Eugene Fly Fest

Today we took the mini-musemobile and "Big" Ed to the Eugene Fly Fest, The first plane was an old Canadian RCAF, bright yellow-orange fighter. As you can see the day was beautiful.


This is an emergency rescue helicopter that was on display.


I'm not sure what this Air Force plane was but it was definetly not an F-16.


Scrabble Queen and Ed talked to this young man about a flying lesson. He flies out of Hobby Airport in Creswell. It was pretty crowded at times and sometimes people walked in front of the camera. Her pants reminded me of the 70's wild colors and patterns so I left this picture in the blog.


Two of the snazzy experimentals put together by avid flying enthusiasts.


I liked this open cockpit plane that sat several people one behind the other.


This was my favorite experimental home grown plane.


I hate that I missed this bi-plane in a clear shot it was beautifully painted and had many very nice touches like the wooden propeller.


This was the crowd pleaser of the show an Idaho Coast Guard plane - again it was another open cockpit - very nice.


Cool shot od the one jet I saw there with wings folded.


Click on this picture for the larger version. The writing above the words "Sting Sport" tells about the Ballistic Chute in the rear of this plane that floats this baby down to earth in an emergency.


Well this and other experimental planes carry a Passenger Warning ~ "amateur built and does not comply with Federal Safety Regulations for Standard Aircraft."


This was a cool blue plane capable of landing on water.


They also has some nive Motor Coaches like this one on sale for just under $700,000. It was nice but we do live our Musemobile.


In the middle of all the hug motor homes was this excellently preserved Studebaker Lark.

I liked this picture's composition with both doors up in a gull-wing configuraton


As we were leaving the Reach helicopter in my second picture was called out for a rescue and taxied out to the runway and away from the crowd.


... and off it went.


Going out of the parking lot I spotted this hot rod and took a quick picture.


On the way back to Ed's place we spotted these two folks. Eugene is a place where hippies and roamers still exist. They were at a bust street corner. The woman was asleep (I hope still breathing) on the sidewalk and the guy was eating. I will have to one day stop and get the story on the circumstance of the street corner people prevlent in Eugene and Downtown Portland.

My Oregon Tradition - Jung's and Baseball

There are some things that always seem perfect in that they never fail to satisfy. Yesterday I finished my latest Dean Koontz book called Velocity and it was compelling and fast paced as all of his books have been for me. Now please understand the books Koontz writes are often based on a pretty grisly premise and not for the faint of heart or those who take their books literally and that's a caution. The other thing that always is satisfying (for me) is eating at Jung's Mongolian Grill in Eugene off of West 11th next to the Target.


The Mongolian grill features a huge circular grill where you go after picking your ingredients and sauces. The grill master then cooks for up to 8 people by constantly turning, spatulating and otherwise mixing your food on the very hot grill.


He usually puts the meats selections on the bottom and the veggies in the middle with the noodles on top.


When all the ingredients are ready he slides them onto a plate for you and you chow down to a great meal you picked out to make a unique mixture.


Well I was lucky enough to go to Jungs's because Isaac had a slow pitch softball game tonight. The evening sky was great and fall is in the air now.


There were three fields so we searched for the one Isaac was playing on tonight.


We found it and got there just in time to see Isaac playing first base, my old position. Here he is standing behind the knuckles of the batter


Again there is Isaac at the first base position. (remember you can click on the picture for a larger view)


I just love the Oregon sky in the fall - simply great.


Finally the game was over and I took one more picture.


Scrabble Score - Scrabble Queen 289 ~ The Contender 326 Yahoo (not to be mistaken for the copywritten Yahoo)

Quote of the Day ~ "There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened." ~ Tommy Lasorda quotes (American Baseball Player and Coach, b.1927)

Westfir Casey's Riverside

Casey's Riverside RV is a cool place on the Willamette river East of our home. Little touches like this hammock.


The River is pretty full and fast here and the views all around are very special.


This double swing is in the perfect place to view the convergence of the North fork of the Willamette and THE Willamette.


The musemobile seems to be happy here with good Satellite TV and WiFi connections.


The drive we took today started out in the town of Westfir driving under a railroad trestle that takes trains over the river.


Then through a forest with ever increasing (in size) pines.


We stopped at a pullout and were greeted with this beautiful forest sight.


The pullout was the trailhead for a nice forest hike and it was called Constitution Grove, because these giant old growth pines were young trees when the Constitution of the U.S. was signed.


Click on this picture to enlarge it and read the inscription.


Many of the trees have signs with the names of the signers of the Constitution this one is George Washington.


... and this one is James Madison (looks like someone disagrees about his State)


... Alexander Hamilton


...finally Ben Franklin


At the head of the trail there is a sign to appropriately start the hike with the Declaration of Independence.


From there you can go to find more signs with the signers names and walk among the 250 foot tall pines and cedars.


On the way back we stopped by an old swimming hole but found no skinny dippers at this one.


That shot was taken from this bridge with directions back to Constitution Grove.


The river is lovely here


People even fish here and it's a great spot for wild or domesticated trout.



But sometimes becomes a disaster as this fill stream carved a chunk out of the hill and the road below.



On the way back we saw this painting on a wall outside of the town. Pretty cool but I have no idea what it means.









Then there is the Westfir Covered Bridge, the longest covered bridge in Oregon and a beautiful one at that.


The Westfir Inn a beautiful B&B is for sale if anyone is interested - it's next to the covered bridge and a beautiful place. If any of our friends from Massachusetts want to move it's the perfect place. It's also just downstream from some of the greatest "Wild Trout" fly fishing in the country. See the guy in the next picture.


Fishing for his boots several boulders away.


Scrabble Score - Scrabble Queen 323 - the Contender 301 (I knew I needed to give up this game)

Quote of the Day ~ "Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." ~ Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) Little known fact:
Benjamin Franklin wrote the first Declaration of Independence!

In 1775, Franklin, disgusted with the arrogance of the British and appalled by the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord, wrote a Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was enthusiastic. But, he noted, many other delegates to the Continental Congress were "revolted at it." It would take another year of bitter conflict to persuade the Congress to vote for the Declaration of Independence written by Jefferson -- with some astute editorial suggestions by Franklin.