I immediately got online to find the news and sure enough Chile had been rocked by a severe 8.8 earthquake and a tsunami was rolling our way at the speed of a jetliner.  Although the severity of a tsunami is very difficult for scientists to predict, they were expecting a 12’ surge.  …not a 12’ wave like we are used to hear (big, but not that big), but a surge.  In other words add 12’ to the level of the ocean at that moment, throw in some speed and momentum and you get the picture.  This had the potential of reaching the Love Shack.

I scrolled through some information and found a great article on the “big one” in 1960.  For those interested, it’s a great read and you can see why I was now wide awake and taking this very seriously.  See:  http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/  - “Surviving a Tsunami—Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan”

Around 5:45 AM, Suzy and Cameron drove up to the Love Shack.  It was still dark (sunrise was 7 AM).  We made sure that all of our neighbors were aware and all of us discussed our plans.  Cameron and Suzy were heading up to the local church which is a designated place for such an event.  We still had until around 11 AM before the tsunami hit, but they figured they should get settled in up there.  Their house is one of the most vulnerable in our small village here at Kealakekua Bay behind Manini Beach.  Friend and neighbor David was going to head up to be with his boys at their shop on the highway.  I was undecided but thinking I would hang out on his lanai and stay in the village.  I figured I would be safe up there and wanted to stay close to the “action”. 

The sun came up, I took a shower, ate some breakfast – it was all surreal as we still had quite a bit of time thanks to modern technology and an accurate prediction as to the tsunami’s arrival.  I packed some things into “Crusty” our trusty 4Runner in case I changed my mind and went for higher ground.  My ukulele, laptop, change of clothes and a 5^th of tequila.  I was set!  The local tsunami alert system – a really LOUD series of sirens up and down the coast – were going off every 30 minutes just in case you weren’t aware of what was happening.  This added a bit of tension and seriousness to what was about to come.

Around 9:30 AM, a police car came through our village encouraging everyone to evacuate and warning that there would be a barricade up Napo’opo’o Road so no one could get in and out of our village after 10 AM.  …decision time…  I decided to go to a friends house up the hill but before the barricade.  They were away on mainland, but I called them on my mobile, asked if I could hang out in there backyard for a few hours (no problem!) and headed up the hill with my sparse load of “survival gear”.

The view from the backyard looking down on Kealakekua Bay: 

And South towards Ke’ei Beach:

The backyard of this beautiful home was warm with a nice breeze and I really wanted to take a nap, but didn’t want to miss the “show”.  Around 11 AM, you could feel everything come to a standstill – all the normal noises you hear simply stopped – it was like everyone was holding their breath.

If you draw a direct line from Chile to the Big Island of Hawaii, Hilo would be taking the most direct hit.  However, there is a “wrap around” effect, so the surge would wrap around the South end of the island and hit our bay as well.  Around 11:15, the first signs of the surge became apparent looking down at Ke’ei and the point.  Although it was a ways away and there was considerable haziness from the vog, you could see the white frothiness of the water signaling the coming surge.  Shortly afterwards, you could see the surge hit the bay and Manini Beach.  I know Manini Beach very well, so stared intently for signs that the water was rising to a point where it would head across the beach and pose a danger to some of the houses ringing the bay.  …but it didn’t….  After 45 minutes, I decided that this tsunami was not as big as some of the more dire predictions so I jumped in Crusty and headed back down the hill to the Love Shack.

After reading the “Lessons Learned” article referenced above, I knew this was not over and we could still get some even larger surges an hour or two after the first wave, however, even if it got twice as large, our little shack would be fine.  After arriving back at the shack and not seeing one soul in the village I started to second guess my “wisdom”, but my intuition and observations of what had occurred so far told me I was safe.  I grabbed my camera and headed around the corner to Manini Beach just half a block away.  The beach was dry and the water had not crested onto the beach.  After a quick survey I looked out at the bay and had one of those “Oh Sh#@!” moments as I noticed the water level was lower than I had ever seen it.  I knew what was coming.  I jumped up on this wall:

As the water rushed back into the bay it created ripples like a river.  I debated running and thought I might be one of those victims that lingers too long transfixed by the power of nature.  …but again, I trusted my intuition and there wasn’t a “wall of water”.  As the water went from low to high, a surge came in and wrapped around the bay.  The power was immense and as the water flowed around to Manini, there was a rushing sound like a freight train and the water crested onto the beach and in a few waves created quite a pond of water that flowed like a small stream in either direction.  Some photos:

Sure, many of you will think I was a fool for staying – but I didn’t feel in any danger and just being there was an incredible feeling and simply an amazing experience.  The power of this earthquake 3000+ miles away was unfathomable.  I watched the bay empty again – not quite as much as the first time.  It took about 3 minutes.  The water rippled as it flowed out of the bay.  Then the process of refilling started again and I stared intently out West to make sure I wasn’t going to be surprised by a huge wall of water.  Again, the water rose to way above the high tide mark and a series of waves sent thousands of more gallons of saltwater up onto the beach.  I kept my position on the one side of the beach where I could easily “exit stage left” should that become necessary.  The water flowed towards me but by the time it hit the entrance of the beach it ran out of steam and lazily pooled just a few feet from where I stood.

Here are two photos taken within minutes of each other.  By the time I came back to reality and thought about taking photos, the surging in and out of the bay was not as extreme, but you will get the idea:

The bay empties:

A few minutes later:

At this point, I called Suzanne and Bo to tell them things were quieting down and that thankfully there wasn’t any damage in the bay – but that there would be a little cleanup necessary on Manini.  They had been following the news and I was told that Hilo was OK as well. 

I called cousin Cameron and suggested it was safe to come on down from the church and they should check out the beach.  They showed up shortly afterwards and we walked up and down the beach in amazement.  Even in the most severe storms we have had, never had the water gotten this high.  …and of course there was a Kodak moment:

By now it was 2 PM and we decided to head up the hill to have some lunch at a local café a few miles away.  We got to the police barricade just as they were opening it back up – what timing!  Several friends were there waiting to get back into the village and everyone looked relieved. 

At lunch, we reflected on what a great job Hawaii has done with tsunami warning system, the procedures that had been put in place for evacuation worked flawlessly, everyone seemed to stay calm and the Aloha spirit had prevailed once again.  It is paradise here but the islands are also vulnerable in their isolation.  We were thankful that it was a low tide at the time it hit and that it didn’t turn out to be 12′ (probably more like 6′).  All was well and we quickly moved back into our routines.  ….life in paradise…

 If you would like to learn more about the Kona Brewfest, please visit www.konaBrewersFestival.com .  The first event was in 1996 and it has blossomed since then.  From its inception the focus for this non-profit event has been the celebration of craft beer and environmental conservation.

This years event was a success in so many ways - the weather was perfect, the music (three different bands) was amazing, the beers as always were some of the best available in the country and the Trash Fashion Show was a kick.  A kodak moment of friends David, Blake, cousin Cameron, Bo and me:

This is one of those “Where’s Waldo” photo - yes, yours truly is right there in the middle if you look closely:

Although not part of the event, I just love this photo of  the local flying crowd and the Kona Brewery “wing”:

Bo and I also made a trip up to the volcano to see the continuing eruption at the Halema’uma’u crater.  This eruption has been going on   for about a year and has created a fair bit of “vog” in the air under normal trade wind conditions at K-Bay where the Love Shack is located.  One of my favorite places to get the latest on the volcano is here: www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm

Some photos from our day.  First, the obligatory photo of the Halema’uma’u crater:

It doesn’t look like much, but the lookout at the Jagger Museum where we took this photo is a long ways from the plume and it is much bigger than it appears.

Near this lookout are some steam vents, so we couldn’t pass up this photo op:

Hmmm - I was a lot happier than it appears…  After the museum, we headed down the Chain of Craters Road.  Down where the lava flows into the sea from the East rift zone:

On the way back to K-Bay from the park, I took an old ag road between Pahala and Naalehu.  This is a very scenic and recommended diversion from the highway.  You can read more about this side trip by
clicking here

Unfortunately the photo turned out pretty crappy, but at the beginning of this “upper road” drive, we passed this sight that we just had to photograph:

After this diversion, we continued North to home but thought we would divert once again down the “Road To The Sea” just outside Oceanview.  This is a very rough 5 mile 4wd only road that goes through some desolate country to a few black sand beaches that we had read about.  We made it about halfway before deciding that Crusty was just too old for this type of drive.  After Bo took off back to UND however, I decided that Dusty may just be up to the task and I really wanted to see what was at the end of that road. 

About 1/3 of a mile North of Hwy marker 79 there is a gravel road called “The Road to the Sea”.  There isn’t really anything marking the road except this sign:

OK, you probably can’t read it, so let me zoom in:

Contrary to what looks like a stenciled in afterthought about  this “private road” and “no trespassing” its quite permissible to take this road with the main caveat that you absolutely need a 4wd, quad or a motorcycle with the heart of Dusty.  It’s rough!  About half way down the road and about where we turned Crusty around, I took this:

One of the “private properties” referred to in the sign was this:

I know there is a story behind this and I would love to hear it! 

When I was almost to the sea, there was a bright shiny yellow gate with a sign indicating that this was the entrance to the Manuka Natural Area Reserve:

 It seemed a bit out of place and the sign said the “gate was to remain open” (so why a gate?).  This looked like a great place to take a quad but was a bit rough for Dusty’s almost bald tires, so I didn’t venture any further.  …and finally we hit the end of the road:

And of course the obligatory shot of Dusty:

And one of the black sand beaches:

Another great Hawaiian adventure comes to a close.  Although I don’t have photos, I did have a great whale experience in my kayak.  No matter how often I get close to whales, it is still awe inspiring.  Now its back to Whidbey Island and some racing.  …to be continued…

It has been 5 months since we have been here but everything was in great shape in the shack. It took just an hour or so to get the fans going, remove dust covers, get the lanai furniture out and get moved in. It helps that the Love Shack is only 500 sq ft or so and things are pretty simple and basic. Crusty the truck started up on the 4th crank after hooking the battery back up. Amazing! We were impressed with how the yard and all the hard work we have put into landscaping has grown in. The citrus trees were loaded with lemons, limes and tangerines and the mango tree we planted doubled in size and should produce some fruit next year. Some photos:

After a day of settling in we headed over to Maui to visit friends Matt & Karen Partlow during their last night. They had an exciting week with one very wet day where Matt showed off his snorkeling technique:

The weather cleared up for our brief visit and we had a good time in more of a “resort setting” at the Sheraton. After some beach time, we had a really good meal at Lahaina Grill and then capped things off with hot tubbing and a swim into the wee hours. Matt & Karen:

…yeah, we still know how to have fun…

Maui is fun and catching up with friends was great, but we were glad to get back to the slower pace at Kealakekua Bay. During this week before Christmas and Bo’s arrival, we had some great adventures here and missed the “big one” back on Whidbey Island. We were getting daily reports on the snow from friends on “the rock”. We got some great photos of our place there - here’s the office:

Amazingly the power stayed on. Accumulation of snow was over a foot even though our place is only at around 150′ in elevation. …we got a lot of flack for being in Hawaii…

While the home base was inundated by snow, we were not. …so after the first week of getting into the “Kona Rhythm” and catching up with our friends here, I decided it was time for my first Paragliding lesson - a tandem jump off the hill that rises up from Kealakekua Bay and dominates our landscape. The local paragliders have a club of sorts and have purchased some property at about the 2000′ level that overlooks K-Bay and beyond. We had to put Crusty into 4wd for the first time to negotiate a steep gravel road to this property. Suzanne and friend Ami Bever came along for moral support. After a briefing and some waiting (the wind wasn’t cooperating so we had to wait a few hours) it was time to strap into the harnesses, put on the crash helmet and think about whether or not it was too late to back out.

Note the windsock in the background:

When Scott said “run!”, I ran with everything I had!:

Once we were settled into the harness, it was an amazing rush to be so close to the ground really able to feel the thermals. I have over 1500 hours of flight time in “tin cans” but this is nothing like that. It’s a very unique experience that is much closer to “soaring like a hawk” that I have ever felt. Scott was fantastic and I had no idea that he would have to work so hard. Tandem jumps are hard on the instructor as they are pulling a lot more weight when negotiating turns. A few shots right after we took off:

In a tandem flight, you are sitting in your own harness in front of the instructor. Scott was operating the “controls” that are lines attached to the trailing edge of the paraglider near the wing tips. These controls along with Scott’s commands like “leftie” and “rightie” where you shift your body weight into the turn maneuvered us into the updrafts that flow up the hill. The “trick” with paragliding is finding and staying in these updrafts to prolong the flight. …otherwise it’s a “sled ride” to the landing zone.

We were able to catch a few thermals and after about 15 minutes we were landing in a field (the “landing zone”) down the hill. The only time I was a bit nervous was when we approached the landing and I got the “run!” command. I ran right out of my harness - Scott wasn’t impressed… But as they say in the world of flying, any landing you walk away from is a good landing. …and I was hooked.

The following day, friends David Bever, David Carlin and David’s son Daniel rode our bikes into town to check out some different type of flying that is probably a touch safer. Every Sunday morning, the “Kona R/C Flyers” convene at the old airport in Kailua and have fun with all types of aircraft. It’s quite entertaining and one of the hobbyists let Daniel give it a go:

The airplane is still in one piece:

Dusty is lost in a sea of sport bikes:

One aspect I like about spending the Holidays here is that our work related activities decreases just as it does everywhere this time of year. …and we get to spend more time reading and relaxing at Manini Beach around the corner. A typical afternoon:

…yes, that’s Suzanne and my empty chair. Looking at Pali:

The bay has been unusually calm and “flat” for this time of year. We’ve been giving our kayaks a workout and learning a little “stand up paddle board”. Some photos on Kealakekua Bay:

Suzanne with cousin Cameron and friend David Bever:

Our friends Andy and Gretchen like to swim using a “monofin”:

Occasionally we get to spend time with the spinner dolphins:

My “ride”:

Today, Bo and I took the kayaks out for a 3 hour adventure up North of Kealakekua Bay. On the way:

We rounded “the point” and explored the coastline on an amazing and very calm day. After a bit, we spotted a few boats out a ways from the coast just sitting there, so I suspected a whale. We “pedaled” out. As it turns out there was a “whale shark” - about a 15′ slow moving filter feeding fish that actually likes the attention from us humans. It was an awesome sight. I wasn’t quick enough with the camera, but Bo got close enough to where he could almost touch it.

Along the way back we hugged the coast and found a cave with a blow hole that I have never been able to explore. Since it was so calm and the tide was low, we were able to back our kayaks right in - very cool!

Christmas Eve, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa - both above 13,000′ in elevation - received a thick blanket of snow. Suzanne Bo and I headed up to Mauna Kea with our friends the Bevers with our cars packed full of snowboards, skis, boogie boards and shovels (to bring back some of the white stuff to the bay).

We were incredibly lucky with the day we chose. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky over the summit (rare this time of year) and the winds were relatively calm. One of the views from the top - Mauna Loa is in the background:

Friend Blake joined us for our adventure:

We ate some lunch and broke out the gear. Ami Bever loaned Suzanne a colorful hat along with some skis:

Next up was Bo:

Daniel Bever shows off:

His parents - Jill Ami:

and David:

At close to 14,000′ we were all feeling a bit woozy after an hour and had to get down the mountain. Even Crusty the truck was straining to breath. It was an amazing adventure and so surreal to be playing in the snow amidst the observatories on the highest peak in Hawaii. …even more surreal when we were back on Manini Beach toasting the sunset just a few hours later.

Adventures like this remind me how lucky we are to be able to spend time here in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And as we bring 2008 to a close, we would like to wish everyone a Mele Kalikimaka and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!

According to our team’s crew chief, Ron Kiel, it was the smoothest enduro event he had ever taken part in. This was due in no small part to Pat Boyle (not only one of our mechanics and owner of Pat’s Autosport, but also one of our drivers) along with J.R. Nagy (BMW mechanic). Both of these guys put a great deal of effort into car prep and setup that is so crucial to enduro races. In addition, Ron and crew (Tim Dunahee and Dino Davis) performed flawlessly during the pit stops resulting in less than 12 minutes in the hot pits for the scheduled driver changes and fuel (including one unscheduled flat tire repair). It was poetry in motion. Mike’s wife Mary Lee was an enduro veteran that handled timing and scoring for the entire event with very few breaks.

The drivers - owner Mike Helton, Wes Tipton, Doug Mill, Bill Spornitz, Pat Boyle and me - all kept the car on the track (for the most part), ran consistently while preserving the car and stayed out of penalty trouble. The rear window was crowded with all of our names:

At 8 AM on Saturday morning, everyone convened in pit #16 for final car prep and some laps around the track in the practice to make sure everything was in order. The M3 was campaigned for many years in Grand Am by Mike and was built like a tank for these longer enduro events. You can see some of the history and battle scars in this picture:

Fish showed up to take over unofficial photography duty:

Mike went over some final strategy with Wes and Doug:

Fuel was sorted out. …yeah, it takes a lot to run this car for over a thousand miles…

Dino and Tim suited up and brought out the dyno juice:

…and got us fueled up:

Pat got all “geared up” and the car was positioned at a 45 degree angle for a quick Le Mans exit:

At around 5 minutes to go, all the first drivers get lined up for the start. The signal would sound at 9:45 AM (a siren). Pat (in the black) is looking pretty relaxed:

As a result, crew chief Ron goes out to give him some last minute pointers he had just learned the night before in his square dancing class:

…now Pat was a little nervous…

They all look pretty hopeful at the start:

But by the time they hit the cars, the smokers are on all fours and the sprinters like Pat are already buckling up. You can’t see him in this picture because he’s already in the car thankful he never took up smoking…

…OK, maybe not when you look at if from this angle:

Ron and Pat worked fast and out of all the cars, we were third out of the hot pits - what a great start!

Pat ran a very fast first stint (each of the first 5 stints were scheduled at 2 hours, 5 minutes) and then it was my turn just before noon. I was a bit nervous and had visited the porta potty about 10 times before I was scheduled to go out. Most of the other drivers had run enduros before and were really helpful in offering up tips and advice on how to run a successful race. The consistent theme was to stay on the track, err on the side of caution when passing other cars (or getting passed), stay out of penalty trouble and drive “9/10ths” so as to preserve the machine - that is, don’t drive like a sprint car driver! I got myself ready:

…probably thinking “I might have to go one more time…”:

…then it was a blur after Pat drove into our hot pit stall after his stint… I jumped in:

…Ron helped me buckle in and connect the radio:

…and I was off… Here are some photos of action during my stint taken by Fish:

This 944 above was tough P1 competition but had a problem with their exhaust later in the day that along with some other lucky breaks (pardon the pun) helped us immensely in the end:

It was amazing following this Mazda RX7 through a few turns before I got by. Check out those flames:

The Mazda ended up not finishing - probably due to sucking up all the available fuel - and oxygen - in their pits… Another tough competitor that ended up with some mechanical issues that cost them quite a bit of time in the pits was this TC Motorsports Ford Mustang:

There were two sports racers in the enduro - this one, a Norma M-20 F, passed me too many times to count during my 2 hour stint:

They had a major mechanical problem later on and were forced to drop out. 2008 ICSCC points winner Jeff Van Lierop brought his “Country Green Turf” BMW 325 and took first in his P2 class and third overall:

This Caterham Super 7 was leading P2 until he had a mechanical a few hours before the end of the race:

..and the other sports racer - and winner of the SR class and first overall - an Elan DP02 from Active Autosport driven by Peter MacLeod and Tom Sutherland. These guys were laying down laps in the 1:07 range and the reason you really had to watch your mirrors while driving this event:

This next picture shows the range of cars that were on the track at the same time - a sports racer, Super 7 and a Dodge Neon:

As you can imagine there was a lot of action going on when I was on the track. I covered 95+ laps and had a best time in the high 1:18’s. I learned more in this two hours on the track than I think I had in the entire previous vintage racing season. It was a blast! I was disappointed when I got the radio call that my stint was over and to bring the car back in… I was careful to observe the pit lane speed limit and brought the car in for Doug Mill to take over around 2 PM:

I can’t remember when this photo was taken, but one thing you can say about Pat Boyle - he’s ready to jump in whenever necessary!

The tires were only changed once at the halfway mark and all the practice paid off for an incredibly short pit time:

Bill Spornitz had brought his radio gear so all of us had communications while on the track - this is crucial to a successful race. Ron was our primary radio contact - Dino looks on:

Mary Lee was dubbed the “iron lady” for her tenacity and tolerance through 12 hours with very few breaks keeping track of each lap - lap after lap after lap. She was listening to the “common frequency” and keeping everyone informed of issues going on around the track throughout the day:

After Bill Spornitz took his turn, the sun went down and the night racing began:

The white Mazda Miata in the foreground ended up first in the P3 class and fourth overall. …just goes to show that you don’t need to be a hare to win this race - a tortoise will do just fine…

Bill flashing by:

When Wes took over the car from Doug, the seat rails failed and the seat was stuck in it’s fully extended position. Wes drove his entire stint using the tip of his toes to reach the throttle. …and of course the view from his side mirrors was toast. I thought he was just a super-relaxed driver and liked the “Detroit Lean” reclining position…. It was a great effort and he ended up with some sore calves after two hours of stretching! When he came in for the driver change, we were losing time fast as the crew tried to figure out how they could somehow get the seat up closer so Bill could reach the pedals. …he got a rolled up blanket… But when he came in to turn over the car to Mike, in a flash of inspiration, one of the crew grabbed “Lighting McQueen” out of their car and positioned the cushion behind his posterior. ….it wasn’t perfect, but in the end, ‘ol Lighting was a hero as Mike reeled off some great lap times - here he is sitting proudly on top of the roof:

As the race wound down, Ron and Tim took a rare break and demonstrated why they are the best in the business:

The final stint was driven by Mike Helton who turned some great times and brought the car home to a very happy team. After 12 hours of racing, the car was in amazing shape! The driver’s Kodak moment:

…and one happy team:

As Mike Helton had predicted, I’m hooked! …and have already signed on to the 6-hour Enduro in Seattle next March…

Last year, Suzanne and I were attending an auction for the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) and one of the items was the Air Combat “experience”. I had heard about this and thought it would be a whole lot of fun, so armed with my auction paddle, I bought this item (and made a nice donation to WICA). Since Bo is going through the UND Aviation program, I decided this would make a really cool Christmas or Birthday gift. So this last Sunday, he finally “cashed in” this certificate and we rode our bikes to Boeing Field.

We were met in the “classroom” by Dave (aka “Smudge”), Gary (aka “Bluto”) and Bo’s “opponent” for the day, Ian Knox. Smudge went through an hour briefing and training session covering things like how to use the parachute and barf bag. …hey, the flight includes 5 - 6 G maneuvers - take the biggest roller coaster ride in the world and multiply it by a factor of 10. That bag might come in handy!  …I was smug in my decision to let Bo do this on his own…

…yeah, they’re smiling now…

So after Bo and Ian changed into their “flight suits”, went through the briefing and selected their helmets, we all went out to tarmac to get ready for the flight.  First there is the obligatory Kodak moment with yours truly:

You get the parachute on - that’s a real confidence builder…  Well, actually the FAA requires it.

You get strapped in: 

And you’re ready to go.  Ian was doing the same thing in “his” airplane:

Then they were off:

One of the cool aspects of this experience is that you get to take off and land in formation - well, actually the instructors take off and land - you get to do everything in-between.  After they got up in the air and into formation, Ian took these photos of Bo’s airplane:

Apparently they got about 10′ apart:

Here is an edited version of the in-flight video I posted on YouTube - The g-forces are incredible and at one point, Bo thought he might lose it. They each got one practice “kill” and then during the next 4 dogfights they were on their own:

I went and hung out at the nearby FBO and had coffee and popcorn relaxing with some magazine advertising multi-billion dollar corporate aircraft (…if only our company was a little bigger..) while Ian and Bo went after each other in WW II dogfighting style.  I saw them land and rushed back to the tarmac to get a few more shots.  Bo looked a little green:

…once again I felt smug in my decision… At least he’s smiling:

Next we took a look at the full videos from each airplane and watched them side-by-side - incredible stuff! After a short debriefing, it was back into “civies” and we headed back to our island. Bo got a notation in his logbook for his time in the Marchetti (pronounced “Mar-Ket-Tee”) which was a nice bonus and he got to keep his barf bag - still unused just barely.

I thought I would really want to do this myself, but after tagging along for the ride, I think I’ll stick to racing and the 2-dimensional world. Although Air Combat, USA’s safety record is impeccable, my vintage racing seems a little safer (and easier on the stomach!).

Now for Bo’s take in his own words:

“Some of the first words I heard out of the instructors mouth were “This is like a roller coaster, only on steroids”. Nothing embodies the physical experience quite like that statement. On the mental level, however, it is more like being thrown into a video game, only it’s real. My “opponent” was a nice guy and we were both thrown into something pretty unfamiliar to ourselves. While I have flown planes for some time, it is nothing like dog fighting. Sure, I could formation fly “like I’ve done it my whole life” (words from Bluto), but figuring out how to out-maneuver and play aerial chess with another person is new. Aside from getting queasy on the second to last dogfight, I toughed it through the last one (pulling 6 G’s, no less). Flying to the edge of one’s abilities is an experience everyone should give a shot”

…well, not everyone…

Early on a Saturday morning, Suzanne and I left our Whidbey “campus” in The Enterprise (our Safari Trek motorhome - get it?), caught the 6:30 AM ferry and after a lengthy 12 hour drive, ended up in Bozeman, Montana.  We were enroute to one of the biggest vintage car races of the year at Road America - a historic track near a very cool little town in Wisconsin called Elkhart Lake. 

Our car was hauled by Racecraft in their transporter along with 6 other cars so we didn’t have to haul a trailer.  Our plan was 4 days out, 4 days at the track and 5 days back.  We had the Vespa on the back of The Enterprise that would be our transportation during the trip and in the pits at Road America.  We have now affectionately named the Vespa “Scuzi” as we tend to scoot around people, cars and things occassionally mumbling “scuzi, scuzi”.  …yeah, I know - but that was the best we could do, so it stuck.

Our first night was in one of many RV campgrounds that we would stay in where the people are as entertaining as the scenery - we made some great connections and realized that this “RV thing” wasn’t as bad as we had envisioned, in fact quite the opposite.  Although we had considered investing in a little lamp post with a flower pot on each side (all plastic, of course) and a sign that says “The Healy’s” on it that we would put outside in front of our camping spot (like many of our neighbors), we changed things up by bringing along a life-sized plastic palm tree (thanks Bill!) matched with flamingo martini glasses (thanks Les!):

…and so it began…  This palm tree actually ended up being quite the novelty in the midwest and at the track where we had some pretty hysterical comments.  I ended up changing original idea of dumping the tree at the track and that stupid tree is still in our shower.  It seems to have become a permanent fixture in the traveling Healy-Guttman circus.

Our first real destination where we spent a few nights was in Custer, S. Dakota in the Black Hills.  Neither Suzanne or I had been here, but it was a pretty fantastic place with rolling hills dotted with Ponderosa Pine and Aspens.  We stayed at a place called the “Broken Arrow RV Park” and were met by a very friendly host that looked like she spent a fair bit of time on a horse.  We were parked next to a guy that new the area and who we ended up yacking with through the evening. 

Next day, we hopped on Scuzi, and motored to Crazy Horse.  I had low expectations, but this ended up being a trip highlight.  You probably can’t see the Indian head in the background, but it’s there - the folks at the entrance snapped this for us:

…yep - we look like dorks…

The story of Korczak Ziolkowski and his family is amazing and inspiring.  I loved their story as much as the behemoth sculpture that is being carved out of the mountain to represent a great Lakota warrior.  If you haven’t been there - go some day.

Next stop was Mt. Rushmore, a crowded stop where we did the obligatory kodak moment:

After this semi-disappointing stop, we had a very cool ride on Scuzi through some scenic areas and logged close to 100 miles on that little bike.  We capped off our evening with more “into the night conversations” with our campground neighbor and set off for more endless driving the next morning.  This was the view Suzanne saw to her left for close to 5000 miles:

 and straight ahead:

After a brief stay at a KOA in Rochester, Minnesota we rolled into Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin and the home of Road America racetrack on Wednesday afternoon in a major storm.  About 20 miles from the track, it started to really blow The Enterprise around and the rain started pouring from the skies.  By the time we rolled into the track, the winds were gusting to at least 80 MPH, it was dark as night (even though it was 3 PM), there was thunder and lightning and raindrops the size of snowballs!  I had to re-park The Enterprise 90 degrees into the wind for fear of getting blown over.

After registering during the storm (a story in and of itself) we waited for 2 hours outside the pit area due to the problems they were having with trees that had blown down (some onto trailers) and awnings & tents that had been uprooted and torn to shreds.  There were a few injuries but thankfully nothing serious.  By the time they let us in, there was a fair bit of confusion and we were led to a big field and told to “park anywhere”.  After trying a few places and finding that we were sinking into a mud hole due to the enormous amount of rain, we found a spot on the tarmac that looked stable.  It turned out to be a great home for the following 4 days:

…of course this photo was taken on one of the days after the storm.

Another one taken before heading out to the track:

We ended up next to a local father/son team that had raced in the area for years and were great neighbors.  Unlike most other races, we were not pitted next to Racecraft’s transporter due to space, but it worked out OK as our spot was somewhat secluded and out of the “hub bub” of the pits.  Road America is a very long track and I was able to get acclimated during a “test & tune” day on Thursday.  I was in “Group 8″ with “just” 65 other cars - most of which I would not normally race against but I managed to have fun nonetheless.  Here is a glimpse of how busy it was:

…yeah, that’s Pete behind the black 944 (he spun out, dropped an engine spilling oil all over the track and pissed off most of the other drivers on Saturday) and Terry Flanagan’s orange BMW 2002.

One of the few photos of Pete ahead of Flanagan and his smokin fast ‘02:

And one more of Pete ahead of his favorite rival - the 911:

Friend Fish and his brother Dave made the trip out along with my Dad and his wife.   Cheryl, my Dad’s wife who he just married (see the blog on Guatemala) decided she needed a lesson on how to ride “Scuzi” and Suzanne was happy to oblige:
 

…yeah, I know - they look like dorks…

Elkhart Lake is a historical and notable cute little town centered around a nice lake which a few large resorts surround. The area and town is enriched with a history of car racing. The track is a mile from the town. Both Friday and Saturday night they shut down the streets and have a car parade of cars, one night the race cars the other restored beautiful vintage cars. The streets are crowed with spectators and little parties in restaurants, etc.  We had a few great nights in Elkhart Lake at the infamous Siebkens Tavern and Lola’s on the Lake next to the Osthoff Resort. 

Somewhere along the way, another Kodak moment - this one with two Jack’s and Cheryl:

John Hall, a fellow racer asked several of us who had donated to “Team Fandango - Checkered Flag Club for Children’s Hospital” to get a photo at RA with the great shirts he had put together this year.  This “team” consists of fellow racers who get together to support Children’s.  It is a great cause.  Jim Froula, Terry Forland (both of Racecraft), John Murray and me obliged:

As “luck” would have it, Group 8 was the very last race on Sunday.  We wanted to leave right after the race, so my Dad and Suzanne plotted exit strategy:

Fish and photographer/friend Bob Pengraph helped clean up:

…well they relaxed a bit as well:

After the race on Sunday, we drove 3.5 hours to Keiler, WI. It wasn’t bad driving and the scenery was beautiful country of lush green farmlands and quarry like limestone rock lining the roadway.  Old windmills, barns, and farmhouses that depict the quintessential ‘americana’ postcard! We landed in Keiler, which is in the southwest corner of Wisconsin on the Iowa border.  We arrived into a small little RV park in time to catch the show of fireflies that were lighting up the fields around the campground.  Just 10 hours later we were crossing the Mississippi river into Iowa and headed for North Platte, Nebraska.  We hooked up with yet another interesting neighbor in that night’s campground and finally arrived in Ogden, Utah on Tuesday night for a visit with niece Courtney Vermaas who moved there last year.  …and it is hard to believe, but we forgot to take a photo…  Hmmm - maybe next time.

Next up on the docket was Yellowstone.  We rolled into the “Grizzly RV Park” in the afternoon and the weather was outstanding!  We had opted for a pretty decent “premium space” and it was worth every penny.  A quick unloading of Scuzi and off we rolled into West Yellowstone - a much bigger town than I had envisioned - and after some quick purchases in the “crap stores” (sorry, that’s what I call them), we checked out the local museum, hit the store for a few things and, of course, snapped at least one photo:

The next day we had an ambitious plan to do a 100+ mile loop around Yellowstone (called the Lower Loop) and as it turns out, with the wrong turn we made, we clocked 170 miles or so on Scuzi and paid for the mistake with some pretty sore butts…  First stop was the Fountain Paint Pot area.  The sign at the beginning says it all:

You get to see stuff like this:

…the smell was horrible…

 Another 20 miles and we were at Old Faithful:

Everywhere in the darndest places, you would see boiling cauldrons of mud:

The elevation in the park averages around 6700 feet in elevation or so.  Scuzi was breathing hard - especially over the divide:

..OK, OK - I know we look like dorks… 

We passed over the divide several times in the park - one of which was over 8300 feet (we were too tired to stop and get the photo…).

When we were supposed to turn left at West Thumb Geyser Basin, we kept going straight.  After a very long stretch, we saw the South Entrance.  …that didn’t look right…  We got some gas outside the park and headed back.  By the time we got to Lake Village, we needed a break:

The ice cream was great and the scenery even better:

That’s Yellowstone Lake at an elevation of 7700 feet!  After we started winding along the Yellowstone River, we finally got to see the bison we had heard about:

If you look closely, here’s a bison lounging by a boiling cauldron of mud:

…strange stuff…  But that is Yellowstone - amazing vistas, incredible volcanic activity, lots of Wildlife - and a fair bit of people…  All in all we are really happy we made the effort to see the park and I would like to go back some day and travel around the Upper Loop on the next trip…

In the meantime, the wildlife scene isn’t too bad here at the Healy-Guttman campus. This photo was taken from our back porch the day after we got back:

Click on the link below for a hint!

 On Earth Day earlier this week, the “teardown project” began and most of our “main house” was removed in just 3 days.  One really big piece of equipment was delivered on flatbed in the morning and by the afternoon, there was a pile of rubble where the main structure once stood.

 I snapped this photo a few days before we completed the salvage operation - removing the windows, most of the doors, all the cabinets, lighting we wanted to save and so forth.

After 3 days, this is what was left:

In the morning as they took the first few “chomps” into the structure, our builder and friend (Dennis Keefe) gathered with Suzanne and me to sip on some coffee and watch the show.

It was fascinating how quickly the structure was reduced to a pile of rubble.

The photo above was taken just an hour or so after the previous one!

After we obtained a maximum caffeine buzz, Suzanne got busy with the one remaining window we didn’t salvage:

…it was toss #15 that finally broke through - the first 14 trys hit the side of the house, the ground, the office next door, or mysteriously vanished without a trace.  ….good thing she has a day job…

Here is a sequence from a different angle:

The two remaining structures and back porch were all retained and will become part of the new house.  It is really strange standing on the back porch and looking out through an empty void. 

In the meantime, Suzanne and I have moved to the guest house - our new home for the next year (or so):

The genesis of this trip was the WICA auction last year where we bid on and “won” this trip that included 3 nights at the Waldorf Astoria, limo to and from the airport, airfare and a dinner at the Tavern on the Green restaurant.  We have a niece that lives in NY along with one of Suzanne’s best friends, so we were looking forward to this trip. 

We arrived on a Friday night and met up with niece Rachel Colgate and her friend Eric Olson in the hotel and spent several hours catching up.  Saturday, Rachel met us at the hotel and we walked to the Museum of Natural History and on the way got some breakfast (at noon!) and went through central park. It was about an hour walk to the museum, but it was an absolutely gorgeous day, perfect for walking – blue sky and 40°…  Rachel & Suzanne along the way:

This seemed to be the favored mode of transportation around Central Park:

There were several “street performances” to keep things interesting:

When Suzanne asked me what I would like to see in NYC, the first thing that came to mind was the Museum of Natural History - and it didn’t disappoint.  We did 2 of the “special” exhibits at the museum and roamed with the dinosaurs:

After an afternoon nap, next up was dinner with Eric and Rachel at the Tavern on the Green on Central Park.  Although a historic place (the owner was the son of the guy who wrote the wizard of Oz), it was a bit over the top, overpriced and over decorated.  The room we ate in looked like an easter egg exploded – with pastel pinks, greens and yellows - or maybe an Easter egg gone very very wrong…  Eric was a trooper, answering all our “tell me about yourself” questions (hey, he is dating our niece!) and even grudgingly posed for a picture or two:

Anyway, it was an experience and “check” we did it and don’t feel obligated to do it again!! We then went about 6 blocks and had a drink at a trendy NY bar…  

Yeah, that’s the only photo that turned out.  …it was dark in there!

Sunday morning, we met up with Rachel again along with friend Ellen Elfering in SoHo at a busy little café/restaurant simply called “Jane”.  After breakfast, Rachel needed to get errands done and get ready for her trip to Prague so Ellen, Suzanne and I walked (again) around the city for most of the day.  We walked through Tribeca and to the waterfront along the Hudson River in Battery Park. Again, another spectacularly fabulous clear day.  Along the line there were more - you guessed it - Kodak moments!  Ellen and Suzanne monkeying around:

We could see the statue, Ellis island, etc. We made our way to “Ground Zero” - there was finally construction going on after being tangled up in politics for 7 years -it was very sad.  Across the street was Trinity Church (the first church in NY) and a graveyard with stones dating 1766, etc… With the disaster across the street, this church and graveyard was not touched at all in the events of 9-11 – bizarre…

After this, I left Ellen and Suzanne and went back to the Waldorf so they could have some “girl time”. They took the Stanton Island Ferry (which is free) and back.  This ferry goes right in front of the statue of liberty and offers an amazing view of the skyline of the city from the water.  They spent the afternoon catching up.  

Our brief NYC odyssey was a lot of fun but I have to admit I’m not much of a “big city guy”.  I am looking forward to getting back to Whidbey and the peace and solitude of our island home.  ..sure we don’t have the Museum of Natural History or world class restaurants - but we have Pierre and Alphonso (the gay ducks), Bobby and Lulu (the feral cats), a great little restaurant within walking distance run by Suzanne, a lot of trees and no yellow taxis that I can think of…    

Why Guatemala?  …well, click below for the rest of the story and some great photos.

Back in July of 2007, I got a call from my father asking if I would have any objections to his getting married to Cheryl Eden (who I had known for some time).  Objection?  Of course not!  When’s the wedding?  ”March”, he said.  OK - no problem, we’ll be back from New Zealand mid-March.  Where is it?  …pause…  “In Guatemala - do you still own a tux?”.  Wait a minute - back up - where?  …and so it went…

As it turns out, Cheryl has a nephew that lives in Guatemala City with a beautiful wife and daughter and lots of extended family.  She has been traveling to this country for 40 years and really wanted to get married there.  …so what do you do?  Yep - buy another tux since the old one doesn’t fit anymore, use some miles for tickets and put it on the calendar.

We arrived on a Wedenesday evening after an uneventful flight through Dallas.  We were towed for what seemed like ten minutes to our gate (the airport is undergoing major construction), picked up our baggage, wound our way through customs (fairly easy in this country) and found Dad who was meeting us there.  We were staying at the Hotel Vista Real and they greet you with champagne at the front desk (I immediately liked this hotel!). 

It was late, so after some time catching up with my Dad, we turned in.  The next morning, we met some friends of Cheryl’s in the restaurant (great buffet!) and discovered they were going on a “city tour” later that day.  We signed up, spent some time changing rooms (long story) and headed out in a van with a partially English-speaking guide to see a Museum of textiles (Museo Ixchel), the President’s Palace and a market.  The museum was actually pretty cool and weaving and clothing style is a big thing in this country. 

I won’t bore you with a lot of palace photos - but some of the “street scenes” are what caught my eye.  …like this enterprising entrepreneur:

…or guys like this that seemed to be guarding just about everything - even appliance stores:

And a huge market with stalls like this one:

My face was pressed to the window like a 5 year old on the outside of a candy store.  This was all new to me and incredibly fasinating. 

Later on, sister Kimberly arrived and we had a great opportunity to catch up.  We got to know the restaurant, bar and pool fairly well as you really didn’t want to venture outside the “bubble” of the hotel - well at least, we didn’t.  …something about armed security at the entrance put a damper on things like going for my usual run (so I settled for the workout room)…  Friday was a day of relaxation followed by the “wedding rehearsal” - yeah, no kidding - this was a formal affair.   …so I wore my “formal Hawaii garb” much to my Dad’s consternation:

Looks like he’s thinking “elope you fool!” (naw, just kidding Cheryl). 

We went through our paces but half the wedding party wasn’t there.  …another long story, but sadly Cheryl’s brother’s mother-in-law passed away the day before and everyone scrambled to get to the funeral earlier in the day (you have 24 hours to bury the deceased in this country).   All the schedules for the day were tossed and there was a lot of scrambling to get things together.  After the rehearsal, we were treated to a wonderful dinner at a private home just a few minutes from the hotel.  Things relaxed a bit for the bride and groom:

We had a chance to meet a lot of the family in Guatemala like Jose who I really enjoyed talking with:

Bill & Susan from Napa Valley:

The next day was more “bubble time” at the hotel enjoying the pool, some great internet, meeting friends from America and family in Guatemala - and then - going to a little wedding (yes, all at the hotel).  The site for the wedding was outdoors in a beautiful grotto but required some stair climbing to get up to the “altar”.  I got to accompany Carlita up the stairs:

…she was probably hoping for somebody a little better looking - you can pick your friends but not your family!  The wedding was conducted by a pastor and his wife and included some interesting Guatemalan quirks such as the reading of some formal “legalese” followed by a few of us having to sign a very formal looking document (Hah!  …they’ll never be able to read my signature…).  Sister Kimberly read a touching poem written by Cheryl and after some typical wedding vows and ring exchange the happy couple tried not to trip down the stairs:

…and then it was picture time… 

The reception was - you guessed it - at the hotel.  …and it was fantastic!  Kimberly looked great:

Dad looked relieved it was almost over:

There was all the traditional stuff including the cake cutting:

And some great dancing:  …yeah, right - like I’m going to post photos of us dancing…  I’ll skip that part but suffice it to say that everyone seemed to genuinely have a great time. 

The next morning, 25 or so of the Americans joined Clark Tours for a 3-day adventure to see some sights in this incredible country.  We loaded up the bus and headed for Day 1 in Chichicastenango - a highland Mayan village with unique and rustic charm.  Our bus:

…OK, I couldn’t resist - our bus was a little more modern…  The bus above is called a “chicken bus” and they are everywhere in many different bright colors belching tons of black soot into the air.  The name comes from the chickens that are often found on the roof like this little guy:

These buses are the main transportation around the country.  If you have moved up in the world, you might get to roll like this:

But you want to avoid these guys:

Travelling to “Chi chi” as it’s nicknamed was the first time I had been out of Guatemala City and as we climbed out of the city into the picturesque countryside, we were impressed with the beauty and ruggedness.  There were several volcanoes in the distance and scenes like this “wild market” on the roadside:

We worked our way into Chi chi with a few challenges (like the size of the bus on roads that were never designed for anything larger than a go cart).  Due to this problem, the bus was parked and we had to walk through a crazy open air market to get to the hotel.  Hundreds of Mayan Indians from the surrounding countryside had their wares on display and it was crowded.  I had a little guy named “Victor” follow me the entire way saying “my name is Victor”, “I am a friend of Charlie” (our guide), “I will see you later?” (and repeat, repeat, repeat).  Victor really wanted to be our guide through the market!  The rough cobblestone streets took it’s toll on a few of our fellow travellers who weren’t quite prepared with the proper footwear, but we finally made it to the Mayan Inn Hotel:

We were assigned rooms and found that there were no locks on the doors but that we each had a guy that would look after us and be our “right hand man”.  …that and some pretty severe consequenses for theiving in this village meant that we could leave our laptops and anything else in the room with no problems.  The rooms were like a throwback to the ’40’s complete with no hot water (apparently we didn’t let the water run long enough), no phones, no TV - just the basics.  As it turned out, we spent only enough time in the room to catch some sleep so this was no problem.  We immediately dumped our bags and grabbed lunch with the assistance of this colorful character:

The outfit he is wearing is traditionally worn by only the Mayan religious leaders and are very expensive.  An interesting fact about this area is that most people don’t make it past their 40’s, so this guy is a very rare exception and one of the oldest people we saw while here. 

Lunch was followed by an interesting tour of the town which included this colorful cemetary rich in history:

We also managed to find some interesting things in the market helped by one of Victor’s friends and followed around by little “Rosa” who’s English consisted mainly of “you buy for your mother?” ”I like this one” (as she held up a headband) or faced with my constant “no’s” - “you buy for your enemy?” accompanied by the sweetest smile.  After we got back to the hotel, Suzanne and I finally rewarded her persistance and bought a headband - guaranteeing that she would treat the next foreigner with an equal effort. 

That evening, most of our group reconvened in the hotel restaurant for dinner, but friends Mike & Diane Mosalf, Suzanne and me decided to venture into town and eat at one of the local restaurants.  We were not disappointed and found a great place with local fare, no tourists and a lot of hand motioning and “pidgeon spanish” to indicate what we wanted to eat.  A great time!

The next morning after breakfast, we returned to the bus pausing at this 400-year old Church of Santo Tomas:

As we loaded the bus that morning, little Rosa was there to say goodbye and try to sell more trinkets.  As I got on the bus her smile was rewarded with a few more “Q’s” from yours truly just because I could…

We headed out of town to Lake Atitlan and a motor launch to the Indian fishing village of Santiago Atitlan - one of the 12 lake-shore villages surrounding the lake.  Unfortunately, there was  a slight snag when we got to the town where we would catch the boat.  Due to this being “Holy Week”, the market which is normally closed today was in full swing.  This resulted in a crazy detour down impossibly tight roads and tight turns.  The police got involved and we ended up becoming the bottleneck for traffic.  The locals were amused - sort of…  Finally, the bus burned up half the clutch and most of the brakes reversing up a hill and out of town.  We headed for a different town - Panajachel - and caught this boat:

I wasn’t too excited about this part of the trip but it turned out to be pretty cool with some great views of the volcanoes:

…and amazing sights along the way like this:

The photo at the very top of this blog was also taken at this remote little village of Santiago Atitlan.  Suzanne and I decided to take a 10 minute “tuk tuk” in one of these:

And careened up streets like this:

and this:

… to another church where this guy was taking a siesta:

After checking out the church in record time, we jumped back in our 3-wheeled death machine and screamed back to the pier.  Along the way, I snapped one more photo of a typical scene in Santiago:

…and ten minutes later we were back in the boat speeding back to Panajachel.  Phew!  From there it was a 1/2 mile walk to our lunch at a great restaurant:

…finally we loaded back on the bus for Guatemala City where we would be staying the next two (well, later, three) nights at the Westin Camino Real Hotel.  …back on our “city tour” at the beginning of the trip, I remembered the driver saying “this hotel is for rich people” as we passed by the Camino Real. 

Suzanne and I were pretty tired and in desperate need of a shower, so we said “goodnight” after a light meal and retired early to catch up on email and get some sleep.

Day 3 of our tour was to Antigua - a beautiful and enchanting colonial city founded by the Spaniards in 1543.  When we arrived, we were treated to views of buildings like this:

The consensus of the group was not to spend too much time in more churchs but to do a little shopping and enjoy the lighter side of Antigua.  …however, Carlos our guide did manage to fit in this antique cathedral:

and the obligatory kodak moment:

One of the first shopping stops was “Jades Imperio Maya” - the jade factory.  Here they cut, shape and polish their own jade and make some incredible jewelry:

…this was a very expensive stop…  (just ask Suzanne)

Lunch today was at an exquisite hotel - Casa Santo Domingo.  This hotel is world class and the grounds, atmosphere, and restaurant were a rich contrast to some of the rustic places like Chi Chi that we had been on this trip.  Some of the grounds:

The restaurant:

…and another kodak moment for Jack & Cheryl:

After lunch we strolled over to the monestary attached to the hotel.  The parrots were better looking here than at the Mayan Inn:

Yeah they were as colorful as the chicken buses:

Casa Santo Domingo has a large collection of colonial and religious objects.  Many of these are in the Colonial Museum next door including this angel:

The museum is right outside the church that was used as a burial ground for children.  Kind of creepy, but a few of us ventured down a spiral staircase to the crypt:

After this we went to a coffee farm that also housed an interesting museum with old instruments including the drums used in this part of the country.  Of course this interested me and I made my only purchase the entire trip - a $26 drum found in the adjoining store.  A Kodak moment for our group:

We hit a few more great stores, a market, more old buildings and then loaded up once again to return to the Camino Real.  Suzanne and I aren’t much into tours, but this was probably the best way to get an introduction to Guatemala and spend some time with Dad, Cheryl, friends and family. 

After a 5 AM wake up, we headed to the airport for our return flight home but found out our flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Dallas.  …oh well - “that’s the way it is in Guatemala” (famous phrase repeated several times by our guide Carlos).  We took advantage of the day to regroup on email and go through photos.   We did make it home the next day and we’re now recouping on Whidbey getting ready for more upcoming adventures.  ….stay tuned…