What Have We Been "Up" To?

     We left Red Bay and meandered our way back to Texas. After a short stop in Cleveland, we drove to San Antonio to meet some of the grandkids for a spring break adventure. We went to Sea World, The Alamo, the Children's Theater, and had fun in the campground. The kids had a great time. The weather was warm and sunny and we were enjoying Springtime. Naturally we thought that Spring would be making its way northward and, with that in mind, we headed up to Kansas to visit with friends and family and to get ready for our summer trek to Alaska. Unfortunately Mother Nature had different ideas! Winter just didn't go away! We were met with record cold and snowfall. We were supposed to start our trip north on April 22nd, but there were significant snowstorms in the northern Plains states and upper Rocky Mountain states so we had to delay a week. Finally, we see some break in the stranglehold and Spring is finally coming to the area.

     Anyway, on April 20th, our daughter, Amanda, had her big 30th birthday. She has always wanted to skydive so she decided that now was as good a time as any. A bunch of her family and co-workers got together and we trooped out to a local airstrip and signed up to jump.

     The plane is small so they only take up two tandem jumpers at a time. Since it was her birthday, Amanda got to go first and Barb went with her. Here they are all harnessed up and ready to board the plane.

     Cramming four people plus a pilot into a little plane is a work of art. Once you are airborne and preparing to jump, it is an interesting "dance" to get turned around and hooked up to your instructor. You then step out onto the skid plate above the wheel and let go!! It is a weird feeling to be squatted there, not holding on to anything, hanging 10,000 feet above the ground and being tethered to the instructor by four little clips (not really that little but that's all that hold you on to the parachute!). A count of 1..2..3 then you do a forward roll off the skid and begin a 30 second free-fall. You reach speed in excess of 150 mph before the parachute is deployed (that's faster than I drove a NASCAR car at the Kansas Speedway!!) and the canopy spreads out above you. You then float down, and can steer the chute to spiral down or see the sights as you descend. At about 1,000 feet, the instructor takes control of the chute and guides you to a safe landing at the airship.

Amanda floating down...

Barb just before landing...

Brad turning and lining up for final approach...

Belle running out to greet Mommy after her successful jump.

Brad and Jeremy after their landings

Shawn after landing...

   We really didn't have any scares during our jumps. Brad and Jeremy (Brad's son) passed through some ice crystals in the clouds which were a bit uncomfortable at 150+ mph but didn't last long. Shawn had the most adventure on his drop and wrote about it on his Facebook page. Here is the text written as only Shawn can do it...

Instructor Mike: Ready?
Me: Yup
*cram into small airplane like a sardine
*take off
*climbing...climbing...climbing
*become extremely close to Mike as he hooks me into his harness
Instructor Mike: Hey Shawn, have you ever been to prison?
Me: Nope
Instructor Mike: Well this will feel like a first then
Me: -__-
*Plane door opens
*step onto platform
*convince my hand to let go of plane, as Mike has "got" me
Instructor Mike: WE'RE GONNA DO A FRONT FLIP OFF THE PLANE!!
*lots of wind
Me: HUH?! WHAT DID YOU...
*get pushed out of plane
Me: HOLY SH******************T!!!! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH........HHHHHHHHHHHHHH....
(30 SECONDS LATER)...wOOOOOHHOOHHOOOOOOOHOOHHHOOO....
*chute opens
Me: (inner monologue) oh my tenders!
Instructor Mike: Oh good. The chute opened.
Me: -__-
Me: Hey Mike, why is that corner of the chute flapping and the other one isn't??
Instructor Mike: Minor malfunction. No a big deal. Can happen quite often actually.
Me: Oh. Ok.
Instructor Mike: Wanna steer?
Me: Yup!!
*glide gently to the ground
*land safely
*Mike looks at corner of chute that was flapping
Me: Hey Mike, is that a tear in the parachute???
Instructor Mike: Yes Shawn. Yes it is.
Me: Is that why it was flapping?
Instructor Mike: Yes Shawn. Yes it is.
Me: -___-
Instructor Mike: Well, we're alive.
Me: High five!
Instructor Mike: High Five!
Me: (Inner monologue) I need a drink
*walk back to the hanger like a boss!

Shawn's chute with the rip...