Grandparents Family Portraits

9-30-2012 ~ Blog #479

(David)

Mini Golf

Giant OCR3

I trashed the crank on my $10 garage sale 1980's Trek road bike.  I contemplated fixing it, but the cables were rusty, it has low frame/tube shifters, a few other issues and most importantly it is way too big for me.  Fixing it would exceed it's value.  As much as I've wanted a true, proper, modern road bike that fits me I just couldn't stomach the ~$700 for an entry level bike.  I've been checking Craigslist almost daily all summer and it seems that all I come across are higher end bikes that are still exceedingly expensive and vintage road bikes that aren't much of an improvement over my old Trek. And then, yesterday morning, I saw an ad for a seven year old Giant OCR3, in my size, priced accordingly.  This is an entry level bike, but has shifters built into the brake levers, aluminum frame, carbon forks and an adjustable neck.  While we were at the airdock, I got a call from the seller and we drove straight to Barberton where I bought it.  Last night I installed a speedometer, swapped the aerobars onto it from my old bike and adjusted it for my dimensions.  Today I took it for my normal 25 mile ride which I completed about two mph faster than normal.  It rides so much better and faster that anything I'm used to. 

Goodyear Blimp Docking

9-30-2012 ~ Blog #478

(David)

Yesterday as we drove south towards Hartville we spotted the Goodyear Blimp heading toward the airdock in Suffield.  I hoped it was heading home to dock.  I've seen the blimp dozens of times every year as long as I've lived in the area, but have never seen it dock.  As we entered Suffield the Blimp nosed down; we managed to arrive at the airdock viewing lot just as it flew over the frontage road.  I got off a couple of shots with my 50mm, before switching to my 135mm manual prime.  It was so cool to have Grandma and Grandpa with us as we saw this for the first time.  A uniformed ground crew guided the blimp to the wheeled mooring tower and two "mule" tractors spun it around so that it could enter the airdock backwards.  A bald Eagle watched the event from a perch in a tree on the edge of the runway.

Hibachi Japan

Yesterday evening we ate at Hibachi Japan.

Two Kinds of People

There are two kinds of people in this world

You, and everyone else

(Caption borrowed, Photo by Joan - 2006)

Bed Fort

By Svea

Grandma and Grandpa Visit (and we all visit raptors)

9-22-2012 ~ Blog #477

(David)

Mom and Dad arrived yesterday.  Today we drove to Quail Hollow to check out the raptors.

Kent State University Aviation Heritage Fair

9-15-2012 ~ Blog #476

(David)

I went to the Kent State University Aviation Heritage Fair this morning.  The stars of the show were: a B25J, a C123, an SNJ and a pair of J# Cubs.

Oktoberfest 2012

9-12-2012 ~ Blog #475

(David & Joan)

We celebrated Oktoberfest this weekend at the German Family Society.  Joan helped make 2,500 pounds of German potato salad, I grilled a few hundred sausages and the girls danced.  Look for dance group movie clip links at the top of the five Oktoberfest pages below.  Click on any of the photos on the pages for a larger high resolution copy.  Feel free to share, link, re-upload to Facebook, etc.

Oktoberfest Candid Photos

Oktoberfest Kindergruppe

Oktoberfest Junior Youth Group

Oktoberfest Youth Group

Oktoberfest Tanzgruppe