Flying is inherently dangerous - or so I've been told.

I retired from Uncle Sam's Air Force in 2006.  I had more than a couple thousand hours logged in WC-135, B-52, P-3, and Beech King Air platforms before I decided to call it quits.  Why an Air Force guy managed to hop amongst all those platforms is a story that can't be written yet, but through it all, I was NEVER intercepted by hostiles.  We planned for it, practiced for it, and landed with relief each time it didn't happen. That doesn't mean we weren't looking for trouble - we were just really good at avoiding it and getting the hell out of Dodge when we saw it.

Fast-forward to 2013.  I decide that the winds are calm enough and weather nice enough to send Mr. Orville Wright out for a few lazy Figure 8s over the field across the road from my front yard.  When I say field I mean several square acres, bordered by a retention pond to the south, the street to the north, and a few big maple trees to the east.  Perfect, or so I thought.  The plane's batteries were fully charged, off we go, into the wild blue yonder!

The launch went smoothly, I managed to get a couple of box patterns in and was working the Figure 8s pretty well when all hell broke loose.  Unbeknownst to me, there was a Starling Interceptor Squadron stationed in the nearest maple tree, and Orville had penetrated both their Outer and Inner ADIZ something fierce.  (It wasn't on the local GNC or ONC charts, my bad...)

They came out in a flight of 3, basically a flight lead and two wingbirds.  Since I wasn't expecting them and was staying focused on keeping things airborne with the remote, I didn't even see them until they were on top of the plane.  Flight lead starling lit the burners and bounced the Wright Flyer's top wing, sending it into a shallow right spiraling dive. That's when I actually saw the three birds for the first time, and couldn't believe my eyes.  Friggin' songbirds are attacking a Wright Flyer - the audacity!

I had enough altitude to throw in some opposite rudder and throttle to regain straight and level flight. As I was climbing out of that little situation, wingbird #2 decided he was gonna biff the airplane's upper horizontal stabilizer.  That was enough to totally discombobulate the plane, and down it went, although I was able to bring the nose up near-level just as it pancaked into the tall grass, preventing an awkward F-16 Lawn Dart moment for my watching neighbors (Whom I hadn't noticed until the mishap, either).

All 3 birds overflew the crash site, then returned to home branch for debriefing and logging of a confirmed kill.  With my pride shattered, no thanks to the neighbors' laughter, I walked over to see if Orville and his flyer were damaged.  Luckily, besides aforementioned pride and a slightly creased lower horizontal stabilizer, all was intact.  I pulled hay out of the landing skids and Orville's face, and glared towards the maple tree as I walked home.

I'll be back across the street soon.  With my 400-size helicopter.  After I sharpen the leading edges of the main rotor, you little bastards!

 

It's that time of year again!

My basil plants started late, but have gone absolutely nuts. I figure it's all thanks to the mix of Miracle Gro, sterilized cow manure, and top soil that they're planted in.  The plants have some leaves that are the size of tea saucers, so I couldn't wait any longer.  I mean, just look at 'em!

 It's no surprise that Wisconsin has an abundance of mozzarella cheese.  My tomatoes aren't quite ready yet, but I found some nice heirloom varieties at the local Piggly Wiggly.  A little garlic, some extra virgin olive oil, and I had a Caprese Salad fit for a king!

I will at some point add a balsamic vinegar reduction to the mix.  That will happen later, because I'm not exactly suffering with what I have already.  Well, that, and I already eated it...

Frog legs are delicious!

But I'm gonna have to wait a few months before I can gig a batch.  While definitely a bumper crop, these are a tad small right now. 

The Wisconsin DNR says I don't need a license, and can catch up to 5 frogs per species each day.
I just want the big bullfrogs.  The little peepers, green, and tree frogs just don't have enough meat on their bones, know what I mean? 

Memorial Day, 2013

Putting things into perspective, as it were...

Fractional Distillation using a Reflux Column and Thumper

All in a compact little package, no less! See short & crappy video below:

            

There are 2 stages to this hybrid apparatus. The first stage boils the liquid, driving vapor up the packed reflux column to interact with the copper pads, and sending the concentrated vapor through the upper loop.  This hot vapor bubbles through the drip finger into the second boiling flask (aka, Thumper Keg), using the excess heat energy it carries to re-distill the liquid contents and vapors in the thumper for higher quality.  The second distillation forces vapors through the coil condenser, which has ice water running through the internal loop.  The vapors condense to liquid, which you see accumulating in the addition flask at the end.  The addition flask is pressure-relieved via the side vent, otherwise the system would blow apart due to increased pressure and no outlet.  

Chevrolet Rampside (Corvair) Pickup

Dad and I spent an enjoyable Saturday walking the grounds of the Badger Steam and Gas Engine Club Show.  He and I used to go back when I was a youngster in the 1970s, and it has steadily grown into this thing that now encompasses over 80 acres! To the club's credit, they run a good show, with vintage tractors pulling people wagons to and from the parking area and around the entire show.  I guess you could call them Tractor Trollies for lack of a better term.

I took tons of photos, wanting to try out a couple "new" Nikon lenses I'd purchased over the last year.  There's also a 10-acre flea market that I wanted to peruse, just in case I found something I couldn't live without.

I took these photos for Roberta since I knew she has a soft spot for the oddity that is the Chevrolet Rampside 95 pickup truck.  This one's seen better days, but it appears to be (mostly) all there.

Here's the rampside gate, which is independent of the rear tailgate:

Pretty neat!  One of my first automobiles was a 1963 Corvair Monza Coupe, and while it was lively, it was by no means a barn-burner.  I'd imagine this particular truck with a full payload would out-accelerate a VW Transporter, but not by very much.  I was just glad to see one still intact and on the road, myself...

Why we must remember...

I visited somebody special this Memorial Day Weekend.

Nice headstone, isn't it?  He was a Baraboo resident like myself - but there's more. 

Staff Sergeant Daniel D. Busch earned his Silver Star and Purple heart posthumously, by way of Mogadishu, Somalia.  If that doesn't ring a bell, Google "Black Hawk Down".

You and your ultimate sacrifice are not forgotten, SSG Busch. I might be Air Force, but your memory will stay alive for this Memorial Day and many, many more.