Hey Bob,Good to hear from ya, buddy!Mabel n' me appreciate the kind words. We also want to add our thanks fer yer interest in how we's doin. I kin tell ya - you lookin after Mabel an all, bein that she ain't too thrilled bout me taken er off the beaten path, sure means the world to er! Truth be told, I ain't never thought too much bout puttin words down so's folks could follow em close. Ain't never thought Mabel n' me had too much to say neither - till we got ourselves hooked up into this here adventure. Usually don't do much talkin an I kin tell ya - what does come outa my mouth o'l Mabel sure don't pay too much attention to anyways.Don't know It'd set right with me spoutin on bout other folk's pride n' joy lessen I plum thought it was the "cats meow". Best folks like me keep quiet an git bout their business.I'm tellin ya flat out now, Mabel n' me sleep better knowin good folks like y'all are a watchin out for whats round the bend!Y'all take care now n' give everybody a hug fer Mabel n' me.John

Hey Boys,Mabel n' me pulled on outa the ranch at daybreak. She's kinda partial to risin out of a pasture when the sun's just a breakin over the horizon n' that o'l cowgrass is soakin wet – takes herself a shower with them big o'l tundras just a sprayin away.We headed on down to to Kennewick an got us some breakfast. Once we was full, we got cranked up agin an said “hello” to the Columbia an spent our time amblin from side to side, takin in the sights. Fellas, that there's one big river an she means business, I'll tell ya. Somebody's built three big dams –one between McNary n' Umatilla, nother right above Rufus n' Maryhillan a third right there at Memaloose & Lone pine Islands – all look the same. I believe somebody got hisself a good deal on dams - must have been on sale.We finished up the day down at Columbia Gorge Regional right there at Dallesport. Along the way we past over Miller Island where the Deschutes River empties on into the Columbia. I ain't never seen an island that big in no river before. Caught my fancy so's we cruised around er shoreline. When we's bout half way round the south shore – right there where the ol' Deschutes joins up, I spied what looked like a little house n' barn an some sheds with a dirt strip next to it. Funny thing – that ol' barn roof had a sign painted on it – said “Airmen Welcome!” with a big ol' arrow pointin toward that there dirt strip.Now boys, who's goin to say theys not about to take up an invite like that? No sooner than Mabel quit rollin up come a grizzly lookin fella ridin an old Indian motorcycle with a sidecar – looked like a 46' Chief with its low slung seat n' skirts – ya know, the one that'll bout break yer leg soon as ya try to kick start er. He's wearin a pair of Oshkoshs over an old T-shirt. Had him a bandana an was greased up pretty good. Musta've lived on MailPouch from the looks of his chaw. Anyways, he says he's Lester Keller an he believes Mabel n' me have arrived at the right time!Come to find ol' Lester lives alone and gits along fixin other folk's breakdowns. Anything that needs fixin– he's yer man. Got him a private passion fer flyin. Says he kin git off the ground but can't never seem ta stay there. He shows me a bunch of buildings chock full of everything that couldn't be fixed but might just make good parts. Looks like he's got every tool known or imagined! I'm beginnin to git the feelin he's savin the best fer last.Ol' Lester leads me up to a big shed built like one of them old-timey hangers. He grins an starts rollin back the doors. Inside smells like grease n' fuel, kinda close feelin with sunlight peakin through the cracks n' stuff scattered every which way. I see somethin that looks kinda like some sort of flyin machine – nothin I ever laid eyes on before, mind you – but somethin that looks like it believes it just might have some sort of chance of gittin off the ground.Takes my breath just peak'in at er. She's looks like some over-grown Jenny that's been through a full blown, whip crackin adventure and been cobbled back together by a body that meant well but was guess'n most of the time – if y'all know what I mean.Lester strolls up an does everything but give er a kiss – then he starts his tour. We start up front with a Pratt & Whittney Wasp R-985 attached to a nicked up wooden prop he might'a carved. She's a bunch of tubes, most of em lookin like chrome alloy to me, an what just may be raw canvas stretched over em an lacquered down real good. I seen a bundle of the stuff in thecorner marked, U.S.ARMY DEPOT, CAMP HILL, PA. She's sittin on some kinda squirrel-cage set-up with a set of shocks n' springs down below bolted to a steel rod runnin side to side an attached to a couple of pure-T Firestones! Her wings look to be bout the size of Mabel's only longer n' wider. Theys braced with some more tubing an somethin that looks to be rope. Lester slacks my curiosity right off by tellin me, “No sir! That there's genu-wine parachute cord!” Now I'm guessin but I do believe o'l Lester covered them wings with nylon an doped em up good fashion.Cockpit's wide open with the sides cut way down and an old Harley Davidson windscreen bolted up front. What looks ta be a foldin chair is bolted to the floor. I seen right off that the backrest says “Homer Funeral Home”. Ain't no gauges to speak of an the rudder pedals n' stick's tied to some sort of pulley n' piano wire set-up. He says she's a “short-hop” baby so's he don't feel the need for too much distraction in the cockpit. I'm wonderin bout now if'n maybe he oughta' mount a bible up there just to cover the bases - but I keep my peace.Lester says he's finished up “Baby” here an all he needs is a body with a little flyin time to help him take er up. I'm lookin around fer that body an spy ol' Lester justa starin at me – big grin on his face. “Don't make yer mind up yet”, he says, “ya got to hear er purr first!” Next thing,he's sittin up there yellin fer me to yank on the prop. I give er a few spins to spread the oil an ol' Lester yells out, “Hot!” Bout four good pulls is all she needed.I ain't never heard the likes of that ol' Wasp before. I hustled outa there good fashion! Turned round an saw nothin but a cloud of blue smoke an the whole shed just a shakin. Soon enough o'l Lester n' Baby appear like the second comin! “Whooee”, he yells, “Looks like she's past er first test – Baby's a movin!”Ain't room fer no more'n one in the cockpit – guess Homer's was a mite short on chairs – so I'm wonderin what Lester wants me to do. I'm thinkin the worst when he idles her down an leans out. “Just need me a witness with some experience, so to speak”, he says, “otherwise folks is goin to think I'm blowin smoke at em when I tell em bout today.” “OK,Lester!”, I says, “ Y'all have at it an I'll stand fer ya with yer friends!”Lester heads on up to the end of the strip, turns er round – an guns er. Well sir, I like to never –he passes on by me just a whoopin & hollerin - baby's flappin er wings every which way n' singin - that ol' Wasp is givin out with a matin call the likes of which I never heared in my life! Towards the bottom end of the strip, them ol' Firestones inch off the ground – not so much Baby's risin as the ground appears pullin away underneath er. She crosses landout on to the river just a smokin n' screamin. I kin see o'l Lester up n' down in Baby's cockpit, arms a swingin like some cowpoke ropin a steer. I watch him reach on out an twang one of them wing cords good fashion then reach on back an do the same on the other side. Every time he yanks, Baby banks a bit. Lester n' Baby git maybe a couple hundred feet off the water an he twangs er round in a big o'l circle till they's kinda lined up with home. All the way round nothin fer miles is talkin – theys all lookin n' listenin to Baby – don't none of us ever seen nothin like er before. She looks like a flyin flea market filled with people just a shoutin n' carryin on, livestock all bawlin at the same time an half the booths a burnin down!I hear o'l Lester cut the juice to er an the Wasp starts just a growlin. Baby hits the dirt like Honus Wagner slidin inta home! I watch them shocks n' springs accordion an them Firestones throw dirt every which way. Finally he brings baby back up to the shed, cuts er off an climbs down. He looks like he just drew the PowerBall winnin ticket! I congratulate him an sign a paper describin what happened n' what I saw. Even gave my address so's those that had doubts could write me.We shared a meal after an talked of old times n' past loves of one sort or nother. He cleaned up n' I washed the dishes then it was time fer Mabel n' me to head on out. Y'all want to meet a man who trusts in himself n' his beliefs? His name is Lester - an he's my friend.Y'all take care now n' give everybody a hug fer Mabel n' me.John

Hey Boys,Mabel n' me lifted on outa Columbia Gorge Regional there at Dallesport an follered the river round the bend. We stayed with er down past White Salmon n' Underwood, all the way to Carson. We headed north to say a "howdy-do" to Mt. Saint Helens an to pay our respects to all them folks that had such a trouble up there. Mercy! That there's just bout half a mountain now, looks like. I cain't let Mabel git too thirsty bein we's in this kinda territory so we stopped an had us a bit to eat at the Randel-Kiona Airpart just north of the mountain. I got me a plate of pot roast with mashed potatoes, carrots n' a couple biscuits. Mabel stuck to er usual. Nice young gal by the name of Debbie Whitman waited on me. She's gittin ready for college an hopin lots of folks stop on in, seein that the tips is goin to books n' such. She took a look at my plate when I'd shoveled bout half of it down n' said I could use some more gravy. Girl's after my heart! Next thing I knew there's a big o'l wedge of apple pie all warmed up with a chunk of cheddar just a meltin on the top. She said er Mom was a listenin to us an decided I could use some extra fuel. Well sir, I been raised up to care for them who cares fer me. Little Debbie there's got a healthy start to er book fund - nuff said.After lunch, Mabel n' me headed west, over Centralia an on out to Copalis State. Y'all know that there strip at S16 is sand? Mabel felt right at home. Afore settin our feet on the ground we took us a little swing out over the Pacific just to say we was there - looks just like the one we call home 'cept it's pointed in the wrong direction, if y'all know what I mean. After gittin somethin to drink - I still don't know why folks cain't do up a good glass of sweet tea out here - we kept our compass pointed northeast all the way up to some territory kinda between Mt. Olympus n' Seattle. We found us a spot there at Cushman Lake. Little field called Cushman Meadows. Nice place, kinda nestled off the lake an surrounded by Pines n' such. Y'all kin even bring in one of them pontoon rigs n' tie er right up fer dinner if'n ya have a mind to. Folks seem real friendly an the food's good. I believe Mabel n' me might just set a spell right here. We can take us a bunch of day trips an see the sights then mosey on back an spend the evenings fillin our belly n' gittin sleepy talkin to good folk.Ya know Fellas, this here's a great hobby we got. Along the way, I seen a bunch of ya way over me n' Mabel just a paintin pretty white lines across that big o'l blue sky. We had us a high o'l time circlin some of them busy spots, stayin way off in the distance n' watchin you fellas bring that big stuff on in. Cain't imagine what kind of job that must be. My hat's off to y'all! Mabel n' me got the chance to meet a bunch of ya just like us. An some of the rigs y'all sportin? Great Day! I believe o'l Mabel was just a fall'n all over herself! She ain't never been sweet-talked to like that before. Sometimes took er days to git the blush off! Y'all keep that up an I ain't never goin to git er back home!Boys, folks usually just look'n fer the chance to be yer friend. First up, most of em stay kinda quiet, not knowin if yer will'n an not wantin to be a bother but if'n y'all pat em on the back, so to speak, most of em open up an start a fizzin just like a warm bottle of Coke! Ain't no time till both of ya are the better off fer yer havin made the first move! This country is plum full of good, honest-to-God folk an it really don't take no real effort to find em - they's all round ya, just wait'n fer the chance to say, "Howdy-do!"Mabel cain't really talk - I'm guessin y'all figured that out early on - but if'n she could, she'd be a tell'n y'all just how much y'all have meant to er. Bein a woman, an a good woman at that, she holds a spot in er heart fer little ones an folks that can use a hand. We've met our share of both on the way out here. I'm proud of er an I'm the better off fer havin been round er n' er mother'n ways.Not really sure how long we'll stay. We both miss Charley an so it won't be long before we head on back home. We both always wanted to do something like this an y'all know neither of us is gittin any younger. Mabel n' me have been to our share of air shows n' hoe downs but theys always been on the other side, never nothin out this way. We both figured we'd better git our butts in the air aheaded west before they was tied down to some o'l rockin chair in the shade somewhere's.Boys, I got me the best wife in the world. O'l Charley's been holdin down the fort an doin all the stuff y'all know has to be done while Mabel n' me been skeedattlin around this big o'l country of ours. Each evenin we sit n' talk fer a spell an I usually end up hold'n the pillow a little tighter an wish'n Mabel had room enough fer two an all the stuff I know little Charley would want to bring along - her not bein too much thrilled with sleep'n on the ground n' such.Well - guess its time to say our goodbyes. Y'all don't know how much Mabel n' me have appreciated being with ya. We both hope n' pray y'all will be safe, happy n' proud of yer families. Mabel n' me sure do thank each n' every one of ya fer join'n up along the way!Fer sure now, an stand'n here with my hand up -Y'all take care now n' hug everybody fer Mabel n' me.John

Hi Guys,Back in late May I decided to fly my little Scout from my home base in Camden, SC all the way out to the Pacific Northwest. Along the way, I also thought it would be fun to emulate a “Charles Kuralt” type of journey with my alter-ego meeting and interacting with a variety of local characters in kind of a folksy, southern way.As I traveled, I witnessed a great variety of scenery and soon came to realize just how big our country is. Along the way, I met some wonderful and interesting folks. I also grew closer to all of you. You have in many respects, become part of my “virtual family”. As I penned “John and Mabel's” adventures, I realized I was writing for all of us, both here and abroad, who have ever had the desire to just drop what we are doing at the moment, board our respective aircraft and head out for parts unknown.I thank the wonderful folks here at AVSIM for letting me indulge my fantasies over these last several weeks. I also thank those of you who kept up with “John and Mabel” as they meandered their way along, pretty much from one coast to the other. We share a truly wonderful hobby together – a hobby large and complex enough to embrace each of us as we pursue our own individual tastes and preferences. May you always find enjoyment and comradeship along with challenge and excitement as you explore the skies and worlds made available to us all.With gratitude for your kind attention and affection for you all.Respectfully,John