Finally: THE FIRST DAY!

Great Falls to Baltimore. Glimpse of the F-15 now at the 12oth Fighter Wing , of which I am a part. In Baltimore, switched out into uniform. Checked in at the Air Mobility Command counter (AMC) and greeted by USO giving out care pachkages and Girl Scout cookies. There was a 2 star general in line and I was impressed that he was standing in line with all the rest of us and not getting any specialy check-in treatment until I realized that he was working his way through the line backwards. He was there to say good bye, hand shake, pep talk and a pat on the back..a very nice gesture.

This is the over head panel above our seats in the DC-10 that we flew on. "The Bus". What is missing from the picture? Right, the little air jets. During the 45 plus minute boarding process, I and everyone else sat in this giant metal tube that had been sitting out in the sun all day. Although the auxillary engine was running, there was no A/C or any way to create a breeze. Great pre-conditioning for the trip ahead. Get all of those sweat pores up and running and cleaned out.

Left Baltimaore at 10 PM and Arrived in Ramstein AFB 10 AM local time to let off those "bus passengers" that were transferring to Germany.

Just enough time in the terminal to get out a quick e-mail to loved ones back home that World Airways made it again. Just as you thought you had time to do something else, back to the gate for pre-boarding. The term is justified since it is "pre" to the real event since you wait there for an hour to take place. Suprisingly, what took 45 minutes the first time to get on the "bus", now only took 20 minutes, including the new passengers who had to find theie seats.

A C-5 aircraft, huge!

Across the runway, dozens of ammunition bunkers. Is the "Cold War" truly over and are they all empty? I mean the prior "Cold Contingeny Operation"

Fairwell Ramstein and on to Aviano AFB in Italy.

Beautiful German towns all with red tile roofs.

Different field patterns as we are used to very regular and geometric fields at home.

Off the "bus" in Aviano for more USO cookies. DRopped of those riders transferring to Italy. Still awake with out a nap yet.

Had several hours to observe the groups left behind as everyone now left represents the core participants in the future contingeny operation. There are guardsmen and active duty members of the Air Force, Army and Marines. There are a small number of muscular bearded individual (Special Operations Forces), a cluster of very military looking civilians (OSI, CIA, FBI), skin heads ( I mean this in the most repectfull of terms in that our hair is short but the Marines are for all practical matter bald). All in a gathering of their tribe; a commonality of purpose and mission. You won't see any of their pictures.

And then there is the rest, the majority: Air Force personnel. 90% just support personnel: mechanics, logistics, supply, communication and a few medical. All of the behind the scene people to get the aircraft in the air. Just like the 120th fighter wing, there are only a handfull of air craft and pilots but over 600 people just to make it happen.

Some of the small aircraft shelters for the jets at Aviano.

Enroute to Al Edeid flying over the Dolomite Mountains. Another 6 hours and a dinner and two movies: James Bond and Iron Man. Still no sleep other that a cat nap here and there.

Most of flight at night. Flew over Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait befor landing in Qatar. Beautifull cities along coast of Qatar. Landed at Al Edeid just after midnight, local time, 9 hours ahead of your time. Feet on the ground and the fun was just ready to begin!!!!!!

Less than 24 hours before flying out of Great Falls and a few things that just have to get done. The main thing was to move Stitch out to the same field as Chester plus it was time long over due to separate Stitch from Bela. I had to buy several more panels to separate the well head and well house from the horses in the big pasture where we keep Chester. I took a round about way to Big - "R" in order to see several of the falls that Great Falls is named for. Since the Missouri River is high, there should be plenty of water going over, and I was right. Black Eagle Falls is the first in the series.

Only after I was cropping the picture did I notice the sign post in the middle of the river. Does anyone there back home know what it says: "Keep off the water"?

The next fall down the river is Rainbow Falls. I cropped out the hydro-electric dam that sits right above it.

Back home and a view of the back of the house that faces the river. Grass is starting to fill in. Maggie has a lot of landscaping projects for the summer so will be looking forward to the fruits of all her hard work.

Got the panels up and the next step is to load up Stitch and bring her on over. Chester is grazing way up the end over my left shoulder.

Sebrina will stay in her pature next to the house until Maggie and some help can move all of the corral panels out to the big pasture.

Ozzie (Ozwald-the Blaack Knight)

Stitch back with Chester; she could care less. Grass, grass, just lots of fresh grass. She actually needs the open space to run some and loose a little weight.

Maggie's baby - Bela.

And there she is: I will miss her. She is kind of old but has never let me down in all the years that we have been togehter. Although I have gotten a much younger model, I did not want to replace her. One of the last things I did was to teach Maggie how to drive her. See how happy Maggie looks having that responibility, as if she won't have a ton of it after I leave. I will miss my friend, my wife and soul mate.

Last sunset!

Last Minute Preparation

I am the ultimate procrastinator. I have has a broken tooth for several years and have been putting it off, mainly because I am a chicken when it comes to the dentist. So with about 50 mg of Demerol and 10 mg of Valium on board, I "Got 'er done!!

The next day, I reported for active duty and stopped by the office. See how happy I look with the gift my staff gave me.

About 6 hours to go until we leave for the airport at 5 AM. At least it was all in one big pile and easy to find. Before

Moisture

Moisture is the life and breath of Montana. Ranching and farming depend upon the life giving liquid that is like the air that allows us to breathe and live. People don't talk about rain or snow but moisture.

Moisture that is stored in the beautiful snow covered peaks, moisture that runs down hill and fills up the streams, ditches and fields. All this "moisture" that we take for granted every time we turn on the tap and flush. On the land it is worth more than one can imagine as the saying goes: "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting."

In the days before I left, I did as much irrigation as possible, plowed and reseeded a few areas, and then turned the rest over to Mother Nature.

Summer in Montana is green only by the grace of a gift from above.

One of my ditches and the flooding in progress.

More Connetticut

Nathan and GrandPa weht to the dinasoar park.

Nathan searching for fossils and minerals. It is amazing how lucky he was and the number he found. All I had to do was buy the pre-loaded bag.

Searching for minerals and fossils outside.

Not only drums but guitar.

Meline's first dress, beautiful baby!

Out for dinner.

All is quiet. Actually a very good baby, very happy and content.

Just mesmerized by the plastic lion.

Karen's and Micheal's (if she lets him use it) new tractor.

Had agreat time visiting and looking forward to hopefully Nathan helping me with the hay when I get back in August.

More Connetticut

Connecticut Yankees

Grand Pa and Meline

Maggie and Meline

Nathan got an electronic drum set, all the bells and whistles but no noise .

Michael practicing. He is in band.

Introduction

My son, Joe, started a blog several years ago and it has been a great way to keep in touch, albeit a one way flow of news and pictures. I am a great procrastinator and have been wanting to do the same thing. Instead of sending out e-mails with selected pictures and trying to get everyone on the list, this will allow me to do the same and on a larger scale without being intrusive; if you want the news and pictures, you decide.



My upcoming deployment to the AOR or Area Of Responsibility (I wonder whose responsibility and for what) help prompt me to keep a log of how I spent my "summer vacation". It is referred to a "Contingency Operation" ie: Operation Iraqi Freedom". No longer a "War on Global Terrorism" or "The Iraqi War" but we can still have a "War on Weeds" in Montana; at least the weeds don't try and kill you.

Just to bring everyone up to date on my preparation, I have some pictures of family and activities that I need to get posted.