Holly and I went to Blue Sky for the weekend, and had a really awesome day yesterday. It was a small-but-happy crowd---only us, Bill Priday, Daniel Shapiro, Bob Fuller, and Rance Rupp. Flying was nothing to write home about, with most folks getting less than an hour. I did a late afternoon aerotow to 2500' which was nice. I've got calm-air aerotowing down cold now, so I saved the rest of my tows for today, when I'll get up in some more challenging mid-afternoon conditions (and hopefully find some lift to work).
Call us less-than-hardcore pilots if you want, but Holly I love just hanging out at Blue Sky even if we don't fly. It's our "country club on the cheap." We almost never come down here without doing some sports other than flying. Yesterday we did a 5-6-mile flatwater paddle on the Pamunkey River, one of the wildest rivers in Virginia. Just beautiful. Cool water, only the sounds of Scarlet Tanagers and thrushes in the forests.
We had a relaxing dinner around the campfire, drinking cold beer, grilling burgers and fresh zucchini and squash from Tex's vegetable garden by the hangar. Lots of talk and laghter, and I wore my thumbs out playing my mbira.
A highlight of the evening was Tex preparing a nice, crunchy June Bug Burger. Yes! It's true---he rounded up a dozen or so of the beetles (recently hatched after the rains), toasted them in a skillet and slapped 'em on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and condiments. "Mmmm!" said Tex after chewing a mouthful of the critters (to much laughter and face-making from the rest of us). Daniel was brave enough to sample the local fare as well.
After dinner I took a cold shower under the stars (which felt awesome in the heat) and we slept like babies in the bunkhouse.
Excellent day...and I couldn't possibly care less that we didn't fly more.
Scott
June Bug Burgers
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