Flying and Halloween

 

I have been watching the weather forecast and today looked great for flying so we headed up to the field this morning.  I only got the Skylane out and only flew four flights so I wouldn't get too tired.

Thirteen flyers showed up to enjoy the nice day and I had a good time visiting with everyone.

Just about every table was in use this afternoon.

The skydivers were out enjoying the sunshine also.

This is the jump plane coming in to land with Mt Rainier in the background.

Mt St Helens looked nice with it's fresh coating of snow.

I zoomed up on the top of Mt St Helens, it doesn't look like any place I want to go.

Josie was our first Trick or Treater.  She was kind of shy so I sat the pumpkin with the candy in it on the floor.  It was really cute when she grabbed the handle and headed for the door with the whole thing.

I am glad I snapped this picture of Rick and Tor as they came in the door because Tor's face doesn't show in the picture below.

Bridget, Tor and Jillian looked very cute in their Halloween costumes.  Four Trick or Treaters is about our normal amount.  It was sure fun seeing them.

A normal day!

I felt good this morning so after we made a mail run and had lunch I got the mower out and started mowing and mulching the leaves.  There are a lot less leaves on the lawn since we had the maples taken out.  I was about half done when that branch you can see by the right front tire knocked the mower deck drive belt off.  I decided to call it a day and put the mower away.  After a break I started feeling rested so I went out, put it back on (an easy job after reading the directions) and finished the mowing.

I had started the battery for this helicopter charging when I took the break and I decided there was enough daylight for a flight after I finished mowing.  It was dark enough that Vera had to use the flash for these pictures.

I had a good flight and did some trimming so it stays in one spot while hovering.  This evening we both agreed that it seemed more like a normal day for us.  I am not too tired this evening and my blood pressure checked great!

My last checkup at Sunnyside

10-26-2021  I decided to lose a little weight so we have been sharing some of the sandwiches we used to have whole.  In this case it is a BTC, bacon tomato and cheese instead of a BLT since I can not eat much lettuce because it interferes with one of the medicines I take.  I think it tastes better that way as I really like sharp cheddar cheese.   

 

10-28-2021  I needed some spray paint for the Comet's cowl, of course Home Depot had one I wanted and Walmart had the other.  This picture is Mt Solo from the Walmart parking lot.

I set up my paint booth after we got home and painted it.  The Walmart can is on the left and the Home Depot is on the right.  Same brands, Rust-Oleum and one says Cherry and the other says Cherry Red.  I ended up using the one on the left as it combines primer and paint.

10-29-2021  We were up early this morning as I had my two week checkup at Kaiser Sunnyside.  I checked out fine and now can do anything that doesn't bother me.  Now they will just keep track of my progress by Ultrasounds and hopefully those can be done in Longview.  We stopped at the Vancouver Costco on the way home and I got my walking exercise for the day which led to an hour nap after we got home.  This evening I fitted the cowl to the Comet and it looks like I got a pretty good color match between the paint and Ultracote covering.

Comet

 

It was windy and rainy last night and today.  The power was off last night for a little over an hour.  We had nothing planned so I worked on the Comet while Vera got caught up on some of her recorded shows.  I finished up the covering on the leading edges today, then I covered the vertical fin and rudder.  It seemed nice not having to go to Kaiser for something.  I did get a call from them about adjusting my dose on one medicine.

Kaiser and an Autogyro

 

10-23-2021  It was off to Kaiser again today, this time for Vera's Covid19 booster and we both had blood tests due.  On the way home we stopped by Safeway and Dairy Queen.  I got a little more covering on the Comet this afternoon before calling it a day.

10-24-2021  Last night I was on Facebook and found an Autogyro for sale in Vader.  It hadn't been sold yet so I made arrangements to meet the guy at the Vader Dollar General.  We got there about twenty minutes early so we took a ride up the Winlock Vader Rd and chased this rainbow until we turned around and headed back.  We only had to wait about five minutes until he arrived and I bought it.  We stopped at Betty's Place in Toledo for their Halibut Fish and Chip basket.  Boy is it good, our favorite in this area. 

I was surprised when it had a brushless motor, speed control, receiver and all the servos.  It is in great shape and only needs a new blade mounting flex plate.

From any angle the Cierva C30 is kind of odd looking.  I have never had an autogyro before so this will be an interesting new challenge. 

Slowly getting back to normal

 

Yesterday I worked in the shop a little while and got the red put on the right wing of the Comet delta.  This afternoon I got the red on the left wing.  We also went to town this morning and I went to my appointment at Kaiser.  Then we filled up with gas as the gas gauge was blinking at me all the way down, as we left Kaiser it wouldn't even give an estimate of how far we could go.  It took fourteen gallons, the most I have ever put into it.  I didn't even look for low prices, I just stopped at the first station we came to.  Then we went to Fred Meyer and picked up our grocery order.  I was starting to feel a little tired so we headed home.

Since I couldn't help Vera unload the car I started making up Ziploc bags of Candy for the kids on Halloween.  I might have tested one or two.

After I was done with the candy I put out the rest of the decorations that were in the bag with the pumpkin.

Vera liked my job so well she went in and took a couple of pictures that I am using for today's blog.  It is the end of the day now and I still feel great, of course the forty minute nap this afternoon probably helped.

Flying, Kaiser and TCAR

 This will be an update on what has been going on the last six weeks.

8-30-2021 I developed a spot in my eye when we camped at the MRRCS field a while back.  I contacted my Ophthalmologist at Kaiser, he is now the head of the department and I was referred to Dr. Nash.  I had an appointment with him today and he ordered all kinds of tests.

9-28-2021  I went to the Salmon Creek Kaiser for an Ultrasound on my Carotid Arteries that Dr. Nash had ordered.  They found that my right Carotid Artery was almost completely blocked and the Radiologist made an urgent referral to a Vascular Surgeon.  I got a call that afternoon from them, they set up a Catscan, and an appointment with Dr. Segall a vascular surgeon.  

9-29-2021  I found a process I could go through to get the Equinox towed away.  I had the deputy sheriff check it over and fill out the paper work.  I did all the steps and had the form notarized.

We checked a couple of places and then called Mike's Towing in Castle Rock, they hauled it away no charge because he said they would make a couple of hundred off it as junk.  I talked to him later and a friend of his is going to put a motor in it so his daughter can drive it to college.

10-2-2021  It was pretty foggy for my first flight today but afternoon was really nice.

10-5-2021  I had a Catscan today in preparation for the visit with Dr. Segall.

10-6-2021  I saw Dr. Segall today and she started the steps to set me up for TCAR procedure for putting in a stent.  She tested all my neurological indicators and other than the spot she didn't find any problems.  Her first surgical opening was October fifteenth so she put me down for it.

10-7-2021  Today I had an EKG done at the Longview Kaiser.

10-11-2021  I had an appointment with Dr. Nash today at Salmon Creek, he was excited that I had surgery scheduled and will do further checks on the spot five to six weeks after the surgery.  It was a nice day for a drive and we are getting pretty familiar with the area.  We also found a way in that avoids a lot of I5 and 205.

10-12-2021  I have been working on my helicopters while waiting for surgery.  I now have six that are flyable and took the X500 out for a test today.

This is an older style helicopter with no electronic stabilizing so it is a little more work to fly.  I have gotten in quite a few flights the last couple of weeks and the old skills are coming back.

10-15-2021  This is the view from my bed after surgery which took place at 8:30AM this morning.  Michelle came up at 4:30AM, drove us down in the Mitsubishi for my 6:30AM check in and then took Vera back home.  James came up and spent the day with Vera while they waited to hear from Dr. Segall.  The surgery took twice as long as normal because the artery was blocked so bad but it turned out fine.  Every two hours they would come in and do the neurological tests for the first day and night.  I brought along the three magazines you can see on the tray to read.  Since I had to spend and extra day I was down to reading the ads in them.

10-16-2021  Even with all the wake ups for tests during the night I felt fine at 5AM Saturday morning and posted this picture on Facebook

This is the view out my window.

When I down loaded the pictures out of the cameras here was this picture and several more taken at the same time I was taking mine.  It turned out Vera had been taking pictures of the fall colors at that same time and the computer sorted the pictures by when taken.

I was tethered to a monitor the whole time so I could only get to the window, bathroom and foot of the bed.  These IV's were always getting tangled up in things and I was sure glad when they were taken out.

I took a selfie just before dinner Saturday so I could see how bad the bruise was they had been telling me about.  I never had to take any pain medicine except for the three Tylenol they gave me just before the surgery.   

Dinner was really good, I ordered roast beef with mushroom gravy, vegies and potatoes.  You can see the apple pie up in the corner that was pretty good as well.

10-17-2021  Michelle picked up Vera and came down to pick me up today.  Boy does two days in the hospital seem like a long time.  It felt so good to get home.  Everyone at Kaiser Sunnyside was so nice that it was one of the best times I have spent in the hospital.

10-19-2021  James came up today and right away we put him to work moving some Christmas presents that had come.  He filled the pellet stove in the shop for me, then we made a recycling, mail and pellet run in the Blazer that was a lot of fun.  After we got home we walked over to Steve and Dianne's and visited them.  Right away James said I should sit where I didn't have to turn my head much as my neck is a little stiff and sore.  It was a great visit with lots of stories and laughs.

10-21-2021  Things are getting back to normal, well as normal as they get when you are not supposed to lift more than five pounds.  I have been eating great, Cathy and Laury both stopped by and left delicious treats.  I feel great and I made it out to the shop for the first time yesterday.  It only took a couple of hours and I was done for the day.  Hopefully I can get back on a regular schedule of posting here now because it was hard having to go back and remember what went on.