WAR

Israel has been, and is now, under attack from Hamas in the Gaza strip.  Hamas has fired hundreds of missiles into civilian areas in Israel.  For this reason the IDF has to act to defend their country.

 Please pray for the peace of Israel now and in the days to come.

Pray that God will frustrate the plans of the enemy and protect the men and women who are fighting for the safety of Israel.  Cause the weapons of the enemy to malfunction and be ineffective.  Divert the missiles and artillery into areas where no one will be hurt.

Related news:http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=291954
Josh Levine's blog 

Loosing it

This morning I got up bright and early to take the van in for a check up.  They checked her vitals; heart rate, fluid levels, cholesterol; HDLs and LDLs, triglycerides, blood sugar, electrolytes, battery level... You name it, they checked it.  In the end all she needed was an oil change and filter.

Meanwhile, I hung out in the office and visited with the other customers coming and going.  There was a small space heater that made it the most pleasant place on the property.  It was an unexpected pleasure to see an old familiar face from my childhood.  We went to the same elementary school and lived near enough to each other to play as kids.  So we greeted each other and caught up on the high and low spots since the last time we visited; 1994.

He told me of his wife's recent death and his new grandchild.  I asked about his son Nickolas, to which he gave me a very puzzled look.  "Just who do you think I am", he said.  I answered without delay and was totally wrong.  My mind went racing trying to regain its footing.  It was something like the disorientation one experiences coming out of anesthesia.

How could I be so wrong?  I've known this guy for over 56 years!  It's not the same as forgetting the name of someone you've just met.  I know its not the end of the world and life will go on, but it shook me then and bothers me still.  Maybe this is just one of those things we have to expect as we get older.  I hope not.  I'd rather think that I was just off my game and hadn't had my coffee yet.  I'm gonna tune up my game and be ready for him when I see him again in 2032.  Gotta stay sharp for my next test at 82.

Is anyone else troubled as they look at the current events in the news.  I suppose only the unthinking are unconcerned.  It's a struggle for me to maintain the long view at times.  I look at the war that's brewing in Israel.  Our country seems to have lost its mind.  No apparent concern for the runaway government.  All the drama around our insane foreign policy and the new installment of sex scandal.  The world seems to be heading full tilt for catastrophe and (were I king) I'd be doing things differently.  As you know, I'm not now and never will be in charge of anything but myself.  This is a good thing.  So I continue clinging to my Bible and my guns.

We are just a week away from the start of our transcontinental trek.  Monday we start squeezing as much of our stuff as we can into the van.  Once it's full, we are ready to roll.  We're both excited about starting our new life in Florida.

The dance I do

We were pleased to learn that the VA appraiser valued our new house higher than what we agreed to pay for it.  Now we are eager to consummate the transaction.  I've never done a real estate transaction from across the country before.

So we are busy preparing for our transcontinental trek in November.  This time will be with a van full of stuff.  No winter clothing or furniture, but just about everything else.  We had thought about buying a trailer to drag everything in, but decided to just haul what we could fit in the van.

Meanwhile, there's a plane in Eugene that's calling my name.  Preparation is being made for its transportation and accomodations in Puyallup.  We have a hangar space reserved and a 24' trailer to carry the plane there.  My friend Doug has a fire breathing big dog truck to pull the trailer with.  We have measurements and must ensure that the plane will fit in the trailer before we drag it to Eugene next Wednesday.

It is so wonderful to have friends help.  It was a friend (John) that introduced me to Rusty who owns the trailer.  Another friend Doug who volunteered to spend the whole day with us driving his truck to Eugene and back.  I know these retired guys all have things to do, so it's a sacrifice that I take notice of.

Did I mention that we are getting ready to drive to Florida AGAIN?   Somehow I had this mental picture of me sitting in the shade consuming some adult beverage in retirement.  Not yet.

So once we get our van back to Florida, with keys in hand we will take possession of our new home.  Then there is the unpacking, the cleaning, the shopping for stuff to fill the place.  The pond is surrounded by trees that need to be removed because they are an invasive species.  So who do you suppose will do that?  That's right, my friend Back Hoe.  He doesn't work for free, but he's reasonable.

Meanwhile, back in Puyallup there's this plane that needs to get finished.  So I will need to return to the perpetually cold and wet Washington in December or January to lend a hand in the effort.

No telling how long I'll be here working on the plane before for I need to waltz back to Florida.

Please don't misunderstand.  I'm not complaining.  I'd call it being amazed.  I never envisioned my life being this way.  There is truly not a dull moment to be found.  I'm a blessed man, living a busy life.  I have good friends and great fun everywhere I go.  But it does make me just a little bit crazy at times...

Paint is done.

The painter posted these latest pictures of the plane today.  I thought I'd share them.  Please note, the airplane is still not assembled; wings are off etc, but still I think this looks great.

Now our task is to transport it back to Puyallup and do the finish work.  Stay tuned.