Taylor is all about surprises these days and told me on Friday to be prepared for an awesome date... Saturday MORNING. He said (and I quote), "We're getting up early... and I mean EARLY. Your brain may implode it's so early". So Saturday EARLY morning we went out to our mystery date (is it still a date when we bring Ava?) and to my utter GLEE and EXCITEMENT we roll up to a farm field with two gleaming and gorgeous, ready-to-be-flown
POWER PARACHUTES!!!!!!!!!
"What's THAT?" you say?
I'd try to explain... but I'll Show you instead
*so many many photos ahead... get settled kiddies*
THIS is a Power Parachute (or, as our Pilot Kirby calls it, BIRD)
It's essentially a Dune buggy with a massive fan on the back, attached to a huge parachute.
Kirby is the one of the greatest guys we've ever known. Hubs and I know him from work (well, where I USED to work and where T CURRENTLY does). He's such a sweet and big-hearted man. You da Bomb, Kirby!
This is his 16 year old son, Devin, flying this Bird. He's a budding pilot... and a good one at that.
When we got there we watched a bit while the two Birds flew around. Taylor was STOKED. Ava was.... not impressed. She's seen better. (ha! No, actually it's because she's never been up this early... literally)
A Bea-UTE-iful day to Fly
Dang. This boy is good-lookin'.
Me FIRST??!! I was shaking (but trying to keep it all under wraps..... "don't puke, don't puke, don't puke" (how's that for the Mantra-of-the-Day?)
That cheap-looking, thin strap was the ONLY thing holding me in. You think I'm joking. But I'm not. Sadly.
I took my camera up with me... here's me looking UP, UP and AWAAAY
(then I stopped, IMMEDIATELY... Hello, Vertigo)
If Kirby and I weren't friends to begin with, we definitely are NOW!! I was practically sitting on his head the whole time! This contraption was insane... no steering wheels, just those foot pedals that he pushed to go left and right. Wow.
New meaning of "Bird's Eye View"
Wishing my pictures could do JUSTICE to the beauty of this day.
We hoovered peacefully. Nature all around. We had a clear, vivid shot of the Tetons in the distance and I just sat back and took it all in. Truly breathtaking.
I was really happy. Perma-big-fat-goofy-smile-plastered-on-face Happy
So was Kirby... he's ALWAYS happy though!
I was afraid to ask him if my constant giggling and whooping made him want to bail off... without a parachute... I didn't want to know the answer.
T's turn! He went in the "Cadillac of Power Parachutes"-- Lucky Ducky! Look how monsterous that baby is! (not my baby, the Bird)
While we waited for T-Daddy, Ava and I parked it on the field... with big, fat, stinky, wet dog. He loved us. We didn't share his feelings. I still smell like wet dog.
Aaaand OFF they GOOOOoooo!!
The Birds were really low-maintanence... just start 'er up and let 'er rip (ok. I think that's the same thing...) but from the engine start-up to lift-off... only like 7 seconds in between. Best sort of flying around.
I wish I would have taken good (or better) pictures of our nose-dive spiral that Kirby oh-so-sweetly demonstrated for each of us! It was actually incredibly fun! Breathless, nauseating, stomach-churning FUN!
Both Birds in the air. The blue one was Taylor and Kirby and in the red one was Devin.
Serene. I don't know how HIGH we went, but I was thinking up there, "Man, if I were that Greek character who made wings out of WAX... I'd totally be screwed!" THAT'S how high we were.
Are you getting itchy to come out and try this yet?
(by the way, Ricky and Adam... sorry you weren't able to make it this weekend--- you probably wouldn't have any fun anyway... next time, we'll plan something less exciting... like crochetting. hahahahah-- head tossed back in villianous laughter!)
Flying over Ava and I. And No, Taylor does not think he's Leo DeCaprio... he only wishes.
(he'd like me to also write that he was just waving to us.... but we know the truth)
Coming in to Land. Landing was smooth and less freaky than I thought it would be... thankfully. I'd be embarassed if we got off and the boys saw Kirby's head was covered in vomit.
Good Ride, baby, Good Ride.
Kirby... I'm not sure if you're a blog-reader or not... for some reason, your hard-core ways tell me that you're not an avid Blog-Browser... but IF you are and IF you're reading this...
THANK YOU. You Rock, good sir.
ps. T -- that. was. a. GREAT. date.
Love you.
