Fly Boy

It finally came.

It wasn't his first choice, but by the look on his face you'd never know.
For months he's been looking through magazines and websites, mowing grass and weeding the flower beds and finishing wood for a kitchen project and sealing the swingset and washing the vehicles.

And then the birthday cards came in the mail and his savings was finally enough.
So, he looked again for the hundredth time, and picked out a Euro-Fighter Typhoon fighter jet and we placed the order. It was the body only, and then there were still all the other needed parts- the transmitter, the battery and charger etc. We continued to "shop" but it seemed you couldn't get all the parts in one place and it was turning into a major headache. We finally found a site based down in the cities with a phone number. Hubby made a call to a very knowledgable and helpful salesman who told him that the plane we ordered was way out of the ballpark for a beginner. Thing is, these sites don't tell you whether the plane is best suited for a rookie or an advanced flyer. How were we to know?? After some friendly conversation, Hubby placed an order for a great 'beginner' plane that included everything needed to get it in the air.
It's not a fighter jet.
It's a Super Cub.
And a Super Cub is pretty exciting when you're eleven.

 It didn't take long to put it together.
Maybe we should read through the manual and watch the included dvd and call it a night. Tomorrow will be a great day for flying.
Not.

So it was a slow start. Josh was getting the "feel" for things.
While he practiced accelerating and turning his plane on the driveway, I continued to weed a flower bed.

Have you ever seen this before??

Me neither. But isn't he so cute?  Hubby made sure this little fella wouldn't be making another trip up a sunflower.

 And then, he was just as eager as Josh to get that plane in the air, so Josh let him have a go of it. And it went.

And then...

It crashed.

Nothing too serious.
 All of the excitement infused a greater confidence in this wanna-be flyer and he eagerly took the wheel. Or the remote.

A picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it??

We've got some sky...

And then again....

Crash. Across the road and in the woods.
 This new plane will be grounded for repairs.

But this boy who dreams of being a pilot someday went to bed tonight with a smile on his face and wings to his dreams.

Let's Hear it for the Boys! Linking to MOB Society today!

100 on the 4th

Phew. Wow.
Hot 'nough for ya? Only a few degrees shy of 100 today.

I am so very thankful for air conditioning. So very thankful.
But, nonetheless, today was the 4th of July and that means being outside. It just does.
Our families' tradition, dating back to 1976 and the Centennial Year, has been to be in Erhard for the 4th of July Celebration. Since Hubby and I grew up in and near the same town, we both brought that same tradition into our married life. And today is only the third time that I can recall in all of those years (36!!) that I have not been in Erhard.

Even though we did not travel to Erhard this year, we did celebrate in much the same way. This morning, Hubby took out the Model A and washed it and shined it up nice for the parade in Park Rapids. Joshua signed up to be with his Taekwondo class and Hubby volunteered to drive our old car and be the "water boy".

Oh it was hot. And the weather was threatening. It rumbled and the wind came up and a few drops splashed to the sidewalk and sizzled for a split second before disappearing. And then it was still hot.

We had plans to go to R and I's after the parade.
But first things first.

Ahhhh. Water. Cool, clear water.

We drove into Menahga for a quick splash while Hubby helped his brother Travis with some electrical work at their new old house in town. And then we sped home.

Because we had plans to end the day with s'mores and some fireworks.

The weather wanted to be an issue but somehow we managed to be always on the edge of it and our plans were not dampened a bit.

The sky turned from gray to yellow to pink. It rumbled and flashed lightning and the little ones were as mesmerized by that as they were the fireworks.

Then all the sparks had sparkled and all the marshmallows melted.
It was time to end another 4th of July celebration.
Oh, and it was hot.