My New Skills:
Today I studied at a new skill set. When we back the coach and the trailer into a camp site, one of us drives the coach and the other acts a ground control. Ground control is a very important position. This person is responsible for keeping track of the big picture. He or she guides the rig back into the selected site making sure there is no interference with tree branches, boulders and posts. They must also guard against jack—knifing the rig and scratching the paint and smashing the clearance lights. Continue reading My New Skills:
The Oil Pump Tester
There are lots of ways to have fun. For example, I have found a group of Bluegrass Pickers here in Morgan Hill near where we are staying. They get together a couple times a week and play Bluegrass together. Other times I have fun by volunteering at a small local Air Museum at the airport in San Martin called Wings of History. One of their restored airplanes is a Peitenpol Air Camper, a kit plane from the 1930’s. It is powered by a Ford Model “B” engine. It is nearing the end of its restoration effort. Recently a debate has been raging in the hanger around the adequacy of the oil lube system and a new improved Model “A” oil pump was secured. Last Tuesday I helped remove the engine from the Pietenpol one more time. We flipped the engine and removed the pan. We extracted the oil pump and the crew decided we needed to test the old pump compared to the new pump and see if it really was able to pump more oil. I more or less agreed to design and build a test apparatus for the pumps. Ideas were flying back and forth while I took some basic dimensions from the pumps. Continue reading The Oil Pump Tester
Skipper Emeritis
I have officially adopted the title of Skipper Emeritus. That is Skipper as in the master of a small vessel and Emeritus as in Retired but retaining the title and honors of a professional position. As Skipper Emeritus of the Regal Jug I get to stand around and critically review the performance of the new Skipper and Crew.
On Saturday we all took the Regal Jug to Anderson Lake. Since the last time we went sailing we did some repair work on the main sail, so it took us quite a bit of time to put on the sail and get ready for launch. It would probably be unfair to mark the crew down for this performance, but there is certainly room for improvement. Launch went perfectly; no runaway boat and no one got dunked. I stepped up and did the official starting of the auxiliary engine. We dropped our moorings and left Patrick stranded on the float. After circling back and running a landing we were able to retrieve our AWOL crew member. Continue reading Skipper Emeritis
An Eagle Scout: February 20, 2012
My second oldest Grandson, Patrick Dinsmore, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony over the weekend. As you can guess, Judy and I are very proud of him and his accomplishment. Continue reading An Eagle Scout: February 20, 2012