Tuesday US Time

Tuesday.. USA time,.. about 2pm Monday NZ

Sad to say bye to Bill and Marci, we had such a lovely time with them.. really nice after the air races were over, we went to a small hangar where a young couple they know keep a Citabria, and had such fantastic hospitality from people we’d never met.. just cos we said.. “the Hanes said to meet them here”.. so it was .. “have a beer, pepsi, cheese crackers etc etc..” neat people. Gill (Jill ?) and Andy.. of course the aircraft is the connection.. sort of.. but we had a neat time there, discussing everything from the obvious (aircraft) to how hard it is to get wine in Utah.. so the Mormon belief system got a lively debate.. great fun.. and really great people.. would love to get back there again in a couple of years. Sitting there we had two or three P51”s taxying past and various boring executive jets.. ANG C130 (which used ALL the runway to get airborne!! Must have been HEAVY) to various light aircraft and even a great big amphibian.. Grumman.. not sure.. Once it was agreed that the traffic would be thinned out, they even gave us all a lift in a large golf cart, back to the car.. saved us all walking probably half a mile or more, which after a whole day was very welcome.. Bill especially as he has had a knee replaced only 3 week ago,.. so walking was a little too much by then. Only thing the Hanes did wrong was to NOT tell me that if I’d said hi to Bob Hoover, and that “Bill Hane told me to drop by” I may well have been given royal treatment.. bum.. cos Bob was there signing books! Darn.

Drive down here today was notable for the temperature change.. about 70 or so F when we left Tahoe.. hitting 107 F as we passed Sacramento, and now back to a comfortable 15 deg Celcius.. or 60 ish F.. I think the 107F or 42 Deg C we saw today was the highest of the trip.. at least that we can remember.. I briefly lowered my window to see what it felt like.. go get the hair dryer.. put it on FULL.. and aim it at your face.. you’ll be pretty close!!!! So we decided that being closer to the coast might result in us getting some sleep.. glad we did.. we are actually back at the first campground we spent a night at. Complete circle. 5083 miles. Fuel range from US$2.50ish /gallon to almost $4.00/ gallon. Spose tomorrow will be the last AliVinUSA blog.. but watch this space!

RK news.. yep.. bit of action today.. mostly raccoons today.. although I guess the usa’s got a fair look in too. Anyway.. time for bed.. going to check out another of the “Claude movies”” that are on this hard drive!!!!