2 Marylous

68,75,55,0,W

ready to fly

Been 3 weeks since I flew...beginning to wonder if it was just a dream.  Looks like the winds may calm down this weekend.  This wait is worse than the wait I had for training.  70,84,58,0,B

Best smelling desert flower at TFL

Vachellia constricta, often known as the whitethorn acacia, is a shrub native to Northwest Mexico, the Southwestern United States, and a quite disjunct eastern population in Virginia.  79,86,50,0,W

Delight in the law of the Lord

Psalms1:1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

almost ready

After about 20 hours of kiting practice, I am feeling confident about my first true solo flight.  This is how my day starts now...just in case the wind cooperates.  85,98,66,0,W

Aunt Mary Lou

Set the chicks out on the porch for the afternoon so they would have a chance to get to know their Aunts Mary Lou and Ginger.  Funny thing is...my real Aunt Mary Lou and my cousin Bruce are coming to visit me the first week of May. 85,97,62,0,B

top heavy

Met some folks a little over a week ago that recently bought property west of me...city folks got a chunk of getaway.  I didn't see it while they were here, but they told me they built an outhouse for the ladies to use when they are out.  Took a ride up and checked it out before our brush with the last rainstorm...quite a cute little pooper.  Right away I saw the flaw....tall, skinny structure - not anchored.  Sure enough it has since been toppled.  78,93,60,0,B

Big Bend Pizza

Paid a visit to my friends Susan and Wes to try out their new pizza joint.  A little far to drive but well worth the 180 mile round trip.  900 E. Hyw 90, Marathon, TX  79842

road kill practice...

bunny in the shade

84,89,62,0,B

Flight training debriefing...

Well, it has been 2 weeks since I did my second, third, and forth flights.  Have yet to zoom up since Kurt left.  Spent the first week recovering from the physical exertion my first flights required and since then been practicing ground handling (kiting) as weather has permitted.  Just as I have read and been taught...the more you practice - the more the motions become anticipatory rather than reactive.  Keeping things under control makes for an easy launch.  As you can imagine, it doesn't take very many aborted launch attempts to wear you down while hefting 90 lbs on your back.  I am gaining the confidence necessary to take off on my own very soon.

Here is an interesting note about my choice of trainers for the sport of powered paragliding.  There are a lot of different sale pitches out there and I have researched them all.  The thing that really sold me on Kurt Fister and www.flightjunkies.com had nothing to do with products or offers - it was a brief mention in one of his YouTube videos about him accepting Christ as his savior.  That is one sales pitch that no one else dared to offer.  Two weeks ago I posted about my first flight that happened on a Sunday.  What I left out that day was after my premier flight early that morning, Kurt flew my unit north and landed at The Big Bend Tabernacle and gave his testimony to our congregation.  How he came to Christ is a great story.  When he isn't teaching powered paragliding - he is teaching Christians how to win souls.  The scripture I posted yesterday is subtly noted on his business card.  72,91,58,0,C          

It's not about bunnies...

Christ suffered a horrible death by crucifixion in order to pay for the sins of all mankind. You have two choices. Seek and you shall find him and be granted eternal life...or...deny him and suffer far beyond what He endured on your behalf. Even if you don't believe in God or Satan or Heaven or Hell, you have nothing to loose by asking Christ into your life (because He will oblige you). If you search in earnest - you WILL find Him. As Christ lives through you - you will experience His glory and become increasingly aware of the power of Satan. Allowing Satan to close your mind to the possibilities means there will be Hell to pay. Take advantage of the offer...you won't regret it.  Christ did his part - the rules are pretty simple...  John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  

almost a good rain

70,92,52, .09",B

out of respect...

A hearty "no egg" breakfast.  75,84,58,0,W

habitat upgrade

76,85,47,0,B

learning to wait...

I have mastered the waiting game...patience is a virtue when it comes to powered paragliding.  76,82,37,0,B

Future Grapefruit

68,75,31,0,B

cloud suck...

 55,64,49,0,W

heroes and cowards

the time to choose sides grows closer every day

complacency is defeat

beware the message from the enemy 

Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

first feathers

82,94,54,0,C

it's all about the wind...

Trying to get my kiting practice in but after 5 days of too much wind while Kurt was here to train me, now there is barely enough wind to get anything done.  Good news is I haven't gotten dragged by a gust, and better yet I'm starting to have moments of zen with the wing - did one perfect reverse when the breeze was just right.  I have to get the the point where I just do what I need to without thinking about it.  80,100,48,0,C

Pepino Season

Nice toasty day today...time to put the Pepino Swamp Cooler back into service.  Still works like a charm.  Thermometer readings before and after I turned it on - top number is outside ambient temperature...bottom number is temperature of air coming into the house through Pepino.  FYI - it's called Pepino because that is Spanish for cucumber...as in "cool as a cucumber".  84,98,51,0,C

FantasticFour

So far everyone is happy and getting along.  Will give the last two eggs one more day to hatch before I give up on them.  Been handling each of the chicks so they will bond with me.  If I end up with 4 roosters, I will name them all Carl and my future visitors will stand no chance against them.  84,91,39,0,B

two more...

Two more hatched today.

Moved yesterday's hatchlings to brooder camp.  

77,85,37,0,B

Flight Training - Last Day

Lucked out with a calm morning for my last 4 hours of training.  Got 3 more flights in and finally landed on my feet for one of them.  Capt. Kurt had to leave at noon to catch a flight back to Florida, but we had just enough time to get an hour of kiting in so he could teach me what I need to work on before I try another flight without him here to assist on the take off.

This afternoon while I was resting the aches and pains of my newly flight worthy body (I seem to have used some muscles that haven't been used in a while) ...2 of the 6 eggs hatched in my incubator.  69,84,49,0,B

Flight Training Day 4 - First Flight

Flight Training Day 3

Unfortunately, this sport is very weather specific.  Capt. Kurt was able to do a couple of brief test flights with my unit but I'm still earthbound.  This is what's known as "parawaiting".67,82,58,0,B

Flight Training Day 2

 Too windy all day for anything but simulator training.  68,85,57,0,W

Flight Training Day 1

Short day since Kurt and KK traveled about 10 hours just to get here.  Kurt went over a couple of hours of pre-flight ground school stuff, fired up my paramotor (it started on the first pull!), and I got the feel for it running while on my back.  Most important part of the day was that Ben met some new friends.  72,90,53,0,W

the long wait

Eight months of planning and dreaming is about to become reality.  Capt. Kurt from www.flightjunkies.com is due to arrive tomorrow evening.  Time to get this show in the air.  75,90,49,0,B

tip to tip

Ben's April tip to tip... 49 1/2".  81,94,46,0,B