More Good Fun at the Airshow

Hot and humid but still a lot of fun – this time in Rockford.

Some people were creative in how they entered the show. If you got there late you had to sit where they put you.

Some of the jets went pretty fast. The Harrier, however, just kind of hung-around and didn't go anywhere. (Watch the video below to see what I mean.)

The Thunderbirds - they're a close-knit bunch.

(Click on pictures for a larger image.)

Southern WI Airfest

This weekend my daughter and I spent an enjoyable Saturday afternoon together at the Southern Wisconsin Airfest watching the Canadian Forces SnowBirds, Les Shockley (SuperShockwave Twin Engine Jet Truck) and Rich's Incredible Pyro with Skip Stewart, F-16 and F-18 fighters, Susan Dacy and the USAF Thunderbirds. Turn up the volume on your speakers and enjoy the videos and pictures we took - we sure had fun taking them.

You can also watch this on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeZpjgOsRfQ

The Erector Set

We went on an adventure last weekend – to the farthest depths of the storage garage. Even when you think all that is in there is stuff that you don’t need anymore, you find stuff that is very difficult to part with – let alone just throw away. Some things were sold – an antique (arched style) table radio, old Beatles records, and some favorite toys long outgrown by our kids. Sometimes you uncover favorites you didn’t remember that you still had; things that have been in the family for many years – with sentimental value to go along with actual value. One of those forgotten items is the erector set shown in these pictures. I played with this when I visited my Grandmother’s house and overtime it was handed down to me. The projects would take considerable amount of time to build – along with patience as you pushed the dozens of rubber grommets onto the little pins. If you were ambitious you would do one of the projects with the electric motor. The outcome would sit around awhile, because it would take some effort to dismantle it and get it back in its metal box. The erector set didn’t have the same attraction to my sons - not as flashy as the newer toys, but today’s plastic toys only last so long. When all is said and done, the real rubber grommets still hold up, the metals pieces still survive – as well as the hinged metal box and latch. Oh, did I say the instructions are in English too.

A Different Kind of Project

Even though I enjoy woodworking, sometimes my energy is diverted in different directions. Recently I helped my wife on a publishing project. We had come across an old children’s story book from the 1890’s at a library book sale. The title said Kindergarten Stories and Morning Talks, but these stories weren’t your usual simple nursery rhymes. They’re stories that talk to children – not “down” to them. They entertain and teach at the same time.

Through stories about everyday life the importance of manual work – and in its various forms – is shown its proper respect, along with building strong character and faith. There are also stories which highlight the beautiful things God has created and their purpose. The stories were originally intended to be part of a kindergarten curriculum so they are in a week-by-week format for an entire school year and they are for both boys and girls.

What was my part in this? I took the small text and made it easier to read and then added pictures from that era, or even earlier, to help bring the time period to life. It was a fun project that I would like to do again. You can see more here – also, look for the link to a sample story.