This morning had to wait for overcast to clear! I guess morning clouds can find me anywhere. Lifted off at 7:45 with a ground temp of 90. At 6,000 temp a comfortable 65 and the holes are getting bigger.
Houston. 10:45
What a thrill to be flying over this city I’ve heard about in story and song. Talked to Houston approach and requested a transition right over the George Bush International airport IAH.
Approaching Houston the terrain started to change. Rivers with water, several large lakes. Heavy haze so I determine to fly lower hoping for better visibility. It worked, with haze clearing as I descended over the next 60 nm onto Hawthorne 45R in Silsbe TX. Hawthorne offered a challenging direct cross wind of 11 gusting to 14. On the ground, waiting to greet me was Alton. A wonderful southern gentleman with a quick sense of humor. Escorting me to the office he told me some of his story and eagerly encouraged me to stay and visit awhile. I took longer than I’d planned, because I could not resist getting to know Alton, just a bit. He worked for years as an emergency dispatcher, but his muscular myopathy rendered his hands unable to type. He could no longer perform the service he took pride in. But while challenged, he is not the least bit despondent . Instead he makes the best of things and is learning about planes working at the airport. Flying away I found myself wishing I had decided to change my goal for the day and simply spend the afternoon in Hawthorne. I’m going to have to learn to relax and not be so focused on daily distance goals, but rather embrace opportunities that arise.
Thank you Alton, for brightening my afternoon!
12:35 Louisiana.
Flying at 4,000, a comfy 70 degrees and just a bit of bounce. The terrain is all green trees, rivers and lakes. I’m aware that I feel more comfortable over this terrain, and realize it’s more like home in Washington. Just before making a stop at St Landry Parish OPL in Opelousas farms begin to pop up.
It's thrilling to spot Lake Pontchartrain, and fly past Baton Rouge. New territory!
2:40 Mississippi.
Picayune MJD is located just outside town of same name. A beautiful airport with another southern gentlemen that zips out on the golf cart to fuel my plane $5.20 a gallon. Not as good as Hondo’s $4.75, but still good for these times. Humid and upper 70’s. I’m handed the keys to a grand old Lincoln Towncar with a good air conditioner. With directions and a town map I find a motel with a pool and am happily settled in after a beautiful day of flying.
What I know of this state I gleaned from movies and novels. I’d never been here before. At the end of day 2.5 I’ve learned some new things and had a few old beliefs reinforced.
Old
They really do say “Ya-All”.
Very proud of their State.
A state with many fewer rules and regulations than say, Washington.
There are no cowboys. I always pictured them walking around everywhere..sigh.
New
Hill country does have hills and it is beautiful.
This is NOT cattle country. I saw huge herds of…goats. Yes, goats! Saw maybe 15 cattle in two days.
Rivers and creeks very seldom have any water in them.
The Killing Fields
Many ranches here are “hunting camps.” Huge tracts of land with 12 -15 foot fences behind which are herds of grazing animals referred to as “exotics”. I’m pretty sure I saw Springbok, and definitely Thompson Gazelles behind those fences. Visited the web site of one of these places and learned they offer many of the herd animals seen in Africa including zebra and wildebeest. They have pictures of the proud hunters posing with their victims. Each picture includes the fee to “hunt” that animal. Thompsons $4,500 and up. Springbok only $3,500 and up. The hunting is done from jeeps driven down smoothly paved roads, or from blinds as the animals eat from their feeding stations nearby. Yes, I have strong opinions about this sport as I do not consider it sport at any level. Nor would I call it hunting.
On the cheerful side is a unique sculpture and art gallery that sits on acres of winding roads through the hills near Johnson City . All they ask is that you stop at the office which houses indoor sculpture and paintings, to sign the guest book. They refused any donation and three of the artists were there to answer questions and humbly accept our enthusiastic comments on their work.
Turbulence
Higher Education
Aspiration
Caliche.
This is a native stone that is extremely popular for facing buildings, building fences and gate posts. Here is an example.
Spent Saturday discovering Bandera Texas, Cowboy Capital of the World.
Could hardly wait to see them cowboys. Visions of denim and leather and boots and hats. Oh My!
Saw this one, and the cowgirl with him. Everyone else was like me, a tourist.
Even without eye candy, this was a fun town with rows of shops to wander through. Lots of southwest and cowboy themed items. This shop had piles of pottery, ironwork, serapes, etc.
Several places offered "cowgirl bling". It must be an in thing - never saw so many rhinestone studded jeans, hats, purses, belts, shirts in my life! The gals wearing it must be strong just to move with that much hardware on board.
Bandera is the county seat, and to me this courthouse said Texas, not to mention the iron work on every light pole.
We parked in the free public lot behind a small public plaza. Here I am posing in front of the mural walled bathrooms. Note that I just had to have a cowboy hat. I worried that it would hardly be appropriate to wear anywhere but Texas, but Carol assured me that if I could travel around the US in my plane, I could wear any hat I pleased.
Could not believe the luck in spotting these two vultures in the classic pose on a dead snag. Then add to that an entire flock feeding right alongside the road on our return trip. I tried to spot what they were eating, but the number of birds obscured all but one hair cover leg - might have been a deer.
Texas Hill Country is unique and beautiful and I'm seeing why people fall in love with this State. Temps stayed in the nineties and cooled in the evening to upper-seventies with a full moon and tons of stars.
Looking forward to what today will bring.
Early in my flying life I learned that dawn is a pilots best friend. Getting an early start on a long trip makes the difference between comfort and well, NOT. Departed Buckeye Friday the 9th at 5:50 am. With thunder and lightning over the Superstitions to the NE, it was good my planned route was SE.
Air was cool - 60 deg. Flight smooth but a lot of haze and no photo ops due to rising sun. Crossed into New Mexico at 7:30 flying at 11,500. Reached Deming (DMN) at 8:10. Temps on the ground 78. Here is a shot coming in on short final, and the Little Florida Mountains from under Path's wing.
I made a quick 20 minute turn around asking for 12 gallons of fuel on each side, after confirming the price as shown on AirNav. Surprise! The charge was actually 20 cents a gallon higher on the receipt.
Crossed into Texas at 9:20. Crossing just north of El Paso, a flat spread out city under high overcast. Outside temp a comfy 60. Another 35 minutes and the sky was clear, but a lot of haze remained although visibility was well over 10 miles. I kept wishing there was something to take photos of to share here, but finally realized that TX is not exactly photogenic from nearly two miles up. I did see a lot of range land and I call this one "All Roads Lead To".
11:00 am. Fort Stockton, TX. Getting some chop (bouncy). Those big windmills you see all over Eastern WA are here too, but they are blue instead of white.
11:30 Iraan, TX and the first view of oil fields. No, I spelled it correctly, but thought the similarities were interesting. These oil fields are not what I expected (Hollywood input) but covered miles of ground on both sides of flight path.
Final hour into Hondo, TX (HDO) was uncomfortable. Constant heavy chop, and I was damn pleased to land at 1:00. That is when the time change clicked - it was 3:00 in Hondo. No wonder the air was so rough! Must remember to factor in time changes in my plans. My friend Ed was waiting and it was good to see him. He and his wife Carol have a great itinerary lined up to show me the local area. I'll be here for the next 3 days, staying in their guest cottage. Two more states added and in spite of the tiring ending to yesterday's flight am so excited to be discovering new places.
Friday the 26th. With 3 other planes out of Chehalis, 1 from Puyallup, 1 from Kent. We gather at our airports and wait for the fog to lift. Ah! Big holes. 10:50 am. East past Mt Rainier, where I find it impossible to simply fly by – got to take another picture.
A few minutes farther the east side of Snoqualmie Pass comes into view. This is Lake CleElum. A lovely grass, Washington State airport, is here.
Our destination is Ferry County airport in Republic WA. Just 14 nm south of Canada. I think I told about the wonder’s of this Fly-In a post last year. They always try to add something new and this year is was a tour of the town of Curlew and it’s museums.
Our first stop, the historic Ansorge Hotel.
The story is that the business started as a restaurant and purveyor of spirits during prohibition. When the railroad came through a hotel was needed so the bar was moved to a building in back and the Ansorge became a Hotel. Eventually it was closed, then in 1961 the owners sold it, with all contents for $5,000. Inside was every stick of original furniture, now valuable antiques. Currently the hotel is a non-profit museum lovingly maintained and manned by volunteers. This lobby has been painstakingly recreated, with all original items, to exactly depict a photo taken of the first owners that is displayed on the counter. I looked carefully and it’s exact!
Each room is an antique lover’s dream. Ground floor is the dining room, kitchen and what was the billiard room now turned into a general store in order to preserve items from the old Curlew Store.
Upstairs the rooms feature original furniture as well as many donated items.
Stop two was at the Car and Truck museum. Again, this is a labor of love. This gentlemen and his dog greeted us and proudly showed off their museum.
I’ve now flown off, leaving Republic at 5:30 Sunday morning. Six and one-half hours later I landed to spend an afternoon and evening in Carson City with cousins. Here is a quick shot of Reno International. I passed by at Noon and it was turbulent as all get out. Glad to be on the ground.
Left CXP at 6:00 am this morning and landed at Lake Havasu at 10:00. Yes, it’s just an hour from my AZ home airport, but I’d flown 5 hours, visibility was hazy and a visit with family in town was too appealing to pass up.
Watch for the story of the pilot to be at Republic.
Have you observed that when you’ve left something behind it suddenly becomes more precious? On my walks plant life that has simply been background now catches my eye as if seeing it for the first time. In places where man does not wage constant battle, the wild things create a solid wall of green. Green in every shade, shape and variety.
Along roadsides, grow blackberries in massive clumps going 10 feet high and yards deep. Late every summer they droop with sweet purple-black fruit. But not this year. As you can see from the zoomed inset, (bottom left)the berries are still hard green nubbins. I fear it will be a tough fall for the animals that count on this food source unless there is a long Indian Summer.
Another common plant is the Fireweed. Unmolested these will cover acres, their tall silhouette rising above surrounding grasses and plants . The lavender-pink flowers are nectar laden and very popular with bees. Fireweed honey is delicious.
Turning a corner on this forest road …
an inviting window.
Unfortunately I had only my cell phone camera so the sky is washed out. Why no camera? Well the one I have with me broke so the little door that keeps the batteries in won’t stay closed unless wrapped with a rubber band which interferes with the zoom control. I’m shopping for a new one, and am frustrated. The size of camera I like is now going with lithium batteries and I prefer AA since they are quickly replaced while flying and available everywhere.
Been flying? Sure. Made a trip up to Bremerton for dinner. Exciting this flight is not, since I’ve made it so many times, but the food is excellent, and I never tire of the view. My son was with me, his first since our rough flight home over the Frank Church Wilderness when he had announced “never again.” My heart soared when he agreed to a dinner flight and once on our way, sighed and said “It’s good to be in the air again.”
I spent several days living on an airstrip just a mile from my old home. It was lovely to wake each morning to peaceful green beauty. There is nothing like a walk down a grass runway to start the day.
Then I spent five days parked at “My Airport”. Chehalis (CLS). This is a small airport by most standards, but hardly a sleepy country strip. Each morning a Cessna Citation, operated by a local business, departs. I love watching it vanish into the onshore clouds that start the majority of summer days. Helicopters arrive with students at the controls – a great breakfast show. That’s my camper in the middle distance. I took this photo walking back across the airport from Wal-Mart.
The annual AirFair found me making Grey Eagle flights – add 11 to my list of seniors flown. I met this man who flew in for fuel and to visit this tree he and his Dad planted over 40 years ago. Now it provides beauty and shade for relaxing pilots.
I’m still enjoying walks every day. There is a great trail that encircles the airport, on top of the dike. Thousands of times I’ve landed but liked seeing runway 16 from a new perspective.
Here a family of coyotes played.
I also walked my favorite Rosebrook Loop, noting baby lambs now grown, hayfields baled. As much as I love Arizona, taking a walk in cool Washington temps, surrounded by green is refreshing. Who could resist a side trip down this forest path?
Into each life of retirement joy comes the dark side. Big Red, my Ford truck, was constantly pulling to the right. Off to (national chain that shall go un-named) where I’m told that most of the front end needed to be replaced, not the simple wheel alignment I expected. Doubting them, I took Red to my usual mechanic and got the same bad news. They did all the front end work and included new brakes and calipers for less than the chain quoted. But I still paid $850. Ouch!
Thank you Alton, for brightening my afternoon!
