Hump Day

I got to solo another young lady today. This one has been my student for awhile too, and she was a nervous first soloer many months ago. She went up one time solo, and then...the Glenndale Accident hit.  She has been terrified ever since, refused to solo again, had a hard time getting back into it, but wanted to.  Today was the day. It was barely the day--the winds were a crosswind up to 12 knots, 40 degrees, but she was able to keep it together and do a good job with it.  She didn't want me to get out, but I did, and told her she HAD to do at least one.  She ended up doing three. Two greasers and one good enough.  The third one was so good she quit after it, said it would only be downhill from there.  lol  I was proud of her.  She gutted through that, and her fear, and she soloed.  You go girl.

After lunch I accomplished a few of the things on my list.  Did the usual post office run, picked up my fundraiser candles and talked to the principal for a few minutes, stopped at Wal-Mart for grocery pick-up, went through CVS for Ann's meds, came home and delivered everything and talked to Ann for a few, then went back out to the airport to do some engine break-in flying.  I was going to try to do two hours on it.  Mother Nature had a different plan.  A line of storms popped up south of me, and kept growing.  It was aimed right for the airport.  Then it looked like most of it would skirt to the east, with a bit over the top.  I thought back and forth about staying up and just going west, or landing.  I flew down to meet the storm, had it right off my wing, and let it chase me back to the airport, until I was mid-field downwind with the weather right on my six.  I was thinking about swinging away and letting the weather move through and I stay up.  And then this giant bolt of lightning came down from cloud to ground in a sort of clear-ish area, and I thought...NOPE.  I pulled the power and brought it in.  As I was taxiing in, the first raindrops started hitting, and it dumped pretty good for awhile.  Thunder, lightning, the power fluctuated in the hangar, and then it was gone.  It was kind of a neat Spring view.

Steve and I went to dinner at Marble tonight, just wanted some steak, and it was quite good.  The mask mandate is gone, and there wasn't one server or patron in there wearing a mask tonight.  The mandate being gone doesn't mean that anyone who WANTS to wear one can't do so if they so desire.  The lack of people so desiring says something.

Tomorrow was supposed to be busy, but the weather will stop that.  Friday was supposed to be busy, but the weather will probably stop that too, and...we're going to see if we can go to the funeral of our friend Duane.  It's in Arkansas, about an hour and a half away in the Cheyenne if several of us go.  Apparently he had bad heartburn, sat down in his chair and fell asleep and never woke up.  A good way to go, if one must, just way too early.

Our tree went from brown to full bloom in one afternoon.

Pretty day.  :)

The start of the cells down south.

I liked the hole in the cloud, sun beaming down to the ground.

Dark and getting bigger.

Yeah, I feel this.

Dinner!  Twas lovely.  :)