Blog Entries April-June 2008

Week Ending 06/28/08

We’re settling back into a routine and getting caught-up on household chores after a looooong three weeks in Kentucky.  I’ve been battling a headache all week; I suspect that returning to the altitude and dry climate of Colorado is behind it. I just hope I don’t end up with a sinus infection like the one I had when we first moved here--it took three months to clear up.  

Scott spent Thursday preparing for his “butt bore scope” (as he calls it) on Friday. The procedure, complete with frameable color glossies of his innards, confirmed what the doctor had already told us—Scott has diverticulosis. It also turned up a few polyps, which they removed. Click here for columnist Dave Barry’s hilarious account of his own colonoscopy experience. 

We were out of town on Father’s Day, so Cass promised to treat Dad to a fly-in breakfast when we got back. They had planned to eat in Greeley on Saturday, but the place was closed for employee vacations. They and two other planes instead flew to Boulder to pick-up a business associate of one of the pilots and then headed to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport for breakfast. 

More next week.

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Posted by Deb

Week Ending 06/21/08

Scott surprised me on Sunday by finishing his work and returning “home” to the Ashland Plaza at around 1:00. Our impromptu afternoon together began with a quick bite and a couple hours of plane de-bugging at Ashland Regional Airport. The hose hookup was located just inside the hangar where fellow RVer Allan Stern keeps his 6A, so we were able to spend time talking with him as we worked. Meeting other general aviation pilots is always a pleasure, particularly owners/builders within the Van’s community.

Our first stop after finishing up at the airport was Southeastern Ohio’s Wayne National Forest. The picture below, snapped from a scenic overlook of Lake Vesuvius, gives a good sense of how pretty the area is. I’d sure love to see it in the fall.

 (click here for more pics)

We then drove to Greenup Locks and Dam where I got a firsthand look at the job site responsible for keeping hubby and Dan-O so busy. While the kiosk on the Kentucky side of the river provided a wealth of information on the history and inner workings of lock and dam systems, my appreciation for their significance came from observing the heavy river traffic from our hotel room window.  I guess I just never realized that such a huge amount of cargo is still transported via America’s water highways. (Click here for Greenup stats). While I’m quite sure I learned about this stuff in school, this is where life experience is a far better teacher than reading and classroom study could ever hope to be.

I ventured out on foot Wednesday in search of Ashland’s Central Park and the payoff was a grassy oasis with loads of trees, assorted playgrounds and sports fields, a pond with fountain, and park benches throughout. The homes and yards in the surrounding neighborhood were equally as beautiful. And, I’m happy to report, no litter! It was such a pretty place that I returned next day with coffee and Harry Potter book in hand. Wish I had known about the park earlier—I would have spent far less time in the hotel room. It reminded me that I need to be more adventuresome in scouting out the areas we visit.

When Scott got back from work on Wednesday, he announced that the project was close to completion and we’d probably be leaving on Friday. WOOHOO!!  He finished up early next day and we spent a few more hours enjoying the beauty of Kentucky at Greenbo State Park.

We did indeed leave Ashland on Friday and made it all the way back to Littleton. We toyed with the idea of staying overnight somewhere, but the prospect of sleeping and waking up in our own bed prodded us on. Fortunate as I am to have a pilot who considers my comfort and enjoyment, Scott made three stops along the way (KRSV, KIRK, KHSI) rather than putting pedal to the metal—which is, I'm sure, what he'd have preferred to do. This made for an especially pleasant day of flying for Riley.

Though sometimes the reality of a thing is not quite as sweet as imagining it, sleeping and waking up in our own comfy bed after three long weeks in a hotel bed did not disappoint!!!

Friday's seven hours of flying didn't discourage Scott from going up again on Saturday. He and three pilot friends headed out over “the rock pile” (aka the Rocky Mountains) for breakfast and then on to Leadville to land at the highest elevation airport in North America. Having landed at the lowest airport in North America last November (See Thanksgiving at Rosamond '07), this had been on Scott's bucket list of pilot things to do.

While my pilot had his head in the clouds on Saturday, this Navy mom enjoyed a long phone conversation with Stevie who has been serving our country in the Navy since graduation from high school in 1998. If all goes as planned, he’ll have some exciting career news to share with everyone soon.

We finished off the day with a Mexican-style dinner enjoyed in the company of friends Gary & Carolyn Zilik. As gal pal Vicki Baker is fond of saying, life is good!

More next week.

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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 06/14/08

Aside from seeing Iron Man after Scott got off work last Sunday afternoon, there's not much to report. He and three other guys working for E2PSI have been putting in seven-day weeks and long hours to complete voltage regulator ugprades on three generators. The 70 megawatt plant, which is part of the Greenup Locks and Dam System, sits on the Ohio bank of the river.

During our extended stay here in Ashland, Kentucky, we've made some personal observations: many Kentuckians in this neck of the woods seem to really enjoy their food and tobacco. While seeing is believing, stats that I found here and here appear to validate these observations. To answer the obvious question, yes I do have too much time on my hands.

We also couldn't help by notice that the infamous litterbug is thriving unchecked in Ashland and surrounding areas of the Bluegrass State. Too bad because it's a pretty area. It's disturbing to see such large-scale disregard for community and environment. I don't get it. It appears as though wherever that "bug" happens to have landed when he/she empties a can, cup, package, etc., is right where they drop it. There's rubbish strewn along road and water ways, in recreation areas, parking lots, and department store buggies. What's up with that, Kentucky?!

More next week.
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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 06/07/08

While Scott settled up with the Jefferson City Flying Service on Sunday morning, I talked with an elderly gent who was awaiting the arrival of his Angel Flight passenger. As he shared a bit of Jefferson City Memorial Airport history with me, he guided me outside to show me two white lines painted on the JCFS building. The lines, he explained, represented high-water marks of the ’93 and ’95 Missouri river floods. Although I regretfully didn’t ask the man’s name at the time, a little Internet sleuthing led me here, where I discovered the extent of Bob Morgan’s involvement with Angel Flight (be sure to watch the video).

Mount Vernon, Illinois was our planned stop between Jefferson City, Missouri and Ashland, Kentucky. Upon landing at Mount Vernon Outland Airport, the folks at SRT Aviation were quick to greet and top off our tanks. A man named Bernie, who also came out to welcome us, struck up a conversation with me. During our short interaction, I was amazed to learn that the 81-year-old electrical engineer still runs his own electrical business and apparently keeps quite busy. I can only hope to be as sharp and energetic when (if) I reach the age of 81!

When Bernie came into the Apple Dumplin’ and made his way to our table, we were just about finished with lunch. We felt like celebs as he complimented our plane, checked to see if the information he had copied from 339A’s data plate was current, and even took our picture. Having noted the name and web address decals we recently added, he wasn’t at all surprised to hear that the “it’s all about us now stuff” did indeed have something to do with being empty nesters. Just before making his exit, Bernie treated each of us to a delicious apple dumpling dessert.

We enjoyed the remainder of our flight to Ashland in the cool, smooth air at 12,000' while listening to music on our Zune. Our view from the cockpit was picturesque as we came in over the Ohio river for a landing on runway 28 at Ashland Regional.

(click here for more pics)

After spending Sunday night at a Fairfield Inn, logistics prompted us to move our temporary housing to the Ashland Plaza Hotel. Although the so-called "Jewel in the Crown of Ashland" is an older facility that could use some updating, it's more than adequately serving its purpose as our home away from home.

From my 7th floor perch, I have observed a rise in the water level of the Ohio and even a change in water color when three days of intermittent downpours appear to have churned ithings up.

A few Ashland constants that I have noted: the periodic whistle of freight trains (aka rattlers) making their way back and forth on the tracks running parallel to the river, barges carrying their cargo up and down the Ohio, and the incessant din of cicada bugs.

More next week.
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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 04/12/08

Week Ending 05/31/08

Picking-up where I left off in last week’s entry, we come to the final day/night of our Memorial holiday weekend in Wichita. The second of three wee-hour thunderstorms on Sunday knocked out the electricity in Sid & Shelly’s neighborhood from 3:00 a.m. ’til around noon. This didn’t dampen our spirits, however, as we continued our engaging conversation over coffee throughout the morning and then over lunch. Have I mentioned the great food?! 

Being somewhat of an Indy fanatic, one of the activities that I had personally been looking forward to was seeing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While I readily admit that the latest exploit of my favorite action hero isn't akin to the original three, wild horses couldn't have kept me from seeing it. The experience was that much better in the company of six friends. The theater itself wasn’t your garden variety, either—we sat in the balcony of the Warren Theater enjoying the food and beverage service throughout the show in cushy over-sized chairs complete with in-seat heating. 

Our Gracious Hosts Sid & Shelly
   (click here for more pics)

Being awakened on departure day to the sound of yet another early-morning thunderstorm made me feel  as though I were living the life of Phil Connors in Groundhog Day. The low cloud ceiling and tenuous VFR conditions meant another low-altitude flight. While JimmyB is IFR-rated and could have climbed up through it, he and Vicki opted to stick it out with their friends.  

The flight to Goodland was surprisingly smooth. While it was hot and sticky when we closed the canopy in Wichita, we were amazed by how much cooler it was in Goodland.

Scott & Gary monitored the online weather information for a while before deciding to give it a go. If, as we made our way back to Denver, what we saw in front of us or via the Garmin weather service looked questionable, we would turn back to Goodland and bunk with the Bakers for the night. As it turned out, all went well and we made it home with no worries.

After a bit of freshening up, we were off to the annual Memorial Day cookout at the home of Scott’s boss and his wife. We were happy that Cassie and her boyfriend could join us—it was nice to finally meet Tyler.  

Other than dinner at our place with Cass and Tyler on Thursday and a long-awaited phone conversation with Stevie on Friday, the rest of our week was unremarkable. In anticipation of Saturday’s departure, we played another round of catch-up at home and office.  

It was a quick breakfast in Goodland on Saturday morning before heading  to Jefferson City, Missouri—our planned overnight stop en route to Ashland, Kentucky. It was cool and smooth flying at altitude, but once we began our decent, we found out just how muggy it was on the ground. I snapped a picture of the state capitol building as we made our turn toward the runway, and the steamy haze was so thick you can actually see it in the photo. 

(click here for more pics)

A nice young man named Dustin at the Jefferson City Flying Service set us up with a hangar and rental car for the night. After checking in, we made the 30-minute drive to Osage Beach and had us some good “Southern-style Bar-B-Q” at Bandana’s. 

We then did a little scouting around at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park and were surprised to find the Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport located in the park. Hmmmmm … My keen instincts tell me that a combination flying/camping trip to the Show-Me State is in our future. Who else is "in"?  

More next week.
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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 05/17/08

My Mother’s Day got off to a great start as we and fellow flyers Gary & Carolyn Zilik made our way to Goodland, Kansas for breakfast with JimmyB and Vicki2. Even more than the good eats, we enjoyed the two plus hours of socializing with our friends.

After breakfast, Scotty and I headed for Oklahoma (or, as a very young acquaintance of mine used to say, Unclehoma) for an anticipated 5- to 10-day stay. In excited anticipation of the upcoming Indy sequel, I chose Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as my in-flight entertainment. The super smooth air, coupled with the big breakfast we had eaten earlier, made for heavy eyelids about an hour into the flight. 

While Scott worked his typical 10-hour days, I spent my time entering name and address data into our laptops, working on our website, organizing my personal planner, developing an exercise program on the treadmill, surfing the net, copying movies onto our Zune, reading my Bible, and reading the newspaper from front to back every morning--a habit we gave up long ago because the annoying liberal bias of most daily rags causes an unhealthy spike in blood pressure. 

After Scott finished work on Saturday, we went to see What Happens in Vegas. While some of the content was off color for my taste, we found it to be entertaining and funny. 

More next week.
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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 05/10/08

We left Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon en route to our planned overnighter in Kirksville, Missouri. While Scott finished up on the job site in Ohio, I got everything packed and ready to go. By the time we made the 45-minute drive back to the airport, got the plane loaded, settled accounts with the FBO, and finally took off, it was about 2:00 p.m. (EST).

Scott had been closely monitoring a weather system that was making its way east, and we, of course, would be traveling westward back to Colorado. If we were to avoid being grounded somewhere for a day or two because of weather, we would have to maneuver our way around the system. Even though our inability to follow a direct route home meant the trip would take a bit longer, skirting the weather would still get us home sooner than if we got stuck somewhere.

While I can't say that we had a smooth ride in the sunshine on that particular day, I have come to appreciate each flight in all of its uniqueness. The ceiling dictated that we fly no higher than 4,500 feet. In spite of the BuMpY ride, skimming beneath the clouds gave us a close-up view of the layer from underneath, and flying at an altitude 3,000' lower than usual gave us a good look at the landscape below. A few blue spots visible through the cloud cover overhead, the sun's rays peeping through the layer and shining here and there below, and the occasional mist made for a distinctly interesting flight.

As we neared Kirksville, updated GPS weather information prompted us to change our overnight destination to Council Bluffs, Iowa. It appeared that staying there would give us a better chance of being able to head out late morning or early afternoon on Wednesday. We had already made a fuel/potty stop in Illinois and had actually gained an hour of daylight upon entering the Central Time Zone, so flying the additional 50 minutes wasn't a problem.

Just over five hours after leaving Pennsylvania, we landed in Iowa, hangared the plane, borrowed the courtesy van, and headed for a hotel. A restful night's sleep in one of the nicest hotel rooms we've stayed in (Springhill Suites) was preceded by a tasty dinner for two at Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que .

Low morning visibility in Pottawattamie County (one of 99 counties in Iowa, including one named Cass and one named Mills) kept us from taking off until 1:30ish. After a short visit to the huge Horseshoe casino located amidst the hotels--where I promptly lost my $10 gambling allotment to a poker machine-- and a leisurely breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we had run out of ways to keep ourselves entertained as we waited out the weather.

Check-out time being 11:00, we were without a room. Not wanting to venture far from the airport in order to be ready when the vis improved, we didn't have a lot of options. Desperate for something to stave off boredom, we resorted to lurking outside a hotel so we could access their wireless. It was actually quite comical: here we were in the parking lot of a hotel we weren't staying at, hunkered down in a dilapidated van that wasn't ours, using a wireless Internet connection that we weren't paying for.

I went into our USPS account online to adjust the resume-mail-delivery date and was quite surprised to be told that no such address existed.  We got a good laugh out of the fact that we were indeed apparently homeless.

As of this entry, the folks at the Horseshoe had apparently not gotten the memo that It's All About US!

The low cloud ceiling on Wednesday forced us to fly the first 100 miles at 2,200 feet. The vistas at that altitude were even prettier and more interesting than those of the previous day, and the ride was s-a-mooth.

Back in Denver, we spent Thursday through Saturday playing catch-up at home and office and getting ready to leave for Oklahoma on Sunday. The highlight of our three days at home was spending time with Cass on Thursday.

More next week.
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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 05/03/08

We left Fishers, Indiana and headed for Beaver County Airport on Sunday at around 9:00. It was a bit nippy, but still a B-E-A-utiful day for flying! It's always interesting to see the regional topographical changes--in this case, the flatness of Indiana giving way to the gently rolling hills of Pennsylvania. A short 1.5-hour jaunt and we had reached Beaver County where our plane was to be hangared.  Our temporary home was located about 45 minutes to the north in Poland, Ohio, near Youngstown. 

As was the case in Indiana, spring had sprung in both Pennsylvania and Ohio with lush green landscapes that were generously interspersed with colorful blooming trees, flowers, and shrubs. 

Scott spent the week working hard while I spent the week not working hard. During the work-related trips that I’ve joined him on, I've come to a whole new appreciation of just how hard my husband works.

We tried to normalize things a bit during this trip by cooking and eating most of our meals in rather that dining out every night; believe it or not, eating out does get old. 

We managed to squeeze in a few non-work-related activities such as taking in a couple of movies (88 Minutes and Leatherheads) and driving the scenic tour of Poland Village--the historical town center where code dictates that all buildings be colonial style. Several older structures proudly display placards dating them back to the 1800s. 

Among the newer buildings is the most beautiful public library I've ever seen. I found the following uncopyrighted pic online and decided that nothing I could snap would do the building more justice than it does.

Front View

More next week.
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Posted by Deb (aka Riley)

Week Ending 04/19/08

We headed back to Colorado last Sunday evening. I was sad to leave my Floridian friends but look forward to some time at home. Although traveling is great fun, it's always nice to get back to your own bed and pillow.

As anticipated, returning to the dry climate of Colorado after the high humidity of Florida began wreaking havoc with our skin and sinuses after just a couple of days. The weather has been finicky with Monday's temps in Denver being warmer than those in Tampa or Orlando and then snow on Wednesday. Such is springtime in the Centennial State.

We have spent the week trying to get back into a routine. It took me a few days to realize that the maid wasn't coming to make our bed and tidy things up. Some friends have taken to calling me Riley, as in "living the life of." I'm loving it and will ride the wave as long as I can. (Click here to learn about this Riley person whose life I am living.)

We had a nice lunch with Cass on Thursday at the restaurant where she waitresses. She and I saw Fool's Gold together on Friday.

We enjoyed a flight to Kansas with friend Gary Zilik on Saturday morning. Our plans to visit with friends Jim and Vicki Baker in Goodland a few weeks back were stymied by weather, so we thought we'd go and eat breakfast with 'em. With Vicki hard at work, we didn't get much time with her; fortunately for the general population, emergency responders don't get weekends off. Scott, Gary, Jim, and I did manage to solve many a worldly problem during that one extended meal, though.

More next week.
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Posted by Deb

Week Ending 04/05/08

Not much to report this week. Scott's been hard at it in Orlando, working long days and weekends. If all goes according to plan, we may be able to play together on Tuesday before I head to Brooksville to be with friends and he to Lakeland for S 'N F.

Livin' the hotel life continues to be a treat for me. I did manage a couple of simple meals for Scott so as not to forget how to cook altogether. Other than that and a few loads of laundry, I've had no responsibilities whatsoever. Wanting to take advantage of the super-high-speed Internet, I've spent a fair amount of time working on this website.

      (click here for more pics)

The weather has been unseasonably humid with several torrential downpours. According to local meteorologists, and as memory serves, the moisture levels and temps are closer to what the Sunshine State typically experiences in July and August. While this makes for bad hair days, my Colorado-parched skin is absolutely loving it.

More next week.

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Posted by Deb

Overlooking Honor Heights Park at Sunset

Come Tuesday morning, we were back in the air headed west. Cloud cover once again dictated that we fly at a lower-than-typical altitude. Just as we headed into a light mist and noted rain showers here and there in the distance around us, Jim Morrison’s Rider’s on the Storm began playing. While the lyrics have nothing at all to do with weather, the chorus and rain/thunder sound effects seemed appropriate to the situation. The ride was smooth and enjoyable until we hit the Colorado border where it started getting rough.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent playing catch-up and preparing for the Memorial Day weekend in Kansas.

We and the Ziliks had planned on flying to Greeley, Colorado for breakfast before heading to Wichita on Friday. Foiled by unsuitable VFR landing conditions in Greeley, Plan B was breakfast in Goodland, Kansas. After learning that the weather conditions in Goodland weren’t favorable either, we headed for Limon, Colorado to top off our tanks and eat at the truck stop located a short distance from the airfield. Plan C didn’t pan out either as we soon discovered that the truck stop had been moved to a new location. Snacks from the convenience store was the closest we would get to breakfast on this particular morning.  

While the beginning and end of our two-hour flight was BuMpY and rather warm, it was smooth and cool when flying at higher altitudes. Comfort aspect aside, flying amongst the billowing white clouds is always a humbling and absolutely spectacular experience.

Upon landing in Wichita, we met up with friends Jim & Vicki from Goodland and Sid & Shelly--our gracious hosts for the weekend.

A great time was had by all as we ate, talked, ate, laughed, ate, watched movies, and ate together. The only thing that surpassed the awesome Cajun-style shrimp boil, steaks on the barby, pork wraps, and assorted delicious side dishes and desserts that we enjoyed throughout the weekend was the camaraderie! Our thanks to Sid & Shelly for making us feel so comfortable in their beautiful home.

More about our third and final day/night of the Memorial Day weekend in Kansas and our trip home in next week’s entry.

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Posted by Riley