced. There were a lot of "yes sirs" from me. I did really well in the debrief. He was really working me hard during the ride. My FAA Pilot examiner looked like (and felt) just like Bob Hoover. The best sound bites lingering in my ears are "Don't stall it!" and "C'mon now!" on awkward, but normal training maneuvers. These maneuvers are not what we do with passengers, we do them as practice in the event of less than normal operations.

I am a pilot. I continue to study. I am working on my ratings.



Comments

John McKinney said…
I met Bob Hoover and Chuck Yeager together at Oshkosh back in the mid 70s. Unfortunately, I was too young to understand the significance of that honor. I'll never forget Bob's performances in his yellow P51 and green & white Shrike Commander.

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