Travels and other things

I received my new bike yesterday and put it together ( I had plenty of help from guys who are missing putting stuff together, besides helicopters) the first picture is one of my old pedals, which is actually large nuts put on the pedal shaft. Most of the gears didn't work and the pedal crank was falling apart. This was an old bike when I got it a year ago and then I re-aquired it in August. Now I'm riding a smooth and completely functioning machine.

This cloud of dirt is being kicked up by what is called a Mine Hog. Its a truck with a boom on it that has a group of spinning chains. It moves along the ground where the ground has been cleared of mines. Its like the last thing to happen before the ground is considered safe. The Mine Hog that I saw once had a windshield that looked like it had found a few mines. Even though its bullet proof glass, it can still be pitted and cracked. I'll try to get a picture of one.

We had worked on this aircraft for about a month, before they left, I climbed in the Crewchief/Gunner seat for a quick picture.

Thank you to Mrs. Anderson's 5th grade class for the letters that I received this week. Keep up the good work.

One the hanger pets had a disagreement with the other and didn't fair too well. So far I think this spider is about the biggest that we have had.

Our old clamshell hanger is full of a new Chinook team that has mostly just showed up. The number of L3 people here is well over 100 now. They will have 3 Chinook teams, 2 Blackhawk teams and 1 Apache.

The first picture is how the hanger looks currently. The doors are on but not faced yet with a covering. The second picture I took last year about this time. The last picture I borrowed and I suspect it was taken in 2002 sometime. It has almost always been for the Med units staying here because the hospital is to the left of this view. A new hospital that is just about complete is to the right.

Ok, its just a partial view, and zoomed in a little at that. The helicopter on the left is the one we delivered yesterday. I think for the first time since I have been back we don't have anything in the hanger. But we don't have time off. We are building our office breakroom and still have to bring stuff from our other hanger over when its finished. The plywood came yesterday, so we have been busy.

I borrowed this picture, its off base someplace, but that is how its been here for so many years. I heard a story that a few months back a guy was using a bulldozer next to a road on base that supposedly was safe and he hit a mine. It totalled the bulldozer but he lived, probably because he was sitting on 4 tons of steel.

The unusual sight for the day was a truck on the main street through the base. Its called "Disney" but not for Walt. It is named after a Sargent that was killed here at the beginning of it all 5 years ago. Anyway, I'm riding next to a line of stopped trucks at the 4 way stop in the middle of the base and I go by a small truck with a homemade shell on the back. I look in and see 4 or 5 live goats! What the heck is someone trucking in goats for? They had little curved horns and everything.

I had a couple strange experiences this week. First, I was riding by the Detention Center ( Stockaid or Brig or Prison, which ever name applies, I'm not sure) its very close to the flightline down a small side road. There was 3 guys dressed in bright orange jumpsuits surounded by MPs walking towards the flightline. The guys had painted over goggles and hearing muffs on and ofcourse leg and hand cuffs. They were going one way and I went by going the other. I thought best not to get my camara out and record the moment.

Second, on a lighter note, I saw a gold colored H2 Hummer with California license plates on it going down our main street today. It was a very nice looking Hummer, like you would see cruising around L.A. What a strange place for sure.