The View from the Outhouse

Hello friends from Silty Slough. I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. It has been so long since I posted a view I had to go to the hangar and retrieve the classified archives sitting beside Kari’s Corvette. I want to keep my story straight and not repeat myself. As I continue the journey around the sun I’m trying not to let the old man in. When I’m writing or talking I try to remember if I’ve already told that story. When I’m writing or talking I try to remember if I’ve already told that story.

The river started to freeze up nice a week ago then the temp warmed up and the rains started. 34 degrees today at 11am. It’s not looking good for a trip to the post office anytime soon.

The day after the big road trip adventure with brother EJ, I jumped right into my next adventure.

I may have mentioned in an earlier view that I ran into my friend and former neighbor Lars at Costco. He flies a corporate jet for a company in Anchorage. He mentioned that it was hard to keep pilots, they keep moving on to airline jobs. Now he is just using contract pilots instead of a full time pilot. I made the remark, “Too bad I’m too old”. He asked, “Do you want to fly? I thought about a half second and said sure. It will be good to have to think about something other than building a cabin and doing everything it takes to live 60 miles from the end of the road. One minor problem, since I had heart surgery I don’t have the required FAA medical certificate. I’ll call the doctor and get on it right away. So after about a year of stress tests, heart monitors, doctor visits, and letters to and from the FAA, I finally received my medical.

I let Lars know right away. We set up a time and did some training. Lars is very patient teaching an old dog new tricks. I hadn’t flown a jet in the ATC system for 6 years. Most things in the 747 happen fairly slow like a big truck, this jet is a sports car, like riding a bullet. Time for my first trip. I’m praying, “Please Lord, don’t let me screw up.” It went pretty good; Lars carried me a lot of the way. I got called for another trip, then another, and another. Most of the time the other contract pilots had commitments so I flew most of the trips all summer. The last trip was during freeze up time, when boats and snow machines don’t work for travel. I took a helicopter to Wolf Lake on October 16 to do a 24 day trip to Seattle and fly around the Northwest. I came back out by helicopter on November 16 with the turkey and everything else on Kari’s AnyList for Thanksgiving and until we can get to town again after the river freezes.

While I was out flying around, staying in hotels, eating at nice places, and efficiently wasting time between flights, Kari and Thor were splitting wood and filling the woodshed we built this summer along with all of the day to day cabin chores. For this I must pay on my return.

I did order in all kinds of spare parts for the generator, boiler, electrical system, and everything else I could think of. No breakdowns, so things went well. Mayor Cooper got sick and we thought he may have to helicopter in but Kari was able to nurse him back to health. I hope he didn’t have to take that awful gout medicine she makes for me. It did cure my gout or I just don’t let the Doc know I have any symptoms.

When I had to go to town for flying trips this summer Kari would take me by boat to one of the lodges to get a ride to town on Rust’s Flying Service. Usually in a Beaver on floats. That was an enjoyable way to commute to work. I think I flew about 40 days this year. It is getting easier and is quite enjoyable.

Back in the 70s my goal was to fly a jet for a company. I guess I finally may have made it.

During the summer when I wasn’t flying we cut trees, split wood, built a woodshed and did everything necessary to get ready for winter when we can haul everything we need up the river for the next summer and winter. Still working on finishing the cabin. Some projects like siding were delayed due to weather and flying.

That about sums everything up since the last post.

From Silty Slough, a below average guy, just trying to do an above average job.

I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and happy.

Thank you Lord for your blessings and for giving us enough.

I’ll be in touch.

Blue skies!!!