Alligators & Airplanes, Oh My!!!

Cupcake and I flying about 8ft over a bean field.
Now we're pretending to spray a rice field. And yes, we are headed straight for those trees!
Now we're hugging the curb and trimming edges. Yep, we're inches away from those trees and they are towering above us!

Yesterday afternoon Cupcake and I went on a big flying adventure. I've been after him to go for a few weeks now but with us going full throttle till dark-thirty it's incredibly hard to find the time. Luckily, he finished around 6:30 yesterday, and although Matthew was still working he told me I could go flying anyways. What a great brother!

So wheels up around 7:30ish! It was a beautiful clear afternoon and I was very excited! Our first adventure; scouting alligators! Cupcake had seen two already that day and I have been dying to see one from the air for awhile now. After the airing of "Swamp People" I have become a big gator enthusiast. Troy, Bruce, Joe and Tommy, I love them all. Last year when I was in a rural part of Jackson County I called Daddy to tell him I think we'd been watching too much swamp people. "Daddy, I just went by a reservoir and I caught myself plotting where to hang the gator bait!" (this was a true story) He got a big kick out of this and loved to tell that story!

We headed west towards Lodges Corner and then flew around Hampton's Reservoir. On the first fly-by Heath thought he saw one but wasn't sure if it could be a log. The second time around I knew my line of sight and if this log was an alligator I was gonna see him. Cupcake whipped the plane around and there he was!!!! The beautiful beast was floating right on top of the water! He was a big fella too! Judging by my professional opinion I'd probably say at least 800lbs. (That Ain't a Tree Shaker, That's a Tree Breaker!) Finally, I saw my gator... Now on to my next adventure... Crop dusting!

Now, when I think of crop dusting I think of a yellow airplane gracefully flying over the fields back and forth, back and forth... And then I found out what it's really like. I guess I was feeling adventurous yesterday so when Cupcake asked, "Hey, ya wanna do some crop dusting sh*t?" I immediately said, "Sure, let's go!" He picked a field close by Mr. Alligator that he sprayed earlier in the day and told me to hold on. It was actually two fields that he tied together (sprayed at the same time) and were only separated by a small tree line. He informed me we would "hop" over these trees and continue flying the rest of the field... After the "hop" comment I decided I should probably hold on tight AND tighten my seat belt! Awayyyyy we go!!!!

Now I have rode with Matthew before when we buzzed David and Charles Neal on the tractor so the initial affect didn't bother me too bad... We headed straight for the field, quickly dipped and were flying inches above the rice. At first it was smooth sailing; gracefully gliding above the rice... Then there was that "hop" over the small tree line and back down again. I was slightly startled and it took my breath away, but I quickly gained my composure and was again enjoying the ride.... Then I looked up. And, I was pretty sure I might die...

We were headed straight for an enormously tall line of trees!!!!! What was Cupcake doing?!?!?! Did he get distracted? Did the airplane stall? Did he instantaneously become paralyzed? Why is he trying to kill us? Holy crap, get me out of here!!!!

... And right as I was seeing my life flash before my eyes, Cupcake pulled the plane up and whipped it around over the trees. In a matter of Milli-seconds my female equivalent of an Adams Apple, (I made a D in Anatomy) went from my throat to the bottom of my belly and back up again. We literally went from 8ft off the ground to like 450ft lickity split! I thought I was going to be sick and I wanted to scream like a little girl but I didn't want to seem like a rookie. (although I totally am) I pinched myself until I gained my composure and took a very deep breath.

Hey, I thought to myself, I'm alive!!!! Hey, that was kinda fun!!! "You do this everyday, all day?", I asked Cupcake as I tried to catch my breath. "Yup, but faster", he replied, "What do ya think?" I immediately said, "Let's go again!"

This went on for about half an hour. We pretended to spray rice and bean fields. (I would prefer spraying bean fields and avoiding levees) He showed me how he sprayed in little pockets surrounded by trees. He showed me the difference in heights between fertilizing and spraying. He showed me how to trim the edges. He showed me how to hug the tree line... And I showed him how I could do all that without puking in his airplane!!!! It was so much fun!!!

The sun was setting so after a hard half hour's worth of (pretend)work we decided we better head on back to the home base. We pulled into the hangar and I immediately began bragging about all our cool swoops and dives and how I didn't puke! They boys were all very proud.

I definitely have a new appreciation for the hard, tedious work crop dusters do everyday. I have never been so thrilled, yet terrified, yet excited, yet nauseated; nor have I ever had so much adrenalin pumped into my body in such a small amount of time! Talk about system overload, and I was only doing it for 30 minutes! The fact that Brother Bear and the other guys sometimes get in the plane and do that whole shebang for 12 hours straight day in, day out; well, it just wears me out thinking about it!

Now that I've got to experience the action first hand, I'm incredibly proud of them and even more so thankful for their hard work. And like the previous poem says, I think this is truly something that only a prestigious (and slightly crazy) select few were born to do. They were born to fly!

Brother Bear taking off on his last load of the evening! *Full Disclosure: While I acted like "one of the guys" and bragged about not getting sick in front of the boys, on my way home from work I had to pull over on the gravel road to my mom's and puke my guts out...but, let's not tell them that! Hey, it was my first time!

A Pilot's Poem

Impressions of a Pilot

By: Gary Claude Stoker

Flight is freedom in its purest form,
To dance with the clouds which follow a storm;
To roll and glide, to wheel and spin,
To feel the joy that swells within.


To leave the earth with its troubles and fly,
And know the warmth of a clear spring sky;
Then back to earth at the end of the day,
Released from the tensions which melted away.


Should my end come while I am in flight,
Whether brightest day or darkest night;
Spare me no pity and shrug off the pain,
Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again.


For each of us is created to die,
And within me I know,
I was born to fly.

This breathtaking photo was taken by my aerial photographer, Cupcake, early this morning. Isn't it just absolutely gorgeous!!! All crop dusters must really love their jobs (and be a tad bit crazy) to get in the airplane and work so hard day after day. I think this poem beautifully describes the relationship each pilot has with the sky and with their job.

This post is in memory of the pilots that have taken their final flight to the heavens; my Daddy, Diggity Dale, & Pookie. And, it's also in honor of all the great pilots I know and get to work with daily; Matthew, Cupcake, Lonnie and Brandon Everette, thanks so much for your hard work and dedication day after day! Oh, and for putting up with me from time to time! :)

And Then There's These Two Hot Shots!

"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet - with a few nuts."
...Which brings us to these two dudes, Tucker Allen Travis (cousin) and Ralph William Travis (uncle)!

HaHa No, I'm just teasing. I'm just a fan of that quote and have been waiting for the perfect chance to use it. Plus I'm pretty sure that everyone can admit that families in general are a little nutty.

Mine has not escaped the nuttiness. Just attend a family get-together. Figuring out who Jim Bob's 3rd cousin is twice removed and why he sold that farm 30 years ago always turns into a lively discussion. (I made that story up for the sake of simplifying how are discussions usually work. They are really quite hilarious and extremely confusing to an outsider. Poor Gabe)

But anyways, back to my two subjects. Ralph and Tucker stopped by to see me this morning. Ralph brought me some information on a field to spray and made sure I was performing my job correctly. Tucker just came by to say and hi and love on the dogs.

Tucker is home this summer after completing his freshman year at the U of A. He's majoring in broadcast journalism and I'm pretty sure whatever he ends up doing, he will be the equivalent of Sam Champion or bigger! He is well-spoken, personable and generally just extremely talented. He even had a DJ gig once a week on the campus radio station. DJ Nip Tuck was his broadcast name and he was on Monday's at 3! Pretty sure when I was a freshman in college I still had no clue what I wanted to do with my life and at 3pm on Mondays my roommate Whitney and I were probably napping.

So DJ Nip Tuck has flown south for the summer and transformed himself into farmer John. (aka he's working on Uncle Ralph's farm) His duties include putting in levee gates, driving the tractor, rolling poly-pipe and today he's helping the tractor repair guy, Kenny. Ya know, stuff dreams are really made of! He is doing a great job and I'm sure his parents are loving him being home. And hey Tucker, at least you have plenty of time to work on your "radio/tv voice while riding on the tractor 10 hours a day!

Then there is ol' Uncle Ralph... Where oh where do I even begin??? Uncle Ralph and my mother are brother and sister, yet they are complete opposites... The best comparison I could use would be Emily Post and Kid Rock being siblings. My mother was very mannerly, proper, and always did what her mother expected of her. Ralph was sort of the outgoing, sports-car driving, rebel type. But my Grandmother loved them both very much!

Ralph married the beautiful Su'Aaron Smith (also a crop duster's daughter) when I was about 5ish and she has quickly become my very favorite aunt! (She's actually my only aunt, but let's not tell her that) They had little Tucker about 6 weeks after my sister Alexis was born, so those two crazy kids have practically grown up twins. (Seriously, they can read each other's thoughts)

Ralph once worked at the airport (so he thinks he knows how to do my job better than I do) but after a few years he decided that agricultural aviation field wasn't the best life for him and he went back to his roots of farming. He now has several farms around the county that he likes to call "WOT" "NOT" & "E-OT". In case your wondering, that stands for "West of Town", "North of Town" & "East of Town".... Very original, I know. He is also a very skilled hunter and works as a duck guide during the winter time.

Those family dinner conversations I mentioned earlier about Jim Bob and the farm... Yeah, those are usually started by Uncle Ralph. (or my Papa) He is a great story teller, always elaborating, using big hand gestures, and perhaps even stretching the truth just a tad bit. He is absolutely hilarious and says some of the most random things you could never even possibly imagine. (Especially after a cocktail or two)... Yep, this guy is definitely my uncle!

I've always believed in quality over quantity. Luckily for me I have a very small family that is fun, entertaining and has a lot of love and a lot character! ... Like a LOT of character! :)

Paging Hollywood

Meet the stars of the show... Don't they look ruggedly handsome/ adorable /intimidating!

I swear sometimes I feel like I'm living in my own reality tv show... What do you think makes a good reality tv show? I've brainstormed this morning and came up with a few key things that I believe go into the making of a good tv show: drama, comedic relief, high intensity moments, a mullet, adorable animals, fashion, relatable situations and unique, likable characters. (obviously from the images above you see we have those)

Often I think to myself, "did that just really happen" and then I look for the hidden camera somewhere. I'm just waiting for a guy with big hair and a cheesy smile to jump out and say, "Smile, You're on Candid Camera". Usually when I get back to Little Rock and tell Gabe all about my crazy week he just shakes his and tells me that I really need to turn this operation into a reality tv show project. I don't think so, but I do believe it would be highly possible...

In 2009, The New York Times did an article on reality tv shows that said, "Long workdays and communication blackouts are largely the rule for reality shows, a highly lucrative genre that has evolved arguable into Hollywood's sweatshops." It also said, "The bread and butter of reality television is to get people into a state where they are tired, stressed, and emotionally vulnerable.".... Long workdays? Tired? Communication Problems? Stress? Ding, Ding, Ding, we've got all of this!

Sometimes our brother/sister duo can get into a spirited debate about which plan of action is more efficient than the other. (usually I'm right) Sometimes loader trucks don't start (and I'm the only one around to help pull start them, like yesterday), or we run late, or 5 different airplanes are flying off the same strip, or someone misplaces a 9/16 inch wrench, or we change the airplane over for a spray job right as the wind picks up and someone calls in a new fertilizer job... All these things can created high intensity dramatic moments and heated (but loving) exchanges can occur.

Other times, down right hilarious things happen. Mullet man would be a great example of this, as are many other previous blog post. Yesterday Cupcake told me that his daddy was a crop duster, his momma's daddy was a crop duster, and his uncle was a pilot. This also prompted him to say, "I don't have red and white blood cells, I have little red & white airplanes flying around in my blood". Hahaha WHAT????

We have lots of adorable animals to oooh and ahhh over. With Turbo, Woodrow, Kramer, Canine, bunnies, mice, cats (that eat the mice), and lots of other varmits around here, I think I could substitute as the star of "My Life is a Zoo!".

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only interpreter in the United Nations and I'm supposed to figure out exactly what everyone is trying to say. There are many people speaking hundreds of different languages yet I'm always supposed to know what they are talking about... Although my little sister, Alexis, doesn't work here she sometimes runs errands for us and I guess we count her as an "accessory" to the flying service. Just a bit ago she called me and had the following conversation: (Note-Alexis has the book-smart-brains of the family, common sense... not so sure)

Alexis: "Hey there is an Ag here at the house." Me: "Excuse me, an Ag?" Alexis: "Yes, you have an Ag here, the UPS man dropped it off" Me: "Alexis I have no idea what you are talking about, there is no such thing as an Ag" Alexis: "Well, it's something like that maybe it's called an Ag Bender" Me: "What in the world are you talking about? Is this from a company called Ag Bender or is there an actual Ag Bender at the house, if so what is an AG Bender" Alexis: Ugh, I don't know, I'm just going to ask mom.

Turns out this was actually an airplane part from a company from Abide Aero... How she got "ag" or "ag bender" out of that and expected me to interpret, I'll never know.

Also, this morning, I was on Matthew's wing explaining what fields were supposed to be next. The farmer uses letters and number to describe his farm and I was showing Matthew where everything was on the map. (example, 46acres on the Botts Farm would be identified as B14) After I explained to Matthew that he needed to put 100lbs of urea on B4 & B14, he looked me dead in the eye with a straight face and said, "That's her favorite song". WHAT?? My mind starts racing about what in the world he could be talking about then he smiles and it hits me... John Anderson's Don't Ask Her on a Straight Tequila Night song has the lyrics "K-13 is her favorite song, if you play it you might get a chance". K-13, B-14 close, but no cigar... See these crazy people I'm dealing with! Now I have that stupid song stuck in my head... "She'll start thinkin' about him, then she's ready to fight...."

As we have already discussed with the David Bullock/PFG shirts, we are also very fashion conscientious around here. Yesterday evening Lonnie called the flying service after he left to let me know that he was going to try to find a respectable hole-less shirt to work today... You see Lonnie likes the relaxed, slightly distressed tees (one being an old DeWitt band shirt) and earlier in the day the guys were laughing about it. He showed up today with a very clean O'reilly racing pocket tee. I'm a big fan of the pocket tees! You look very nice Lonnie! I'm glad my presence at the DeWitt Municipal Airport is having a positive influence on some one's life.

Now while all the money, fame and fortune would be great, I think we'll have to pass on Hollywood. What fun would a new, clean, white loader truck be? The Hybrid has such character and Pizazz! I don't want Matthew getting "pretty boy" syndrome and showing up to work 30 minutes late just because he had to gel his hair. I would also imagine that Shawn would buy the entire Sean Jean clothing collection and complain when he got dirty. Alex would buy the biggest speaker system known to man, which in turn would cause me to go completely deaf. (I'm already halfway there) G.W. would begin construction on his own personal space shuttle. Cupcake would probably build a house in the shape of an airplane and and I can just picture Lonnie in a long fur coat, sunglasses, and a pimp cane! Hahahaha. Male Divas!

While I'm sure we would be a hit, I think we'll just stay with our humble little belongings... Thanks, but no thanks, Hollywood... Thanks, but no thanks.

Little Boys Love Airplanes!

This afternoon I was in for a special treat when Nikki Pippinger and her adorable son Kaden stopped by to look at the airplanes!


They came to visit me Saturday but I missed them since I was in Little Rock. Matthew showed him around the planes and took off several times right in front of him while Kaden clapped. Kaden must have fallen in love with the airplanes because he wanted to come back again today!


The future pilot ran out on the concrete where the pavement meets the tarmac and waved at the airplanes. He then threw his arms in the air in some sort of touchdown-like motion any time he saw a plane fly through the air. "Plane!, Plane!", he would shout... Just in case we weren't paying enough attention. Kaden was also sporting the newest fashions in eye protection that the younger pilots have started sporting these days... Again, another trend-setter!


Kaden and Nikki were both fun visitors and a breath of fresh air at the end of my chaotic day... I think we've got Kaden hooked on airplanes and, who knows, maybe we have a future pilot on our hands!!!! (Nikki is crossing her fingers and praying to sweet baby Jesus this does not happen!)

What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate

Due to several different factors I unfortunately can't promise tip top blogging this week. I'm very sorry for this inconvenience. I'll give you a moment to let this sink in and for you to compose yourself.... (pause) Better? OK, good, thanks for being such a trooper.


My wonderful brother let me off late last Friday night after a wild and woolly week. I got to my weekend vacation/real home at about 9pm with a pizza from Damgoode Pies and a Black Box of wine... Ahh heaven! (Fyi, Black box wine is much classier that other boxes of wine because it doesn't go in the refrigerator and it just looks much more sophisticated than a Franzia box. At least that's what I tell myself but I think I really just like the efficiency of the box) Anyways, you don't really care about that...


Saturday started out on the same great foot. It rained in DeWitt so I didn't feel guilty about not being at the flying service. I got to sleep in til 7ish! And, I was planning a long morning soak in my "new" hot tub. (My parents received this hot tub as a gift from Papa several years ago and for one of my birthday presents this past year Gabe was going to move it to Little Rock and set it up on my back patio... Through no fault of his own, 6 months later, it finally started working last week.)

Gabe was going to take the dogs on a long walk and I was going to have a little "me time". It. Was. Fabulous! I relaxed and caught up on morning events with my blackberry. (Yes, I had my phone by water, but I am always incredibly responsible with my phone) After the walk Gabe hopped in and we began to discuss our plans for the day. It was a little too warm for him so he quickly got up, grabbed for the towel and flung my phone in the water (phone was wrapped in towel)... I swear it was one of those slow motion "noooooooooo" moments as I saw it take a dive into the water. Crap.

Needless to say, my phone is currently not working. And because AT&T is ridiculous, I have to wait a month to get new one. I'm having to use an old trusty curve from 2007 in the meantime. This phone was a hand-me-down from Jeni and while it works, it has a weird tendency of calling Lana Flowers randomly at least 3 times a day and taking pictures from inside my purse. (Matthew used this phone for a short period of time and he even called her several times a day) With no phone email access, shoddy picture taking, and an inability to get to blogspot, my future posts will most likely not have as many entertaining pictures. (all my previous pics were upload via phone because my computer from 2001 won't allow this fuction to be performed)

Another reason for lack of communication?? Bossypants. No, I'm not talking about brother bear... I'm talking about Tina Fey's new book. I picked it up this weekend and I can't put it down. It's cracking me up. As you have probably noticed I have a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor, so this book is right up my alley. Shawn and Matthew keep giving me weird looks because I start dying out laughing for no apparent reason. It has great quotes like, "Don't worry about gaining weight. Being chubby for a while (provided you don't give yourself diabetes) is a natural phase of life and nothing to be ashamed of. Like puberty or slowly turning into a Republican." Hahahaha

Other than that, it's pretty much business as usual here at the ol' port. Mr. Wind has, yet again, put a kink in our plans by refusing to get out of the east and by blowing 15mph this morning. Yesterday, I left LR at 4:00am to get to work at 5:30... Pretty sure I should get employee of the week for that one. Oh and Matthew has been wearing his baby blue PFG/David Bullock shirt that matches with his eyes perfectly today. All morning long I have been serenading him with George Strait's "Baby Blue". (was the color of his eyes, baby blue, like the Colorado skies) He loves me.

Anyways, due to my lack of a high-tech communication device and my preoccupation with nonsensical reading, weekly blogging may be light. However, I'm sure something hilarious will happen soon and I promise to share as soon as possible. Until then, as Neil Young said, Keep on Rockin' in the Free World!

Business in the Front, Party in the Back

This afternoon, right before the crops received a liquid blessing from the heavens, the sweet mullet gods smiled down on me and gave me my own blessing... Paul...

We love all types of people here at AufderHeide Flying Flying Service. Short, tall; hairy; bald, red and yellow; black and white; they are precious in our sight. We welcome them all.... But my absolute very favorite is the elusive mullet!

You see, I fancy myself somewhat of a mullet connoisseur. I love them. Always have, Always will. There is your classic mullet, your camaro mullet, the she-mullet, permullet (chemically treated mullet), the parental negligence mullet (which is actually giving your smile child a mullet), the skullet, and many, many more. The French like to say, Mu'let' (pronounced mu-lay) and Kentuckians lay claim with the nickname "The Kentucky Waterfall".

A friend and I were actually having a conversation recently about mullets and I mentioned that I was highly disappointed that I hadn't been privy to a good mullet sighting in a while... Well, my luck certainly changed today when Paul walked in my door!

Paul was a truck driver from out of state that brought us a load a fuel today. He walked in and I immediately noticed his golden brown locks blowing in the breezeway of my office. This already peaked my interest... But, it wasn't until he came back to give me my ticket and he briefly took off his hat that I realized the full glory of this situation!!! Under that tall green John Deere hat stood inch long spiky hair. Talk about icing on the cake!!! Paul sported the perfect example of the "Classic Mullet". Short buzzed hair that gently cascaded into long, almost teased, locks.

This immediately turned my good day into a fabulous day!!! And, to top it all off he was a super nice guy. He loaded our fuel, then came in to deliver our ticket and ended up shooting the breeze and cutting up with G.W. and my Uncle Ralph. He even gave G.W. the run down of specific fuel prices and how they might be able to benefit the airport commission. He was very professional and yet a really fun guy... Like they say... "Business in the Front, Party in the Back"

Woodshop 101

This chair is today's Woodshop 101 Project. It was originally H.B. Purdy's chair when he worked here and has since suffered from neglect.
G.W. using rope to create the perfect relaxing lean
Cutting a specific piece on the homemade sawhorse.
Securing the boards with his trust drill and hammer

So I don't exactly remember having a Woodshop 101 class at DeWitt High School, but I'm pretty sure they had one on Saved By The Bell... So I know this has to be a real class somewhere. (Everything that happened on Saved by the Bell was 100% fact! HA) Today, I have the boys working off dirt strips in the various parts of the county so I have plenty of time to write and attend G.W.'s Woodshop 101 class.

Our project you ask??? One of the old wooden vinyl chairs that has probably been here since the existence of this building. If you remember in my blog "Good Ol' Fashion Airport Nap", I talk about our 2 couches and 3 chairs that all look exactly the same. While they are all mostly still sturdy and comfy, this one particular chair has fallen by the way-side over the past two years. We have stuck it underneath the ASU clock & red wolf painting (both belonged to my daddy), away from the other furniture, hoping no one would sit in it... Well both Shawn and Brandon sat in it recently and their booty's (saved by the cushion) went straight to the floor!

While I find this to be slightly amusing, yesterday afternoon G.W. set out to fix this airport hazard... He first assessed the problem; one of the support beams was missing as well as the piece of plywood that laid on the beams and supported the cushion. Also the chair was leaning back at about a 60 degree angle when it should really only lean about 20 degrees. (Major gangster lean going on)

He started by tying rope from the back of the chair to the front to create the perfect lean. This morning he got every tool kit out of his van, along with the scrap wood he found in a burn pile on the side of the road, and is working away. (Man, he's resourceful!) He's used a saw, hammer, drill, screws, nails, wood glue, and various tools from an extensive collection in his tool belt. He walked me through step-by-step of the action plan and patiently answered my questions that were most likely elementary to him. He explained why this screw when here and that went nail went there. He also mentioned this project may be more intensive than he orignally thought but it just needed a little extra reinforcement and some TLC.

Alex and I both asked him if he needed any assistance with the physical aspects of this project (after we got our schooling on Wood Working How To) but he graciously declined. Even after Alex used the persuasive line of, "G.W., I mean, I'm pretty good with nails and wood and stuff" HaHa If that doesn't sound like a master carpenter, I don't know what does!

G.W. is now working away tenaciously and hopefully we'll have an end product by this afternoon. We are really lucky to have a volunteer-on staff carpenter! Enjoy the pics about and I'll be sure to take one of the finished product as soon as possible!

Sometimes You're the Windshied...

I believe Mary Chapin Carpenter said it best when she sang, "Sometimes you're the wind shied; Sometimes you're the bug"...

It's been a crazy busy day here (as I'm sure it has been everywhere in Arkansas County) with the large chances of rain they are calling for this weekend. If you may recall, everyone and there mother likes put out fertilizer before the rain. But, that's just the way the cookie crumbles and Matthew has done a fabulous job fertilizing his little booty off! He's definitely going to get a few high-fives tonight!!!

...I'm not exactly sure what Miss Carpenter meant by that phrase but after waking up at 5:37 (my alarm didn't go off at 5) and going non-stop since then (even the lady eating fried chicken outside the gas station told me I needed to slow down) I think I kinda feel like that bug on Cupcake's wind shield today!

It's a Bouncing Baby Girl!

Meet the newest member of the AufderHeide Flying Service family, Abbie Faye Watkins! Abbie was born earlier this afternoon and weighed 7 lbs 4 ozs! (or 116ozs, I'm on a roll with conversions today) Congratulations Shawn & Jennifer, we're very happy for you and can't wait for her first visit to the airport!

As the Prop Turns (Part 2)

Well This Stinks - Literally!!! This lovely pile of chicken poop is about a half mile northwest of the airport. Yesterday evening there was a north wind. Ugh. I'm not sure if there is anything much worse than being down wind from a big ol' pile of poop. Thankfully, the wind is out of the south today but, unfortunately, there is still a hint of the putrid aroma in the air..... I should probably just invest in a gas mask for this place!

Watch Out, Lady with a Baby on the Way! - Shawn's wife went to the baby doctor this morning and they decided she should stay and have the sweet baby girl! Shawn was working out on Boone's Strip (out by St. Charles) when he got the news so Junior immediately took Shawn's car so he could drive to Stuttgart and Junior could take over loader truck driving duties. This has put a slight glitch in our daily schedule but nothing we can't handle. Luckily, I've been fine-tuning my loader truck driving skills for this very day!

Baby it's Cold Outside - No shorts and t-shirt today... It's was a chilly 50 degrees when I got up this morning and we all arrived in jeans and sweatshirts! I've been battling with the boys to keep the heater on at least until noon, but so far I'm losing that battle. Cold natured vs. Hot natured & 3 Against 1... Oh well, like they say, "Cold Hands, Warm Heart".

Maid at the Municipal Airport - The well water coffee must have been extra strong this morning! While the boys were at the strip this morning I found the energy & enthusiasm to sweep my office and the pilots lounge. This chore produced a giant hairball, most likely bigger that Shawn's unborn baby, and some type of spider that I'm pretty sure is a close relative to a black widow. Yikes!

Sharing Means Caring - I asked my correspondent from across the way if he had any news from Bullock-ville he would like to share on this week's episode of "As the Prop Turn". Cupcake originally said that I should probably just talk about how sweet he is... Ha, yeah right... Actually though, we did hear a rumor that Lonnie was offering people fried deer steak yesterday and didn't offer us a single bite!!! Not cool, Lonnie. Not cool!

Peace and Quiet(er) Woodrow stayed in Little Rock with Gabe this week. While the airport is never really a quiet place to be, it is noticeable that there aren't any ear piercing howls or barks when the UPS or Chemical men show up. Also without the most-hyper dog in the world here, my clothes have stayed relatively clean, none of my ink pens have been chewed up, and G.W. hasn't been knocked down a single time!

I think that's all I have for this weeks "As the Prop Turns"... I'll be sure to post pictures of the little nugget as soon as possible and if you have any deer steak feel free to drop by!

The Snack King

Ewwww

Snack Man

Meet the Snack King of the airport, Alex "Junior" (my dad dubbed him that nickname a few years back when he started dating Alexis and it just kinda stuck) Hanson.

When Junior returned to work at AufderHeide Flying Service not only did we gain a strapping young lad full of energy and enthusiasm... We also gained a refrigerator full of snacks!!!!

Before Alex came along the only food at the airport was my organic cereal, old Halloween candy, and frozen corn on the cob from last year. (sounds delectable, huh?) The fridge pretty much only contained organic skim milk, water, a few Gatorade's, & various condiments.... The following is a list of food and/or drink that has turned up after Alex's return. (1 week & a day ago): Lunchables (both sandwich & pizza), Pizza Rolls, Hot Pockets, Red Barron Pizza Slices, BBQ Pringles, Capri Suns, crackers, Rice Krispie Treats, Granny Smith Apples, Mt. Dews, Fruit by the Foots (didn't know these even still existed), brownies, fruit punch singles for water bottles, sandwich meats, cheese, & bread... Now I don't necessarily really like all these things but their existence at the airport doesn't really bother me.... UNTIL Junior breaks out the worst snack of all times... BEENEE WEENEES!!!

My goodness, I shudder at the thought of them. Who in their right mind thought that it would be nifty to mix some juicy beans and canned meats together?!?! Was Mr. "Van Camp" a hobo, perhaps? I mean I'm sure its chocked full of protein... but really? Beans, Weenies, and Gooey-ness, WHY?

I'll admit I'm an incredibly picky eater, but I also believe that in this golden age of food and technology, no one should have to stoop so low as to eat cold canned mystery meats. I actually googled the ingredients and found that the original can of Beanee Weenee's contained "mechanically separated chicken & beef" ewww... Now, I'm a sucker for a Conoco Pizza Stick and probably really don't want to know what's in them... but at least they aren't soaking in a room temperature mix of tomato puree, high fructose corn syrup, water, & beans.

Poor Alex, he actually really likes them, but I requested he not eat them in my presence and thankfully he has at least always stayed in the other room when eating this curious "snack", so far. Unfortunately, every time I see an empty can laying in the trash can I have a quick gag reflex.

But, like most things, I think I'm just going to have to take the bad with the good. I mean I do work around 3 stinky boys, smelly chemicals, and potent fuels... What's one more repugnant smell??? Plus, at least I get brownies & green apples out of the whole ordeal!

Tremendous Tuesday

Picture Cupcake took while flying this morning! One of my favorites!

Morning fog on the wing of Cupcake's plane

So, I've never really been one for Tuesdays... Mondays bring a fresh new week full of possibilities and by Wednesdays your pretty much on a downward slide to the weekend. But Tuesdays, yeah, I'm just not a fan... In the Greek world, Tuesday (the day of the week of the Fall of Constantinople) is considered an unlucky day. The same is true in the Spanish-speaking world... Maybe they are on to something...

Not that today has been an unlucky day or that something bad has specifically happened... I guess I've just kinda been in a funk. I spent Monday morning in Little Rock and didn't get back in the office until about 3 yesterday. Spending only one night in my house and then having to leave probably made me a little homesick. It also didn't help that my phone died in the middle of the night so I didn't wake up till 5:33 this morning and forgot to brush my hair before going to work. (Luckily I have super straight hair that never does anything too crazy.) Ahh, the joys of waking before the sun!

Luckily I work around lots of fabulous/funny/entertaining people that usually find a way to turn my mood. This morning Cupcake sent me some beautiful pictures of his early morning flights! He told me they were copyrighted specifically to him, but of course, when I reminded him I pay him in beer for the use of his pics, he quickly obliged. The one with his plane flying over the levees and the perfectly blue sky in the background instantly put a smile on face my face. And isn't the one of the fog and the sunrise just gorgeous!?!!? I quickly realized that not many people get to see these sights during the work day so I really don't have it that bad! Plus, I get to work with the fabulous threesome of Matthew, Shawn, & Alex that always keep me on my toes! What a Tremendous Tuesday!

P.S. I also wanted to show everyone (ah hmm, Alexis) that I still do actually know how to wear make-up! Below is a picture of Gabe and I at a wedding this past weekend in Greenwood, MS. He was a real trooper for going with me when he didn't know a single person there! Plus he left work early Friday morning and showed up at the airport with a sack full of clothes from Banana Republic that he picked out all by himself! (Even got the correct sizes) I would like to say he was just being super sweet but he actually won big at an Indian Casino in Siloam Springs two nights before and I think he was wanting brownie points!!! Ha ... Either way, I'll take it!

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful

Matthew looking snazzy and raring to go for the busy work day!

David "The Bull" Bullock sporting one of his favorite multi-functional shirts!


Matthew modeling the PFG, notice the the open slit for cool breezes

No, we're not talking Cover Girl (there is rarely any make-up around this place) I'm talking about a little piece of clothing I like to call the David Bullock shirt.
David "The Bull" Bullock has rocked the Columbia PFG (Performance Gear) shirt as long as I can remember. Those are the fly-fishing shirts with lots of pockets and a mesh slit in the back to let the breeze come through. I imagine The Bull probably has about 10-15 shirts like that; all in bright pastel colors. They are light, cool, and the perfect work shirt for sitting in an airplane 12 hours a day... When the wind from the prop hits the back of the shirt it can create a cool breeze as refreshing as a cold drink of water.

This year Matthew has seen the light and become a convert of the Columbia PFG. This morning, I walked in and he was wearing this bright beautiful pastel yellow-green shirt. I told him he looked like a beautiful ray of sunshine. He said he couldn't tell if he looked like he was about to go on a safari or fly an airplane! Ha

While this was already good fodder for a silly blog post, something amazing suddenly happened. Matthew looked out the office window across the tarmac and saw The Bull wearing the EXACT same shirt as his!! Well, Matthew's is short sleeves and The Bull's is long, but close enough! This was awesome and the airport jokes immediately ensued. Did they call each other this morning to plan their outfits?? Do that they have some sort of kindred spirit that helps them decide their wardrobe for the day?? Was this Twinkie Day at DeWitt Municipal Airport and everyone else just missed the memo??

While of course this is really just sheer coincidence, this was really too much fun. I immediately began taking pictures of Matthew and later walked over to Bullock's and asked David for a pic as well. He politely obliged and went on to tout all the benefits of such a multi-functional shirt!

Actually, I was already sold. Last week, on a quick run to Stuttgart, I purchased a white David Bullock shirt for myself. I even purchased a blue & while checked one for my mom for Mother's Day. (She loves it!)

While the airport isn't exactly the runways of Milan or New York, I wanted a new comfortable yet functional work shirt, and I've seen several people begin to sport the PFG lately. (The new chick on Swamp People has a pink one) I wore mine yesterday and absolutely loved it! The 3/4 length sleeve provided a little extra coverage for the early morning chill while the back slit provided me with a cool breeze in the warm afternoon... I think the David Bullock shirts are really going to catch on... Who knew "The Bull" was such a trendsetter?!?!?!

Fertilizer Humor

Sung to us by G.W.

Her father's name was Ferdinand

Her mother's name was Liza

That's why they called their baby girl

Little Fer-di-liza

Hahaha! Get it? Fer-di-liza, Fertilizer!?!?! With us being right in the midst of fertilizer season and with words like "urea" "ammonium sulfate" "agrotane" and "dap" dominating most of my sentences, I found it only fitting to share this poem with you! G.W. shared it with Matthew, who shared it with me, and now I can't get it out of my head!

However, to all my "city friends" I feel like I need to explain to you that this cartoon in no way, shape, or form represents our fertilizing process.

1) First and foremost, the fertilizer does not come in small sacks. The fertilizer company usually brings all the fertilizer (thousands of pounds) in large auger trucks. The trucks then frequently dump a small amount into our loader trucks which in turn sends the fertilizer into the hopper of the airplane. The airplane then disperses the fertilizer according to specific recommended rates. (Ex. 40acre field will get 100lbs of ammonium sulfate and 50lbs of urea per acre)

2) While it would be totally awesome if there were giant flowers growing in the fields, sadly there aren't around these parts. We fertilize wheat, corn, and rice... No flowers. Some people do plant sunflowers for dove hunting, but, unlike in the picture above, you can't actually crowd surf on the sunflowers.

3) Farmers don't carry around spades. They do usually carry around shovels in the back of their truck in case they need to fix a levee or kill a dangerous snake though!

4) Farmers DO NOT wear skin-tight overalls that accentuate their booty cracks.... Actually farmers really don't wear overalls at all anymore. Most farmers prefer to rock the worn Levi's with either a t-shirt, short-sleeved button up, or an old polo look. They also ALWAYS wear work boots, unlike the aforementioned farmer who appears to be sportin' a pair of Mary Janes. What a weirdo!

Hope this cleared up a few myths about fertilizer AND I hope you get this little ditty stuck in your head, just like it's stuck in mine!

City Slicker

Jeni trying to choke Woodrow... All he wants to do is give her a kiss!
Jeni doing some heavy lifting on Airport Road

Good news and bad news: So yesterday "blogger.com" was completely out of whack! I was able to access the site somewhat but wasn't able to post anything that I wrote. It also ate the last two previously written post. One of my favorites about David Bullock and Matthew being twinkies is gone as well as my "Feeling Mavericky" post. Everything since Wednesday morning is gone :( I'll try to see if I can't find them somewhere out in cyber-space, if not, I apologize. That's the bad news.
Good news!!! My friend Jeni, who lives in Little Rock & teaches in Sheridan, came down to see me after school yesterday!!! This was only her second time to visit the metropolis of DeWitt!! And although I think some things shocked her a little bit, I'm pretty sure she had a good time!

She first came to the airport and hung out with me until I was off work at 8:30. "I didn't know people really worked past five or at least 5:30, like, EVER" she said. I showed her around the hangar, my office, and the airport grounds. I wouldn't exactly say she was impressed... But she did say, "Well, I've never seen anything like this place". (I'll take that as a compliment) She also said she was kinda jealous of me getting to wear shorts and t-shirts to work and being around all these studly men! Ha!

During the workday, we also had to run up to A-1 (Exxon) to get gas for the pump at the mixing tank. I told her to hop in Matthew's truck and we would be running just a quick errand. Here is the conversation from what you think would be a simple errand: Jeni: Oh my gosh, I'm so embarrassed that we are two girls riding in a truck! Me: Um, why? We are just driving up the road. Jeni: It's just so redneck and embarrassing. Only redneck girls drive trucks. Me: Um, I drove a truck all throughout high school. It was a black 88 Chevy with pipes, rims, and a race car steering wheel! (It also didn't have a horn so when I rode by people I knew I had to "rack" my pipes off so they would wave at me!) Jeni: (after 3 minutes of crying laughter) Wow, I would not have been your friend in high school!

Also on the way to A-1, I noticed that Alex's fuel pump motor cover had fallen off (pictured above) so I pulled over in front of the Miller's house. The cover (a sawed-off Riceshot barrel) was on her side so I made her jump out and get it. Again she was taken aback by one of my request... "You want me to just hop out and grab it?"... Yes, Jeni. "Ugh, you so owe me for this, I better not get dirty." Seriously?!?!?! It was just picking something up and throwing it in the back of a truck! When it was all said and done she was very proud of herself and now has proof that she did some "work" in the country.

We completed our mission to A-1. I got a can full of gas and some beer to give the guys after work (Bud light & Fat Tire)... She got a bottle of wine from the fine wine selection at a gas station... Now who looks like the redneck!?!??! HaHa

Back at the 'port, I started working on what spraying I could line up for the evening. Me: Jeni, will you see what the winds doing? Jeni: Huh, what's it doing?? Me: Which way is the wind blowing?? Jeni: Well I don't know. How would I know that? Am I supposed to just go outside and feel it?? Hahaha What a city slicker.

We went on to eat at Ameca and then came back to the airport to get the dogs. We hung out for a bit and had a night cap with Cupcake. But the hard days work at the airport had worn us both out, so we headed to the house and were both in bed by 10. While Jeni thought the airport is a fascinating place, I just don't think I can hire her on full time. She doesn't like to get dirty, she seems to whine a lot, and she didn't budge when I tried to wake her up at 5 this morning!!!

All kidding aside, Jeni thanks for going out of your way to come visit me. It was nice to talk about girl stuff, catch up on all the gossip, and have a little piece of my "city life" in the country! You are the bombdotcom!!!

Feeling Kind of "Mavericky"

So today, just like yesterday, has been a whirlwind! I left here at 9pm last night and got to work at 5:30 this morning! Lots of spraying and LOTS of fertilizing... Yesterday, Matthew broke his all-time personal record and put out 128,560 pounds of fertilizer!!! He worked so hard and I was very proud of him. (Lots of high fives were given) Also, if I may brag on myself, I did a pretty fabulous scheduling job. I think we probably only had like 10 minutes of down time the entire day!

I chose todays title because a) I like making fun of the moronic Sarah Palin ( I promise not to go into my political spiel... but come'on, she's pretty ridiculous) 2) Matthew is in "the zone" and kinda looks like a maverick today (He should probably invest in some sweet ray-bans) 3) Urban Dictionary defines "Mavericky" as: An adjective used to describe an action that may not make any sense, but is definitely different... Well, most of the time this blog does not make sense...

Today has just sort of been crazy, and here are the reasons I'm feeling "Mavericky".

1) I have called someone the wrong name multiple times today and finally got yelled at by said person and given the correct name. To Sonya at Almyra CPS, I apologize. In my defense, I'm half deaf and "Tonya" sounds very close to "Sonya" on the phone.

2) My deafness also came in to play when, even after two month, I still haven't figured out the guys name we order fuel from... It's either Bryan or Bryant and I can never understand what he calls himself... So I've just settled for asking the secretary if I can talk to "Bry-mumble-mumble"... Luckily, it's been working for me so far and nobody really seems to notice or care.

3) My morning routine was disrupted when I discovered I was out of organic milk. Luckily around 10 ( I had a growling belly) I discovered Bullocks keeps skim milk in the fridge and borrowed a cup. Thanks, guys!

4) I learned that if you put an egg in a bucket of water and it floats on it's side it's a "good egg". If it bobs and weaves around the bucket, it's probably a "bad egg". Who knew? I only thought rotten stinky eggs were bad eggs.

5) I've gotten a lesson about the Crips, the Bloods, and Job Corps in Little Rock.

6) I wrote an entire legal pad page full of notes to describe one single 25 acre field to my brother. (Seriously. By the shop, take a left, there's an old house, but he doesn't live in it anymore, go past the house, on the right, there's a trailer, past the trailer go east... etc, etc... ) HaHa Strategery at it's best!!!!

7) And the greatest reason I'm feeling all "mavericky" is one of good friends from Little Rock is coming to visit me! Jeni Bradberry lives in LR but is a teacher Sheridan, so after school she's going to drive to the booming metropolis of DeWitt, check out the hip & happenin' AufderHeide Flying Service, stay the night at mi madre's casa, and go back to Sheridan High bright and early tomorrow morning! What a fabulous friend! I'm very excited and I know she is eagerly waiting to learn about the wide world of urea, jet a , Newpath, mixing vats, ammonium sulfate, loader trucks and more! (oh my!) Jeni, if you're reading this please bring me a Diet Coke and a green apple or an ice cream snickers, whichever. kthanks.

Well, I better get back to it... Have a great day and if you happen to talk to the Big Man Upstairs, please ask him to hold off on the rain for a little bit! Thanks!

Like a Carpenter Building Stairs

"I’m always thinking one step ahead, like a carpenter…building stairs"
~ Andy Bernard, from The Office

While I'm not exactly a carpenter... (It's actually a hobby of my boyfriends and he would tell you that I'm very far from it) I like to think that this quote fits perfectly in line with my work here at the flying service. My job here is to basically take the customers orders, whether that be a spray or fertilize job, plan when we will do the application, and then set everything up to make that possible. (Get chemical here, order/schedule fertilizer, orchestrate the timing of the whole shebang) While I do think in present tense, I also have to always be planning for the future. Sort of like taking a "futuristic" approach to everything... Minus the weird sci-fi/Back to the Future connotation that word usually carries.

Anywho, that's what my evening will consist of here at AufderHeide Flying Service. Matthew will probably be working until a hair after dark-thirty so I'll be in the office planning what all's on the agenda for tomorrow. And right now it's looking pretty crazy... You see, they are calling for a chance of rain on Thursday and every farmer and their momma wants to put their fertilizer out before a big rain. It's just how it's always been and how it always will be.

So I have a book full of fertilizer jobs and will be assorting the various cards (I keep track of all the jobs on white little cards) according to order called, what strip, how much, etc, etc. From there, I'll start plotting out my course of action in the most efficient way possible. But I'll always thinking one step ahead!... Just like a carpenter, building stairs!

*This post is dedicated to my friend, Lana Flowers... She is ALWAYS thinking one step ahead, planning everything and worrying what all can go wrong, and this is one of her favorite quotes!

New Kid on the Block

Meet the newest soldier around AufderHeide Flying Service, Alex Hanson. (Yes, just like the band that sang "Mmm Bop") Ok, so, Alex isn't exactly new, he actually started working for us last summer, and just made his glorious return yesterday. In the off season he attends college at Arkansas State University... "Gettin' some schoolin", as my papa likes to say.

There's nothing like having a youngster around to make you feel really old... This morning Alex pulls up bumping some rap music that shook the walls of my office. I, on the other hand, listen to npr (national public radio) or 97.3 to get the local weather report on my way to work these days. Also, just a little bit ago he called me "ma'am"... Ouch. Do I really look like a "ma'am" to a 20-year-old kid??? Some farmers still call me "kid" for goodness sakes! ... Surely he was just minding his manners.

A little other background about Mr. Hanson that you might find interesting is that he's my sister's ex-boyfriend. Yes, Alex and Alexis dated for a little while but decided to go their separate ways when she began attending UofA at Fayetteville. Luckily, he was always very sweet to her and Matthew & I haven't had to beat him up... Yet. Lol

All kidding aside, Alex is an excellent worker. He works super hard and never complains. (He just emptied the trash without me even having to ask. Awesome!) He's definitely going to be an asset to AufderHeide Flying Service during the upcoming busy summer... And hey, maybe he'll even teach me a little bit about what all the cool kids are into these days!

Good Ol' Fashioned Airport Nap

Check out this photo... Doesn't it just scream peace, tranquility and comfort??? Does the ambiance of the glowing sunlight mixed with the aroma of jet fuel and the hum of the 1995 window unit make your eyes grow heavy?? And how about those couches, don't you just want to crawl on them and read a book??

Your probably thinking to yourself that you don't agree with any of this. It all sounds terrible and I'm just crazy person... But really the airport "lounge" is a perfect place for epic naps!!!

It's not very often that the naps occur but on a rainy days or a late Saturday afternoons one can usually slip one in... Just like I did last weekend!...
The conditions were perfect. It was about 1pm and I Cupcake and I had just eaten lunch that I ordered from Traylor's. Matthew and Shawn were working from the home base but had just left to go work at a strip for about the next 4 hours. My belly was full, my computer was useless, and the couch was calling my name. There was a perfectly good wind so I opened the doors and let the breeze fly through. I started reading Jimmy Buffett's "A Pirate Looks at Fifty" (there's only dude books around the airport) and although that is some pretty intense reading, after about 30 minutes the lull of tools and metal jingling by the breeze in the hangar lulled me to sleep. Ahhhh, nature at its finest!

You may laugh, but that was the best nap that I've had in a looong time! When I woke up I had to re-check with myself exactly where I was and after my head came to, it took about 15 seconds for my circulatory/nervous system to kick in before I could move my body. I had been so knocked out you would have thought Cassius Clay did the honors himself! It was fabulous and after getting up at 5am every day, it was well deserved....

Now the only unpleasant part about airport naps, and it's just a slight downer sometimes, is the couches... They are plenty wide, plenty long, and plenty comfy.... But they are made out of a little material some like to call vinyl... While vinyl is strong and easy to clean (that's probably while they've been here longer than my life span) it's not the most ideal fabric for warm Saturday afternoon naps... Especially if you have on shorts and a tshirt and sleep face down! As you can imagine after a two hour nap, when I finally regained feeling in my limbs, I had to slowly and painfully pull my sticky, sweaty skin off the hot fabric... Yowzers!

I guess with beauty (in my case beauty sleep) there always comes a little pain. However, I think slight discomfort is totally worth it and would highly recommend a good ol' fashioned airport nap any day of the week!!!

(Side note: Most farmers don't usually call or come by on a Saturday afternoon so I didn't really feel guilty about my napping on a perfect flying day. Plus, the phone was by my head at all times just in case we were needed... And if you did stop by and I was totally incapacitated, I certainly apologize!)

Technical Difficulties

Due to a very large, black, four-legged mammal we have been without computer at the flying service since about 9am Saturday morning until just now! That, along with the fact that I was in Little Rock this morning for a job interview, has led to no Monday morning blog. I apologize... I'm sure you didn't get your Monday morning off on the right foot without it!

So Saturday morning all was going according to plan. Matthew's plane was fixed, we were knocking spray jobs off our list, prepping for an afternoon of fertilizer and I was piddling around the information super highway during breaks... Then just as I was about to write the most brilliant blog post ever, my mouse and my keyboard stopped working. No amount of slamming or shaking could get them to work and I decided I might want to check the motherboard... (I have no clue about computer terms, I'm just referring to the big box everything plugs in to.) Apparently, all Turbo's scratching and wallering underneath my desk had caused the wires to become detached from the plug-in, meaning no more mouse... And that the metal plug-in was stuck in the mother board. Wuh oh

G.W. and I talked it over and worked on our game plan... I got my headlamp from out of my purse (Yes, I usually carry a head lamp in my purse. I'm like a Boy Scout, always prepared) and crawled under my desk. (Yes, I probably looked ridiculous) I quickly learned that the plug-in wasn't going to be removed by my bare hands... I asked G.W. to go get me some pliers and he simply stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out two different sized pairs of pliers. (Talk about efficiency!) I then surgically removed the plug-in from the tiny computer hole and thankfully didn't electrocute myself!

Although I successfully executed my electronic surgery, I was left without a computer while the boys were heading to a strip for about a 4 hour job.... Did I mention this was a Saturday? I knew there wasn't any place in DeWitt to go grab a new keyboard and mouse, there's not exactly a Best Buy around the corner, so I just gave up my quest and decided to take a good old airport nap!

As I mentioned earlier, this morning I was in Little Rock. My mother was also out of town so we called Papa off the bench and asked him to fill in until after lunch. He wants nothing to do with a computer so luckily our lack of electronics didn't phase him one bit! I got back here around 1:30 and my mom saved the day about an hour ago by bringing a brand spanking new wireless mouse and keyboard. (Ooh fancy)

Hopefully, I'm back on track now and can find something interesting to write about... In the meantime, if your bored, watch this clip from Saturday Night Live. I watched it about three times while I was getting ready this morning and can't get the chorus out of my head! It's pretty hysterical! Enjoy & Happy Monday!!

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/digital-short-jack-sparrow/1325766/

Boss Lady

I would like to give a special Mother's Day shout out to the big boss lady around AufderHeide Flying Service, my momma, Margo. She's the big Kahuna, the head honcho, the lady with the plan, the big cheese... Ehh, ok, maybe calling her "big cheese" isn't the best way to show my appreciation, so scratch that...

She pays the bills. She sends out statements. She balances the checkbook, on actual paper. (I didn't even know that was still done anymore) She organizes. She covers for me when I want to go back to the city. She brings us lunches. She cleans our toilets. (I don't want to touch the boys toilets) And most importantly, she signs the checks!

She listens to me whine. She lets my stinky dogs sleep in the bed with her. She makes me dinner, usually. She makes us say excuse me when we burp. She plans most all family get togethers. She makes me Blueberry-less blueberry muffins and picks the chicken out of my chicken noodle soup when I'm sick. She gives the greatest hugs.

She make each on of us feel special. (Although, it's pretty obvious I'm her favorite :) ) She worries for us. She encourages us. She prays for us. She loves us.

Matthew, Alexis, and I are very blessed to have such a wonderful, strong, loving, and caring momma. I'm so thankful God chose her to be my momma and I hope one day I can be half the woman she is today! Happy Mother's Day, Momma! Love you!

Let's Get This Motor Running for a Wild Weekend

Papa & Matthew supervising while Robert works on the engine

A) Let's just get this motor running, period! It has been one week today since we have been without a plane. Matthew's ADD has kicked into overdrive somewhat and therefore so has mine. While he's been incredibly patient and kept a good humor through this entire ordeal, I know he's ready to get back into the plane and start serving our customers.

B) And by "Wild Weekend", I mean catching up on spraying and 80,000lbs of corn fertilizing! WOOooooo Par-Tay! I might even get a little extra crazy tomorrow afternoon by sweeping & mopping the office!

Matthew and G.W. got in from Marianna late yesterday afternoon and Robert has been working most of today reinstalling/working on attaching the engine to plane. (Please forgive my use of technical terms) Shawn went to Mountain View to pick up the prop earlier and should be headed back! Once he returns they can reattach it (once again, no clue about the mechanical term) and Matthew should be ready to rock and roll!

While this has been somewhat of a hassle, I can never emphasize enough that we'd rather be safe than sorry. If we didn't pull the prop or engine there was a chance that the engine could have stalled in flight or that the prop wouldn't working properly. We now have an engine that has been thoroughly inspected by several professionals and a prop that has been balanced with three new blades. Old Yella Bird (I just made that up, what do you think?) will be good as new flying the Delta skies and brother bear... well, I bet he'll have a smile on his face a mile wide as soon as he straps in!

Have a wonderful weekend everybody and in the words of the great George Jones, "Forget the Working Blues and Let the Good Times Roll!"

The Crop Duster Who Was Afraid of Heights

Does this picture scare or intimidate you in anyway? No?? Ok, good, you're normal. My brother, however, does not feel the same way.

You see my brother (just like my father was) is terribly afraid of heights! Yes, a man that spend multiple hours a day, IN AN AIRPLANE, IN THE SKY, ABOVE THE EARTH, is scared to stand 3 steps up a ladder without someone holding on to it. Ridiculous

For instance, today he was standing about 4 steps up the wooden ladder that you see pictured above and for a brief second Shawn let go and Matthew wobbled a bit.... Well you would have thought someone was about to strike a match by the fuel tank, because Matthew screamed at the top of his lungs and held onto that ladder like he was going to ride it into his next life!... He recovered 2 seconds later and tried to laugh it off.

His quote after this incident? "I'm just afraid of stupid ladders. Their unreliable... They just suck!" Hahaha!

This got me thinking, is it only ladders that bother him or other levels of height as well??? I started firing away with questions and here are the answer I got... He's definitely afraid of standing on a ladder. He's not afraid of driving over a bridge (as long as its made well) but he wants nothing to do with going over to the ledge of that bridge and looking down. Nor does he want to stop and take a gander at any scenic beauty. He doesn't ever want to walk on a tight rope. He isn't disturbed when he is flying or even when he's flying with someone else. (For a second I thought it may be some sort of control thing) He doesn't want to climb on his roof to clean out the gutters anytime soon. And, he may ride a zip line through the jungle, but probably not... Does that make sense to you?

A a few hours after the ladder incident I asked Matthew again why he thought he may be afraid of heights and he said the following: "Heck Katherine, I don't know, maybe it's genetic. Or maybe something dark and tragic happened in my childhood that has cause me to be afraid of heights and I've just blacked it out. (Geeze, a bit dramatic don't you think?)

I'm obviously no Sigmund Freud and I don't have a hypothesis on fears in adults; but, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to go with the theory that it's genetic. My dad really never could explain his fear of flying and Matthew's not doing that great of a job of it... So let's just say he got it from his Daddy!

Good Morning America, How Are Ya

"If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters"~ Author unknown... I don't exactly "pop" out of bed, but these days it's getting easier and easier for me to get up at 5... Today I only hit my snooze button only once! (I'm very proud of this new development)

One of my favorite things about waking up at 5am is the Arkansas County sunrise and this morning it was B-E-A-Utiful! Although my Blackberry camera phone doesn't quite do it justice, I just had to share.

Now that I've been out here for a few months Matthew, Shawn, and I have pretty much settled into our morning routine. Starting about 5:45 or 6 I burst through the doors with a cheery "Good morning boys!". Matthew usually rolls his eyes and says "Good morning sister" and Shawn, who is still waking up in his chair with his hoodie pulled over his head and sunglasses on, groggily says, "Good morning Katherine"... Camaraderie at its best!

Matthew has usually already made the well water coffee so we both pour a glass and go into the office to "talk about it". He eats mini muffins and I have a bowl of pumpkin seed & flax granola cereal with organic milk. (No I'm not some organic food nut, organic milk just last about two weeks longer than regular milk and nothing grosses me out more than old milk) We then go about planning our day. Shawn usually sits in the main room, drinking his sweet tea out of a milk jug, waiting on his tasks. Everyone then usually goes their separate ways...

Around 7am G.W. comes in, gives me a salute, and grabs his morning coffee out of his favorite duck mug. This morning he must have been in an especially good mood because he was full of song! I'm not exactly sure what he was singing but I'm pretty sure it's from an old John Wayne film and he said it was something about driving cattle in to a coral... Great stuff!

With summer quickly approaching and the sun rising earlier and earlier each day, these "report for duty at 5:45 days" will turn into will turn into "5:30's" and then "5's" before ya know it! Let's hope I can still keep cheery, sunny disposition at 5 am... and that there will be plenty of well water coffee!

As The Prop Turns....

Cupcake commented that life at the airport was somewhat like a soap opera at lunch the other day... "As the Prop Turns"... He said. Man, wouldn't that be a great name for a TV show?!?!

Things have been pretty busy around here today so I apologize for the light blogging. However, in this segment of "As the Prop Turns", I'll try to catch you up to speed on what all is happening. Who knew Cinco de Mayo would turn into such a busy day!

*Amigos* Apparently, word got out on the streets that AufderHeide Flying Service is the coolest place to be to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in DeWitt... Ok, well maybe not that, but my fabulous friends Alesha and Ronni are going to come visit, have a beer and catch up. I'm very excited for some girlfriend interaction! I think I'll even light the candles and clean the grease off the couches in anticipation of their arrival!

*Motorhead* Matthew's engine is finally ready! He and G.W. are on their way to Marianna to pick it up as we speak. I sure hope the road isn't underwater; however, if it is there is no person I'd rather be with than G.W... He could probably measure the force and velocity of the rushing water and then make an informed and educated decision on whether to cross or not!... They should have the engine put together this evening and with all luck the prop will be here tomorrow.

*Imaging* Matthew and I have decided that we need a new logo here at AufderHeide Flying Service. Our newest hats still have Ag Cats on them, and well, we don't fly Ag Cats anymore. We have been working with a great company out of Little Rock that sent us the proofs today. We are both very excited about what we have so far and think it's going to be great! Let me know if you want to be on our waiting list, these things are going to go nationwide!!! (No, really, my good friend Anders in DC told me he wanted an AufderHeide Flying Service hat to wear, as soon as possible!) I think we may also get pocket tees, because, well, I really like pockets... But, anywho, we can't wait to show you!

*Hired Guns* Lonnie and Heath have been helping us all day and I must give major props to them! They have been wonderful to work with and have really helped us out! They have even got excited about AufderHeide Flying Service Cinco de Mayo celebration! ... Which reminds me, I need to go get some cervezas!

Stay tuned for the next episode... As the Prop Turns....