...A little REO Speedwagon bouncing around in my head gives the motivation I need to "hang in there" when I'm scratching close to the ridge trying to stay up...
I haven't flown since August 4th when Landon and I had the nail-biter! So I went out to the Short Divide yesterday for some airtime. The soaring forecast was not very spectacular, but there was a decent southwesterly flow. On launch conditions were looking promising - blowing straight in at 16-18 mph, about 85 degrees, mostly clear skies with miles of visibility. I finished my set-up, pre-flight, and hang check.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Time for me to fly...
Posted by Matt S. at 11:12 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Feline Family Friends
I grew up enjoying both cats and dogs in the family, but I think I am just slightly more of a cat person. About two years ago we adopted "Jack" (AKA Mr. Kitty) from a shelter in Jackson, WY.
He was a very curious cat, who took great satisfaction finding creative places in which to nap!
He came during a transitional, rebuilding time in the life of myself and our family to serve as a "Recovery Kitty".
About a year later someone decided that "one" was not enough, so a tiny siamese named "Bosco" (AKA "Roscoe") joined our family.
At first Mr. Kitty had a difficult time sharing "his space".
After a few heart to heart "conversations" with each other, both cats came to a "space sharing agreement" ...
...and eventually became good friends.
We are glad to have Roscoe and Clover (the flying dog) to make life interesting. Roscoe is a friendly, smaller-sized cat, who is a bit more aloof than Mr. Kitty. He often joins the boys and me in our regular treehouse "campouts" (about 25 feet up!), but he is up right at sunrise to head out on his daily "mousing safari" in the alfalfa fields behind our back fence.
He is adjusting to life with Clover - who started out smaller than him, but has since grown to be larger. He enjoys associating with "the dog" when he is in a mellow mood, but avoids her when she is in a "wilder" mood.
About a month and a half ago Mr. Kitty left us. He would often go on excursions for a day or two at a time, but the days turned into weeks, and we haven't seen him since. I suspect that his friendly curiousity caused him to expend all of his nine lives, or perhaps he had other "work" to do elsewhere.
He will be missed.
Posted by Matt S. at 10:36 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 16, 2007
How to fly 220 Miles in a Hang Glider
Last Sunday Jeff O'Brien (OB1) set a new Utah flex wing open distance record by flying 220 miles from Heber City to somewhere near Lander, WY!!! He covered the distance in 5 hours, and was in the air a total of 7 hours and 20 minutes, climbing to as high as 17,500' MSL along the way! (If you were to drive from Heber to Lander you would travel over 400 miles!) Here is his GPS recorded flight track as viewed on Google Earth.
You can also read his full account on his 'blog at http://hang6.blogspot.com/
I have enjoyed flying with Jeff on a few occasions at the Short Divide. While in the air I tried to glean from his obviously intuitive flying abilities, but he usually left me & my Sport far behind in his wake! I am still looking forward to my first 50 or 100+ miler. I'm sure the day will come - as long as I am persistent, patient, and fly safely - so there will always be a "next time".
Posted by Matt S. at 9:59 AM 0 comments
Sunday, August 12, 2007
A Week at Priest!
Last week we took a well deserved family vacation to the northern panhandle of Idaho. Everyone travelled fairly well on the 700 mile road trip, and the van (old reliable) made it there and back without a hiccup (knock on wood). On the way there we were entertained by watching (among other DVD's) Chevy Chase in "Christmas Vacation". Cousin Eddie has a way of making you grateful for each and every "unique" extended family member!
A short distance from our cabin was a small public airstrip. It was fun watching the planes come in over the bay on final approach for a landing.
Most pilots just camped on the side of the runway and use the showers and other facilities provided. What a way to see the country!
We had a great time hanging out at the cabin, competing in eagerly contested golf/tennis/or boxing "Wii-tournaments", playing board/dice/card games, getting caught up with family, going on long walks on a myriad of trails or side roads, meeting new people (or dogs)...
out on the waterfront, exploring new places, cooking & eating some good meals (the fresh-caught Priest Lake Mackinaw was the best!), staying up late, sleeping in, and just relaxing. The weather was a perfect 75-85 degrees and mostly sunny, with one cloudy day with a few sprinkles.
On two of the days we rented a boat to explore the lake and do some kneeboarding...
tubing...
...and waterskiing!
...with ample ear protection for some of us!
The water was so clear and a perfect 75 degrees. The only thing better than slicing a tall roostertail on some sweet Priest glass at sunset, was relaxing our sore and tired bodies in the hot tub that evening!
The days flew by toooo quickly, as the week came to an end. We all had a great time together, and missed those who were not able to join us. We are very grateful to everyone who helped make this wonderful trip a reality. We had a safe journey back home just in time to deliver the heavy Sunday morning papers! We are very thankful for the times and experiences we shared together at Priest Lake which will be forever etched in our memories!
Posted by Matt S. at 7:19 PM 2 comments
Saturday, August 4, 2007
In the Air, Wishing We were on the Ground!
Posted by Matt S. at 7:52 PM 1 comments