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2003 has been a busy and momentous year.  We are well, albeit one year older.

My Dad turned 90.  We celebrated this milestone with him, although a month later (at his request.)  Still living at home, and driving two cars!

Looking over my two year completed house painting job in the spring, I decided it really needed a second coat, so proceeded to apply same during the summer.  It went faster (I think) than the prime and first coats, and does look better.  Here's the before and after.

  Before                 After


My  Museum of Flight activities consumed huge amounts of time.  As some of you know, but many don't,  I'm an active volunteer.  Two long term multi-year activities came to fruition  this year, but not without  much in the way of birthing pains.

I have been the Crew Chief (custodian) of the Prototype 737 airplane (the first airplane built) for the past six years.  It has been in interim storage at Moses Lake, Washington, an 8 hour round-trip drive, pending its last flight to the Museum in Seattle.  I've gone over there once a month to keep it ready to fly.  The Museum decided to move the airplane this year, resulting in many, many trips to Moses Lake and a heavy and difficult coordination effort to make it possible.  The flight successfully took place on September 21st.

 

Three days after I put the 737 to bed, we left with out dog Chiba in a camper for  the Canadian Maritimes and visits to Dot's family and friends.  Thirty five days, and 9800 miles later, we arrived back home - tired, dirty, and road weary.  We experienced many equipment problems along the way, visited most of the Chevy dealers in North America, and fought weather every step of the way - including getting stuck for 3 days in Upper Michigan (Yoooper land for you in the know) with ice and snow and high winds and 20 degree temperatures -- Oh, did I say that was still in September!  But, we did get to visit with many, many friends and relatives. On the way home, we swung south to visit my Dad, hit Dayton for 2 days to celebrate the Wright Bros. Flight Centennial, and stopped in Louisville, Kentucky, to search out my childhood locations after more than 50 years!  On the way home, we tried (mostly successfully) to outrace an on-coming high plains blizzard that threatened to shut everything down -- by driving pretty much non-stop from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Seattle in 38 hours (4 hour snooze at a truck stop near Billings, Montana.)   Oh yeah, that was 1765 miles!!!

  The story and pictures of this grand odyssey can be found by clicking here.

Got home just in time to nail down my other multi-year Museum project.  This one started in November 1984, when I requested that British Airways donate a Concorde  to the Museum -- upon retirement, of course.  We got a reasonable  commitment from Lord King, Chairman of British Airways.  Pulsed the system every few years subsequently, to ensure our place was secure; this  increased to  a rapid pace when they announced this year that they would retire their fleet.  Some last minute fast maneuvering resulted in triumph when, on November 5th,  a Concorde landed at Boeing Field and taxied up to the Museum, successfully ending a 19 year dream of mine.  More than 70 museums requested an airplane, only two went to the U.S. - the other one went to New York.  

 

Last year, we mentioned our sunsets.  Our sunrises are just as spectacular, and in the winter, you don't even have to get up early to see them!

            
Mt. Baker Dec 19, 2003                                                Glacier Peak Dec 22, 2003

See what you're missing!  Have a great New Year.

Peace,

Bob and Dot                      
and
          Chiba


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