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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.
"Courage is about seeing, feeling and knowing fear; taking steps forward only because it is the right thing to do." Charles Dowdell I have had a relapse with my Achilles tendon. I am on crutches again. This is a most curious injury. When I sleep it gets worse not better.
Here is a link (hopefully) of the Webcam of the Greene Airport where I take my flying instruction. About 3/4 of the way through the video you catch a glimpse of me turning the plane around for another take off and landing. I will be soloing soon. It has been a long time coming. Like most things it is a matter of sticking with something, living thru the ups and downs and just plain keep coming back. Video of Greene Airport
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The North Pole.
My Achilles tendon is much better. I was weaning myself off the crutches Friday. Today I am sore, but so much better. I still have the ankle brace on; the cripple part is gone. The emotional part of the injury was much worse than the physical part. It was the first time I had ever used crutches even though I had had some bad sprains over the years. With the sprains it was a matter of moving slower and deliberately. With the Achilles injury it has been a matter of getting around at all or not and a dependence on crutches. It was about 10 days. I heal fast, but I need to remember better.
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The recent news of the Swine Flu is a bit suspicious. I think there is a possibility that the news outbreak is a means to refocus attention of the Americans away from the recovering economy. I mean, it is especially suspect when I hear a public service message from the CDC recommending that you keep extra food and supplies on hand in case of a wider outbreak. Give me a break. A couple weeks worth of food will only stimulate the economy. It will not help you out in the event of a pandemic. If you think the Federal Govt. does not manipulate the news think again. I suspect more people in the US were killed by Lightning in the last couple of months rather than the Swine Flu. Don't believe everything you hear. All the world's a stage.
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We were talking about www.unitednuclear.com today.
From my Dad (about Tivoli NY) reproduced with permission: I went back to Tivoli this weekend to attend a high school reubion. The school closed in 1965 and the reunion was for all the graduates ever. It will probably be the last since every body is at least 60. Although I had gone back to Tivoli fairly often over the years, I hadn't seen any schoolmates in 50 years or so. It turned out that Mary Alices's cousin had worked for IBM Kingston and built a house up Kerley Corners Road looking down on the village with the "million dollar view" of the Catskills. He retired and sold it four or five years ago and moved to Pine Plains. About 100 people showed up at noon on Saturday for a cookout at the American Legion Hall. The old hall next to the Fire Station had burned down some years ago. The new one is a lot farther from the road. A good venue for this sort of thing. We had hamburgers, sausages, etc. The main thing was meeting everybody and finding ou t what people ...