Friday, November 11, 2005

Day 10: Wyoming to Colorado


Finally up to today! I slept very well, and got up with the morning twilight. The weather in Colorado was forecasted to deteriorate with thunderstorms and showers so off I went, driving the ex-cop car courtesy car back to the airport and away we went. A sight seeing flight I had planned. First south into Nebraska and over some higher terrain which did make me keep an eye on the oil pressure and emergency landing spots among other things. But shortly out of my window, what did I see: THE CRAZY HORSE MONUMENT. It was very neat more so to finally see it after nine months on our own crazy horse. it is a work in progress - carving a huge crazy horse into the side of a mountain. many thoughts to the crew of crazy horse! Wish you were up there with me! onward I flew and towards my GPS waypoint labeled RUSH. Finally I could see Mt. Rushmore, though much smaller than crazy horse, very interesting and majestic to see huge faces cut into the rock. then farther east to South Dakota's badlands - a fascinating 100 mile stretch of, not knowing how to describe them, badlands. erosion leaving pillars and plateaus - very cool.

And then south into Nebraska, where I did my fastest lunch turn around of fueling, briefing, and fuel checking (postponing lunch for later) and I was ready to go again. Before I went, though, I had a nice chat with a old man who has been flying for 40 years, has some four thousand hours under his belt (compared to my 150 or so) and tries to do four touch and goes each day. Says it's like getting into a car. I beat him into the sky but I enjoyed hearing him call out his positions around the traffic pattern as I headed off to Colorado, boulder, Colorado - my old stopping grounds. Land I did without seeing any thunderstorms or rain. There was a bit of haze so I could not see too clearly, but the Front Range snow capped mountains were fantastic.

I must say it is a bit strange to be here after 2.5 years away from my three years spent in school here. I am now in the remodeled student center on new apple computers. I eagerly await the state radio show tomorrow night at the fox theater. it will be fun to see the band again and I hope to see some folks I have not seen in a few years.

So that is the story, I wish I had a satellite uplink so I could write each day, but that wasn’t quite in the budget. I’m still having a blast and plan on heading to the Texan-Mexican border and then to the Houston space center in a few days. That is all for now. Adios muchachos y muchachas.
Ben

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