2010 July - September

Week Ending 09/25/10

Scott and yours truly headed out in 339A on Tuesday morning en route to Houston, Texas. Despite the 20 to 25-knot head winds and inclement weather cells dotting the landscape along a portion of our planned flight path, we made the 750-mile flight in 6.25 hours.

Early-morning traffic delays on I-225 got us to the airport a little later than planned, but we were still wheels up out of Front Range Airport at 8:15 Mountain Standard Time. Due to an inversion layer, the pleasant 61-degree ground temperature gave way to 75-degree air at altitude. As we climbed to 7,500 feet, skies over the front range were hazy but blue. 

Flying in a southeasterly direction, the cloud layer that we'd eventually be catching up to became visible in the distance about an hour into the first leg of our flight.

Depending on the time of day and direction of the sun in relation to our position, I frequently amuse myself by observing our shadow. Peering through my side of the canopy on this particular morning, I noticed that our shadow seemed to be in a position that didn't quite add up. While pondering the whys of this strange phenomenon, I spotted the airplane that was actually casting said shadow flying several hundred feet directly beneath us in the opposite direction. A little scary since neither of us had seen it.

Our first planned fuel stop was to be made at the Hutchinson County Airport in Borger, Texas. When we got within ten miles of the field, my pilot began making the customary radio calls to alert local air traffic of our approach and position. The first couple of calls went unanswered. Once we had the airport in sight and had restated our intentions, we were advised that the runways were closed--a pertinent piece of information that had apparently been overlooked during flight planning. ;-)

In the photo below, you can just barely make out the runways to the back right of our wing tip and behind one of Borger's numerous oil refineries.

Continuing on in a southeasterly direction, we made an alternate stop at Perry LeFores Field Airport. As we finally approached the broken cloud layer, we were prompted to make a decision: head for potentially smoother air above or cooler temperatures below. Factoring in the short distance we'd be traveling to KPPA, we chose door number two and descended to 5,500 feet. 

Approximately 2.5 hours after departing Front Range Airport, we landed at Perry LeFores in Pampa--barely visible dead center in the photo below.

We fueled up, took a potty break, and utilized the slooooooooow Internet connection to plan our second stop. Having eaten a light breakfast, the rumblies in our tumblies began telling us it was just about lunchtime. This in mind, we decided to eat (and drink freely) with a planned stop in Granbury, Texas.

Unbeknownst to us, the deli at King Soopers doesn't open until 7:00 a.m., so we had shown up about 15 minutes too early for placing an order; hence, we ended up with pre-packaged rather than freshly-made sandwiches. As we slowly pealed away the layers of plastic wrap in anticipation of the taste explosion that surely awaited us, we were dismayed to discover that there were no condiment packets nestled between the slices of meat and cheese product. Dry bread with ham, turkey, and faux cheese sans mustard or mayo--yum, yum.

As we approached runway 14 at KGDJ, I noticed that the surface didn't look to be in very good condition. Scott noticed something even more significant--two large yellow Xs at the end of it!

What are the odds of choosing two closed airports as fuel stops? Apparently, Scotty needs to be more thorough when reading airport NOTAMs (for you non flying types, that's Notices to Airmen advising them of field-specific information). Looking to our 696 for assistance in locating an alternate stop, we decided on Stephenville.

While refueling the bird, we were tantalized by the aroma of meat being smoked to juicy, delicious perfection at the Hard Eight BBQ less than two miles from the field. We would have loved nothing better than to ditch our plans and head over to the 8 to indulge in their carnivorous cornucopia, but there just wasn't enough time.

One hour and 45 minutes after departing Stephenville, we landed at the West Houston Airport. We'd had to engage in a bit of WAMing (weather avoidance maneuvering) during the last leg, but all in all it had been a pleasant flight from the Mile-High-City Denver to Houston--the fourth largest city in the U S of A.

After picking up our rental car and being escorted over to the hangar where we'd be stowing the RV, it was discovered that all the hydraulic fluid had leaked out of the newly-constructed hangar--this made opening the door a bit problematic. Thanks to the diligence of airport staff, the door was eventually opened and the plane tucked inside.

We then made the drive from West Houston Airport to our home away from home in Willowbrook where we'd spend the next ten days. Aside from the sweltering Texas weather, not much else to report.

More about our stay in Texas in next week's post.

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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 08/28/10
(Lake Mohave, The Sequel Part 2 of 2)

It had been a fun-filled time of playing and camping on the river, but all good things must come to an end. After breakfast on Sunday morning, we packed up our gear, said our goodbyes, and caught a ride back to the marina with Rosie.

By the time we had made the 45-minute drive back to Boulder City, grabbed a bite to eat in town, refueled our planes and made our departure, it was 12:45 local time and 98 degrees.

A northwesterly heading took us over the Hoover Dam and soon-to-be-finished  bypass bridge. Click here to enter the official website of the bridge project.

Apart from a bit of maneuvering around clouds and moisture, our non-stop flight back to Front Range Airport was uneventful and quite pleasant. In looking at the image below, the idea is to steer clear of areas shaded in green and yellow.

No matter how many times we follow similar routes, I never tire of seeing the changes in topography from one region of the country to another. Replete with desert, canyon, and mountainous landscapes, America is a diverse and awe inspiring  place--particularly when viewed from on high.

Even factoring in the extra time for WAMing (weather avoidance maneuvering), we were able to make it back to home base in 3 hours 46 minutes--about 1:25 hours less than the flight to our destination had taken.

In the photo below, you can see The Mile High City in the distance off to the right of our wing tip.

 Nothing blogworthy to report for the remainder of the week.

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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 08/21/10
(Lake Mohave, The Sequel Part 1 of 2)

Aside from watching Little Man Kota on Monday and Wednesday and attempting to get caught-up on some much-needed house cleaning (notice I said attempting), my week was spent preparing for a long weekend of fun in the sun with the Rosaleses. We camped with Paul & Victoria along the Colorado River last year at the end of our Twelve Days, Eleven Nights RV adventure, so I guess this could be considered the sequel.

From a distance, the mountain peaks and the clouds that were hovering over them looked much smaller than they actually were. The photo below shows how dwarfed our RVs were in comparison. It sure was a spectacular view.  

Following the lat/long coordinates that Rosie had given us, we easily located he and Victoria's campsite (circled in red) on Lake Mohave. As we flew over head at an altitude of about 2,700', we were able to spot their blue shade tarp and give 'em a little wing wave.

It was a short nine-minute hop from there to the Boulder City Airport.  Many thanks to Mark and Pat Dula for hooking us up with hangar space! Second leg: 2 hours 40 minutes.

After stowing our planes, we and the Dulas headed off to the "world famous" Coffee Cup Cafe for lunch. This little place in the town of Boulder City has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Scott and I had already placed our food orders before finding this out, so we weren't able to partake of the chili verde. Maybe next time. 

(view from under our shade-tarp oasis)

Unsuspecting guests who have never been boating on the Colorado with Rosie are sure to be punked by the practical joke he likes to play on newbies. Scotty was taken in by it last year. This is how it works: We boat 15-20 miles up river from our campsite. It's hot. The sun is beating down. Suddenly Rosie stops the boat and beckons those wishing to cool off to jump in for a refreshing dip.

And cool off you will! While the agua back at camp is as tepid as bath water, that which is closer to the dam is shockingly cold. Once you're privy to the secret, it's  amusing to watch others be taken in. All in good fun. ;-)

(the set-up) 

(the jump)


(the surprise) 

Our thanks to Paul & Victoria for inviting us to join them and for all the planning/work that went into setting up camp, feeding us three squares a day, and showing us such a great time; to Jeff for making us freshly-brewed coffee every morning; to Michael for letting us use his Sea-Doos; to the Ziliks for traveling with us; to Gary for lending me his camera.

More about Scott & Deb's EXcellent Weekend Excursion: Lake Mohave, The Sequel in next week's post.

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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 08/14/10

It was a beautiful Sunday morning as we sat in the fuel que awaiting our turn at the pump. (Thanks, Blanche, for giving us cutsies.) A glance at conditions over the rock pile reinforced our decision to head south for breakfast instead of west toward my favorite place in Salida.

Whilst pushing 339A away from the pump, Scott discovered that the carb heat flapper valve wasn't flapping--or something like that. We taxied back to the hangar with the intent of picking up a quick fix at the hardware store and then making the flight into Pueblo. When the fix turned out to be a little more involved and time consuming than expected, we scrubbed our flying plans.

Later that evening, while Dakota and Cass were visiting Nina and G-Dad, the little man fell and hit his forehead on a protruding door hinge. A HUGE knot began immediately forming, which prompted his first trip to the ER. After about 45-minutes of observation, he was released. Kota is one tough little nut--a fact that mommy says did not go unnoticed by the attending ER physician. I think he gets it from his hockey-playing daddy.

Another Zilik/Mills movie night was held at the hangar on Friday. In addition to our guest of honor, Bryan "the mule" Raley, the event was attended by us, the Ziliks, Bakers (who flew in from Kansas), Spaurs (and their two kiddos), Ron Duren, Jeff, and Mike.

Prior to our feature presentation, Bryan regaled us with video he had shot at "Sloshkosh."  

The flick, Speed & Angels, is a good reality documentary about two people whose childhood dreams of becoming fighter pilots are realized in spite of unfavorable circumstances. Thanks, Ron,  for a great movie suggestion. I wasn't altogether sure how I felt about watching a documentary on movie night but  ended up really enjoying it.

Scotty skipped his usual Saturday morning sortie with "The Breakfast Club" in favor of a couple extra hours of sleep, but he and I headed out to the airport later on for an evening flight and photo shoot. Sky conditions weren't of the variety that make for spectacular sunsets, but it was pretty nonetheless.

What was spectacular was my pilot's landing! He has made almost 800 landings in the RV, and I can attest to the fact that they are typically smooth and skillful. But there have been a handful of occasions where the touchdown was so incredibly smooth that I've had to ask whether or not the wheels had actually made contact with the ground. This was one of those times where he really greased it!

With plans to attempt another morning breakfast flight, we camped at the hangar and watched a double feature. Sitting with my honey, eating M & Ms, and watching movies on the BIG screen--just one of life's simple pleasures that I happen to enjoy. =D

More next week. 

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Posted by Deb

Week Ending 08/07/10
(AirVenture 2010, Part 3 of 3)

Come Sunday morning, it was time to pull up stakes and head back home to Denver.

About 50 minutes into our leg from KOSH to KYKN, 99PZ began experiencing engine issues that necessitated an unplanned stop in La Crosse, WI. Upon landing, Gary's suspicions were confirmed--his electronic ignition had failed. While rummaging through his tool bag, he discovered that the spare part he needed was back at Front Range.

We sat down to discuss our options and decided that the best course of action would be to enlist the help of our man on the ground--Bryan "the mule" Raley. Bryan earned this distinguished nickname by hauling gear for six aviators who flew into Osh. Pictured below is what "the mule" hauled home.

After a brief conversation with Gary, Bryan discontinued his morning tour of the war birds and walked ALL the way back to the hangars to try and locate the one known vendor who carried the part Gary needed. After picking up said part, Bryan drove over to Fond Du Lac where Scott and Seismo would met up with in him in 339A.

Thanks, Bryan, for hauling our stuff and for your help in getting Gary airborne again so we could make it home. Thanks also for the great campfire.

N339A departs La Crosse en route to Fond Du Lac

N339A departs Fond Du Lac and returns to La Crosse
(photo by Bryan Raley)

Carolyn and I hung around the FBO for a bit before venturing out in the "crew car" to grab a bite for ourselves and the guys. To appreciate the significance of this, you have to understand that both she and I are directionally/geographically challenged. After initially entering onto the highway headed in the wrong direction, we got our bearings (such as they are, lol) and managed to find our way to the restaurant and back.

Our flyboys made it back to the airport before we did, and PZ's pilot commenced to "Gary-rigging" his faulty ignition. 

It was after 4:00 by the time we departed La Crosse with a goal of making it to North Platte, NE before stopping for fuel and dinner.

Waning daylight and building weather in and around Denver would prevent us from continuing on, but we had made good time all things considered. We tied down and hopped the free shuttle to the hotel for dinner and a much-needed rest.

Once conditions over the field at KLBF went from IFR to marginal VFR on Monday morning, we took off in search of a blue spot big enough to get us on top of a broken layer that we'd be traveling over for the next 50 miles. 

By 10:30 a.m. (MST), we were back at home base and doin' the RV shuffle.

This had been one of our more eventful flying adventures, to be sure. If we were to pick a theme for this trip, it would be "Change in Plans." But in spite of everything Old Man Murphy threw our way in terms of mechanical failures, plan glitches, and environmental conditions, he had not succeeded in putting a damper on our good time! 

After shelling out $838 for auto repairs and picking up the Saab, we drove both cars over to LODO's for lunch. It just seemed fitting somehow ...

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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 07/31/10
(AirVenture 2010, Part 2 of 3)

We were up bright and early Sunday morning to strategize: Should we forgo departing with "the swarm" in order to arrange for towing and auto repairs, or should we stick with the plan and head for Wisconsin? We opted to stick with the plan and deal with the car later. We made a quick detour to drop a key under the mat for whoever might end up towing it and beelined it to the airport.

Original a**-in-seat time had been 6:00 a.m., but in light of reportedly sloppy conditions on the field at KOSH and the possibility of being turned away once we got there, all but three ships (Denis Walsh, Rod McClean, & Jerry Knievel) had decided on Saturday night that they were in no hurry.

As we huddled at the hangar to discuss the deets of our flight, we were joined by two additional RVers--a local pilot named Matt and Chuck (aka "Tardy") from Cali. We were now seven.

Shortly before 9:00 a.m. (MST), 339A and 99PZ taxied to runway 8 for a skillful cross-wind takeoff. As we flew the runway, we could see Mercedes' SoCal flight of three on the ramp awaiting departure from 17. Last up would be Matt and Tardy.

About 20 minutes into our first leg, we climbed above a broken layer and enjoyed a smooth and uneventful flight all the way into Yankton, South Dakota.

Approximately 2.75 hours after leaving home base, we touched down at KYKN. The good folks at Carlson Aviation treated us well. In addition to serving up a tasty lunch of hot dogs, chips, and beverages, they gave free tees to each of the pilots.

Feeling content, with bellies and fuel tanks filled to capacity, we once again took to the skies and began our second leg.

As we neared Ripon, reports abounded of pilots being turned away from Wittman Regional Airport in droves. The soggy conditions had apparently made for limited aircraft parking.

SoCal flight had a couple of people to off-load before continuing to their alternate destination. We had our doubts they'd be allowed to land, but Mercedes and flight stayed the course. Persistence paid off in this case, and she managed to sweet talk her way into landing for passenger debarkation. Once on the ground, they were given an anonymous tip that if they displayed their HBC signs, they might be permitted to park/camp. The ploy worked like a charm and they were in like Flynn.

With many a displaced pilot scrambling to secure tie downs, food, and lodging in and around Fond Du Lac and Outagamie (aka Appleton) Airports, we simply initiated plan B and diverted north toward Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport.

Built into our AirVenture vacation package for four was a night (or two) on beautiful Two Sisters Lake. Scott's boss, John, and his wife, Jeri, had extended an open-ended invitation for he and I to join them at their camp any time. We  had arranged a stay for ourselves and the Ziliks on the back-end of our Osh trip. The situation being what it was, Scott had talked with Jeri a couple days prior to departure about the possibility of moving our visit to the beginning of the week--Plan B.

As we marveled at the scenic beauty, frolicked on the pristine lake, lounged in the boathouse, sat around the campfire, and reveled in the outstanding hospitality of our gracious hostess, we almost felt a twinge of guilt thinking about all those homeless aviators. Almost ... ;-)

We just can't thank Jeri enough for shuttling us from/to the airport, putting us up in style, and feeding us like royalty. When we left "Camp Jeri" on Tuesday morning, we were completely relaxed and refreshed. Amazing what a couple days away from the distractions of everyday life will do for a body and soul. Sorry we missed you, John. Guess we'll just have to do it again next year!

The skies over Oneida County were hazy as we readied for flight on Tuesday morning.  A short one-hour after departure, we had made it to our destination and were aiming for that big green dot.

As we headed in for a landing on 27, we looked up to see an AWACS on what appeared to be a collision course with another aircraft ...OURS! (You can see him to the upper left of us in the photo above). He had apparently strayed a bit far north in setting up for his landing on 18,  not an uncommon occurrence according to one of the pink shirts we talked with later in the week. But, much to our relief, he eventually made his base-to-final turn and gave us the space we needed.

We had finally arrived at "the world's greatest aviation celebration" and were on our way to Homebuilt Camping!! Woo-freakin'-hoo!!

 FIRST THINGS FIRST ...

Take steps to ensure that wheels won't sink too deeply into the saturated sod of "Sloshkosh." (And we thought the term was newly coined.)

Meet the neighbors, one of whom just happened to be our friend Dayton Murdock from Nevada.

Get registered and collect those coveted Oshkosh mugs.

Stock the cooler with icy cold beverages from the Red Barn.

Retrieve our gear from Bryan and setup housekeeping.

LET THE AVIATION CELEBRATION COMMENCE ...

The prestigious Young Eagles Coordinator of the Year award was bestowed upon our deserving friend, Rudy Kniese, at this year's YE banquet, and we were honored to be among those in his purple-shirted cheering section. (photo by Bryan Raley)

One of my absolute favorite things to do is sit around a campfire socializing. Bryan got wind of this and hosted a campfire social at his site in Camp Schoeller complete with ooey-gooey S'mores. You know what they say about pictures? Well this one says it all. Thanks for a memorable evening, Bryan!! (photo by Ron Duren)

The Final Countdown is a hokey film ... but it really wasn't about the movie.

The theme of Airventure 2010 was "Salute to Veterans," and who better to perform in their honor than Gary Senise & the Lt. Dan Band?! Scott and I showed up four hours early in order to save seats for ourselves, Ron, Bryan, & the Ziliks and actually caught a bit of the band's rehearsal.

Aside from being on my short list of favorite actors, Gary is a real humble and patriotic guy who isn't ashamed of his God or his country. When it comes to celebs, humility, faith, and patriotism are rare traits indeed. The group's rousing rendition of "Proud to Be An American" warmed my heart and brought a tear to my eye--because I am!

Ever heard of  "The Soup Nazi"? Well he's got nothin' on the guy guarding the door at La Sure's where we ate breakfast one morning. When Scott opened the door to check table availability, he was literally pushed back outside with curt instructions to have a seat on the bench and wait to be called. Afraid we might hear the dreaded phrase, "No breakfast for you," we complied.

We got in after a bit, though, and both the food and coffee were great. We were joined by a couple of interesting guys from Bean Town named Rod and Dick. As New Englanders ourselves, we always enjoy conversing with fellow Yanks. I was quite surprised to learn that there are still a few conservative types alive and well in The Great State of Massachusetts.

We had originally planned to leave Osh on Saturday morning, but IFR conditions over the field dictated yet another change in plans. While we no doubt could've made it out between the time the skies cleared and the air show began, we decided to stay on another day. Scott and I spent a good part of the morning in search of souvenir trinkets.

We lunched off-field at Fryer Tuck's, ate dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings with the Ziliks and Bart LaLonde/Sue Gregor of Aero Sport Power--nice folks, and sat by our plane to watch AirVenture's nighttime air show, which climaxed with an awesome fireworks display. (photo by Bryan Raley)

Click here to jump to part 3.

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Posted by Riley

Week Ending 07/24/10
(AirVenture 2010, Part 1 of 3)

As might be expected, the days leading up to our Osh departure were a whirlwind of activity. In addition to the stuff of life and getting ready for a week in Homebuilt Camping, we had two waves of pre-Osh overnight guests to prepare for.

First up on our list of VIP arrivals were Rosie and Tuppergal who'd be coming in from Southern California on Friday. We got an email from Paul Thursday morning with an alarming photo of his engorged left foot. After hobbling around with swelling and redness for a couple of days, he decided a trip to the emergency room was in order. Diagnosis: cellulitis. Prescribed treatment:  10 days of intense intravenous antibiotics. No Oshkosh for the Rosaleses. :-( 

In lieu of including ugly foot photo, which might make one turn away in disgust--lol, this post has been edited to insert an after-the-fact Osh pic. Even though you guys weren't there, we were thinkin' of ya. Will bring your mug with us to Lake Mohave.

Some months back, Scott and fellow aviator types at Front Range began making tentative plans for a group flight into AirVenture. As things progressed, our gaggle of aircraft became a small swarm that included three ships from SoCal. RVators Mercedes Eulitt, Sean Farrell, and Dan Hall (along with their passengers) would be landing at KFTG sometime on Saturday afternoon. Four flyers would bunk with us and two with friend/RV-7 builder Ron Duren.

A funny thing happened on the way to the restaurant ... Actually, not so funny and quite untimely. As Scott, Gary, Ron, and our SoCalers headed off to one of our fave Mexican restaurants for la cena, Scott's car quit. Mind you, he has driven this same car back and forth to Front Range Airport literally hundreds of times without incident. But on this particular day, with others depending on us to get them from point A to point B, the thing up and bit the dust.

Carolyn Zilik and I were to carpool from our place in Littleton and join the gang at The Brewery Bar III in Lone Tree. Just after 6:00 p.m., we got word about Scott's car and instructions to drive separate vehicles. Everyone except Scott and Gary (who stayed with the Saab hoping to get it started) piled into Ron's truck and continued on in the direction of food.

A missed exit prompted a last-minute change in venue. After dinner for 11 on the patio at LODO's, Scott and Ron made a quick run back to the car hoping it might be pursueded to start. No such luck. They towed it off the main road and returned to LODO'S where everyone gathered in the parking lot to discuss logistics.

In light of our vehicle woes, we weren't altogether certain we'd make the morning departure. Taking this into account, as well as the hour and our limited space for transporting people, all six guests headed to Ron's for the night--some in his truck, some with the Ziliks who'd be camping in their hangar.

Our appreciation to Mercedes, Karen, Sean, and Dan for taking the situation in stride without complaint. (Raincheck!) And our sincere thanks to Ron for grabbing the baton and taking such good care of our friends. Click here to read Ron's account.

(post edited to insert after-the-fact photo of Ron at Osh, by Bryan Raley)

Click here to jump to part 2.

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Posted by Deb

Week Ending 07/10/10

Picking up where I left off in my last post ...

Following a restful night's sleep at Casa de Zilik, we awoke to the beckoning aroma of bacon and strawberry-topped waffles with maple syrup being prepared by Chef Gary. The gals went to walk off some of those calories after breakfast while the guys opted to hang around the homestead.

L-R: Victoria, Carolyn, Scott, Gary, Deb, Paul

Another campfire, complete with "delicious hot shmoes" (S'mores for those of you who haven't seen Toy Story 2), was the perfect way in which to top of our Independence Day festivities.

Scheduled AIS (a** in seat) time on Monday morning was 7:15. Destination: Telluride Regional Airport. The 1:75-hour flight into KTEX was smooth and beautiful, and the landing ranks among one of our most picturesque to date. 

Blue Mesa Dam on the Gunnison River

After touching down on runway 9 and checking in at the FBO (fixed base of operation), the driver that had been arranged for our group by Mercedes and Sean took us into town to meet up with them and some other friends for breakfast.

Photo by Paul Rosales

 We then rode the gondola from Telluride over to Mountain Village for a bit of sightseeing before heading back to the airport. Absolutely breathtaking little area. I could so imagine myself living there if the real estate weren't so freaking expensive!!

When considering places to visit in the US of A, many human beans (including us, it seems) tend to look beyond the borders of their own state  Being as our airplane has been flying since 2005 and we've landed at 157 different airports to date, it's a bit ironic that our first flight into Telluride was prompted by out-of-state friends who'd already flown in there once before.

Our thanks to Victoria and Paul for reminding us that although it's nice to travel about the country, it's also nice to stop and smell the roses in your own back yard.

After gassing up and a brief delay on the ramp to await the arrival of incoming traffic, four RVs took to runway 27 for departure. The Rosales/Eulitt flight headed toward Rosamond and the Zilik/Mills flight headed back toward the Front Range.

L-R: Zilik, Mills, Eulitt, Rosales

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Posted by Deb

Week Ending 07/03/10

Our event-filled week began with a Sunday morning sortie to Goodland, Kansas where we, and Justin (pictured below) met up with the Bakers for breakfast at the Butterfly Cafe.

Scotty and I headed out in the RV again on Tuesday afternoon for a work-related overnighter in Wyoming. Based on the number of coal mining operations that dot the landscape in the Powder River Basin, it seems legit for the city of Gillette to call itself the "Energy Capital of the Nation." According to one onsite representative at the Neil Simpson Power Plant where Scott's meeting took place, 100,000 tons of coal are mined in Gillette each and every day!

The remainder of my week was spent preparing for the arrival of our SoCal friends, the Rosaleses, who flew in for the long weekend. We've had such fun at their Movie in the Mojave hangar socials that we and the Ziliks co-hosted a special showing in their honor. Thanks to everyone who came out and joined the fun, particularly the Bakers who had to navigate some gnarly weather on the way back to Goodland.

The Bakers Arrive

 
The Rosaleses Arrive

Our menu was simple: brats, dogs, and chips ... lots and lots of chips! Some delicious dips as well.

Scott's surprise flick for the evening was The Red Baron. Self-proclaimed historians and wannabes have lambasted the movie for it's historical inaccuracies, but as I said in my Amazon.com review of the movie: It's entertainment, not a history lesson. If you're looking for an aviation flick without the customary fleshy sex scenes and gratuitous four-letter expletives, then look no further. If it's historical enlightenment you seek, then look elsewhere. Our "unenlightened" audience seemed to enjoy the movie in spite of its reported shortcomings. ; )

Next morning, six planes headed over to Fort Morgan, CO for breakfast at Memories Restaurant.

On Saturday evening, we sat on the deck of the Ziliks' mountain home to enjoy a   home-cooked dinner of grilled chicken, Boston baked beans, corn on the cob, and potato salad. Later on, we cozied up around the campfire for a bit of chitchat before turning in.

(photo by Victoria Rosales)

Details about white water rafting and our flight into Telluride in next week's post.

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Posted by Deb