A 1937 STINSON RELIANT One Of Seven In The World

UPDATE: Here is one of several pictures sent to me by a fellow who saw this post and took better pictures than I of this same plane. I include the one below. Thank you Steve!!

 
 I had heard a lot about this plane for years and the trip in May back to Iowa got to see this unique airplane that gets flown frequently. 75 years old.

There's not a decent picture here and all were manipulated. It was dark and I wasn't going to push the button that opened this huge door to get some light inside. Hollywood types and other very wealthy people flew in these planes.

One of seven the value is  around 400K give or take a few. What that means I'm not sure as there may be a combine just outside that's worth twice that much but they don't fly.

I'm just glad I got around and in this plane and there is still a good chance there will be a ride in the future  and that would be waaaay too cool.

In the picture at the top and repeated at the bottom show the profile better thus the gull wing analogy.

Visitors

Knocking on the door. (click on the pictures) (twice)

Nobody home - let's move on boys and girls.

Stretch was resting.

From just  a bit ago. Quail are cool little birds as well. First time I've seen them here. There is also nearby a family or two of burrowing owls. No way can I even get an illustrative picture of these birds. Their flight is something to see.

I hope the quail come back a bunch more.

Listen To The Waves

Santa BarbaraMarch 2009

It's nice visiting an ocean when you don't get to see them very often.

What Will Be Left

And also whose table we will be on. Some think we as a species and as a planet are/will come to an end. Their is debate of course on when this will happen. Sooner or later take your choice it isn't worth arguing about. No one knows so that makes this opinion just as valid as anyone's.

I think the earth is past the tipping point and humans cannot sustain themselves at this level given the circumstances we have now.

Whether you agree or not one thing is for certain - when humans start dropping these fellows will be there to play their part in the worlds ever changing ecology.  

There are three pictures here in an attempt to show the size. These don't seem to get much bigger and there are not great numbers like some of the others. Notice the undeveloped wings. This is not quite two inches long and comes in one other color I've seen which is a reddish orange.

 Clicking on the pictures makes them bigger twice.

This is something else though. Gross out city I tell you. A mature Mormon cricket. When small they easily pass for a grasshopper. This is actually the first time I've seen some this big.

The other day went out to the same place I saw this one and did not see any large ones. Yesterday I saw several about half the size and they were much darker in color. They did not survive and what was left was dark as well. The one below was about 2.5" and just plain huge. They get get up to 3" in length and can and have cause devastating infestations. I hate to imagine what that would be like.

Not sure where this guy is headed whether it's mature or what have you. This is where the brighter colors are these days is on the ground. Time for breakfast.

Sunday Stills - Winter

With a subject like this it needs to be said right outta the box - I hate winter. Always have probably always will.  I understand all the dynamics and have much experience with this time of year.  Except for this last winter the previous 20 were spent in da boat area. Snow country! That's what I think of when winter is brought up.  The snows I have seen I tell you.

When I think of winter I think of snow.  I went and grabbed a few pictures all with snow in them of various degrees of depth. Some are pictures of pictures and others have an explanation attached.

Bottom line- if you live in a place where you can see snow but it's green where you are at it will be more chilly than more warm.  Even though I spent last winter where there was not as much snow and it was much warmer it was still winter. This winter the plan if it is one is to spend it here.

The last thing is I have fudged and included a video at the end of one of the things that is enjoyable for me in the winter. The title of the post for this was " Six  O Today Confused and Going Around In Circles".

Click on the pictures to take a real good look.

This was from my window with my camera but I was laying around and didn't take it. These light conditions are not that common. This is a major icon of Steamboat Springs. It is called Sleeping Giant. Head is on the left knees on the right.

Winter - when Florida monkeys slam into you at 6:30 in the morning.  He was trying to make a turn here.  There was ample time to avoid.

Pay attention kiddies - this is is how ya drive on da snow!

Trinidad

Trinidad is a new place for me and here are a few pictures from a couple weeks ago. I like much of the downtown architecture and the color of the brick in the buildings and in the streets. You may have seen several of these before. Pictures are illustrative and have been tweaked a little bit as another time when results weren't too good.

Some time in the near future the Savoy Cafe and the Trinidad Lounge are getting a visit for sure. I've only heard of places with Savoy in their name.  That word holds a bit of romanticism for me. Maybe the food will be the best ever. A guy can only hope ya know.

Click on the picture to hugen them up twice if you want.

Sunday Stills - Roads

Welcome and the roads you will see here today are the roads around where I live. Because of lifestyle choices I spend quite of bit of time around home and on these roads.

When possible like to use recent pictures and these are but all were pretty bad and most have been manipulated just so you know. They become illustrative then and gives a cheap out on taking a bunch of crappy pictures.

The route taken on these roads in this series of pictures is marked with red dots in the picture below. The numbers on the same picture (in green)  below correspond to where the picture was taken on this route with that same number on the picture in the top left and that number is red. Too late now. This is a 20 mile loop all gravel except for a short stretch on the interstate.

The second picture is not numbered but is illustrative of distances driven here in the west.

To view this properly you have to click on the pictures to make them larger. That can be done twice. No animals here - I think it's pure road. 

To get to this spot where the gate is locked I take either a bicycle or a small motorcycle and drag them under the fence. It's pretty easy really. Call the cops I don't care cuz I'm not going around. 

Looking west.

These next five pictures all look to the west covering four miles.

This is just the second time I have ever ridden on an road like this. The first was here as well. I don't like it but you bang this mile and a half out quickly and it's not too bad.  There is not a road there that crosses the interstate. The next one that does is three miles further north and turns this ride into 30 miles.

Headed south and you can see the Spanish Peaks in the distance.

This is a county road and sometimes they go through the middle of where people live. 

 People aren't too friendly out here but that is normal. We are actually neighbors and I know for a fact we have mutual friends. They tend to go away when you come through. I understand.

 

Headed south with these two landmarks for hundreds of years looming  in the distance.

Seven miles due east all downhill.

This is actually called The John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. 64 miles south is the New Mexico state line.

The end.