Sunday, February 28, 2010

More from the flight deck

A few brave women, although not nearly as brave as the men and women who work here. Of course I'm the one in the shadow.

And yes, I had to take pictures with all of that on. The things I will do to get a good shot!


The wings of the airplanes fold up so they can fit more on the carrier deck.

The air boss hangs out inthis litlte room where he can watch all the goings-on.



Saturday, February 27, 2010

Flight ops

We went up on the carrier deck to watch flight operations. WOW!!! What an incredible time that was!

Way too cool for words. What was even more amazing was the orchestra these young Sailors were doing to get planes on and off such a small space.

Friday, February 26, 2010

USS John C Stennis

We're on the deck of the Stennis, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi.

Our first stop is the VIP stateroom, where most of the decor came out of the Mississippi Senate building. A photo of John Stennis with President Bush (the first one) is on the wall.

The ship's cook was busy getting ready for our visit by preparing lots of yummy food. Wish we had time to eat it!

We dash off to our rooms to leave our belongings before heading out for our tour.

Which bunk do you want?

OK, I'll take the top one.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Adrenaline Rush

How about a trip out to an aircraft carrier? We'll get to see our fine young men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps in action on board the USS John C Stennis. We'll get to eat what they eat, see them at work, and even spend the night on the ship. Sound like fun? I think so! We'll be landing on it though. Yep, that little postage stamp in the huge Pacific. Catching a little wire strung across the carrier deck with a little tailhook bolted onto the back of an airplane. So, come on, let's go!!

First, you have to put on a horse collar, since the plane we are flying on doesn't have seat cushions for floatation in the event of a water landing. Then you get to put on these cute little hats. They call them cranials since that is what it protects, your cranium. You also need ear and eye protection.

Don't I look adorable?

Here is our plane. It's called a COD, or Carrier Onboard Delivery, and also known as a C-2.
It's small, and cramped, and has no windows so it's dark too. Oh, and we are riding backwards.
All strapped in! And I mean strapped! It's a 5 point harness keeping us in our chairs. I gotta put my camera away though. Remember, we are landing on the carrier. It's gonna be bumpy!

We're there! The landing wasn't too bad! There were two flight crew in the back with us, and they gave us a warning by shouting to brace ourselves. We cross our arms and hold onto the shoulder straps. It's very rough for about 5 seconds, then we taxi for a minute before they open the back door and we can see the carrier deck. How exciting!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Peace and Quiet

At least when the kids weren't laughing or yelling!

The Cleveland National Forrest outside of San Diego is a beautiful place!



Monday, February 22, 2010

Snow Dog

OK, well, not so much! Chip didn't really care for the snow.

He ran around it.
Who would blame himthough? The little guy has so little hair and was cold.

Jeff wrapped him up in my jacket as the poor guy was shivering!


Ahhh, much better!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Snow Boy

CJ enjoyed the snow too, throwing it,
and making little snowmen.
He also liked climbing rocks.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Jumping for joy!

Katie loves the snow, so after a recent storm we went up into the mountains to play in it.

There was just enough left to get your hands cold and wet.


What a fun day for Katie!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Beach babes

My friend Pam and I took a class from a local photographer to learn how to use our external flashes better. We met at two parks and the beach, and had a couple of models to shoot.

These girls were superstars, posing for us while freezing. It is winter, remember.






Mother Nature chimed in as well, giving us a beautiful backdrop.

So pretty!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

On the Road Again

We are heading home after having a great holiday in Texas and Tucson. Thanks for going with me! Here are some sights along the way.





Another beautiful sunset right as we get home.