Saturday, June 17, 2006
An Anniversary, Helicopter and The Royal Gorge
After a little more than thirty years of marriage my Bride and I decide to do something different, like a helicopter ride over and through the Royal Gorge (Southern Colorado).
Prior to this I had mentioned the idea to some very good friends whom had wisely recommended that maybe we might forego the helicopter and instead enjoy the Dinner Train through the Royal Gorge. While this suggestion was both wise and prudent we took the helicopter.
Think about it ... you take a perfectly good helicopter and 3 healthy people and go into a gorge that is over a thousand feet deep with the Arkansas river flowing through down below ... why not? ... only high winds and really big rocks to worry about with a raging spring river waiting down below. What's to worry about? The contraption doesn't even have wings to hit the rock walls!
Ruby began to get nervous and wanted to sit in the back ... I wouldn't hear of it and insisted that she sit up front with the pilot as I have flown in choppers before during my "active duty days" (USAF, UPT). I was sitting in the back.
Here is the helicopter and our pilot:
At about 130 mph we crossed U.S. Highway 50 and headed to the Gorge.
About this time I am feeling a bit woosey ... here I am in the back of the chopper messing around with the camera while we are pulling light g's and banking around the terrain ... I'm pointing the camera one way while the chopper goes another! A bit of nausea is beginning to surface! (Dang! I know better!)
Our pilot crossed over the east side of the Royal Gorge Bridge and dropped down into the gorge and started heading west towards the bridge ... we could see the red gondola midway across the gorge walls ... it looked very small. Below I could see the railroad alongside the Arkansas river.
In the photo below you can make out the railroad tracks through the right window with the pilot sitting directly in front of me.
About this time, the smell of JP4 (jet fuel, aka diesel) is beginning to get thick in the cabin. At the beginning of the flight I had closed my side window as I was putting on my headset ... I wanted to hear better. But the smell of diesel and rising nausea ... I opened the window and wonderful fresh Colorado air from the Arkansas river blew in! Yes! It was helping!
I begin to fumble with the camera and put it into movie mode ... we are banking hard and rising above the river fast ... I'm focused on the LCD screen of the camera trying to catch it all for posterity (quickly stealing glances out the front and side windows).
The Pilot guides the chopper high above the east side of the bridge and banks hard to the north side and begins to drop down again picking up speed ... again banking in a hard turn we sink firmly into our seats as we now are now heading fast towards the south gorge wall. More power from the jet engine is applied and the pitch to the rotors is increased dramatically as we head straight towards the south wall!
About this moment claxons are going off in my head while I hear my Bride exclaim "Oh My God! Oh My God!". My stomach screams an emergency message ... "This is the Stomach! Tell the ?!#?!% Brain to put the ?!#?!% camera down our I'm coming up there and kicking the ?!#?!% out of you! NOW!!!". The camera is immediately shutoff and held to my side.
Out of the front of the chopper nothing but rock wall fills the windscreen ... the pilot pulls the stick back hard and increases power again!!! ... we begin climbing the wall with nothing but rock showing out the front and sides ... we are not moving anywhere except we are laid back hard against our seats as we continue to climb with the nose of the chopper pointed skyward! I look towards the bottom of the chopper and there's nothing but rock!
YES!!! What a kick in the arse this is!! We bank slightly right and come over the south rim of the gorge!!!
Banking hard again, we head back over the north rim and back to the helipad. What an adventure!
Excitedly Ruby egresses the helicopter very happy and talking about our adventure!!! She's ready for more!
I, though, am at about 20% of my tolerable nausea scale ... it will take the next hour and a half before it disappears ... thankfully.
With a last look back ... engine still running and rotors spinning down ...
Prior to this I had mentioned the idea to some very good friends whom had wisely recommended that maybe we might forego the helicopter and instead enjoy the Dinner Train through the Royal Gorge. While this suggestion was both wise and prudent we took the helicopter.
Think about it ... you take a perfectly good helicopter and 3 healthy people and go into a gorge that is over a thousand feet deep with the Arkansas river flowing through down below ... why not? ... only high winds and really big rocks to worry about with a raging spring river waiting down below. What's to worry about? The contraption doesn't even have wings to hit the rock walls!
Ruby began to get nervous and wanted to sit in the back ... I wouldn't hear of it and insisted that she sit up front with the pilot as I have flown in choppers before during my "active duty days" (USAF, UPT). I was sitting in the back.
Here is the helicopter and our pilot:
At about 130 mph we crossed U.S. Highway 50 and headed to the Gorge.
About this time I am feeling a bit woosey ... here I am in the back of the chopper messing around with the camera while we are pulling light g's and banking around the terrain ... I'm pointing the camera one way while the chopper goes another! A bit of nausea is beginning to surface! (Dang! I know better!)
Our pilot crossed over the east side of the Royal Gorge Bridge and dropped down into the gorge and started heading west towards the bridge ... we could see the red gondola midway across the gorge walls ... it looked very small. Below I could see the railroad alongside the Arkansas river.
In the photo below you can make out the railroad tracks through the right window with the pilot sitting directly in front of me.
About this time, the smell of JP4 (jet fuel, aka diesel) is beginning to get thick in the cabin. At the beginning of the flight I had closed my side window as I was putting on my headset ... I wanted to hear better. But the smell of diesel and rising nausea ... I opened the window and wonderful fresh Colorado air from the Arkansas river blew in! Yes! It was helping!
I begin to fumble with the camera and put it into movie mode ... we are banking hard and rising above the river fast ... I'm focused on the LCD screen of the camera trying to catch it all for posterity (quickly stealing glances out the front and side windows).
The Pilot guides the chopper high above the east side of the bridge and banks hard to the north side and begins to drop down again picking up speed ... again banking in a hard turn we sink firmly into our seats as we now are now heading fast towards the south gorge wall. More power from the jet engine is applied and the pitch to the rotors is increased dramatically as we head straight towards the south wall!
About this moment claxons are going off in my head while I hear my Bride exclaim "Oh My God! Oh My God!". My stomach screams an emergency message ... "This is the Stomach! Tell the ?!#?!% Brain to put the ?!#?!% camera down our I'm coming up there and kicking the ?!#?!% out of you! NOW!!!". The camera is immediately shutoff and held to my side.
Out of the front of the chopper nothing but rock wall fills the windscreen ... the pilot pulls the stick back hard and increases power again!!! ... we begin climbing the wall with nothing but rock showing out the front and sides ... we are not moving anywhere except we are laid back hard against our seats as we continue to climb with the nose of the chopper pointed skyward! I look towards the bottom of the chopper and there's nothing but rock!
YES!!! What a kick in the arse this is!! We bank slightly right and come over the south rim of the gorge!!!
Banking hard again, we head back over the north rim and back to the helipad. What an adventure!
Excitedly Ruby egresses the helicopter very happy and talking about our adventure!!! She's ready for more!
I, though, am at about 20% of my tolerable nausea scale ... it will take the next hour and a half before it disappears ... thankfully.
With a last look back ... engine still running and rotors spinning down ...
Life IS Good!
One quick update:
If you are interested in a similar adventure at the Royal Gorge you can go here for more information. (Yes, this is an unsolicited endorsement)
If you are interested in a similar adventure at the Royal Gorge you can go here for more information. (Yes, this is an unsolicited endorsement)
Sunday, June 11, 2006
I am surprised ... kinda ... really.
I don't have any details but I was having lunch with a friend today whom has been teaching public school for a few decades ... part of the conversion involved, hearsay at this point, that a shortage of about 10,000 teachers nationwide is anticipated within the next couple of years and large school districts have already started looking overseas for teachers ... Spain and the Philippines was mentioned.
Apparently with teachers retiring and a sizable proportion of other teachers deciding not to continuing teaching there appears to be a looming shortage of a 'noble' career field that Americans don't won't to do ... so outsourcing is being pursued so American public school students can be taught.
While most businesses might attempt to find out why a sizable number teachers might not want to return to the classroom ... a number of large districts are looking overseas to shore-up the shortfall.
Certainly it couldn't be outsourcing like the technical professions? Or could it?
Assuming the veracity of the information told to me ... imagine it ... foreigners could be teaching American elementary school children English.
BTW ... if I remember correctly (I'm not totally certain), it was mentioned that the Twin Cities district(s) were looking in the Philippines.
Apparently with teachers retiring and a sizable proportion of other teachers deciding not to continuing teaching there appears to be a looming shortage of a 'noble' career field that Americans don't won't to do ... so outsourcing is being pursued so American public school students can be taught.
While most businesses might attempt to find out why a sizable number teachers might not want to return to the classroom ... a number of large districts are looking overseas to shore-up the shortfall.
Certainly it couldn't be outsourcing like the technical professions? Or could it?
Assuming the veracity of the information told to me ... imagine it ... foreigners could be teaching American elementary school children English.
BTW ... if I remember correctly (I'm not totally certain), it was mentioned that the Twin Cities district(s) were looking in the Philippines.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
So what is this "David of One" stuff?
My name is David.
I like my name ... it's one of the few things I like about myself for which I had no control or choice about.
Names are important and when my Bride and I chose our sons names we chose carefully, even prayerfuly. I think most of us approach this with the same mindset.
Anyway a few years back the U.S. Army started an advertising campign of the "Army of One". In part, I kinda thought this was silly. But, in truth, an army is made up of individuals bound together by a shared commitment (albeit the motivations for such may differ).
Glenn Reynolds wrote a book called "AN ARMY OF DAVIDS" ... essentially it is an exploration of the impact of the Internet and the "Davids" going against the Goliaths of the major media and polictal machines ... etc. (a very brief description). You can checkout Glenn's website at: www.instapundit.com
So ... An Army of One ... An Army of Davids ... David of One.
Just one of me combined with many.
I like my name ... it's one of the few things I like about myself for which I had no control or choice about.
Names are important and when my Bride and I chose our sons names we chose carefully, even prayerfuly. I think most of us approach this with the same mindset.
Anyway a few years back the U.S. Army started an advertising campign of the "Army of One". In part, I kinda thought this was silly. But, in truth, an army is made up of individuals bound together by a shared commitment (albeit the motivations for such may differ).
Glenn Reynolds wrote a book called "AN ARMY OF DAVIDS" ... essentially it is an exploration of the impact of the Internet and the "Davids" going against the Goliaths of the major media and polictal machines ... etc. (a very brief description). You can checkout Glenn's website at: www.instapundit.com
So ... An Army of One ... An Army of Davids ... David of One.
Just one of me combined with many.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
What to do with a Blog once you've got one
So you get the basics of a Blog setup and your 'ready for business' ... right?
Random thoughts, pictures, audio clips ... riveting personal thoughts for others to pine for your opine.
After considerable musing and mental hand-wringing it seems to me that a Blog should be more than opining about the days news, muse and views (I'm fairly confident that last string of words isn't original).
During the last couple of weeks I've taken time off work and essentially done little ... one of my main goals was to reverse the clock and NOT think about what needs to be accomplished at work today my first waking moment.
Yet, yesterday, I was reading a number of online news sources and I felt startled by the string of perceived significant events.
Sometime ago I started reading the newspapers less (by this time I had stopped watching television news). As time passed I began a compromise which finally resulted in my reading the headlines ... moving to the Editorials, Letters to the Editors and finish it up with the comics (which usually put me back in a cheery mood from reading the previous "stuff").
Then the online news seemed so much more palatable ... I could focus on news sources that at least filtered some of the blather & minutia and allowed me to see more of the big picture.
But yesterday it suddenly dawned on me that the look and feel of the events being reported left me with concern about the meaning of the "big picture" and that it felt much like the stuff for which I stopped listening to TV news and reading newspapers ... major media outlets.
Okay so back to the supposed issue ... what to do with a Blog?
I don't want to be a parroting shadow news source (yeah, right!) ... besides I look and feel more like a Perry White.
More thoughtful musing is needed ... but this much I am certain ... reading the thoughts and opinions of others in Blogdom is affording me and others to meet and hopefully continue to learn & maybe pass it on.
Random thoughts, pictures, audio clips ... riveting personal thoughts for others to pine for your opine.
After considerable musing and mental hand-wringing it seems to me that a Blog should be more than opining about the days news, muse and views (I'm fairly confident that last string of words isn't original).
During the last couple of weeks I've taken time off work and essentially done little ... one of my main goals was to reverse the clock and NOT think about what needs to be accomplished at work today my first waking moment.
Yet, yesterday, I was reading a number of online news sources and I felt startled by the string of perceived significant events.
Sometime ago I started reading the newspapers less (by this time I had stopped watching television news). As time passed I began a compromise which finally resulted in my reading the headlines ... moving to the Editorials, Letters to the Editors and finish it up with the comics (which usually put me back in a cheery mood from reading the previous "stuff").
Then the online news seemed so much more palatable ... I could focus on news sources that at least filtered some of the blather & minutia and allowed me to see more of the big picture.
But yesterday it suddenly dawned on me that the look and feel of the events being reported left me with concern about the meaning of the "big picture" and that it felt much like the stuff for which I stopped listening to TV news and reading newspapers ... major media outlets.
Okay so back to the supposed issue ... what to do with a Blog?
I don't want to be a parroting shadow news source (yeah, right!) ... besides I look and feel more like a Perry White.
More thoughtful musing is needed ... but this much I am certain ... reading the thoughts and opinions of others in Blogdom is affording me and others to meet and hopefully continue to learn & maybe pass it on.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
For me, it is curious first step ... destination ... uncertain.
For me, this Blog is a curious first step ... the destination is really uncertain.
One simple goal ... or hope ... is that discourse will prevail over debate and that some meaningful measure of mutual growth will occur between myself and others who visit.
This sounds much too solemn and serious ... this had best involve Joy to Enjoy ... shared thoughts, ideas and maybe a few dreams.
Lest I take myself too seriously, someone else needs to show-up and run amok a bit.
Life is Good!
Personally I'd rather leave my footsteps firmly on this Earth as opposed to the "Ether" ... let's see what fruit is borne ...
One simple goal ... or hope ... is that discourse will prevail over debate and that some meaningful measure of mutual growth will occur between myself and others who visit.
This sounds much too solemn and serious ... this had best involve Joy to Enjoy ... shared thoughts, ideas and maybe a few dreams.
Lest I take myself too seriously, someone else needs to show-up and run amok a bit.
Life is Good!
Personally I'd rather leave my footsteps firmly on this Earth as opposed to the "Ether" ... let's see what fruit is borne ...
