Up Up and AWAY!!!!!!

The weather has brought out the birds of all kinds. Those that come by it naturally, and one that has decided to defy gravity with an engine, flaps, and rudder. This is the second flight of the year - originating from our home grass strip. The plane is my Hubby's concept creation taken from an actual WWI French Voisin Bomber.

The goal is for Hubby to finish flying off the required 40 hours within a 25 mile radius of the home base since he received his inspection by an agent of the FAA. He has 8 hours to go. There are some extended trips in the works after he proves the plane airworthy. Three destinations in fact. He would like to head to Columbia,MO. to an event called "Salute to Veterans 2008", in a little over a month from now, Memorial Day weekend. A friend from the"Kansas City Dawn Patrol" has submitted Hubby's plane for presentation, so of course he wants to be able to follow through. Then a trip to Gardener,KS. over the Father's Day weekend to the home base of "The Kansas City Dawn Patrol", and the last seriously considered , most important flight, off to the Experimental Aircraft Air Adventure 2008. If things work out for him he will point the plane in the direction of OshKosh, WI. the last week of July into August. All of his future plans depend on weather conditions, because he doesn't ever plan on taking the plane apart again to trailer it from place to place. For now he is watching the weather, and wind, trying to get in every minute he can to get those 8 hours put into the past...

Birds, Birds, and MORE Birds!

Look what the warmer temperatures are bringing north. Twice a year we experience over populations of a bird called the Common Grackle. Migrations from the far north to the south in the fall and back again this time of year. So, after snapping the pictures above, there was a pair of birds that seemed to be walking around looking things over. Placing human values on their activity; it was if they were checking out the surroundings in an effort to find suitable accommodations. We have had geese in the neighborhood for years, because of a pond they adopt for raising a family on their return from the south, but until now, they have only visited the surrounding fields. It wasn't long after I got this picture they felt the need to flee, hmmm... or is that fly?