Carolina Christmas 2010

Amazing and wonderful time in Carolina. Enjoyed a great Christmas Day with my family. Got a photo here (left to right) of Addison, Harper, Nicky (behind the Bobcat shirt) and Brittany from Indiana...being my son, daughter in law, and grandson and granddaughter. We had a really fine time over the weekend; they got here on December 23, and stayed till the day after Christmas. Got to do a lot of fun things, and it really made Christmas Day special. It was a nice Christmas morning, and had a really good afternoon as well. My wife Patty made a great meal and we really feasted on that, and enjoyed each others company.
Christmas night, Patty and I went out with Addison and Harper to Charlotte Motor Speedway to see Bruton Smith's winter wonderland, aka "Carolina Christmas. It was pretty neat actually: 2.5 miles around (and on the big racetrack) of lights and light displays set to music. Had a lot out there, it was $20 (actually $17 with a discount from Lowe's ) but was well worth the money. The kids loved it a great deal, was just about (with the exception of Christmas morning) the most excited that I had seen them. I posted a few more photos on the Photo Page, we all wished we could have made another pass though the lights, but one to a customer.
We saw Carolina Christmas during the falling snow, and in the morning, this is the sight on December 26 that greeted us as we woke up.Counts (since it was started on Christmas) as a Christmas Day storm, got something (as of now, cause its still coming down) of some 2-4 inches. Beautiful to look at and the first White Christmas in the Charlotte area since 1947! Enjoyed seeing the snow and sure glad to check out the trees bushes and ground seen in a whole new light. Hope everyone had a fine Christmas, and looking forward to seeing what the days ahead will bring here in the Carolinas. Warmer weather will be here in a few days, but will enjoy this view for a while.

December 16 snow and Cary Street Drive

Couple of interesting events this week. Photo at left is a look at the aftermath of the snow storm on December 16 (taken the following day) which was really pretty. Actually, it was not a bad snow storm at all; roads were bad for a while, but the main roads were good real quick. I do like the fact that Richmond drivers (by and large) do drive on snow like they have done it before (certainly had a lot of practice the last two years). Ended up being something like 2-3 inches with some sleet on top, but the road department did a real good job. The snow was pretty well gone in a couple of days, with nothing left but piles of snow in the mall parking lots around the area.
Wanted to take another look at Richmond's Christmas lights; and went for a short drive tonight. Rolled up Cary Street, not really a "Tacky Light Tour" sort of drive (you can see some of those in previous posts) but had noted some of these places on my previous drives in the area. I did like this house with the tree in front. You see a few of these sort of trees, and I think they are really cool! You don't see trees like this in Carolina, they seem to be unique (at least to my experience) to the Richmond area. I like them...really artistic. Has been a nice few days in the area, and enjoyed the drive after a very fun day. Not long until Winter officially starts, though we have been getting an early preview with two pretty good fall winter storms.

Very Late Fall Virginia Wonderland (December 13, 2010)

Headed back to Virginia after a great weekend with my family at home (see previous post for photos). The night before we got a very light dusting of snow, not even enough to measure. Did get some word though that things were a "bit" different in Virginia. Took this photo on I-85 across the Virginia line. There was no snow to speak of in North Carolina, but not far into Virginia I started to come across sights such as these. At first the snow was very light, gradually becoming heavier as I got deeper into the state. The roads (thankfully) were fine, though wet they had no ice or snow due to VDOT cleaning them, traffic and the temperature.
Took this photo at the rest stop in Dinwiddie, VA which made for a good late fall (keep wanting to say winter, but a few days away from that official event) snow storm photo. Snow is quite pretty to check out, and I do enjoy seeing it, but I do hate to drive in it, though thankfully this day was nothing to worry about. I was able to enjoy it without worry about damage to the car, others, or myself during my journey. Snow is to be expected this time of year, so not a total surprise. We don't get a great deal of snow in Carolina, though it does happen from time to time, but in Virginia it is much more common, and generally in greater amounts.
Last photo was taken pulling into the apartment complex. Getting back to the apartment right about news time found that the area got around 1-2 inches, though some areas were higher. Also, while it did not affect me, did hear on the news this morning that the mountains of North Carolina did get a substantial snowstorm which made even this one look like nothing. All this was the bottom end of a major snow storm which smashed into the mid-west this weekend so it could have been a whole lot worse than this. This one we can admire the beautiful view of the white coated world, and wait to see what the next few days bring to us..for more is said to be on the wat later this week!

December Concord Lights (December 11, 2010)

Back in North Carolina, Patty and I got out for a drive after a very good dinner at Mayflower Seafood, and a couple of seasonal coffees at Starbucks. We went to see some of the sights of the season in the neighborhoods. There were a number of great houses on Union Street in Concord, NC and the one at left is my very favorite. Not quite as dramatic or as bright as the Tacky Light Houses of Richmond, but nonetheless a joy to see. Many of the old houses on Union Street do a great job of lighting up for the Christmas season, and have over the years loved to see this one each year, and look forward to riding by it.
In Kiser Woods in Concord, I liked this tree and the way it was done. We rolled though a lot of the local neighborhoods, as a light rain (unlike the snow of the Tacky Light Tour) fell later in the drive, so what you see are rain drops rather than snow. For the record we did get a dusting of snow on December 12, but nothing like the snow which fell in Richmond Sunday night/Monday Morning (around December 13). On this night though, it was just a very light rain. There were a lot of really pretty sights and bright lights. I also enjoyed a few of the light shows set to music, saw a couple of those while we were exploring the area in the car.
Photo does not actually do this house justice, it has some very nice LED lights, and the back of the house is really remarkable. Saw it as we went by and pulled into the subdivision to check it out. It was a short weekend, and some more places remain to be seen in my next visit to Carolina including McAdenville, NC (which is always remarkable) and also the new light display at Concord Motor Speedway (which is new for this year). Nice though to enjoy the sights of the season with my lovely lady by my side and Christmas music playing on the radio. I look forward to my next visit to North Carolina, and sharing some more photos with you all.

Tacky Light Tour (Day 2) December 5, 2010

Last night (see previous post) was pretty fun and remarkable. Tonight though, had fewer places to go see, but ended up with three high quality sights. The first seen at left was amazing, and hardly "tacky" in any sense of the word. This is the tree inside The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA. It is a remarkable place to check out, and elegant in every sense of the word. This was a beautiful tree in a very beautiful place. I am sure this is an expensive hotel to stay in, but from what I have seen it would be a real experience. Sometime I am going to have to check out the history of this place, which looks very old, but it is well taken care of.
From there, went to The James Center which is near Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom near the James River. From here you get a good look at downtown Richmond and how they have lit the buildings there. There was a lot to see there, and even some people playing music, as well as a lot of decorations all over the place. Even though a Sunday night when I went to see the area, there were a lot of people around doing the same thing I was (including taking photos). Speaking of which, I have some more from my visit today (and the previous one) on my Photo Page. Enjoyed my visit here, and again as noted with The Jefferson Hotel...not tacky at all!
Finally, took this photo on Grove Avenue which is also in downtown Richmond. This IS part of the "Tacky Light Tour" (which by the way can be found at Richmond.com by putting in "Tacky Light Tour") but I thought it was remarkable to check out as well. A group of houses that have worked together to put together this light display which made me and many others smile on a cold Sunday night in Richmond.
The last two days have been a remarkable experience, and a great deal of fun. Richmond has much to offer both over the holidays and during the year as well. I am lucky to have two great places to enjoy during the year in two great states. I will be bringing a bit of "Carolina Christmas" in my next post on this site.

Tacky Light Tour (Day 1) December 4, 2010

This is hands down my favorite time of year, holiday wise. Love the sounds of the season, and the lights on the Christmas trees, and on the houses. Few places do Christmas quite like Richmond, Va. One of the highlights of living here is the nationally famous "Tacky Light Tour"; and these are the houses that I liked the best (out of many, it was a difficult choice to pick these three). The first house seen at left is at 8009 Summerbrook Court, and it is a wonder to behold. I thought this was just amazing, and certainly was bright. Even the trees were lined out and lit up (and they were not small trees either.
The second house was at 2901 Lintz Lane, also in Richmond. This is another house where the trees are lit to the max; and this is really just a small sample of what you could see there. There was a lot of amazing stuff to the other side, and all sorts of things lit up in the back. I am sure the electric bill is a wonder to behold as well as the sights, but it was a real grin to check out this house on a cold night in Richmond. What made it even more special was that it was snowing while I was out. Was not a heavy snow, and did not stick to the roads, but added to the atmosphere of the drive around the area to check out the houses. All I was missing was the company of my wife, Patty.
The last house is actually part of a pair of houses, and the best of all this night. Two houses on Ashbury side by side lit the night up. Many tour buses where parked near there, and a number of limos, as well as a steady line of cars to see the wonder of this "Christmas Wonderland". Sadly though a sign asking for donations at one said that the family was in danger of losing one of the houses due to a job loss. Wanted to do this (had for some 36 years!) at least one last time. I hope things turn out for them, and for so many who are having difficult times this season in a very tough economy.
Tomorrow, I will get out again, and will check out some more of the amazing sights in Richmond. More photos from tonight can be found on my photo page as well. Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanksgiving Day Drive

Following a drive to Concord, NC from Richmond, VA and a great meal here made by my wife Patty; went out to see the lights of the city. Thanksgiving night is the first night of the Christmas holiday, and the time when the city light displays get fired up. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year hands down, and will be featuring that here on the next few posts. Seen at left is Cannon Village near the NC Research Park. I was wondering if they would do that again this year, and was pleasantly surprised (as was Patty) that the lights were on this year. Nice display along the tree lined streets, and a very festive look indeed!
View at left is of the Concord City Christmas Tree. They had the big tree lighting a few days before and it is a nice event with some music, food, big crowds, carriage rides, and fireworks. Unfortunately, I could not make it this year, but did get out to see the tree during our drive. Nice tree, though artificial it is a nice looking tree. The tree sits next to the Concord Police station, and across from the big parking garage near the old downtown section of the city. Item below is an animated Christmas display, like this one especially as Santa tosses presents into the stocking. There are many such displays (with different themes) around the city.
At any case, a good time and enjoyed checking out some early Christmas lights. For the rest of the visit, worked on my own display at the house in Concord, and on Sunday got in a motorcycle ride around the area before relaxing with the family and watching a little football. Enjoyed a very wonderful four days in Concord with family and friends, and a nice start to the holiday season.
Got some interesting stuff coming up in Richmond as well, there will be a number of Christmas displays (including some of the amazing "Tacky Light Tour" houses to check out, which I hope to be the focus of my next post on this blog.

Showing off Richmond (November 21, 2010)

Friend of mine from Louisville and Concord (like me, has been following the job) wanted to see some of the sights of the city. Took him to see some of the things that I find interesting; sort of a short (though took some 8 hours) to tour around the great city of Richmond, Va. We started at Drewry's Bluff, where the Confederate defenders on May 15, 1862 drove off a Union fleet which was planning to shell Richmond. The ships included the USS Monitor; the famous Ironclad. Interesting historical site, but also a place now of great beauty with one of my favorite views of the James River. Richmond is a river town, and has many great views like this.
We then wandered around Monument Avenue, which has a number of monuments to the historical Confederate heroes of the past (as well as a statue to tennis great and Richmond native Arthur Ashe). Just a beautiful street with some very stately houses. Dennis was impressed both with the monuments and also the houses. I am told (or read) that it is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the US, and I certainly can not argue with that. One of my favorite areas, with the nearby Virginia Historical Society, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, as well as nearby Carytown; there is a lot to see in this section of town.
Made a visit to Hollywood Cemetery where I took the photo of the dog statue. It is looking (I remember reading) at the grave of its owner. Lots of history there, many of the movers and shakers (plus 2 US Presidents and Jefferson Davis) from Richmond are buried there. The Pyramid, a memorial to the Confederate War Dead is just a hell of a thing to see; can't imagine the construction that went into that. Following that visit, we rolled to Belle Isle, lots of photos of that in nearby previous posts, but a nice place to check out the river as well. Certainly one of, if not the great park of Richmond, Va Belle Isle has a lot of uses, dating to the early days of the city.
The train station at Shockoe Bottom was fun to photograph. Like Shockoe Bottom as it is a very lively part of town, with a lot of places to eat and explore. Wandered around at the Farmers Market, visited a local sports bar, and checked out some of the other sites. We then went to Church Hill to see St. John's Church. They were closing the gates though, and made everyone head out..so now I can finally say I have been thrown out of church! Very interesting sight with it being the place where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death" speech. The mother of Poe is buried there, plus George Wythe; one of the founders of the nation.

Finally, later on went (sans Dennis) to Stony Point Fashion Park for the tree lighting, and the visit by the "Jolly Old Elf" seen here. Went last year and enjoyed it; also returning this year was the KOS Band, and they sounded great. Big kick again was the snow machines, for as they noted "its not snowing anyplace else in Virginia tonight, but it is here". A great end to a very fun day. Though I had seen all of this before, I don't get tired to checking it out, and enjoyed sharing it with a friend. Richmond has a lot of interesting sights, history and events, and have been having a great time here in the soon to be two years of my history here.

Fall in Virginia and Carolina

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year, and wanted to share a few fall views as the peak of color came to both Richmond,Virginia and Baden, North Carolina at about the same time. It also made for a pair of beautiful drives between my two places of residence. The photo at left was taken during a walk around the neighborhood, where I checked out the colors in the area. This is actually at a nearby Industrial Park; but loved the lake side view and the color that was popping all over. Love to walk around the area where I can see the sights here up close and personal, without having to stop a vehicle and head back to see something remarkable just passed.
This was actually taken just outside of my neighborhood in Richmond, a very nice tree lined road. I did not think we were going to get much of a fall this year, due to what has been a very hot, and abnormally dry summer. Seemed that trees took a real beating this year, saw dead trees in both Virginia and in Carolina in great numbers. In fact, had to cut down a tree in my backyard which died this summer due to the drought. I thought this view though was a gift indeed; as yellow, orange and red were seen all over during the walk. Walking is good for health, and also good for the soul on days such as these, and it really made my day to enjoy views such as these.
One of my favorite things to do is motorcycling; and one of my very favorite areas to ride in the fall is near Baden, NC. I did not make it to the North Carolina Mountains this year. The Boone, NC area is remarkable in the fall, one of the great wonders in the Blue Ridge Parkway (which also runs through Virginia) but I did ride on November 14 to Morrow Mountain where I saw this amazing sight. Fall was in full bloom, and a number of people were for sure in "Oh Wow!" moments there. A lot of "do you believe this?" comments from both fellow motorcyclists and people in their cars (and being North Carolina, their pickup trucks).
Nothing brings people together like the beauty of nature, and this was a remarkable ride during the day. Morrow Mountain is where the last two photos were taken near Baden, NC and really enjoyed both the ride, but especially getting off the bike and wandering around the multi-color display before me. To be honest, I did not want to leave when the time came, but spent a great deal of time at the overlooks and just wandering around the area. There is nothing like a beautiful day with average temperatures (which certainly beat the ride to the air show the week before) on a great motorcycle, surrounded by nature and bright blue skies. It was a remarkable ride!

Warriors and Warbirds (November 7,2010)

Great weekend in Carolina, lots of fun family things during my latest "migrant factory worker"life phase. I also got in some motorcycling, and another great combination of airshow and riding. A previous ride to the RideNow Open House (a bike shop in Concord, NC) got me a new (and warm) motorcycle jacket. That came in handy on another clear but unseasonably cold day in the Carolinas. I rode to Monroe to the air show; this being my third in the last few weeks! Been on a roll with planes, and I do enjoy them. Seen at left are three classic WWII aircraft: A P-40 Warhawk, a USN Dauntless Dive bomber, and (mostly hidden) a P-51 Mustang.
I like air shows, where you get to see some thrilling flying, and some very amazing machines. This is a biplane, which takes flight back to an earlier era. I like these classic aircraft, and it is fun to meet the pilots who fly them. It also is fun to see how aviation has changed over the years. This air show was the smallest of the three, but its local, and has grown over the years. I have some more photos posted on my photo page which you can check out. I wandered around a bit, and saw the booths that were set up. Nice airport and this show was a good source of revenue for the airport; read they were expecting 100,000 for the two days of the show.
I took this photo of the replica Japanese aircraft of "Tora Tora Tora". I believe they were used during the filming of the movie "Midway" and a few other WWII films. Tora Tora Tora puts on a thrilling show, and the planes are interesting as well. Unfortunately, I did not stay for much of the flying; having to settle due to time constraints with checking out the planes as they sat (though I did see the Black Daggers Parachute team, and some flying). Got in a great backroads ride (took a more direct route there) on the way back to my family and some fun with them during my stay. Visits to Carolina seem to last a matter of hours, but always something wonderful to do, and great times with the family to get me though the rest of my time spent in Richmond. It helps that Richmond is an interesting town, and I have found a number of fun things to do and see here. I will be bringing more from Carolina and Virginia in my next posts. Coming up is the holiday season, and that is a most interesting and special time in both places as I have found over the last two years in Richmond, and many more years in Carolina.

Hampton, Virginia (October 30, 2010)

In my last two posts I wrote about Air Power Park (the latest one after this one) and before that a visit to the Virginia Air and Space Museum. Being an aviation and space fan both (the museum I planned to see, the Air Power Park I just stumbled across by luck), but I was also pleasantly surprised by Hampton itself. I did not have a great deal of time to see a lot but I liked what I saw of this very interesting town. One such area was "Riverwalk" with its great variety of ships. I saw pleasure boats, fishing boats and sailboats during my visit there, and enjoyed walking around and checking them out up close and personal. There were also places along the docks to enjoy some food or a beverage.
In the area near the Virginia Air and Space Museum was the courthouse. This one was rebuilt from the ruins of the old one which was burned during the Civil War. There were a number of old and interesting buildings in the area, and many of them has historical plaques attached to them. Many of the old buildings were used as offices, stores, and restaurants. There was a good crowd in many of them, and the streets were clean and very well kept. I enjoyed walking around and checking out some of the sights in the area, it is a very comfortable place to explore. It is a city with a lot of history, and a lot of fun places to wander around.


One of the oldest places in the area was this church site. St. John's Church seen here was built in the 1700's, but is on the original site where three other churches of the same congregation stood since 1610. Yes, the church is celebrating its 400th year, and is the oldest continuous Anglican Church in the United States (well before it was the "United States." With an amazing aviation history (Langley Air Force Base and at least one NASA facility if not more are nearby) as well as being close to NAS Oceana and Norfolk Naval Station (the largest Navy base in the World if memory serves me right) there are many interesting things to see in the air and on the water. From what I saw in a short time, as is much of Virginia, it is filled with interesting people of many types. I have no doubt that I will return to Hampton, Virginia in the days to come.

Air Power Park, Hampton, VA (October 30, 2010)

Made a visit to the Virginia Air and Space Museum (previous post), and after exploring some of the area around it and especially Riverwalk (which will be my next and third post) headed back to Richmond. A sign on the highway which told of "Air Power Park" caught my eye, so I took the exit, and headed up the road. I came to this roadside park which featured a number of interesting and rare aircraft, plus missiles of various types. The combination was both interesting and amazing. I saw a great many rare and unique items, and spent quite a bit of time walking around the site. Many of the items could use a coat of paint, and some repair, but it was still amazing to check out.
Rare planes such as this F-100 Super Sabre were common. This plane was in pretty good shape as many were, though some had seen some damage from the weather. There were a number of Vietnam era planes, some dating to the Korean War and before (though nothing earlier than just after World War II). There was even a NASA flown Hawker Kestrel which was the direct forerunner of the AV-8B Harrier which is (still) flown by the United States Marines, and the Royal Navy. In the background of this photo you can see (left to right) a US Army Jupiter missile, and a US Navy Polaris submarine missile. This is stuff you just don't see everyday!
In much better than typical shape, was this Mercury/Little Joe combination. Very, very rare, the Little Joe was made to save money (costing some $200,000 each) in testing of the Mercury escape system. The orange rockets at the very top were designed to pull the spacecraft (and its single astronaut) away from an exploding or failing rocket in the event of an emergency. Some eight Little Joe's were used to test the system. Though this system (also used on the Apollo Spacecraft) was never used in the US, a Russian crew was saved when their rocket exploded and rockets much like this lifted their capsule away and parachutes lowered them back to earth away from the blast. Such a system is being developed for the Orion spacecraft which looks much like Apollo and is planned to replace the Space Shuttle (though that program is facing some problems due to being behind schedule and over budget. Plans are to let private companies run flights into Earth orbit outside of the government (who would pay for their services) rather than running "government spacecraft".
Many of the planes were common type aircraft such as A-7's, F-86's, and F4's (not that it was not neat to see them) but also very rare types such as this F-89 Scorpion which first flew in 1948! Neat to see a very early US jet fighter (this one built by Northrop) as well as a research aircraft such as the NASA flown Kestrel. Throw in rockets such as the Jupiter (seen behind this plane) as well as some "badly needing paint" rockets such as the Nike-Ajax and the Nike-Hercules and you have a very interesting park to visit. I should also mention that admission was free, and you can't beat that in times such as these. From the condition of many of the items, it was apparent that they do get attention from time to time, so while some may need some work, others have gotten some. Air Power Park was a neat and very fun find indeed!

Virginia Air and Space Museum (October 30, 2010)

Day in Hampton, Va turned out to be most amazing; and will be the theme of three posts; starting with this one. On a cool, crisp Saturday morning, got in the car and headed to the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton, Va. A nice pleasant drive and less than 90 minutes later and I was paying the admission price plus the cost of the IMAX 3-D movie (that was " Frontiers of Flight" and I enjoyed it a great deal) for a total of $18. Liked the very striking building that houses the museum, and enjoyed the walk up to it. Inside though was what I had come to check out, and was amazed at the variety of sights inside the massive complex.

Have been a fan of the space program for a number of years, so was excited to see the Command Module of Apollo 12. Apollo 12 launched on November 14, 1969 and landed on the moon in the area known as the "Ocean of Storms" November 19 in the Lunar Module "Intrepid". Richard Gordon orbited alone in the "Yankee Clipper" seen here. Both were Navy names, as the crew was all-Navy. The LM left the moon on November 20, and the three men landed back on Earth in this ship on November 24. Many other space items can be found in the museum, including some other spacecraft such as a Mercury capsule and many unmanned craft.

Of course, there are a number of interesting aircraft, such as these seen at right. Not just warplanes though, they include civilian aircraft, replica aircraft (including a good replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer), and a number of rockets of various types. Also of interest to me were a number of space and flight simulators covering a wide range of air and spacecraft. I was pretty good on the aircraft simulators, not so good on trying to land the Lunar Module (managing to crash it into the moon in all three modes). I did have a great time trying it. There is a lot of things of note for just about anyone with any interest in space or aviation.
Many of the displays can be seen up close, many others from the raised walkways around the displays. The aircraft and other displays were all in good working order (in the case of those items that simulated or demonstrated something of aviation interest) and and the planes being indoor were in very good shape (that will be of note in my next post on the Air Power Park in Hampton, VA). There were also a number of other items such as flight suits, and other aviation artifacts of note. I thought the museum did a good job of covering flight from its earliest days, to future missions to Mars and beyond. I felt it was well worth the money. The IMAX had good comfortable seats, and was in good repair.
Finally, had to close this section with this moon rock. Seen here, the photo does not do it justice, it was the largest one I have seen on display (and I have seen a few. Brought back from Apollo 17's mission in December 1972 it was found to be some 3.67 billion years old. There was also a piece of Mars which came from the famous Mars meteorite of many years back.
I did not know quite what to expect, but found the visit very worthwhile, the museum staff friendly and helpful, and my time spent there very enjoyable. The variety of items and the quality of what was on display made me glad I went, and I can see myself returning for another visit in the future.

Fall in the Carolinas (October 23-24)

Previous post was of the first day of the visit home (sounds so funny to say that, but that is much of how it is) was to the airport. On Sunday October 24, took a ride on the motorcycle around the area. Liked the place at right, which is on Popular Tent Road, very fall like with the pumpkins (the official fruit of the Halloween season I suppose) and lots of good food (which will be part of my meals for the next few weeks; jam and apple butter). I like country stores, and this is a nice one to visit. It was just a great day to be out, with clear blues skies, warmer than normal (for late October) and the light traffic that comes with a Sunday morning motorcycle ride.
Did a lot of backroads cruising on the fine day. Photo at left of the tractor was taken at the Bost Grist Mill which is outside of Concord, NC on NC200. That is one of the many great roads in the area (for a motorcyclist anyhow) with a lot of curves. It is also a very scenic road running past a number of farms, animals, and some nice small towns. Enjoyed getting out and experiencing some places that I have not had the pleasure of visiting for a while. Sometimes it seems with the long breaks between visits, and the short time I am there, that it is like seeing many of these places for the first time...again. Sounds strange, but that is how it feels.
Course being Halloween (getting close anyhow) went with my wife Patty to see this Halloween display on Union Street in Concord. Lots of sights in this yard, including the rather scary characters on the front porch in the distance. This house is a Bed and Breakfast, and puts on some great displays. Looking forward to seeing what they do this Christmas...year before it was quite a sight. Union Street does a lot of interesting things for the holidays; it is one of the oldest streets in the area, and has some fine big houses.
Enjoyed a very fine visit home, looking forward to the next one. Seemed like it lasted all of 15 minutes, but a great time with family, great dogs that I am lucky to have in my house, and good friends as well.

Warbirds! At Concord Regional Airport(October 23, 2010)

Got out to Concord Regional Airport on October 23, 2010 after driving from Richmond, Va to my home. In my last post I had photos of the three planes that visited Chesterfield Airport in Chesterfield, Va, today I saw Aluminum Overcast, which is a B-17 owned and operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association, flying over the airport. This great plane is a flying museum, and one of the few (along with the Collings Foundation planes and a very few others) of the thousands of B-17's which flew above the skies of Europe and the Pacific during the Second World War. It was amazing to see, and to hear, the plane seen at left.
This is Aluminum Overcast here at Concord Regional Airport. The Boeing built bomber is a big plane. Typically they flew around 24,000 feet, in thin air and under very cold conditions. This plane had no pressurization; so you had to deal with the elements. They also for a long time did not have fighter escorts, but relied on the guns on the plane. There were turrets top and bottom, also guns front and rear and on the sides. They also kept tight formations to protect themselves with massed guns against enemy aircraft. Nonetheless, the big planes were relatively easy prey for German fighters. Later in the war longer range escort fighters such as the P-51 were able to protect the big planes. Ground fire and accidents also took a toll on the planes.
Other planes were also at the airport, including this C-130 transport which is flown by the Air National Guard unit based in Charlotte, NC. Notable in that the Air Force (and also many other branches of the military) fly this aircraft, which like the B-17 has four propeller engines. Now though the engines are turboprops, and the plane is used as a transport. The C-130 in fact has been flying for some 50+ years! It is a most remarkable plane, and has even been used in direct combat roles. The C-130 is built by Lockheed Martin, and is still currently in production. It is also flown by many other nations.
There were a number of T-28's at the Open House, which back around the time of Vietnam were used as trainer aircraft for the pilots of the day. This type of plane also saw combat in South East Asia during the war.
In addition to these planes, saw a number of other aircraft, including some modern general aviation aircraft on display. I will be posting some of those photos, and more photos from this event on my photo page.
Had a great time, and remarkable to see aircraft from the Second World War (and other periods) over the last few days at the General Aviation airports of my two cities.