New friends and flying

So exciting! I was invited to go flying with some new friends, Steve and Brenda Allingham. Steve flies for a skydiving company in Chippewa, and his wife Brenda and he love to fly for fun as well. You can 't see Brenda in the back seat, but she was enjoying it as much as I. We flew for about an hour and half, above the areas around Menomonie, all the way to the Mississippi (which actually is not far). The air was so clear that we could see Minneapolis and St.Paul 65 miles away! Oh if felt so good to be at the controls again, even if the right seat! It's been about 2 years since I've been pilot in command, although last year I did go for an aerobatics ride in a biplane (Great Lakes). What is different in Wisconsin, is the lack of familiar reference points on the ground. I asked how Steve can tell where he is, by ground reference and he said, "lakes, rivers and roads". The farmland and the random rolling hills really make ground reference hard. It all looks the same! In Connecticut, we have the Adirondack Mtns and the Long Island Sound, as well as the ocean the further south you go.
My first youth group meeting was last night! the group does not usually meet during the summer, but this was a warm up for fall. The kids were hesitant to talk to me at first, but a few were warming up in no time. we played "volleyball" with a big beach ball and in a very windy field. At least there was no limit to number of hits by one person. That crazy ball would spin backwards, forwards and get blown by the wind to unknown angles! Next week the leadership will be having a planning meeting, so I hope to get more involved in that as well. For such a little church, they have quite a big youth group. There were probably 15 kids there last night!
This Saturday at (7 AM!!) I am working a breakfast food booth with Gordy, at the Cucumber FEstival in town! yah, cucumber festival. Well, you Nutmeg staters, we have Garlic festivals! Then Sunday, the whole town of Boyceville combines church services and we have church under a big tent at the festival grounds....So funny! I'll try to take pictures for next weeks blog!
Have a great week! thanks for keeping up with me! Write when you have a chance!