Our First Day

Since I started flying I have always wanted to fly up here to see the "lakes" in Ithaca, New York no real reason just because. I took off from home base excited and flew along the first 100 miles or so in mild choppy air and then I saw the point I have never been past and looming ahead was some high mountains that seemed to go on forever. After I landed I seemed to have ants in my pants. I asked the FBO (who happen to be a fantastic group of folks) to fuel her up as I was going to eat a snack and Girly Plane and I had to head out again  When you wander around the skies up here its lake upon lake upon lake with unbelievable ruffs along each lake. Funny after flying over two hours up I ended up circling a few sail boats and I didn't want to land. The sky was slowly saying good night and I made my way back to my home base. I tied Girly Plane down and tapped her cowling...you did a great job! This might seem silly to you, but its what we do, those that fly..By this time I was starving and near death and it was time to leave the airport. Funny, I have a very hard time leaving my "real" home base airport and I was lingering here in Ithaca as a Dash commuter plane was taking off..such cool planes. My buddy Chris said I had to go to the Ithaca Brewery..yuck..hehe...I headed out and my GPS took me to some abandoned buildings? WTH? I couldn't locate it and phone number didn't work..really? I drove to the hotel and THANK GOD they helped me..I was breathing shallow and my lips were blistering and I was parched...they had moved and nothing had been updated in GPS. Go figure..in any case Ms. Erin picked my dinner and beer for the closing to a great begining of my trip and I had a full belly and had some great beer...I seem to be an idiot when it comes to posting pictures..so I will label them. 1. The spot that I have never been past while flying-was wierd and I don't know why. 2.These windmills greeted me in New York - I really dig them. 3. My first view of Cayuga Lake the longest lake 4. A large winery I marveled at. 5. I found this really cool falls on Seneca Lake. 6. The best place to have a beer..I ended up sitting outside and enjoyed the crowd and chilly temps.

Adventure

Ok so here goes..leaving a day early to make my destination due to weather moving in....Girly Plane begged me and I caved...she is all packed AND I even have more than 3oz of lotion and shampoo which are allowed ..no worries..as FLYGIRL AIR allows...LOL....I have this hunger for taking her and plugging holes in the sky and screaming HAY to the world. My passion runs deep...almost to an addiction you might say...no matter is what it is..who I am through and through, something I have been fascinated with a long time and even I cannot explain the pure freedom and peace it gives me. Today, we are off for a trippy "yea I have MEism words" drives some people insane and I can't help it. So, if you want pour a cup of java and follow along as if you were sitting in my passenger seat...kinda wish you were..really...this picture depicts Girly Plane at our barn where I feel the most at ease..and where I simply can be ME.

Exploring

The best laid plans should not always come to be. What I mean is you need to appreciate that you can adapt and be willing to embrace the unknown.  I have been an explorer of sorts for many years...looking for who knows what? I wasn't always like this..when I was younger I conformed to standards that I always questioned. Why can I not be unique and quirky...traveling through life having to or being told to fit in...I like to laugh and be silly and enjoy every second. I am planning once again to embark on another discovery of me, flying in the skies and just going with the flow...who knows were I might happen to end up...:-) I am so very excited to embrace this next flying journey.

Realizing "IT" on the list

Do you have a "list"? Not a grocery list, not a list of things to be done/fixed around the house...but a "LIST"?...the one that belongs to only you, the one list that might find you staring up at the sky wondering when your time will come to tackle your list......do you have it written down somewhere? I don't.....my list happens to change like the seasons, ebbing and flowing like a stream. 

I used to write and plan things that I might like to accomplish in my life, I find that as the seasons pass and the sands of time drift, so do I.  It's a more relaxed way for me, freedom to perhaps experience or jump onto something I might never have thought of before or that I have decided brings very little fear to me at this stage of my life.

Each time I embark on a trippy it's scratching my list a bit for no real reason, I find that I want to wander through the clouds, over the mountains, following rivers to see what it is I can find to experience or challange myself to stretch a bit more...what some might call a comfort zone, I cannot stay put there.

Tomorrow I hope to scratch my itch.....

Bucket List

This time next week.....I hope to be on trippy where I've talked about going foreva......my one buddy rags on me....I ain't neva been able to get there...please weather gods...favor a little bitch who needs to be a bird..it can't be much too ask for.

It's dreams and bucket list's that keep us alive, don't ya think? I only wish I could kidnap someone to share with....but...IWBF (i will be fine)

Planning this trippy has probably been the most relaxed....adventure to the nines....strive to end in this zone...the unknown world of adventure...I really jell well here...not surprising if you know me.

I promise to share with only you that follow where I go and what I end up doing...

keep your toes, eyes, and legs crossed....I need all the help I can getttttttttttttttttt... :-)

Simply the truth

Amazingly I am blessed with a hobby that I share with my main squeeze Bar and my buds...I took off today in search of the colors of Fall and found myself far from home.  I was wondering around the mountains and really lost myself....this flying bug I have consumes me and gives me the utmost peace and comfort that I'm at a loss of words of how I came to be here.

The sheer beauty of our world never ceases to humble me and I cannot fathom how I am fortunate to have the freedom I have to fly where the wind blows me.

I landed at home base and fell into my hubby's arms and simpy said "thank you".........you see he introduced me to flying and since then I have become a junkie to it's sweet nectar.

Nuff said......you might or might not get this......I'm okay with that.......simply needed to share it.

The Real Reason

I must share the real reason I took my trippy....it all began with my buddy Pat - whom I have always called "old biddy bitch" and before you think I'm too tough with my words....I am and he's okay with that.  You see if you are endeared to me...which I hope you are - I always come up with a nick-name for you...it is what it is...Pat is one of those guys that has a huge heart and is the oldest one of our crew.  There are four crew members: Pat, Barry, ME, and  Gordo (munkey)..we fell into the "crew" by way of "just because" at Bermudian Airpark where we all have planes and fly them with simple quiet grace...most times...:-)

In December "Old Biddy Bitch" turned 60 years young and 3 months later I turned 50 years young and when I opened my hangar the weekend of my main event - there was a pink (yuck) wrapped book titled "Women in Aviation" and inside the first page Old Biddy Bitch - wrote the following:

Happy Birthday, Hell Bitch.... I hope this book inspires you, however in order to achieve aviation greatness you must submit to the teachings of the "Three Wise Men". Just sayin...LOL


I turned page after page of short stories of some really amazing women, I was enamored by a few that I wondered by slim margin if I might be able to actually meet them...I can't tell you why I wanted too but I did.  I made a few notes and realized for my trippy the first main event for me had to start in "Kitty Hawk" where flying was born - it's where I had to trek too and was my target from day one.

The last designation for me was to head west and I found myself by the most amazing luck of the draw in Smith Mountain Lake meeting some new friends while the last main event I had was to visit the "Flying Circus" where Marty Goppert had once flown a Stearman and I wanted to meet her.  By happenstance over the summer I was introduced to Jana at my home base- Bermudian Valley - and while chatting she mentioned she happened to be a wing-walker at the "Flying Circus"?? I said you do what???  So, intriguing and my curiosity kicked into overdrive..I wanted to know the whys, hows, and when..My goal now was to see Jana wing-walk at the Circus and maybe meet Marty..our world really is so small.

Time tables or the stars don't always align and I'm okay with that, I adapt very well when it comes to flying.  The reason I mention this is Jana was not going to make it to the Circus when I was there...I believe that things happen for a reason and it kinda was in the cards for me to meet Chuck the wing-walker for on that day Girly Plane and I got to fly into the Circus.  It's so cool how things fell into place..kismet and a WAY cool way to end my trippy.

While during my trippy I met some of the most unique, amazing, friendly folks; it was when I was allowed to fly into the Circus that I was on another cloud nine...you ever hear about things happening in "three's" well they happened in "ten's" for me the entire trippy...please, please tell me why?????  While mentioning the reason I had the Circus as the last main event of my trippy to Chuck the wing walker his pilot Jim overheard me...however, with tight time constraints and a show about to begin we never got to chat...

Fast forward to two weeks after my trippy and I receive a call from Jim who explains that he is a friend of Marty's and he mentioned me to her and she wondered if I might call her?????..You see she was intrigued that someone wanted to meet her...dunny...(funny my MEism) let me clarify something or rather admit something........my husband whom I love to discuss candid and passionate any topic...had quite a lengthy conversation about this and he said perhaps it was simple gender bias and the fact she's a woman flying a Stearman.   Truth -  it's simple I read about Marty and was just curious......curiosity is something I've never been able to run away from...I always will and do run towards it...and I really liked her story...and YES it was cool she flew a Stearman...hehe..get it...?

I called Marty Goppert and we exchanged stories of flying, the how did you get into flying, how many hours do you fly, and what is it about flying that attracts you.....for me the freedom and being free from all things above our beautiful world.

I was giddy as a child after our call and we promised to keep in touch and I hope we do..if not for another reason than to swap and exchange stories on occasion.  The irony is when the book was written she was 51 years young and living an adventerous life and when I look in the mirror...hmmm...well you get the jist...life is after all and should be an adventure.

It is my humble belief we should never close the door on new opportunities, reach out and grasp them and find a place for them in yourself...you might surprise yourself and find a new friend.