After last Easter, I trimmed off the lily and put it outdoors in it’s pot. Suddenly, the lily sprouted several flower pods that have been opening over the last few days. Very pretty, even if it blooms on the wrong Holiday.
December 2007
Pink Flamingo Christmas Tree
Finishing up a little pre-Christmas shopping, we were in the old downtown district for some last-minute shopping. At one point, we went into an antique shop where this interesting Christmas tree was on display. Pink tree with pink flamingo light string and pink flamingo ornaments.
Up on the Rooftop – ARF ARF ARF
As we drove to the grocery store this morning, I was astonished to see a big black dog on a rooftop barking at passers by. If I were Santa and the reindeer, I would watch out for this bad boy.
A closer look at the situation revealed that to the rear of this house there appeared to be an open door on a rooftop patio or something. Rover obviously came out through the door – I hope that his people got him back inside before he could fall and injure himself.
Powered Flight – 104th Anniversary
A hundred and four years ago today, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flights from Kill Devil Hill, close to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their history-making effort sparked the greatest period of technology in the United States and abroad.
I took my first flying lesson on December 16th, 1961, just a day short of their 58th anniversary. By then, the sound barrier had been broken, satellites were in orbit, the Russian, Yuri Gagarin had already orbited the Earth, and John Glenn would be in orbit within a couple of months. It was a great time to get into a career in aviation or aerospace.
What makes Wilbur and Orville Wright’s achievement so significant is not only that it was the first time in history that a manned, powered aircraft completed a fully-controlled, sustained flight, but it proved to naysayers around the world that heavier-than-air flight was practical. After the Wrights proved their critics wrong, the field of aeronautical engineering was born. Governments, universities, and inventors soon began dedicating vast resources to understanding the science of flight and methods of building improved flying machines. In essence, every event and discovery in aviation either led up to or followed from the flight of the Wright Flyer, and it changed the way we live forever.
Image and text courtesy of AeroSpaceWeb.org.
Progress Report – Para Warthog
I’ve had my Para Ordinance Warthog for a couple of months now, and it’s finally showing signs of breaking in. Even with brand-new .45 ACP ammo, she would jam – a lot. I mean about once per 10 round magazine – sometimes twice. Gradually, after I learned how much lube this gun needs, she calmed down to one jam every couple of magazines. She’s been getting steadily better as I continue to shoot her every week.
Right – an ejected shell can be seen frozen in mid-flight as I fired the Warthog. Click to enlarge.
Today, I put about 90 rounds through her and she only jammed a couple of times. I got off forty or fifty rounds without a jam at one point. Anyhow, I’m sure that she’ll soon smooth out and start to perform like a competition pistol. I’m keeping the faith ’cause she sure is pretty.
I intended to give a full report on the Para Ordinance Warthog, and I still plan to do so. I just thought it would be a good idea to wait until after the break-in period. Soon, I promise.
Could Be A Christmas Card – Part VI
For the last several years, we have developed a tradition of decorating our Christmas tree with a patriotic theme. Although there are plenty of exceptions, many of the ornaments and lights are red, white and blue. This year, we bought a set of five ornaments from the Patriot Post – one for each of the branches of the military. This is the Marine Corps ornament.
