Swap Meet

So it's the Sunday after the massive Turlock Auto swap Meet.
I'm guessing it's about 1/2mile by 1/4 mile of nothing but Auto related stuff. There are also many cars for sale.
The day started off way too early. I get a call from my Father In law around 4:30am and he tells me he's got a Dead Battery about 15 minutes from my home. I get over there and it's the alternator, but he has enough juice to get to my house after a jump.
On the way back to my place I pick up the friend that is going with us. We hit the house and make the transition to my truck.
We make our usual Denny's stop about 30 minutes up the road and the Mexican Food I had the day before is not sitting very well. This is real stuff mind you. I barely could communicate with the restaurant staff, but after Breakfast I'm feeling much better. The Pepto helps.
We arrive in Turlock which is 45 minutes from home and the traffic this year is not bad. We find our parking space in no time and make the journey inside the fairgrounds. That starts the day off in the good direction.
Almost immediately my father is falling behind while wrestling with his fanny pack. I ask what's the problem and his hearing aid batteries are dead....I tell him I'm going to buy a 12V Battery just to carry him through the day...lol
Anyway that's the last problem we have and the rest of the day goes great.
I'm always amazed at the amount and diversity of items people somehow decide to keep around their home. I'd have to say about 50% is just junk, but they sell it. Apparently others need the same things lying around their home.
I would need a push counter just to keep track of all the aluminum manifolds on sale alone. Carbs of all sizes and shapes. If you need it it's there. I saw at least three older Hemis and more than a few Pre War projects.
My Buddy wanted a set of Knockoffs for his rims and the internet prices were (from what he said) about $300 for a set. Three quarters through the day and searching many piles we came across a wheel and tire salesman. He has a full set with adapters for $40.
My father looked all day for a 92 Dodge Factory Truck manual. On our second trip through, I spot one in a junk pile for $15. The Bookmobile wanted $120+ juts a few minutes earlier and they would have to order it.
I leave with only a few items.
I found a door seal kit for the 68 Chevy. Marked $55, she let's me have it for $40.
A few 1/24th scale cars and some cheap tools and I'm set for the day.
They had all the exterior chrome I needed, but I get their card and will order the full set later when I'm ready. What is unusual is that I find no good SBC Valve Covers. Just the cheap Chinese ones.
All in all it was a fun trip and we'll end up doing it again next year. Maybe sooner.
They try to hold this event every 3 months with the January crowd being the largest. Maybe my Brother In law will make the next one us. His 64 Vette isn't doing much good sitting around the shop.

My Day in the Sun.

I've had a few. Not as many as the bad ones, but as the story goes Any Day you wake up breathing, is a good one.

So I had done my share of mistakes in flight training. I had done some things right. There was alot of middle ground.
One of my Best friends was my Flight Instructor (CFI). I had traded him some Electrical Work for Flight Training. I only needed to pay for the Aircraft Rental.
That was substantial during those days and actually still is.
I paid roughly $65 and hour for the aircraft. Usually it takes a student around 100 hours to complete training. One reason for the higher costs was that we used a Cessna 172 instead of the usual smaller 152 or Beechcraft Skipper. I'm at just below 6 feet and my instructor was taller and outweighed me by half. Not good in a small airplane in the middle of a California Summer. Add to the fact he previously owned the airplane and knew it's history. Which is pretty important in aviation.
It was a wonderful aircraft to fly in.
My CFI was a pretty sharp cookie and could spout out the mathematics of flying on the move, having the answer before I could even decipher the question.
He said I picked up everything fairly quick. All but the landings.
Now it's not that I was bad, but more about him being a perfectionist when it came to greasing the pavement.
I could always count myself to having everything perfect until the last flare upon touchdown and do something to make it unprofessional.
I had logged just enough dual time to go solo when my day came.
Just out of the blue I was noticing him being unusually quiet and during my landing attempt the wheels never made a sound, they just started rolling. Perfection beyond Perfection.
He quite alarmingly yelled "That was F*&% Nice!".
He said "Taxi to the building I want a drink of water".
Once we got close, he jumped out and said "Go, give me three takeoffs and three landings". In a sheepish reply, I asked "Three?"
"Yep. Go. Your ready".
I actually was. I noticed the airplane really picked up speed much quicker and flew more responsive without his extra weight. Other than the feeling that I really have to get all this right now, since my nearest help is 2000' below me, I only remember how well the airplane flew.
That is why to this day I knew I was ready. I don't have any recollection of being scared.
Once back on the ground and after my Triple Play. I stepped out and he tradionally cut out the back of my shirt.
He wrote the Day, Location, Airplane, and scribbled "Three?" on the back. He said he always wrote his student's reply about being tasked with their first solo.

Winter over yet?

Latey it's been fairly nice in the afternoons and the nights aren't as bad as they were a few weeks ago. I haven't seen ice in the morning since our last cold snap, but it's still cold in my opinion.
We're in the annual Central California Tule Fog days now. Lucky if we see the sun at any time during the day. Grey and Dark most of the time.
A month or so ago we got into the 20s at night now we're hanging around 35.
I wrapped the aviary in plastic just in time. I have an assortment of birds but I was only concerned about the two parakeets. They seem to be doing well, but I did lose one Zebra Finch. It may or may not have been from the cold since I wasn't sure of his age.
The Ringneck Pheasant I recently caught has been crowing every morning about 7am.
I'm pretty sure he isn't talking to me, but at least I get the news he's up and alive.

I had to repair 4-30' High Pressure Sodium Parking Lot light Poles this morning. I was surprised on how cold it really was out there. Even with work gloves my hands started to hurt. Nothing like a cold damp morning 30 feet in the air surrounded by nothing but a Metal Basket.....

It won't be long before the spring rains start, the flowers bloom, and the weather starts to warm. Then I'll be complaining about the High heat.