A Good View From the Catwalk

Oregon International Air Show

The last time I was at an air show, it has been reported that I spent the time crying from the noise and wanting to leave.  I don't remember so I must have been very small!  As you can guess, I wasn't too excited to go to the air show going on this weekend...and I wasn't too sure how much the kids would enjoy it either.  But, as the wife of an Air Traffic Controller, I think it is a kind of requirement to attend these things (I am already more knowledgeable about airplanes than I care to admit).  Anyway, there are perks, and one of them was that we got to watch the show from the catwalk that wraps around the top of the control tower!  It felt a little like royalty up there, like I should wave slowly and methodically to everyone down below and maybe throw a kerchief.  Later in the evening, the kids were even taken into the tower to spy on the airplanes with binoculars.  They had a blast pretending to be controllers and practicing their foosball techniques (a common past time in between shifts at the tower).  We also had our own personal beer garden and BBQ out on the lawn.  I'm definitely going again next year, and this time no dragging my feet!  No Blue Angels to report, but, there were fireworks, ice cube fights among the kids, and parachuters.

This summer is just flying by with too many fun things to document!  Next week, we are heading out into the deep woods for some primitive time with our cookstove and tent building skills...should make for some more good photos.

What's to See at an RC Air Show?

Note:  This is my husbands hairy leg, my leg hair is much blonder

Loudspeaker that can be heard continents away

Remote Control Planes

We drove out into the far reaches of Banks, Oregon, past cherry trees, vineyards, and u-pick berry farms.  Finally we arrived at the 30th annual RC (Remote Control) Air Show.  There was an old fashioned loudspeaker (standard military issue style) hanging from a tree.  A sweet old woman passed around stick planes to the kids (it took 5 minutes before I was fishing one out of a tree).  A neat band was playing Johnny Cash remakes and the like under a tarp awning.  We ate really good hot dogs and I drank really bitter coffee (think trucker flavor).  Unbelievable airplane stunts went on in front of us that would make any pilot hurl and any passenger file a lawsuit, if these were actual life size planes.  We watched a flying lawnmower do loop de loops.  There was air combat.  I loved every minute of it.  I think I'll go back next year.  Here's where to find this fantastic (and obscure) outing.

Another Beachy Getaway + Air Museum

You may know that I can't stay home ever, and am always wanting to discover new getaways.  This week's adventure found us heading towards Tillamook.  We wanted to check out the cheese factory.  Did you know that they make blocks of cheese that are 45lbs?  But that place is a zoo, I recommend getting in and out and not even bothering for free samples.  Rather, we drove back down the road towards the Blue Heron French Cheese Company which was much more quaint and relaxing.  How can a petting zoo and wine tasting not be??  We bought some cheese curds in lime and dill which came in handy when we decided spur of the moment to stop at the Air Museum.  We ate our cheese and watched through the wind shield as a guy armed with GPS was trying to act nonchalant while (obviously) searching for a geocache.  Hilarious.  Inside the Air Museum, my favorite things were the old hand painted graphics on the planes, the mannequins serving to depict what war was like back in the 40s, and the huge wood structure that housed it all (15 stories high and worth the trip just to see that).  Meanwhile my adorable husband (who is an air traffic controller and completely enamored by anything with wings except birds) explained things like...umm...well I can't remember, but I know he was especially excited by the Tomcat because it has movable wings.  You'd think that would all have been enough of an outing for one day but no, we continued on to the beach listening appropriately and coincidentally to NPR about WW11 and why it has been concluded by scholars with no political preference (of course) that the bombing of Japan was unnecessary in ending the war.  We took extra long getting to Rockaway Beach because there was a horrible accident involving a bicyclist (still sending hope that way).  I've always thought I was just a baby about riding in traffic, but now feel my concerns have been validated.  All that was left of the bicyclist was a shoe and a lot of blood.  Scary.  Finally arriving at a lovely uncrowded stretch of Rockaway Beach, I actually took off my sweatshirt and  got some sun.  I realized that it's not so cold if you stay close to the warm sand.  I read a book.  The kids made sand castles with Matt.  We ate leftovers from the cooler.  As the day ended, the waves turned silver, pelicans fished swooping in line with each other (dinosaurs in our modern sky), the temperature called us back home, and I thought about being thankful.

Lately, Airplanes and Date Day

I love Date Day.  Matt has weekday days off so we get to sneak away while the kids are in school and enjoy just us.  This week, we went into Portland for some more metal for my studio and some great Italian food.

Sterling Silver Tubing

Buying metal is dangerous business.  First of all, it's expensive and second of all, I can think of a million reasons (jewelry designs) to buy a lot of it.  I also got some fun tools:  a disc cutter, some pliers, a tube cutting jig, and some other little things. 

Then we found a great Italian place downtown, Pazzo Ristorante.  I think marinara is the key to good Italian food, and this place had great sauce!  I ordered manicotti, and Matt had a pesto pizza, and we shared a tasty bottle of Montepulciano.....and later a piece or tiramisu.  The atmosphere was dark and private...we easily stayed for two hours.  Divine!!

We have quite a few reasons to be celebratory lately.  My jewelry making endeavor is becoming quite the source of happiness for me and Matt's new job is going well for him.  In fact, last week found Matt flying with a group of nine airplanes in formation just for kicks.  I can't believe he got invited to do that!!  Here's some photos he took while flying out of his airport with a group of guys that fly together just for fun.

"Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness." ~Kahlil Gibran

B17

Just because...this is a great photo to share!

My man and the B17, Liberty Belle

I guess it costs a pretty penny to take a ride in this beauty; $400 for 17 minutes is all.  Matt got a free ground tour, and got to be its controller while it flew some tourists around.  Pretty cool.

Edward Shenton and Goodbye Oklahoma Forever

Extra strong coffee this morning to fuel the packing and cleaning that today demands.  We leave Oklahoma tomorrow!!  (No offense, Oklahoma, but I'm not going to miss you and I hope I never see you again...that's how I really feel.)


As a congratulations gift for Matt, I ordered him an Edward Shenton giclee print from Art.com.  I want all of Shenton's airplane art, I love the simplicity of the design, bold colours, and movement that seems inherent in each one.


I got Matt this one (it reminds me of the day he proposed to me since he took us up in a little prop plane):

"Good Visibility"

Here are some of Shenton's other works...I love them all.

"Curtis Jenny"

"Charles Lindbergh"

"An American Monoplane"

"Ornithopter 1928"

"Launching a Glider..."