Right ON!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYscnFpEyA

PodMod Pt. 3

Not a lot of info to add at this point, but I thought I'd report on the outcome after making the final mods to the pod.

The floor (made out of a flexible plastic cutting board) really cuts down the friction between my heel and the pod. This makes activating my speed-bar much more manageable and controllable - allowing 'throttling' of the bar to control the wing. The bungy, tied to the loop of webbing I attached to the nose-piece, keeps the 3-step UP speed-bar laying nicely in the pod.

I have also moved the lower skirt of the pod towards the back of my harness 2.5" - using the velcro already installed on the harness bottom. I then added velcro to the outside of the skirt to hold the forward-bottom edge of the tailpiece (with the ram-air intakes) in its original placement. This process changed the angle of the pod and cleaned up the profile of the bottom of the pod/harness connection.

I've now flown the installation for a few flights and am very pleased with the outcome.

Tim

PodMod Pt. 2

A week ago I started my mod of my harness, by adding a pod. You can see Part One HERE. I've also made a few additional changes.
I've had a couple flights with my pod installed and really like the product so far. I am not totally satisfied with the mod, yet, though. I have encountered a couple problems.

1. The top (front) of the skirt has a lot of weight due to the front mounted reserve. This creates an issue when launching and groundhandling. When the risers are not under load, the pod skirt tends to fall forward over the carabiners. There is also a lot of stress on the seams where the carabiners support the pod.

2. When activating the speed bar (a 3-step UP ladder type) my heel tends to rub with much friction on the bottom surface of the pod. The XC2 has a very stiff push to activate the speed-bar already and the additional friction makes using the bar almost impossible and may cause wear of the pod.

Click on each photo for a larger view

To remedy the issues I added a strip of 1" webbing along the opening for the carabiners that crosses both seams to strengthen them.







I also added a strip of velcro that is wrapped around the carabiner and holds the skirt in place when the risers are not held vertical.

































To fix my second issue I laid a 1/16" thick plastic cutting board, trimmed to shape, that fit between the piping at the floor seams. Sewn to the seams was a strip of 1" velcro, which holds the plastic in place, as well as physically capturing the plastic sheet.








Next I sewed a loop to the nosepiece which allows a 1/8" bungee to hold the stirrup in position for easy access.










Here's the completed stirrup set-up.

I'll be flying the new mods soon & hope to have a workable system before the first comp of the season.

Tim

Another fun day at Cayucos

Today was another glorious day at Cayucos. I really prefer higher flights, but it's hard not to appreciate the chance to fly over such spectacular beauty on such a great day with my friends.


Another Beautiful Day to Paraglide at Cayucos from Tim O'Neill on Vimeo.

Tim

Cayucos Today 03/14/09

Today was a fun day at Cayucos. The hill is a 700' high walk-up that works with a West wind. The forecast was for high winds in the afternoon so we all hit the hill early. Once the wind freshened we all launched into buoyant lift. I was getting the kinks out of my new pod set-up and top-landed to do some adjustments.

The wind came up subtly and soon the sea showed some whitecaps. I headed for the beach a bit later than I should have and landed just as the wind approached the limit for a safe landing.

Here's some video of the flight.


A day at Cayucos from Tim O'Neill on Vimeo

PodMod

Well, if you were to have read an entry from late Dec. '08, you might remember a post labeled 'Project Time'. I had ordered a leg covering, or POD, from UP. UP is a paraglider producer in Germany. Somewhere along the line things got lost in translation between my supplier and UP for the last 3 months. I'd like to thank Rob and Ty at Eagle Paragliding for staying on things so that the outcome was successful. It isn't unusual for the PG supply pipeline to have some kinks and clogs in it, but Rob is a good expediter and a stand-up guy.

My goal was to add the pod and make whatever modifications to the harness were necessary to do this, BUT I wanted the ability to fly the harness without the pod if I chose to. Since the leg cover mounts to the bottom of the harness I had to move my reserve to the front mounted position. For this reason I ordered the version with the integral reserve container. Moving the reserve was straight forward. The pod has bridle routes that cover the bridle on either side.

The UP Speed cover is made of good quality materials and appears to be fairly durable. It consists of a stretchy material on the top surface of the pod (with the split for entry/exit from the pod) and a light but sturdy Nylon fabric for the sides and bottom of the pod. A heavy-duty zipper is used to join the front of the pod at the waist strap between the carabiners.

The nose cone on this pod has a 2in. hole that allows ram air to inflate the cone. The bottom surface of the pod skirt has Velcro sewn into the skirt to facilitate attachment to the harness. I sewed strips of mating velcro to the harness, just forward of the Ram Race's tailpiece ram-air intakes.

Because the bulk of the front mounted reserve makes it impossible to use my existing flight deck I made my own instrument deck that mounts to the Velcro on the reserve container.

I stand 69in. and 175 lbs. and the Medium size is perfect for me. Anyone taller should opt for the large. The video below shows some of the details of the mod.

The complete project took less than 4 hours and $25 for professional sewing. The results are a good looking and comfortable leg covering. This pod looks like it would work on a number of similar harnesses.

I made some additional changes after flying a couple flights.
They can be seen HERE.

PodMod from Tim O'Neill on Vimeo

I can't wait to fly it. I hope to get a chance this weekend at the Santa Barbara event.

Tim

Cuesta Today - Mar. 08, '09

The prediction for today looked good for a flight at Cuesta - Probably not a day to go XC, but flyable. It was a bit dicey looking since the windtalker indicated an Easterly flow on the ridge. On the drive down I took this picture of the convergence clouds mid-valley over the Men's Colony near Hwy 1.


I got to the top around 12:20 and met Dave and Eric and Sharon. There were substantial puffs from over the back, indicating that the convergence was still out in front of launch. This was backed up by the clouds. I still was optimistic that the puffs would turn and soon cycles would be rolling up launch. After a half hour or so, Eric & Sharon decided to head down the hill for more interesting activities.

Dave & I hung out looking for encouraging signs. Soon the thermal birds reappeared. Then we saw a big bird work up from low altitude and head NW along the convergence line without flapping or loosing altitude. When the puffs started coming up the launch from the West I suited up and took off into great lift that took me right to 3000'. Dave launched soon after I did and we explored the area mapping the convergence by climbing, then reaching out until 1000'/min. sink forced us back to the lifty area. Our reach wasn't that far before being hammered by massive sink so this was a local flight. Eventually the convergence moved to a position behind launch and we flew in relatively trashy air until we landed down the ridge, by the 'X'.

A fun day & worth waiting for.

Tim

The season is just about to start

The first weekend comp of the season is next weekend in Santa Barbara. The next is the following weekend, a BAPA league meet at Potato Hill. I'm still waiting to receive my leg cover to modify my harness & flying has been sparse. . . So here's some more pilot porn. It's advertisement, but great air2air videography.



The video can be downloaded HERE It looks great in 'full-screen.'

Tim

Cuesta Today - Feb. 18, '09

Today was a spectacular day in the San Luis Obispo area. I awoke with my usual "got in from Hong Kong yesterday funk," but shook it off when the forecast looked good for the Grade. The emails flew back and forth and it looked like a good weekday group would be at the hill around 12.

My flight is HERE.

After taking my dogs to the vet I hustled up the hill & was first to set up while marveling at how green things had gotten since last week. Patrick and Kevin soon joined me and prepared to fly. Patrick was first to lay out and that meant that there was an immediate lull for 10 minutes. The cumulus clouds were really starting to look good, with a nice cloud-street West all the way (it looked) to Cayucos and many more popping East of launch. Patrick passed up a couple decent cycles and I was getting antsy, so I opted to launch first. I launched at 12:30 and played with some scattered lift but soon was maybe 30-50 meters below launch wishing I had been more patient. I eventually found a nice bubble in the usual spot that bloomed into a nice climb back to the ridge and then to the towers. As I headed West, over launch, I could hear/see a blimp flying along 101 and crossing the grade towards SLO. He was maybe 300 meters below me and a mile away - it was hard not to head over to fly by him ;-)

Patrick soon launched as did Dave, Kevin and Jack. When I passed the towers I was over 1000 meters and things looked text book for a fun XC flight towards Cayucos. I was showing a S flow that veered into an Easterly flow at around 1200-1400 meters, so I opted to continue along the ridge Westbound. The cloud street was the nicest I'd flown in this area. Patrick was getting nice & high and looked like he might head East but turned back West to shadow me along the ridge. The best lift band seemed to lay just W of the ridge. The thermals were regularly spaced and reasonably smooth.



I wasn't pushing hard because I really wanted Patrick to catch me but just flew a reasonable pace. Occasionally I'd see a couple hawks above me and circle with them to 1000+ meters. Approaching the 41 corridor I notice that a blue hole was lying over the pass and optimistically (too optimistically as it turned out) continued into the blue at a mid altitude. Soon I was calling back to Pat that he needed to tank up before his transition. I cruised across 41 at the point the big power lines cross the hwy at a meager altitude. After a low save, I was joined by Patrick and we skated around in a 150 meter band of lift for 15 min. until I was out of steam. We both landed in the same field next to Hwy 41.

We had no cell svc so we hiked a bit until we found a turnout and set up for the hitch to Cuesta. After tying on my PILOT NEEDS RIDE sign and thumbing for 10 minutes, a nice gentleman offered to give us a ride to the top of the grade. We piled in and soon we were at the base of the dirt road hiking to launch.

It was one of the prettiest days I've flown at Cuesta. Unfortunately my thick gloves (which were VERY helpful at altitude) caused some fumbling with my helmet cam, so I was unable to turn it on.

Thanks to Patrick for taking the photos and making the flight a joint effort.

Tim

U.S. Nationals - Dunlap, CA - Briefly

The website is hot and registration is open for the first leg of the US Nationals. Competition will begin on Monday, April 27th and run through May 2nd 2009.

Dunlap is one of the sites I consider a home site and I'm really looking forward to a great week of flying, learning, and visiting with the 'regulars' at these events. Here is some information about the area:

The Flying:
The Dunlap launch (36° 45.916'N 119° 5.879'W) lies along a a 1500 meter high ridge. This is the Eastern (high side) of the Dunlap valley. The valley is approximately 10km long (NW-SE) and 5km wide with the valley floor around 600 meters. The valley, while small, can be technically challenging when trying to make expeditious crossings. The long task options are to the West, North, and South. We usually fly a few valley crossings before leaving to fly into the next ridges West. Once on the Eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley there is little restriction to the distances achievable to the North and South.

The flying in the area can be very consistent. In recent years we have held many NorCal XC League events at this site with only one or two no-fly days. Spring flying in Dunlap can be quite nice with climbs to altitudes above 2700 meters and cumulus clouds to show likely routes. Winds are generally SW-W-NW. The flying isn't as dependent on (or affected by) convergences as the Woodrat area, although some convergences can be found in the afternoon.

The launch area has been improved and expanded to allow 2 or 3 launches simultaneously. A large layout/set-up area is also available adjacent to launch. There is quite a bit of poison oak around the cleared launch area so consider that if you are allergic.

As far as logistics go, Cell Phone reception can be very spotty in the Dunlap area and at launch. Internet access at the St. Nicholas Ranch will be very useful for those with Skype. There are only a few restaurants in the area so the meals served at the Ranch will also be a welcome convenience as well as a nice social gathering. There is no running water available at launch, so bring your own.

Some of my most enjoyable tasks have been in the Dunlap area due to the sometimes low top-of-climbs which make the technical/strategic decisions very important.
HERE are some of my flights from last year -
Tim

Flying MDO today

Today I met a few friends for some fickle but fun flying at the bluffs.
I've gotten a bit more comfortable with my video editing software & here's my latest.

Paragliding at Montana de Oro 08 Feb 09 from Tim O'Neill on Vimeo.

Cuesta Today

Today I met Patrick, Jesse, and Eric for a quick flight at the Cuesta Grade. The air felt good and the cycles were nicely rolling up the hill so we all got airborne before 1 P.M. and flew a few flights with top landings in between. I was able to get up high enough to head over to the TV towers and look closely at the guy-wires.


First Flight at Cuesta 2009 from Tim O'Neill on Vimeo.

This is my first flight using the Helmet Hero camera.

The video isn't riveting, but it was a fun flight.

Tim

World Championship Risks & Rewards

What does it take to compete on the international stage in sport?

Years of preparation?
Commitment?
Top performance equipment?
Risking Life & Limb?

All of the above.

Today a pilot died while competing at the Paragliding World Championships in Valle de Bravo Mexico. This is a very sad event and an indication of what each pilot who competes at this level of paragliding competition must keep in the back of his/her mind.

While I like to tell my friends that XC paragliding is the activity I derive the most enjoyment and reward from, I understand the risks. My risk/reward assessment allows me to continue to fly with confidence and enthusiasm. I do have control of some of the factors: My currency, my familiarity with the area, wing characteristics & safety, the forecast weather. Those risks that I can't control, I minimize or avoid. But many risks are not visible or creep up stealthily.

Mark Hayman says it very well in a recent blog post from the worlds: (written days before the fatality)

"To put it bluntly, top competition pilots in general and particularly competition paraglider pilots are just not normal. Does anybody think that leaping from a hill into angry conditions with your safety assured by 7 kilos of marginally stable sail cloth which at any moment could decide to stop flying, is normal? Let’s face it, most Olympic Athletes or indeed most competitive sports people do not run a very significant risk of death or serious injury each time they participate in their chosen sport. The only things that spring to mind are some forms of motor sport and a few ‘extreme’ sports. In spite of recent advances in equipment and organisation I rarely do a competition where somebody doesn’t ’smack in’, often with quite serious consequences. The fact that we, as pilots, accept this means we are not in any way a ‘normal’ cross section of the population at large. In fact we are pretty weird as far as I can see.
...
So the point I’m making is that the very top guys in a sport where the risk of death or disablement are so high are unlikely to conform to social norms. If they’ve survived the day, they’re likely to drink, smoke or engage in other frowned upon behaviours. If they were unable to control these behaviours and were flying whilst unfit then Darwinian Forces would have removed them from the gene pool long before they’d amassed the thousands of hours flying necessary to be chosen for a National Team and compete in the World Championships."

Mark, in my opinion, does a reasonable job of describing the risks of Top-Level Paragliding XC competition.

Now, let's look at the reward side of the docket:

How many seven figure baseball, cricket, football, players risk life & limb to win? If they did risk it all, and for no money - just the thrill of the game, do you think the same guys would be doing it?

The group I 'hang' with, competitive XC pilots, risk all they are willing to (and more, that is often out of their control) for little or no money. We fly and compete for the thrill and experience and camaraderie. It's not just a hobby. It is the activity we do that somehow gives perspective to the rest of our lives.

So - Today we are one less. A fellow flier has flown his last flight. I hope that the thermals are fat and smooth in the after. I know why he flew and why he accepted the risks. I understand.

Tim

Doing us Proud

I don't usually get very excited about sporting events - especially when it comes to yelling "USA" at an international spectacle. The US Paragliding Team is making me sit up on the edge of my seat as they hold there own amongst the best pilots in the world.

The World Championships are being held in Valle de Bravo, Mexico this week and next. With 3 tasks complete. California pilot (and fellow BAPA League pilot) Eric Reed has flown consistently well and sits in FIRST Place! Brad Gunnuscio and Farmer and Kari are also flying well.

This competition seems to be attracting a lot of world attention and the best coverage can be found at the EAGLE PARAGLIDING BLOG.

My favorite individual pilot blogs are those of Mads Syndergaard(DNK) and Mark Hayman(GBR) and Nicole Mclearn(CAN).

Go USA!

Tim

Dunlap Recon

One of the things that a good comp pilot does is minimize distractions and "get stuff out of the way." During a competition, the stuff of daily living can be a distraction - or worse, if not handled properly, it can affect your performance. Get a bad night's sleep or skip a meal and you will not be at the top of your game.

How to provide options to 80-100 pilots in a very small town has been on the mind of Comp. Director Jugdeep Aggarwal. This week I met Jug in Dunlap, CA to do a bit of informal recon and planning for the upcoming U.S. Paragliding Nationals. We made a visit to the St Nicholas Ranch in the Dunlap Valley. The facility is associated with a Greek Orthodox monastery and very well maintained and organized.

Jug's goal is to provide the best experience for all pilots. A couple of the issues each pilot needs to deal with during a competition week are those of lodging and food. In the Dunlap area this is a bit of a challenge. The lodging available at the various small motels is, to be generous, 'very rustic.' Those that want to camp can find spots in many places around the valley but there is no WiFi and services are generally a bit gritty. Another concern is the need for transportation and transit times from the campsite to HQ each day. Additionally there are only a few small places to eat in the local area.

When I saw the facilities that the St. Nicholas ranch provides, and the willingness to work with us the staff showed, I knew that the best place to stay in the valley during the comp would be the ranch. Here's what they offer:

Clean modern rooms and beds with A/C and heat.

A beautiful mess hall with great food & clean comfortable dining room

Spacious meeting rooms and scoring room

WiFi

Swimming pool and Rec Room with ping-pong and foosball tables

A beautiful pastoral setting with hiking and a lake on site.

Jug has decided to offer an option for an 'inclusive' plan. I know what you are thinking, THAT WILL BE TOO EXPENSIVE! I'm not trying to sell YOU the plan but I'll tell you why I'm for it - It pencils out. If a clean, comfortable bed is available at a competitive price and the chow hall serves good food across the hall, why sleep on the ground and drive all over the valley to eat cold pancakes? This place is a gem in Dunlap and I can't believe I haven't discovered it until now!

It has been decided that The Ranch will be the headquarters for the meet and it was logical to offer an inclusive package that allowed all participants the option to sleep and eat dinners and breakfasts at the ranch. This spot is the perfect place for pilot meetings and briefings as well as social events around the BBQ pit, ping-pong tables, and the pool.

I can, without hesitation, endorse this facility as the best spot in Dunlap to base our competition. I will also go out on a limb and say that you will enjoy staying at the Ranch. I'll be staying at the site and eating the home cooked meals in the dining room. Why? Because I know the quality is there and because it will "get stuff out of my way" at a very comparable cost to the sub-standard alternatives.

For those of you concerned with the Ranch's association with the Church, I understand where you are coming from - I was there and asked, "what are the rules?" Is smoking allowed? YUP (outside) How 'bout alcohol? No Problemo. The only restrictions the site has is (smirk) NO FIREARMS. Oh, and no dogs.

If you want to have an enjoyable first comp of the 2009 season, come to Dunlap and see what I'm talking about.

More on the site next -

Tim

Project time

The weather has been very nice here, lately, but the prevailing winds have been North to NE and that doesn't provide good flying weather.

I have been looking over my gear with an eye towards the next season of XC & competitions:

MY WING - Gradient Avax XC2: Has about 95 hours on it now but is in very good shape. I'm so happy with the wing that I'm going to fly it for another season. The temptation to jump to a comp wing has raised it's ugly head a couple times lately but I'm going to stay with the Avax XC2 because it has great performance and good safety. Gradient has graciously provided me with a new lineset and I plan to put these lines on in March.

MY HARNESS - Airwave Ram Race Has about 125 hours on it and it is still doing its job. After flying at high altitudes in Chelan and the Owens Valley, last year, I am tempted to try a pod. I found the cold - at altitude - to be a slight detriment to my performance. I'm also ready for the slight decrease in aerodynamic drag that a pod can offer.

UPDATE: See the results HERE.

Because I'm very happy with the Airwave Ram-Race that I'm flying, and because it is very clean aerodynamically, I'm going to do a bit of experimenting with an "add-on" pod from UP. I'm hoping that this will satisfy my needs for a season before I jump to another harness. The price is reasonable and I will report on my progress when the pod arrives. Here is what it will look like, I hope. (click on pic for larger view)




MY GEAR Is still working well and I am very comfortable with its use, so I don't plan to upgrade from my Flytec 5020 and Garmin GPS 76S. I'll be carrying my SPOT again this year. The Reserve that I purchased last year (a GIN ONE-G reserve) is still in good shape.

Last year's flying was filled with great experiences and the guys and girls that are flying the comp scene are the best. I am still learning - still challenged - still motivated to do more, and do it better. So this year I'm going to fly as much as possible again.

Diversions

It has been WAY too long since I was in the air. My wing hasn't left the pack in over 3 weeks! I have a new line-set for the Avax XC2 coming from Czechoslovakia and I know that as soon as it arrives I will have some good flying days.

Here's a bit of pilot-porn for you -


Streamlined 08 from Team Silver on Vimeo.

Timo

2009 U.S. Paragliding Competition Schedule

From the USHGA website, I have gleaned the following Competition Schedule for the 2009 season:
The website addresses are correct - They may not be up yet, however.

Sierra National Challenge-US PG Nationals (Dunlap, CA)
4/26/2009 through 5/3/2009
Website: http://santacruzparagliding.com/

West Coast Paragliding Championships (Woodrat, OR)
5/31/2009 through 6/6/2009
Website: www.mphsports.com

Rat Race Paragliding Competition (Woodrat, OR)
6/28/2009 through 7/4/2009
Website: www.mphsports.com

US Paragliding Nationals (Squaw Peak, UT)
8/16/2009 through 8/22/2009
Website: http://usparaglidingnats.com

The first and last meets of the year, (Dunlap, CA and Squaw Pk., UT) will comprise the "US Nationals." Their scores will be combined (with a throw-away option) to determine the US Champion.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's a bit of a happy tale for you -

I hope you find yourselves in the company of loved ones during the holiday season.

Tim

Original posting was from the NationalReview.com

This is a good story. If a tear comes to your eyes — it's OK.

By Catherine Moore

'Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!' My father yelled at me. 'Can't you do anything right?' Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.

'I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving.' My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil.

What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess. The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived.

But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind. But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered. In vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, 'I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.' I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons, too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. 'Can you tell me about him?' The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.

'He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him, that was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.' He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. 'You mean you're going to kill him?'

'Ma'am,' he said gently, 'that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog.'

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. 'I'll take him,' I said.

I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch.

'Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!' I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. 'If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it' Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples.

'You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!' Dad ignored me. 'Did you hear me, Dad?' I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate.

We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life. And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. 'Be not forgetful to entertain strangers.'

'I've often thanked God for sending that angel,' he said.

For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article.

Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter … his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father … and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all. Life is too short for drama & petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

Please share this with someone.

Project complete!

Ok, this ain't paragliding. . .I had planned to fly the SoCalXC event this weekend in Santa Barbara. I was looking forward to meeting up with the SoCal boys and Nick from Hong Kong, who had flown his Cathay 777 trip to LAX and had enough time to fly. Unfortunately the Santa Ana winds are blowing. We wouldn't be flying anyway, since the tragic "Tea Fire" is burning out of control in Montecito.

So, I finished up the Gate Project(s) . . .

To Recap: I had a gate that looked like this:


So I built a gate, to replace it, that looked like this:


But my Wife decided the new gate was too nice to hide on that side of the house so I installed it on the other side of the house - by the garage and nearer the street with good exposure.


Here's a shot with the gate open looking down the side of the house.


Which left me needing another gate for the hidden side of the house. I'd already taken many days to put the finish on the fancy gate so I built what I call a "one-day gate." I spent an hour or so digging a post hole, another 30 minutes tying the post to the house for stability (my preferred method since the gates hang true forever) and 90 minutes to built the gate, hang it, and install all the hardware.


This is the view from the back.


Damn, I hope we get to fly soon!

Tim