I've been taking a few photos over the past week or so and I thought you might like to see what we've been up to.
It seems that we're located in right spot for the real 'snow birds'. Towards evening each night they gather nearby to head for their roost. Thousands of these aerial ballerinas swoop around in such synchronized harmony I'm convinced they do it just for fun and to entertain us humans.
Our good friends Bill and June from Michigan stopped by on their whirlwind RV buying trip to southern Florida. Joining the ranks of class "A" owners they'll now get a chance to travel in style and enjoy pouring money into a mechanical house on wheels. We always like others to get seriously into RV'ing as misery does love company sometimes. We're sure pleased they decided to head our way on the return trip. We tried to wear them out showing them all the local attractions and even serving them some of the famous "royal reds" in the two days they were here. These over-sized deep-water shrimp are bright red in color and taste like lobster. Oh so good.
We took them over to the Pensacola Naval Air Museum which, by-the-way has one great warbird collection. Currently being completely remodeled and expanded, it is an ever changing collection of the US Navy's aircraft. The museum is also adjacent to the home the the famous Navy Blue Angels aerobatic squadron.
Above is one of their F-18's that has been retired because of old age. Most may think that the team flies only new aircraft but in fact they only fly ones that are destined to retire soon. New aircraft always are deployed directly to the fleet for duty. This one and the remaining aircraft are in a holding area behind the museum waiting for a spot in one of the museums restoration hangers.
Here's a group of old Navy and Marine helicopters. Of note ... the snappy green one (to the left) with the big rounded nose is like the one I used to hang out side door and take pictures when I was in the service. This is a Marine version and the one I was on was a beautiful Army olive drab. Lots of noise and really ugly.
A closer look at this plane may bring back some memories for some of you oldsters, movie buffs or history lovers. It's a nearly identical Lockheed Model 10 Electra to the one that Amelia Earhart flew in her attempt to circle the globe in 1937.
I don't exactly remember what this plane is (looks like a B-47) but this is largest jet ever flown on and off an aircraft carrier. It's wing tips were within 19 feet of the 'island' when landing making the approach pretty hairy. We were told that they took more than a dozen take-offs and landings to prove that in an emergency, large jets could land on a carrier.
This picture is just to let my old friend George had a plane named after him. Actually its really a WWII Japanese Shiden Kai (meaning violet lightening modified) dive bomber renamed a 'George' by US forces.
Bill, not wanting to miss a single shot, hangs precariously out our high speed bus risking life and limb to get that perfect image.
Across the street from the museum is the naval base's light house. Still in working order, it still commands an imposing position on the shoreline. June, being a fan of lighthouses wherever they are planted, wanted to climb to the top but time was short so maybe next time.
Now wait a minute ... is that her peeking out the window up there?
So there you go. A little update on what's been going on down here.
The winds are still howling outside but my fingers are as tired as is my mind so we'll continue another day.
Still livin' the dream.
Phil
