Two Ways to Move a Helicopter

You might feel surprised by how maneuverable a grounded helicopter may seem. Some, such as Tommy's have removable wheels on each skid.

Once you accept Randy's offer to help you push the helicopter out of the hangar, you can remove the wheels, as shown below.

OR . . . you can land the helicopter, nimbly, masterfully, on a wheeled pad, a picture of which I show above, then pull it into the hangar with the truck. 

This pad needs a repaired wheel. 

I noted these old chalks on the moveable heli pad. Not needed here, except to make an interesting photograph. 

Mankins

            I saw Mankins on the list of Ghost Towns of Texas. We stopped by there this afternoon to take a look. Take note of the construction of the walls, particularly the storage barn door, which seems reminiscent of what we might see on the Greek isles in their own construction methods of taking stones from other structures and from other places to construct new buildings.

This small building stands on the side of Hwy 82, eighteen-wheelers rushing past it at sixty miles per hour. 

On the front door, Fedex had left a note.

The white figure at the top of the stairs looks like a gargoyle, one of several we saw standing guard at the entrances of the two dwellings. 

Ghost Towns of Texas: McClean

          McClean held a Prisoner of War camp during WWII, housing 3000 inmates from enemy nations, predominantly Germany. This spring, I saw flowers and agave plants growing over any foundations that they may have left after removing the 20 or 30 buildings of the prison. Our visit seemed particularly striking with the storm in the short distance, and the single images subsequently enhanced by HDR.

Windmills at the Panhandle Plains Museum

The exciting facade of the Panhandle Plains Museum.

Ambling Through a Ranch

       My post consists of some things I saw as I ambled across a ranch for a couple of days. Out of several hundred pictures, I chose the ones I thought would remind me of my week in the Texan Panhandle and which I had not posted previously.

Cowboys gathering hay.

Still smoldering hay that burned five days ago.

An abandoned barn falling down.

Wheat surrounding a windmill.

Harvesters waiting for the rain to stop falling overnight.

Brad fumigating the cattle.

Pretty, curious, and wary cows.

Pretty, curious, and wary horses.

Turkey Vulture nest at the abandoned ramp.

Valleys through which  .  .  . 

.  .  .  the antelope roam.

Rabbits watching out for predators.

Prairie Dogs barking at my approaching truck.

A Mourning Dove sitting in a Mesquite Plant.

When they can, birds living in barns.

And a gas well surrounded by flowers.

Curious Horses

Will's horses approached us to say hello.

Rivers. No, Channing

       Channing, with the smallest population in Texas, maintains a school from Kindergarden to Grade Twelve.  The town at first had the name Rivers. I found these tidbits on the Texas Escapes web site. The city is surrounded by vast, unendless views of undulating country, this year embellished by flowers. We stopped in Channing this afternoon for lunch at the Cowgirl Cafe (How the West Was Won!). The ingredients in the food were fresh and put together by a lady who knows how to cook. The middle picture shows the First United Methodist Church. The red roof of this historical landmark caught my eye.

Antelopes Have Cute Rumps