Sunny California: Flight To A Baptism

The flight to California was awesome. I would rather say that it was aweful (you know, like careful, wonderful, etc.) but that doesn't sound so good. I flew my friend, Summer, to Visalia. We headed out over the beach, turned right, and in less than an hour and a half we were over Eureka. Yes, I found it. But with GPS technology, it was easy. This is the plane sitting out on the ramp of the completely neglected Turlock Air Park.

Every single one of these pictures was taken with the cell phone.






Looking south at the mouth of the Alsea (Al-see, like Uncle Al) River. The headland is Cape Perpetua.



This is looking back at the Newport Airport and Yaquina (yuh-KWIN-uh)Bay. The old airplane did not have a rear window. Now I have something in common with Jimmy Stewart. Even though this particular photo was taken through the front passenger window, and you can see a corner of the rear passenger window, the plane DOES have a rear window.



This is Summer.



This is what I found an hour and a half into the flight.



After dropping Summer off at the Visalia airport, I launched north again for Turlock and tried to climb out of the 95 degree heat to no avail. But all was well



Mr. Gawpo, Sr. shared my astonishment when my stopwatch revealed that the entire 580 mile flight took only 3hrs and 40 minutes, a 161 mph average.



When I stepped from the car, I saw this very interesting ant phenomenon: Same colony, two different sands and small wood-like shavings between the two hills.



Mr. Gawpo, Sr's newest crop. A year ago, Jack my clamming buddy gave me some cloves of garlic that are multi-generational offspring of some Michigan garlic. I brought some to Mr. Gawpo, Sr. and the braid on the right is the result:



At nine months of age, and not yet baptized, my newest niece already has her California driver's license:



Mr. Gawpo, Sr's Sicilian sausage:



Cominciamo il nostro pranzo con la salsiccia ed il pollo ed i favas. Rifiniamo con l'insalata...



I love this picture of my younger sister, K. This is at the post baptismal reception. I think we should call her Gawpa...



Gawpo, Gawpa and her hubby, Rich-ERT! at the baptism. Yes, cameras in church are acceptable pre-liturgy:



The ever-on-the-edge, counter-everything, hyper-hip Nephew #1 and, to our (but certainly not HIS!) right, the beautiful and formerly youngest niece. Each is awe-ful:



One of the last known photographs of the newest niece while still in a state of original sin. I wanted to paint a big, black "O" on her forehead so that it would wash off when the priest did the pouring of the holy water. But my idea was summarily rejected by the Council of Parental Control. Can you believe that! Mrs. Gawpo, Sr in the background where she almost always is (i.e., in the cocina)...



Sunset just south of Mt. Diablo...