Historic Aircraft visit Stuart

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The Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour of the WWII Vintage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24 Liberator and North American P-51 Mustang came to Stuart for 3 days in January. This was a great opportunity to visit, explore and learn about these rare treasures of aviation history. The Nationwide Wings of Freedom Tour is in its 23rd year and visits an average of 110 cities in more than 35 states annually. Since its start, tens of millions of people have seen the B-17, B-24 & P-51 display at locations everywhere. The tour is one of the most extraordinary and unique interactive traveling historical displays of its kind.

Manning the 50 cal. canon

The B-17 is one of only 10 in flying condition in the United States, the B-24J and Full Dual Control P-51C Mustang are the sole remaining examples of their type flying in the world. Nancy and I had a wonderful experience gaining access to the interiors of the B-17 & B-24 to witness the extremely "uncomfortable" conditions these brave crews endured with many making the ultimate sacrafice in the war effort. In addition to visitors having the experience of an up close visit to explore the aircraft inside and out, for a sizable fee you could actually take a 30 minute flight in the B-17 or the P-51, and many visitors were taking advantage of the opportunity.

A little windy on the tarmac

Mustang taking a passenger for a flight

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For more information on these historic aircraft, please click on the below links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_P-51_Mustang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-24_Liberator

Florida Christmas

Yes, we do have Christmas in Florida just like everyone else, except without the cold and snow  ;-)

Droid Razr

Picked up the new DROID RAZR this week and I love it!! It is the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone (4G will be in Stuart soon). It’s made strong with KEVLAR® fiber, and Corning® Gorilla® Glass defends the 4.3" screen against scrapes and scratches. The dual-core 1.2 GHz processor packs up to twice the processing power of single-core smartphones, while 1 GB of RAM added to the mix keeps things running smoothly. There are way to many features to tell you about here, stop at your local Verizon store and check one out for yourself.

Annual Stuart Air Show

The annual Stuart Air Show, dedicated to America’s veterans and active military, enjoyed a weekend of the most perfect weather Florida can produce and brought to the area a variety of civilian and military acts to thrill a crowd of all ages. From the first year Black Diamond Jet Team painted in Arctic camouflage, to the AeroShell  Aerobatic team which has been entertaining spectators with their maneuvers and precision flying for over twenty years, the show presented acts of daring and demonstrations of air power from the World War II era to the present. Click to enlarge:

Spotted at Champions Golf Course

About a six footer.......

Things that bug the hell out of me.

Arrogance:
Whether it's a lawyer, politician, public servant, professional, or a person you know. God made us all of the same cloth. To exhibit an exaggerated opinion of one’s self is a abysmal display of ignorance.

Intolerance:
How could wealth, power or circumstances enhance the beliefs or behavior of some to the point that those others who are less fortunate or less informed cannot be tolerated?

Hypocrisy:

Religious, environmental activists, or politicians who lay claim to moral standards and support them by laws or rules to which they ultimately assert themselves as exempt.

Inconsideration:
People who are so thoughtless of those around them that they don’t see chances to say a couple kind words that could ease somebody’s hurt feelings or just make them feel better, or don’t jump in and make a move that could save somebody some time or effort, it's really a shame.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

While I had a wonderful trip and experience in my visit to Michigan this August, there were a few disappointing experiences as well.

The Good:
Visiting old friends and family; having a 94th birthday dinner with my mom; watching Verlander win his 18th game at Tiger stadium; living with two monster dogs for a month; visiting Ronald McDonald House and Belle Isle in Detroit; seeing Third Day in concert at DTE; visiting the Ford F-150 assemble line in Dearborn; attending services at Northridge Church, with (my favorite) pastor Brad Powell; revisiting Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes in northern Michigan; and of course golf with my daughter, son-in-law and many dear friends.

The Bad & The Ugly:
Seeing the residential neighborhood near where I had worked completely devastated, and my mom's old home a couple of miles away completely destroyed. And while there are a great many charities, residents and volunteers trying so very hard to revitalize Detroit, seeing architectural landmarks in complete disarray, the filthy streets, abandoned and burnt out businesses and residential areas in Detroit that are so massive as to be discouraging to even the most optimistic city supporters.
Click to enlarge collage: 

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

As you may know, the Sand Dunes were recently rated the “Most Beautiful Place in America,” by Good Morning America, and while that may be arguable, we have known of it’s spectacular beauty for years.

We used to vacation every year, as a family up at the Sand Dunes in the 80’s and 90’s. We rented a little cottage on Glen Lake at the foot of the Dune Climb. I had not been up there in about ten years, so Nadine, Frank and I went up for a weekend while I was visiting.

We visited all the old familiar places, Glen Arbor, Glen Haven, Fishtown in Leland and of course all the usual scenic Dune sites and hiking trails. We had a great time and took hundreds of photos and since a photo is worth a thousand words – click for some of the photos: 
https://picasaweb.google.com/104461058718739695077/SleepingBearSandDunes11#

The Youth Connection - After School Fair

We volunteered to help the 10^th Annual After School Fair held on beautiful Belle Isle in Detroit on August 20^th. Belle Isle is the largest island park in the United States comprised of 985 acres, and the tenth largest municipal park in the United States. Although many of the islands once beautiful structures have fallen into disrepair, and the park is under-utilized it is still a great place for events like this.

Organized by Youth Connection CEO Dr. Grenae’ Dudley, the 10^th Annual After-School Fair featured registration for hundreds of after-school programs, foster care agencies, Department of Health services, immunizations, health information, substance abuse prevention information and lots of activities for children young and old. Among the hundreds who came together with a common goal on Belle Isle there was also an attempt to break the world record for largest dodge ball game ever.

Click for photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/104461058718739695077/BelleIsle#

Detroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins

Enjoyed a great Tigers victory over the Twins as part of “Be a Tiger For Kids” day. The Cornerstone’s 6th annual game at Comerica Park is a perfect venue for a corporate gathering, family outing or a get-together with friends. The event provides much-needed scholarship assistance to the children of Cornerstone Schools. More than 1400 Detroit children receive an excellent education at Cornerstone Charter Schools. 100% of the proceeds from every Be A Tiger For Kids donation help provide an excellent education for Cornerstone students.
Of course watching Justin Verlander secure his 18^th win at this time in the season was very exciting for all the Tigers fans!
Click below for photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/104461058718739695077/TigersVsTwins#