For those of you who regularly check for our updates ... apologies that we've been a little slow these last couple of weeks ... things haven't been as straight forward or as routine as normal!! Abigail was 18 months old on March 13th ... so we measured her height and she clocked in at a very respectable 2'9" ... she'll be outgrowing her mummy any day now (as you can see she finds that very amusing!)!!!
Just a few days after Auntie Popeye left, Jenny managed to do something to her back and was unable to move very much for a couple of days ... not ideal when trying to keep up with a certain young lady! Mark took the first day off work and then we found willing baby-sitters for both Jenny and Abigail for the following couple of days (special thanks to Laurie ... who we'd only met 2 days before!!). It seems that a lot of Americans have their own personal chiropractors and we were somewhat sceptical about it all ... but have been completely converted ... after one visit Jenny was upright again and within 2 days almost back to normal!
While Jenny was incapable, Mark and Abigail were having even more fun together than usual ... if that is possible!!! The weather has changed from snow one week to temperatures in the high 80's the next and so we've been spending loads of time out in the garden ... playing 'ball' ... one of Abigail's new favourite words ... and doing a spot of gardening!! We are attempting to be a bit 'green fingered' (those of you who know us well will know this a new venture for us!) ... having planted some flowers before winter sent in that we're pleased to report are beginning to bloom ... we're now embarking on a little veggie plot in the back yard!
In the photo above you can see Mark clearing the area we're going to use ... it was an overgrown bed of nothing in particular (as far as we can make out!) ... Abigail wanted to be helpful (as always!!) and got stuck in there too (see below) ... enjoying the worms, bugs and dirt even more than we did! The seeds should be going in very shortly ... carrots, parsnips, butternut squash and peas ... so watch this space for updates ... and if you see nothing ... our green-fingeredness may not have been as successful as we had hoped!!
In the hangar things have been a little different for Mark too ... most of the guys headed to Columbus for a Symposium one day ... some driving down together and others flying and meeting them there!! Mark's pick up was 5.30am and he didn't get back til 8.30pm ... so it was a long day ... but it was full of information ... and Mark attended loads of seminars including ... Piston Engine Problems, Cylinder Anatomy, Slick Magneto Inspection and Aircraft Fabric Coverings. All the guys went out for dinner together before heading back to Coshocton so a chance for them to hang out a bit too.
Last week Mark experienced a personal first ... the aircraft above is a Commander 114 and he helped with an oil change ... doesn't sound too exciting ... until you understand that in order to do that you need to heat up the oil ... so Mark got to taxi it around the airfield ... steering it with his feet ... it definitely got his adrenalin going ... and his smile lasted a long time afterwards!
Last week there was also a memorable moment in the hangar for all the guys ... 3 years ago a Cessna 206 came in from a mission based in Honduras for an inspection (see above) ... but one thing led to another and more work was identified as needing to be done ... which meant more money needed to be raised ... and kept putting the job on hold ... after several glitches, right up to the final days ... they all went out onto the airfield on Wednesday and watched it fly off, back to service once again ... see below! More aircraft quickly took it's place in the hangar though!
This week Mark is doing a PT6 engine course with a visiting lecturer along with 9 others ... there is a bit more 'in the classroom' time than normal and will include 2 written tests and a practical at the end of the week ... the course is running Monday to Saturday but as one of the other apprentices described it, this is their 'bread and butter' as a lot MAF aircraft have PT6 engines!
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