Happy International Crop Duster's Day

Happy International Crop Duster's Day!!!

Since it is such a special day that we don't celebrate nearly enough, I thought I would "dust" off the old blog and give a shout out to some of my favorite people on the planet!  These guys are right in the throws of busy season and could probably use a little love.  

Many of you probably don't know but last October I began a side job as the Executive Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association.  (Say that 5 times real fast)  And YES, I get paid to hang out with crop dusters, plan their conventions, write their newsletters, etc...  Repeat, I get paid to hang out with crop dusters!!!  Like over a 100 of them!!!

My Papa Cal was really proud of me for a lot of things but I'm not sure he had ever been prouder when my picture and an article about me becoming executive director was published in Ag Air Update and when me, Matthew and some of our friends were featured on AETN's Agri Arkansas on their segment about ag aviation!  You can check the video out HERE.  Matthew is seriously a SUPERSTAR!

Previously, I was only exposed to the pilots in the central Arkansas County region but now I have crop duster friends across the entire state; from Corning to Lake Village!  I get to learn about the dynamics of doing business in their part of the world and we swap stories of growing up around the industry.  

I think some of the guys were probably pretty skeptical about a woman taking over at first; however, once I started talking about hopping the wing of my dad old Ag Cat, fueling planes, working crazy hours and learning to drive a stick by taking a loader truck up and down the runway, they were really impressed with my street cred and began to trust me.  I also introduced some of them to the concept of swimming in the water truck on a hot day. How have they not heard of this?!?!

One common theme that I've observed with all my new friends is how dang hard they work for our industry and their farmers.  We all know that crop dusters work crazy hours and if you remember from previous posts Brother Bear usually gets to the airport before 5:00 AM and sometimes won't leave until 9:30 or 10 that evening...  But they are also super technical and highly trained individuals that are constantly educating themselves on safety, security and drift mitigation.  So  many factors such as 1) wind speed and direction  2) which chemical they are putting out on what crop and what crops are surrounding those crops 3) concentrating on their GPS 4) precisely calibrating their spray equipment 5) making sure they have enough fuel 6) knowing where power lines are located 6) making sure the loader truck driver knows what strip he is supposed to go to and what time to be there 7) etc., etc., etc...  See!  They have to focus on ALL THE THINGS!!  And they do it all in a teeny tiny space while flying only a few feet off of the ground!  Pretty impressive if you ask me....

Crop Dusting (or Ag Aviation, which is the politically correct term) has come a long way since my Papa Cal started AufderHeide Flying Service.  Cal passed away a week ago today and while my heart is still broken, I've been looking back at all his old pictures and have a new appreciation for his hard work and dedication to the business and his family.  It's also fun to see how things have evolved from the earlier days at AufderHeide Flying Service, to when my dad was flying and to where it is today with my brother.  

I hope you enjoy this pictures below and if you run across a crop dusters be sure to thank them for all their hard work in providing a safe, abundant and affordable food supply to the world!  These guys really are the best!

Early Pics of Cal in the 40's & 50's.  What a Stud!

Whatever is in that barrel, I doubt the EPA would be cool with it today!

Papa is on the left...  This is after one of his many wrecks in the early days. Not a scratch on him but he sure doesn't look too happy.  (Also, can we talk about that short sleeved sweater?!?...  What is that about?)

My dad, Mark, as a little boy and papa Cal at the flying service.

Mark, doing what he loved best, flying his Ag Cat.

Matthew during one of his first jobs spraying my uncle's field.

 Matthew flying last year.  We've sure come a long way since 1950!

Today the flying service is doing great.  Matthew and Lonnie are our two pilots and they do a great job for our customers.  Matthew just got a new Air Tractor 602 and he's madly in love with the new plane!  My mom is out there to run the books and boss the boys around.  She probably isn't as charismatic as the old secretary but she gets there on time and is much more professional!  Also, the place has gotten an entire makeover...  New paint, new floors, new toilets, new sinks, new windows and new air conditioners...  Why could this not have happened back in 2000?!?1

I'm so thankful for my time working at the flying service and that I was able to learn from the best!  My papa and daddy both instilled in me the importance of hard work, customer service and dedication to family.  They both loved our industry and I'm so thankful that Matthew will continue their legacy!  

As The Prop Slowly Stops Turning

Well folks, the rumors are sadly true.  You may have heard it on the streets or read about it in the tabloids, but yes, I am leaving AufderHeide Flying Service.  On Monday I begin my new job in community development for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.  I will be covering 20 counties in Southeast Arkansas and will travel frequently to work with elected officials and community leaders and assist them in building a better community and making Arkansas a better place to live.  I am super excited about the position and am looking forward to this new chapter in my career.  (And somewhat normal working hours! :) )

That being said...  I sure am going to miss the ol' DeWitt Municipal Airport!  ...  When I began this little venture at the beginning of February, it was supposed to be just that, a little venture.  I thought I'd help mom with dad, help mom a few weeks after dad passed away and help Matthew with the flying service.  Well, that turned into a half-year career of Office Manager, Secretary, Scheduler, Meteorologist, Cleaning Lady, Mechanic (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/04/just-lil-airplane-mechanicin.html), Therapist, veterinarian,and 3-Ring Circus Leader all while working the hours of 5am-8pm and living with my mother 6 nights a week.  Whew, I'm exhausted just thinking about it! 

...And if that wasn't enough, somewhere along the way I got the bright idea to become a "blogger" and document all the craziness around this place for your amusement and entertainment! (And perhaps to help offset my ADD) I don't know exactly what I was thinking when I started all  of these shenanigans.  I've never consider myself a writer and still don't really... but I've sure had alot of fun!

I hope I've given you a little behind the scenes look at what goes on at a flying service and a little peek at the lives of the crop dusters, ground crew, and most importantly... their schedulers!  I hope I've introduced you to some new faces. (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/05/business-in-front-party-in-back.html)  I hope you've been able to see how hard we all work from before the sun goes up till after it goes down.  I hope I've given you shining examples of the great friendships and wonderful comradery that develop around the hangar. I hope you've seen the love I have for everyone out here and especially the love I have for my family (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/04/airport-to-mark.html)... But most of all, I hope I've been a bright spot in your day and given you a chuckle or two.

One of my favorite compliments was from an old high school friend that said, "Ya know, I like reading your blog way more than I like reading the DeWitt Era Enterprise."  Ha!  I hope they don't tell Frank Scott that, he looks angry enough already.  Then a lawyer friend of mine in Atlanta told me that I had some really great material and that I was kinda like the Rupert Murdoch of DeWitt.  (Minus the billions of dollars & criminal investigations, I guess)...  I've gotten so many words of encouragement and sweet comments about my blog and I want to thank you all for your kind words and for being loyal readers over the past few months. 

And now to answer the question that I've been asked 7 times already today, "But what will happen to the blog?!?!?!" ...  I plan to leave it online as of right now in case your having a bad day and need a good laugh!  I also have hopes that one day my witty brother will rise above his fear of the written word and begin to do a few post!  And who knows, I may even still contribute an occasional post when the mood hits me or I get some really good material!  (Like that picture of Matthew flying without his shirt on yesterday after his air-conditioning went out!  Good Stuff!)  If you ask most members of my family they will tell you I can't keep quite for too long, so don't take me off your "favorites" list just yet!

And now to the people that have made these past 6 months so fun, so worthwhile and have done their best to keep my somewhat sane:

Shawn & Alex:  Thanks for always keeping me on my toes and keeping me laughing.  Thank you for introducing me to the new hip songs that all the cool kids are listening to, letting me eat your snacks, and teaching me how to drive a loader truck again.  Thank you also for putting up with me and keeping the back-talk to a minimum.  :)  You both work incredibly hard and I'm so thankful ya'll are our employees!

Nikki Pippinger:  Thank you for always being so polite when you answer the phone and for letting me vent on days that I was frustrated.  Thanks also for the ice cream snickers & Diet Coke!

Shannon Bullock:  Thanks for always making delicious & tasty treats and for being the only other female with me in this crazy world of agriculture aviation!

Mo & Corby:  (Bullocks ground crew) Mo, thank you for always smiling at me with that gappy little smile and for waving at me in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot.  You always so sweet to me.  Corby, thanks for rocking that awesome ponytail and for always being so helpful anytime we need you.

Momma Margo:  Thank you for putting food in my belly and being a great substitute when I went to play a little bit in the city.  Thanks also for letting us get snazzy new shirts and hats!  You're the best and I'm so blessed to have you as my momma!.

Robert: (Mechanic)  Thank you for being such a magnificent mechanic and helping us out at the drop of a hat and/or airplane part.  You going above and beyond the call of duty late at night, early in the morning, and weekends is very much appreciated!   

All my Farmers:  Thank you so much for your patience and friendship over the past few months.  It took me a little while to get back in to the swing of things but with your help we were back in the saddle and rockin' in no time.  Thank you for always being kind and for swinging by my office and chatting whenever you got a chance.  My father considered you all his closest friends and I feel privilege that after this experience I can call you all my friends as well.  I truly believe we have the very best customers around!

G.W.: Thank you for trying to convey your knowledge to me about anything and everything.  Although I can't promise that I remember it all now, your determination to teach me dimensional analysis and the inner-most workings of a carburetor is much admired!  I always enjoy our morning coffee talks, your singing, and your stories!  I sure hope I have as much energy and spunk as you do when I'm your age! (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/05/resident-genius-gr-whitcomb.html)
Gabe:  Thank you so, so much for letting me run off to Arkansas County for a little bit to hang out with all this riff raff.  You were always sweet, loving, and patient even when I was sleep deprived, grouchy, and had a thousand things going on!  You're my favorite!

Lonnie:  Elonzo, thank you for being the jolliest fella around the DeWitt Municipal Airport!  Your laugh, stories, and happy-go-lucky attitude always brighten my day!  I also feel as if your fashion achievements have been one of my great accomplishments.  The fact that I can persuade an old crop duster to wear a clean hole-less shirt is monumental and I will always be proud of you!  Keep up the good work!

Cupcake:  Thank you so much for providing me beautiful pictures and hilarious content for the blog.  Your gorgeous pictures have helped regular folks like me see God's country through the eyes of a crop duster and what we've seen is breath taking.  You're entertaining stories and jokes always make for a good blog posts and I think through them the good people of DeWitt have gotten to know you and hope you stay here for a long time!  Thanks for taking me flying, not being afraid to let me take the reigns, and for always have a cold beer waiting for me at the end of a long hard day.

Brother Bear:  Oh brother bear, where do I even begin.  Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your first year as the head honcho chief pilot.  It's been so great to see you learn and grow over the past few months as the big boss man.  You're doing an amazing job of carrying on the legacy of the AufderHeide name and continuing the hard work that Papa and Daddy put into this business.  I'm so proud of you.  I'm so happy we've had the past few months to work together and become the best brother/sister duo since Marie & Donny!  I think we've made a lot of positive changes and we've certainly had a lot of fun.  Seeing you're big smiley face at 5am always made me want to come back for more I guess...  That and to see which brightly colored David Bullock shirt you would wear the next day!... Thanks so much for being one of my very best friends!  And in case your forgot about this awesome picture, here it is again (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/05/brotherly-love.html)  Love ya, brother bear.

I'm pretty sure once I graduated college I said I would never come back to the flying service.  Well, lesson learned, never say never.  These past few months have been crazy.  I lost my daddy and I still miss him every day.  He's now my angel flying to close to the ground.  ..Yet, through all sadness, I think I've been able feel his presence while working at the flying service and it's incredibly comforting.  I believe he would crack up at my blog and just absolutely love it.  I think I've also renewed an appreciation for my family's business; where we've came from, the people who've stood by us, and how hard we've worked to get where we are today. ( http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/04/godfather-calvin-benjamin-aufderheide.html)

I've made wonderful friends & reconnected with old ones, I've seen gorgeous sunrises & breath-taking sunsets, and I've made wonderful / hilarious memories that I will cherish forever.  And although I'll be living back in the big city, I guess that old country saying just may be true...  "You can take the girl out of the flying service, but you can't take the flying service out of the girl!!

Idle Hands

So, sometimes, on rainy days like today or the occasional quiet afternoon, we get bored and start looking for ways to amuse ourselves and help pass the time.  There is no longer a television to help entertain us and the silly blond chick in the office is always hogging the Internet.  (Oh, wait, that's me, woops!)  Anywho, here's a collection of a few of my pics & short stories describing how we keep our idle hands from doing the devil's work at the DeWitt Municipal Airport!

My fly experiment on top of field maps

*Flies can be fun* About a month ago, before the heat got absolutely unbearable, this place was swarming with flies.  We're talking biblical, plague proportions here, not just 5 to 10.  They were everywhere.  In the hangar, in the bathrooms, in both ours and Bullocks office, and pretty much anywhere in between!  I could go on a 15 minute fly killing spree with my trusty swatter and barely make a dent in the tiny winged population.  Then one day, Alex casually mentioned that flies on had a 24 hour life span.  What?!?!  I didn't know this and was very skeptical of his theory.  I thought they at least bugged the crap out of me for several months...

  Well, one day about 3pm a fly flew into the opening of my drink cup and I decided this would be the perfect time to test Alex's fly statement.  And yes, it is totally disgusting that this happened and I know most people would be grossed out watching a fly swarm about their drinking cup all day, but for me I looked at the predicament through the eyes of a scientist.  This was my experiment.  The next day the fly was still alive but by 1pm, dead and a door knob.  Who knew Alex was so versed on the life of flies!  ... Now if we could just figure out a way to trap the rest of them.  

Shawn, G.W., Matthew, Turbo working on Puddle Jumper

*Daily Maintenance* Most down time is spent on working on stuff.  Airplanes, loader trucks, the golf cart, pumps, engines, breaks, and tires; it all breaks down or has mechanical issues at one point or another.  Shawn & Alex not only have to drive the loader trucks and mix the chemicals, but they also have to be part-time mechanics, welders, painters, etc.  Matthew, along with Robert wonderful assistance, has to know the ins and outs of his fine tuned machine and be chief maintenance man anytime a problem arises.  Even, G.W. works on his little plane puddle jumper daily.  He calls it Puddle Jumper, but her formal name is Samantha Jane.  Such funny relationships, men and their machines.

Cupcake lovingly brushing Canine

*Doggy Daycare*  During the downtime, we also like to give a little extra TLC to the mammals in our life that don't get enough attention when we're busy.  Turbo, Woodrow, Kramer, & Canine aren't exactly starved for attention but the we really love our pups around here and like to go the extra mile for them.  Heath's dog Canine is some sort of mix between a German Shepard and a Husky and since he refuses to shave the poor fella he has to brush him frequently to keep massive amounts of hair from getting too thick and bushy.  Kramer is supposed to go to the vet once a month to get his allergy shots but since we've been so busy Matthew's been somewhat neglectful.  Luckily, Alex took Kramer to the vet last week and for the time being his skin is clear and itch free.  Turbo and Woodrow are spoiled on a daily basis but I do like to give this long walks on the runway whenever I get time to leave the office.  108lb Turbo needs the exercise and Woodrow, whom I believe would be a great case study for doggy Ritalin, needs to run off as much energy as possible!

Matthew & Alex playing on their I-devices

*Game Boys*  Every since Matthew was a little kid he has loved video games.  Mario Brothers, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Ken Griffey Jr Baseball, Halo, and all of the Madden's.  You name it, he's played it.  So it comes as no surprise to me that when he got a new Ipod for Father's Day, he figured out all the games he could play on it right away.  Alex has an Iphone and I'm pretty sure he taught Matthew a thing or two about all the games they could play on their I-devices.  Their current fascination, and I believe most of America's, is Angry Birds.  When I took this picture last week, I stood in the doorway of my office looking at them for like 5 minutes before either one of them looked up.  I'm not really a big fan of the video games.  I've dabbled into Solitaire on my pc a few times and play the occasion game of Brick-Breaker on my phone, other than that I don't really see the appeal.  But, whatever keeps my men happy, keeps me happy! 

Matthew's morning siesta

*Airport Naps*  When all else fails, we slumber.  I've already mentioned how great the airport is for accommodating the occasional siesta (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/05/good-ol-fashioned-airport-nap.html) and rainy days like today are perfect for catching up on a few Z's.  Matthew and all the guys have really worked their booties off this season and truly deserve a break every now in then.  So I'll let them rest for a little while...  Until I get get bored and try that whole stick their fingers in cold water trick! :)

Get Em' While They're HOT!!!

Finally! The moment you have been waiting for all summer has arrived, AufderHeide Flying Service hats and t-shirts are now in the office!

As you can see from our lovely picture, Matthew and I are both sporting the new gear today. We have fitted hats (Matthew is modeling these), trucker hats with the mesh back, (I tried to model them but I have an awkward shaped head) & t-shirts for all our customers!

We are very excited about our new, updated design AND the fact that they were able to get the ridiculously long word "AufderHeide" on a small hat! Ha!

Coco Chanel once said, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."... I think she also probably said, "Fashion is at the Airport", but some moron forgot to include that line in the history books. 

As you may remember from Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/05/easy-breezy-beautiful.html) we are always on the cutting edge of fashion around the DeWitt Airport.  So, I would recommend you jumping on this fashion band wagon and getting your new shirts and hats today! It's what is happening and all the cool kids are doing it!

Blaindridge Towing & Wrecker

Ballin', Shot Callin', and now he's Haulin'!

Watch out Roger Capps, there a new tow-man in town!!!  Ya see, on more than one occasion this summer we have had to call our good friend and farmer, Mr. Bart Eldridge to tow us out of a sticky mess or two.  Apparently he's gotten so good at it and has so much fun working with old beater trucks on the verge of collapse he decided to open a part-time business, Blaindridge Towing and Wrecker.

His new endeavor began one hot and muggy summer afternoon when we were just about to start on our last job of the day.  This was back during busy season when we were blowing and going 14 hours a day and our pal Brandon Everette was helping us out.  Shawn was driving The Hybrid off  Wolf Strip and had just loaded Brandon's first load when the old orange and white beauty died.  She was dead in her tracks.  If you may recall the only real way to get The Hybrid running again is a good old fashioned pull start, so Shawn called me in a panic.  Matthew was in the air, Alex was on another strip, I needed to man the office, and Papa was out of town; we were all at a loss for what to do...  But then, Brandon suddenly got the idea to call our old trusty friend, Bart, and low and behold he showed up in a blaze of glory about 5 minutes later.  He pull-sarted the ol' Hybrid and we were back up and running in no time...  It is quite possible that Bart's heroism that day single-handedly saved our fertilizer season...  Or at least didn't keep Brandon working past dark! 

Last week, Bart once again proved he was willing to go above and beyond the call of duty when he rescued Matthew out of a ditch.  You see Matthew was going to check if a strip was dry enough to fly off of when he absentmindedly hit a slick spot and ran into a ditch.  The 4-wheeled drive truck proved no match for the mighty embankment and Matthew decided he better just leave this job to the professionals...  So, you guessed it, he called Bart and was rockin' & rollin' back on the road in no time!  Pretty sure after that little episode we're just going to have to put Bart on speed dial!

Now you may be thinking to yourself, "I've seen that Eldridge boy and he don't look like no overall wearin', once a week showerin', tobacco spittin', big burly truck driver; what makes you think this skinny farm boy can haul all these big trucks around?"...  Well, let me ask you this my friend, would you bet Goliath over David?  No, of course not.  Brains always trump Brawn.  And there's also the fact that Bart is an incredibly hard worker and is always eager to go the extra step for perfection.  That being said, you should now feel confident that if your truck dies around Lodges Corner at 2 a.m., Bart will happily be your guardian angel and put you back on the road, safe and sound!  Don't delay folks, call Blaindridge Towing & Wrecker today! 

BLAINDRIDGE TOWING & WRECKER

Ballin', Shot Callin', Haulin'

*Bart, Please don't hate me for this.  Matthew & Brandon were the masterminds behind this post, I'm just their voice.  We sincerely appreciate everything you've done for us this summer and thank you for your loyalty.  

Airport Aroma: Smells Like Money To Me

Frank Sinatra once said, "Fresh air makes me throw up.  I can't handle it.  I'd rather be around three Denobili cigars blowing in my face all night."... 

There aren't very many cigars around the airport these days now that Fritz is gone, (http://aufderheideflying.blogspot.com/2011/05/has-your-aircraft-been-fritzed.html) but if Sinatra was disgusted by clean air, he could certainly breathe comfortably around the AufderHeide Flying Service!

You see the smell of the airport is a very distinct, unique smell.  I can vividly remember smelling this aroma even back in  my childhood.  The first recollection I have of this pungent smell dates back 0o my Pre-School and Kindergarten years at the First Baptist Church.  The school only lasted from 8-11:30 and usually during the slow season my daddy would come pick me up on his way home to lunch.  I can distinctly remember standing outside in my hot pink rain boots (that I wore without socks every day and didn't match any of my outfits) eagerly waiting for my daddy's big red truck to round the corner so I could go home to eat my lunch of *bacon & goldfish and play with my Barbies while watching Fraggle Rock...  I really had a rough childhood...  Ha

My father's dirty red truck, which only got washed probably once every two years, would leap to a halt right in front of my teacher and she would help me climb in....  Then that smell would hit me...  No, not the inch thick dust on the dash, nor his tobacco spit in the cup-holder; much worse, it was the smell of AIRPORT!!!  I would immediately gag and then cover my nose with whatever pink matching outfit my mother put me in that day.  My daddy would just laugh and say, "Smells like money to me!"  Yet, as a small (slightly dramatic child) I did not find this amusing.  I would usually end up riding the two miles home with stuck out the window in protest.

I've wanted to write on the smell of the airport for awhile now, but it was not until I began to do laundry at my house in Little Rock this morning and got a big ol' whiff of "airport" that I actually felt motivated to share it with you.  While you really need to experience the airport aroma for yourself, I believe the best way to explain the smell would be to describe it like this:  The smell is sorta a combination of 1)50 years worth of dust  2)Jet Fuel  3)Musty, yet strong & highly concentrated chemicals  4)Zep 45 (some sort of mechanical lubricant that we buy by the case load)  5) Stale well-water  6) Old Books & Newspapers  7) Diesel  8)Old Grease; and last but certainly not least, the main component:  9)Airplane exhaust fumes... 

How glorious does that sound all mixed up together?  Are you taking deep breaths now in hopes that you'll catch the slightest whiff of the unique fragrance?  Yeah, I figured so... You see thing the about the smell of airport is that not only is it extremely potent, but it also lingers for hours, days, and sometimes, like in the case of my car, weeks!  And airplane exhaust fumes are the worst! They can make your eyes water in 10 seconds flat, immediately give you a headache, and if you happen to land directly in its path your hair will smell like these fumes for a minimum of two days!   

My mother used to wash my daddy's work clothes completely separate from the rest of the family's for fear it would contaminate the rest of our close with the unfavorable scent.  Sometimes I have to wash my load of work clothes twice just to get them smelly Downy Fresh again!  If I don't wash my hair after working all day, it still smells like airport in the morning.  And as for my car, after having the stench of the airport baked in during 10 hour, 100degree summer days, yeah, I just don't think there is any hope in having it smell somewhat close to normal ever again!

Now, with all my degrading and off-putting remarks about the airport aroma, the truth is I've actually come to really like it.  I no longer cringe or dramatically hold my breath in protest.  It reminds me of my daddy, my poppa, and my brother.  It reminds me of all the life lessons I've learned, the characters I've met, and the fun that I've had at the airport.  It reminds me of all the hard work that has been produced and provided for me and my family.  While, I certainly won't be working on a patent to bottle this fragrance any time soon, I have certainly come to appreciated it...  And in the words of my father, I too now believe it, Smells Like Money To Me!   


* I ate bacon every day, all day for two years straight until it made me sick and I, as my parents liked to say, overdosed.  I recently began eating pepper bacon about two years ago due to the encouragement of my boyfriend.  So far we're reuniting beautifully! 

By the Hair of his Chinny Chin Chin

Matthew's chin hair and my thumb (obviously I'm not a professional)

Thank goodness Matthew got lazy over the weekend and forgot to shave his face, because it was just by the hair of his chinny chin chin that he made it back to the airport safely before the big storm came in this morning.  For the record, I do not approve of this facial hair but I guess I'll let it slide today...

According to my weather.com app at 4:30 this morning (when I left Little Rock) there was only a 30% chance of rain today.  When I got to the office around 6ish it said only 20%, which really depressed us all because we've been needing a rain badly for awhile.  The entire state has pretty much needed a good rain.

Thankfully around 8:30 the skies began to darken and we began checking the radar for possible showers.  The rain was just in Clarendon so we decided to keep on keepin' on with our fertilizer.  However, the storm was approaching faster than we anticipated and while Matthew was putting out a load the skies grew darker, the wind blew faster, and you could see the beautiful blustery front moving towards the airport.  (picture below) 

I called Matthew and told him he should probably get back to the home base as soon as possible.  He had a few more passes then said he would be back.  The wind picked up to what G.W. said was about 30mph and I held my breath until I saw Matthew land.  Thankfully the wind was straight out of the north and Matthew didn't have to land in a 30mph cross wind.  He made a smooth landing and drove his sweet yellow bird into the hangar, right as the liquid sunshine began pouring from the sky.  Whew.  Rain, finally!  Beautiful, blissful rain!  Below are a few pics that Cupcake took from the air right as the storm was moving in to DeWitt.

The guys are now grounded for the morning.  They have already been out to grab a "pilot's breakfast" (whatever that means) at the Catfish Shack and now are back in my office bugging me.  Their current conversation is plotting a yearly airport calendar equivalent to the yearly hot-body firemen calendars.  So far we have thrown out the titles of "Air Tractors & Six Packs" and "Soft Landings, Hard Bodies"  Hahaha!  Ladies don't you want to pre-order yours already?!?!  I'll be sure to keep you abreast of all the juicy details and if you see the guys around town be sure and tell them you're all for it!