AN OLD TIME DRIVE TO THE BEACH |
With a strong gusting wind blowing from the southwest I didn't hear the approaching airplane until it was very close. Quickly glancing up to the northeast I saw the older white Piper aircraft about a hundred feet off the ground slowly angling downward. I recognized the plane right away as that of the farmer who owns the land I was standing beside. Pheebs and I were near the Jeep on our morning walk and knew the pilot was coming in for a south landing at his grass airstrip in a field about a half-mile away. I could see by the airplane's wingtips bouncing that he was fighting a tricky cross-wind gusting from the southwest. Those same sudden wind gusts kept blowing my hat off. As he approached the field he looked like he was too high to attempt a landing and yet the plane continued to sink towards the ground anyway and I lost sight of him below a forest treeline. I knew his landing strip was right on the other side of that forest's tree line. About the same time I lost sight of him I heard his engine power up and figured he overshot his landing and was doing a go-around. Pheebs and I right away piled into the Jeep and headed south down the country road we were on then turned left on Bayfield River road to drive a short distance and line ourselves up at the south end of his landing strip. I saw the plane to the east heading back north so I knew he was okay and coming around again. Waited about a minute and then spotted him as a dot to the north approaching his landing strip. He came in low over a hedgerow of trees at the north end of the field, dropped, and disappeared from view. I knew there was a slight hill in the field between my vantage point and his touchdown so I waited for him to appear coming up over the knoll. And come up over the knoll he did, rolling to a stop on the downside of the slight hill. He turned the plane around and proceeded to taxi back up the knoll, and over the top to his parking spot which was out of sight to me. All was okay and I later thought to myself, he probably didn't miss that first landing at all. I'm guessing he came in the first time as low as he could without landing to check and get a feel for the heavy southwest crosswind gusts coming in over the forest's treetops on his immediate right. I can understand an experienced pilot doing that. And this fella has to be experienced because the corner of that field has been home to that Piper aircraft since before we moved here nearly nineteen years ago. There are a number of 'flying farmers' in southern Ontario and I think some of them sometimes get together at local airfields for Sunday morning breakfasts.
COMING IN FROM THE NORTH WITH THE CROSSWIND COMING IN FROM THE LEFT |
HE'S CLEARED THE TREES |
THE PLAIN DROPPED DOWN BEHIND THIS KNOLL |
ABOUT SIX SECONDS LATER HE REAPPEARED COMING UP OVER THE KNOLL |
REACHING THE END OF HIS LANDING ROLL THE PILOT TURNS HIS PLANE AROUND |
HEADING BACK TO HIS LANDING AREA |
HAVING MOVED TO A DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINT ON PARR LINE I TOOK A FEW MORE PICS |
EXITING THE AIRCRAFT |
IT'S GOT TO BE A GOOD FEELING HAVING THE WHEELS SAFELY BACK ON THE GROUND |
I haven't been doing much these past few days but Pheebs and I have been keeping up both our morning and evening country road walks. Weather permitting of course. We've had a few storms go through the area with one on Tuesday carrying a tornado warning with it. The bulk of that storm went north of us again.
EVENING WALK AND YOU CAN SEE A STRONG SOUTH WIND BLOWING THE CORN STALK LEAVES ALL IN ONE DIRECTION |
MORNING SKY TO THE EAST EARLIER TODAY |
SAME SKY TO THE WEST |
THREE YOUNG MOTHERS OUT FOR A MORNING STROLL ON GODERICH'S NEW BOARDWALK |
NICE RV AND MOTORCYCLE |
Talked with Kelly a few days ago and there 'might' be some light at the end of the tunnel. They (her sisters and brother) have been working hard to get a proper care system set up for their mom. Kelly said she 'might' be able to come home around the end of September depending on how things go. Although her mother is still very ill she has stabilized a wee bit since Kelly went down there nearly 6 weeks ago.
SAYING 'IN CASE YOU FORGOT WHAT I LOOK LIKE' KELLY SENT ME THIS PICTURE A FEW DAYS AGO |
THIS FINE COUPLE IS KELLY'S BROTHER PETER AND HIS LOVELY NEW BRIDE LESLIE, ON THEIR HONEYMOON, AND HERE'S THE KICKER....THE CAR THEY HAD FOR A FEW DAYS WAS KELLY'S MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE |
I'm glad to see the new Bayfield Bridge construction is back in full swing after a long delay. I'm not sure what actually caused the delay but no matter, work has resumed.
GLAD TO SEE THE BRIDGE BUILDER'S BACK |
THEY ARE INSTALLING THOSE LONG VERTICLE HANGER PIECES |
THE CRANE ON THE LEFT HAS THE WORKERS SUSPENDED IN A METAL BASKET WHILE THE CRANE ON THE RIGHT LIFTS AND MOVES THE STEEL HANGERS INTO PLACE |
THOSE HEAVY GIRDERS WILL FORM THE BRIDGES ROAD BED ACROSS THE RIVER |
AN ARTISTS RENDITION OF THE NEW BRIDGE COMPLETE WITH PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY |
SOME MARSHMALLOW FARMERS PREFER THE RECTANGULAR FORM OF MALLOW |
AND WE DO HAVE A FEW VERY LARGE MARSHMALLOW FARMS:)) |
HULLETT MARSH |
OUT MENDING FENCES |
THESE GUYS REALLY GIVE MEANING TO THE WORD 'LONGHORNS' |
TONIGHT'S HALF MOON |
MOON PHOTOS TAKEN WITH MY NIKON COOLPIX P900 |
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Ha, I never thought of mending fences as repairing an electric fence, but I suppose it is! Good photos as usual. And Kelly is so very elegant. That woman has a sense of style! Even in hard times. Hope things can work out where she can come home soon.....As usual, thanks for your work.
ReplyDeleteI like the “ fish” bacon😀👍
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Al and Miss Pheebs. Wonderful photos and blog.
ReplyDeleteYou can go fly with him I think I’ll stay on the ground. Plane registration
ReplyDeletehttps://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/CF-VLC.html
Thanks for the saxophone mental image and belly laugh, Al!
ReplyDeleteI like to add some lightly fried mushrooms into an omelette with just the tiniest bit of cheese.
ReplyDeleteSpecial hola to Kelly and sending her some comforting hugs.