PANAMA CANAL

Well, I'm back for two days of rest and relaxation, and then off again for ELEVEN days......but I'm going on my annual cherry picking venture for three days during that time.....sooooooo..... I'll post today and tomorrow and then be out of touch for a bit. Sorry about that.... Here's a couple of shots I took during my last trip to Panama City, Panama. Got a few neat shots of the locks where a few ships were transiting the canal, one of a volcano on our departure back to the USA, and one of a thunderstorm flying home. Hope you like these photos. Click on them to make them larger.

UFO at SOUTH BEACH!!!!

Went to the beach yesterday to relax a bit (been pouring here in Hollywood all day today, so I hit that one just right!), and saw this umbrella that looked just like a "UFO" hovering above the sand. Snapped the photo, photo- shopped out the pole holding it up, and NOW it looks like the real thing. Since I'm from Roswell, NM, home of the famous 1947 UFO crash, I thought this shot was pretty natural. Kind of eerie, you think?????? ;-)

UK to LAS VEGAS OR BUST

Hey everyone.........been on the road for the last six days, but I'm now home for TWO days, and then it's back out for SIX more..........so the postings may be scarce for a week or so. Here's a shot I took of a bunch of "blokes" from the United Kingdom. They flew on our plane to Las Vegas (LAS) last week, and seemed to be having one heck of a good time. You have to admit, they certainly are a motley looking bunch. The passengers LOVED having them on board. In my job, you see just about everything.

HOW TO TELL IF A BOAT DRIVER IS BORED

Yesterday while at the beach, I observed this guy driving his boat down the shoreline with his FEET. Don't think many beach goers noticed this, but I sure did. Amazing what a little "zoom" on a lens will show you..... :-) Maybe I should make a calendar with the funny things I observe at the beach.........I'll keep you advised if I do.

FUN AT THE BEACH

I've gone to Hollywood Beach twice in the past two days. Sure is nice to get out and relax while listening to the soft sound of the waves hitting the beach. Here's a shot of a guy paragliding down our beach. How cool is this? Maybe one day if I get some spare $$$ I'll get one of these. He must have a great perspective of the beach. I've also included some shots of my girlfriend, Maria, getting some R and R (rest and relaxation) from her daily grind of driving......which is usually about 3-4 hours a DAY. Ahhhh, the life of a beachlover!! (I hope Maria's mom is doing well and enjoys these shots!!!)

CRASHBOAT BEACH

Here's a "picturesque" shot I took on a recent trip to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN). Our hotel van took my crew to a local beach called "Crash Boat Beach". Seems like a funny name since I've never seen the water anything but SMOOTH there........... ;-) These boats just kind of hang around and look pretty, and I thought they made for an interesting photo. Hope you like it.

LAKE MEAD WATER LEVEL DROPPING

While flying into Las Vegas (LAS) on my last trip, I noticed how low the waterline had dropped in Lake Mead. I'm guessing it's probably 50-60 FEET!!!! You can see from the attached photo I took that it needs some water...... and soon. (The white rock showing is called a "bathtub ring" and shows where the water level SHOULD be). Too bad we can't ship some of the rain we've had lately here in Hollywood, FL, to Lake Mead. Last week we had one afternoon where we got between 7-9 INCHES in just a couple of hours!! I imagine that would really help in Nevada where the heat is on the way.....I just hope some rain is too!!!!

SIGHTS FROM ABOVE

One of the great things about my job is the incredible view I have from the cockpit. I'm always amazed at the number of things we seem to let pass by us each day without noticing. I've always been one of those who "doesn't miss much", and I've been told that by quite a few folks. One pilot asked me what I was taking photos of during a flight from San Juan (SJU) to Newark (EWR) one day and I told him "rainbows". He asked me where I was seeing them and I told him "everywhere". After I showed him several, he stated that in 20 years of flying over the Atlantic ocean, he'd never seen the sights I was showing him. Amazing, isn't it? Well, here's a nice rainbow shot I took last week from 37,000 feet on my trip from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN), to Newark. I've also included a shot of a massive super cell thunderstorm. Beautiful, aren't they? This is one of the few things that makes being a pilot such a wonderful job.

CHRIS HUNT........TENNIS COACH EXTRORDINAIRE

I post a lot of Jimmy's tennis accomplishments on this blog, but I've never shown you the guy behind the scenes that's made Jimmy's tennis game what it is......his coach, Chris Hunt. Chris is not only an incredible coach, but he works tirelessly with Jimmy on his home school studies, character, and manners. He's done an incredible job and certainly deserves some recognition. He's molding a future tennis champion, and it's evident Chris knows what he's doing. If you ever get the chance to meet Chris, thank him for his contributions to making at least one young man a future role model that everyone can be proud of. Thanks Chris!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ADRIANA!!!

My girlfriend's daughter, Adriana, graduated from "middle school" to "high school" yesterday. She received an award for having a grade point average (GPA) above 3.5, and will now attend a magnet school in Hollywood. Adriana is a bright young lady with a great future ahead of her. I'm sure she'll do great at anything she desires to do. Congratulations Adriana!!! We are all proud of you!!! Here's some shots of Maria, Adriana, and Jimmy from last nights event. What a great looking family! Hopefully Maria's mom and dad like these photos!!!!