prisons, cows, records broken, along with hearts

Paul Tjaden · Post by **Paul Tjaden** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:10 am

????Ah, almost one in the morning, and neither Paul or?I can sleep. I accomplished my longest XC, but it was?one of?the shortest accomplished today. It is hard to ignore the bitter taste of my 20 miles when I think of what might of been, but I need to remember the golden eagle (we think that's what it was)?that flew ten feet from me while a bald eagle circled below with some other bird of prey.? I was just one of the birds, a big red and black one, only OK at climbing.
????I need to remember the joy of finally rising high enough to cross the dreaded unlandable area by Mascotte. The laughs I had -- after landing -- when 40 cows stood at attention and slowly crept close to my glider. I tried to turn?Griffin into the wind again so it would be easier to hump her over to the trail I landed near, and I allowed her sail to be caught by a gust. She flipped over and all the cows bolted. The monster has awoken! Run! Griffin?got a little tear in her sail, not too bad.
????I discovered that my "road" (so labeled by my GPS) led straight to the prison. I waited by its gates, cell phone clutched in my hand,?while visitors waved and screamed at me. Hi boys.?????
????Jamie (the man Jamie, rigid pilot) picked me up, and helped my carry my glider and harness out the mile or so I had flown behind a locked gate.
????The fun began then. We heard the best flight was 80 miles or so, and that everyone had returned home. No word from Paul. I figured he was dead since it was 5 PM, cloudless, and we had driven all the way to Gainesville in hopes of raising him on the radio. Too bad, I thought. I will miss him.
????Well.?Paul flew 150 miles. No kidding. Kev broke the Florida record at well over 200 miles. Jim Rooney flew 100 miles -- on his 3rd XC. The bastard.
????So mixed with all this joy for these guys is this wish for doing more myself. This is natural, and good, I think, to expect more from yourself. Except it can make you forget the good things.
????When I got home a half an hour ago, I opened up my Chronicle of the Horse magazine. I was saddened to see my very good old friend Col Wimert had died. But he was 85 and had Parkinson's and has been so sick for a couple of years. I was engrossed reading about him and thinking about him. How he used to want to take Paul's mare, LadyHawke, foxhunting, and how after he got kind of crazy how he would buy horses on a whim if he wasn't carefully watched.
????Then I got to the next column. It reported my friend Beale Morris just died, from a sudden illness. She lived next door to me for years and we used to water ski and eat together besides ride. She was a famous event rider. Her mother, Lana Dupont, was the first woman ever allowed to ride in the Olympics in eventing because she was so good they couldn't keep her out.?Beale was 34 years old. Young, vibrant, very fit. She had her first child maybe 6 months ago. I can't believe she was stolen from us like this. I guess we need to call Neil.
????So this is the reminder. You better grab those days, because you don't know how many you will have. I didn't do the big stuff today but I played the game. I flew with the big brown bird.
????We are so lucky to have the opportunities we have. Don't give them away.
Lauren

Flying Lobster · Post by **Flying Lobster** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:32 am

Congrats to you, Paul, Jim and Kevin on some great flights! Sorry about your losses of friends, you have a good point about living for the day.

Post by **Larry Huffman** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:28 pm

Hi Lauren,
?
Congratulations on your xc! Don't fell so badly about it being shorter than some of the other ones. At this point I would be delighted to get a 20 mile xc. I haven't flown since Florida. Maybe tomorrow.
?
Larry
?
?

?

Paul Tjaden · Post by **Paul Tjaden** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:14 am

Thanks Larry. My little XC was really fun, but driving around for hours picking up everyone who had done so much more made me a little disappointed in myself. It was probably the first good day since you left, so I guess I started to think? I had blown my chance to make a flight of merit.
But I think we are going to have all kinds of good days. Today I am trying for Wallaby again! And tomorrow the clinic starts (with Curt, Kev, Dustin and Brett). Quest is crazy with activity, with pilots preparing for the Flytec. Yesterday maybe 20 people arrived. Very exciting.
Now YOU, young man, go get em today!!!
Lauren

Paul Tjaden · Post by **Paul Tjaden** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:15 am

yeesh, that was not meant for the list, sorry.
Lauren

Post by **brianvh** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 8:03 am

At least throw in some juicy parts if you're gonna do that.

Brian Vant-Hull
301-646-1149

On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 Tjadenhors@aol.com wrote:

> yeesh, that was not meant for the list, sorry.
> Lauren

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