She's a tough little gal but she scared herself really good, sometimes those are the best lessons learned, provided you are around to use the knowledge gained.
Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts.
It's still a tough thing to think about.
Cowden's family is planning a remembrance celebration in Burnet, TX next Saturday, December 1, we are thinking about attending.
We did find enjoyment in spending a long weekend in New Mexico with just our little family. It was a great way to spend some time away, unplug from regular life and be thankful for everything that our Lord has provided.
Plus it snowed all night Thursday and we woke up to a peaceful White Friday!
The Rockies are just grand with snow on the ground!
I get to go under the knife in 69 days. They'll be doing a sigmoidectomy, which is 3-4 hours in surgery, 5-7 days in the hospital recovering, and then a month at home, out of work. Hopefully after all that, this will be behind me. (so to speak, all puns intended)
Sorry to hear that Laura, but glad there is a diagnosis and remedy. I would guess that you’ll shed no tears as 2018 fades in the rear view mirror, this has been a tough one for you, sorry. Better times ahead.
I just got a call from the architects for Kettering Health and they need me back in Ohio for a three day shoot in late January. I hope it’s on a slightly more relaxed schedule than the last trip, but it will most likely be identical, only in cold weather.The Lone Star has spoiled me, I don’t like cold anymore. I do like eating.......and flying.......so I’ll go and get ‘er done!
Jim, we need to meet up this time for sure, before I get sidelined for about 6 weeks. I'll even schlep some of your gear!
(there's snow on the ground right now, but Saturday's supposed to be in the 50's again, no telling what the end of January will be like!)
JWilsonphoto wrote:
I just got a call from the architects for Kettering Health and they need me back in Ohio for a three day shoot in late January. I hope it’s on a slightly more relaxed schedule than the last trip, but it will most likely be identical, only in cold weather.The Lone Star has spoiled me, I don’t like cold anymore. I do like eating.......and flying.......so I’ll go and get ‘er done!
Went to this concert Saturday night as distraction from today's doctor's appointment. The reading from the CT scan sounded way more ominous than what the doc said today, so I'm breathing a sigh of relief. The concert is a tradition around here, where a bunch of local musicians from different bands getting together to perform music of The Last Waltz. This year it got scored so that the symphony could get in on some of the fun too.
I marvel at some people's talent level. My buddy Adam Baker flew me this afternoon in the "Playful" helicopter to shoot a couple of sites and their new HQ building in McKinney. Adam is a relatively low time helo stick, but he went after it and got his commercial rotor and cfi in pretty short order. I've flown with Adam in a number of aircraft, and very close to him in a few more, he is truly a natural. The winds were 20G30 this afternoon and the Guimbal is nice, but it's no 407, yet Adam provided one of the smoothest missions I've ever been on and never broke a sweat. He's like Gunny in that as I am beginning to think about a course change, the aircraft is already initiating it, remarkable. Adam's talent spans rotor, piston, tailwheel, and high energy acro, no muss, no fuss, he just changes hats and flies whatever he is in like a pro.
He is indeed! This was the first time that I flew in his helicopter with him. I was over working at HQ and Adam walked in and said, "Hey, want to do a video shoot?" Twenty minutes later this short film began.......... all handheld, not even a Kenyon attached. That morning, Adam and I discovered that we work pretty well together.
Photographed this Lear Jet 31A in Rogers, Arkansas on Monday and it was 20 degrees outside. My hands were so frozen, thankfully I didn't have to stay outside very long with this one.
Gorgeous day and then into the hangar where it wasn't a sauna like it normally is with these beautiful machines.
Besides getting to photograph a beautiful Lear Jet, on the way back home, stopped off at a highly recommended fried chicken joint in Springdale, Arkansas. Pilots ALWAYS seem to know the best place to eat. For dessert, they had fried peaches and ice cream. Truly believed I was almost in Heaven.
The Guimbal helicopter is pricey, but having a third blade makes it considerably smoother to shoot out of compared to a Robinson. The 407, and 429 are real spoilers though. But then you just moved from $400,000 to $11M so they should be pretty nice. They are so solid and turbine/turbines have that ultra smooth whine, you feel like you're shooting from a magic carpet mounted on rails.
JR and I were talking on Thanksgiving about the business possibilities of an R44 with a Shotover mounted under the nose. I think one could garner a whole lot of business with that combination. My local rate for systems not as technologically advanced as that set up rent for about $2,000 an hour and there's lots of takers. I'm putting together a plan for the spring to shoot a few hours of carefully selected and timed 4K aerial stock around the metroplex so I can go after that market. I've got Adam a hundred feet from HQ who could be up to speed on that rig in no time.
Still warming up to this aircraft. Based upon the AFW 2018 performance it is definitely the vapor cone champ, but it just doesn't have the same effect on me that the F22 does...............
