Chazd's (Charles Dowdell's) News Burps

Summer is definitely here. Flying in the afternoons is bumpy. It is good practice. I feel good about a tough crosswind landing today at KLZU. A cold front dropped in the area which makes the flying a true multi-dimensional experience. One minute you are climbing, the next descending the next getting pushed to the left or right. And of course your airspeed and ground speed are benefactors. Breakfast in South Carolina, work on the boat in the afternoon. We will launch the little boat with its annual repairs complete. Gracie the cat actually likes being carried like a log. Weird.

It is getting to be Summer. A couple hazy pics over Lake Hartwell South Carolina. Crew cars are a great bargain when they are available, but your ride is seldom fancy or cool.

Angie and I drove to the Farm and back again to Georgia. I found some good short cuts around the major traffic areas but we still found a few traffic jams. Overall, the US 23/441 is much better than the I85/I77 route. Much better. We went to the memorial day parade in Owego NY and took the route through the Smokey mountains on the way back South.

Here is a tune that you don't need to know the words. If your your world is feeling big or small it will help re-calibrate. English: I believe Adam and Eva woke up in the morning Their friend, Helios, was proud of his work Heat will be during all week Delphi's oracle watched the weather Heaven dwarf - winged hummingbird Loved to drink dew in the dawn Zebras, centaur, wolves and tigers Myths seethe like rock river I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in Gautama Buddha I believe in prophet Muhammad, I believe in Krishna, believe in Garuda I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in Gautama Buddha I believe in Jah, believe in Jah, believe in Jah and will believe Lame volcano kindles a fire Thor needs a forge hummer The Great Creator keeps its palm Over map of life, over place where will be a town. Legends make us wiser, We feel pulse of the one university! Saint Peter is keeper of keys Dancing magic dance with Helen (of Troy) I believe in Jesus Chris...

Angie and I went for a hike that turned into more of a drive than a hike. We hiked a bit. We drove much more. The Honda hasn't been out for a romp like this in a year. It was time. After we got back, the fingerprints of black fuel residue on the back of the car reminded me that the car needs to go. And the car goes. It can handle the mountain roads better than the motorcycles it seems. It was fun, but it seems more dangerous than the airplane. I am not complacent on either one. I fret about safety. From the top of the highest mountain in Georgia I took the picture of Blairsville Airport. I have flown in there previously. Instinctual, I knew where it was. I got the chance to visit the overlook at Tallulah Gorge. The last time I was there was 35 years ago. I stopped there when I rode my motorcycle from Ohio to Florida when I was in School in Columbus Ohio. It took me three days, rain, camping out, experience building and all that. I said I would be back, and guess what? I got back....

The weather has been nice. You can see the tiny birds that hatched from the eggs from a previous post.

Interesting plant. Some years ago I found myself in Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris around Midnight waiting for Angie to arrive. I was unable to buy any flowers in my travels during the day and it was too late at the airport. The airport shops were all closed. Hmmm.. what to do? In pacing around the airport I found some large potted plants and I snipped a small cutting from one. I presented the cutting (flower) to Angie when she arrived. (BTW, I did end up getting some nice flowers in Rouen the next day.) The cutting made its way to Moscow after we had parted ways. Given to her Friend Anna, it was rooted, transplanted and is doing quite well in Moscow. I like the picture. It shows the cutting all grown up with a Soviet style building in the background.