Earning Endorsements

      I just about sputtered this morning. Looking at my sources of weather information, I saw in big, bold, and red letters: Windshear. While the automated weather observations system at the airport indicated winds at eight knots, sky clear, visibility ten miles, the terminal area forecast showed winds of over fifteen knots gusting to twenty-six, with a ceiling of 1,800 in some parts, and 3,500 broken in others. Confused about the data, I waited to see what Martin would say.

      "It's perfect weather for flying!" he said. "Let's go do touch-and-goes!"

     
      It was so marvelous to me to find a hole in the clouds and fly through it to the top. I had done this before, but today was infinitely more memorable; and then when Martin announced that I earned my complex aircraft and high performance aircraft endorsements, my spirit soared.
     "It was a perfect day for earning my endorsements," I said to him.
     "Why? It was bumpy and windy!" That is why, I thought to myself.

Young White-winged Doves Roosting on a Wall

    Surreptitiously moving from tree to tree, camera in hand, I approached two juvenile white-winged doves sitting atop a wall. Interesting to note that their plumage develops around the necessary wings, then around their necks and heads.

Old Ol' Covered Wagon

     What a delight to come upon an old wagon in the grass. What surprise! "Must be over hundred years old," said Clay, and then added, "Don't know how it got there." Thistle and nightshade flowers surrounded the old wagon.

Bishop's Weed

Tall Scurfy Pea

Note: This is one I need to check to confirm its identification.

Texas Toadflax

Note: I may not have identified this one correctly.

Golden Prairie Clover

Prolific Pricklys

The prickly pear cacti bloom impressively this year. 

I hope to have images of them at full bloom in a week or so. 

Future Fritillaries

Larvae on the passionflower in my garden.

Visit Wikipedia to view information on the life cycle of the Gulf Fritillary.

      Update: After a nice rain, the passionflowers opened . . . While I have counted thirty-two passionflowers opened, today I saw five, which is equally as beautiful.

And below I show a larva dangling from the passionflower vine. Could not resist capturing this image.

Rudbeckia hirta

Bark Art

Meanwhile, At Ye Ol' House

      Vultures lurk atop the chimneys of ye ol' house. 

Volunteer in My Garden: Carolina Larkspur

Hail Storm

      My celebration of rain became bittersweet when hail the size of golf balls plummeted through the branches and a tornado struck Oklahoma.

Infrared camera image post-processed with Silver Efex.

The following images are color post-processed the same way.

Infrared: Abandoned House

An old place surrounded by old trees lends itself to infrared images. 

(Beautifully post-processed by Nik's  Silver Efex.)

F14: A Relevant Little Airfield

      A little airport, founded in 1946, sits at Lat/Long north 33 degrees, 56.86 minutes / west 98 degrees, and 36.97 minutes, elevation 1005 feet MSL, near the town of Iowa Park in North Texas.

     Most airplanes at Wichita Valley Airport are small (big on fun, though), such as RVs, Cubs, Pitts, Extras, and home-built. There are at least two helicopters that I've seen so far, including the emergency helicopters from the hospital popping in for some aviation fuel at a reduced price. On the field, too, there is a crop-dusting company with two or three Air Tractors.

     The aviation community there gather en masse on most weekends to fly or mess around with their aircraft. They are a friendly bunch who gather at Pat's home every Sunday for the "Prior Meeting," that is, "prior to supper at the Thai Orchid" meeting.

     Brian at his blog speaks of their friendliness one day when he stopped by for a burger:

     http://brainsflight.blogspot.com/2007/06/wichita-valley-airport-f14-thank-you.html

     In the fall, the airport hosts the "Pumpkin Plummet." Cubs and 172s -- even the twin engine Piper on the field -- fly the pattern and drop pumpkins at a target on the grass.

     MyMrMallory and I flew over the field today and snapped a couple of shots. Here is one of the photos taken from the west.

For more information about Wichita Valley Airport, click here.

     Wichita Valley Airport foments the aviation culture in the Wichita Falls area, and reflects its rich history in aviation.

Update: Unsatisfied with the images we had taken, MyMrMallory again flew the helicopter for another attempt, this time from 2,500' MSL. Below are some of the images I took.

      View of F14 from the south. Grass runway 4 is to the left. The location of the original terminal is at lower right. A couple of old hangars now serve as workshops. Lore has it that an airplane sits still in one of those hangars, once totaled by a flood in that corner of the airfield.

The view from the northeast shows grass runway 22. 

      My favorite image so far. (I say "so far" because MyMrMallory still wants to make another attempt at an angle from the top.) The small grass runway to the left is 16; to the right, paved runway 13.

Coluber Constrictor

   A young one, slithering farther inside its den, away from two (also young) men 

gathering stones in a wheat field. 

Collared Lizard in the Grass

Barn Owl Mom and Nestlings

Three nestling barn owls, and another egg (bottom right in image).