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| It will look like this once it's back in flying shape. |
I decided to put the Waco back in flying condition. I found a guy who could do it, has worked on Wacos before and knows what needs to be done. I swallowed hard at the cost and in an earlier day I would have said never mind. But in light of recent events, freshly aware of our limited and uncertain time in this mortal coil, I said do it. Do it! Tarry not! And you know what? Once I made that decision and got the ball rolling, I felt good. Almost elated. I don't know why, but I did. Maybe it was just indulging in something frivolous. But I think it was more than that. Wacos are beautiful creations and by my decision I am adding an atom of beauty to the world. I could feel that and it was a good feeling.
On top of that, it's going to give my boys something to get involved in and learn skills from. I told them when they were older they could fly it. I would teach them how to fly in the Husky -- it's docile and simple. Of course, I will get a CFI to complete their training, but I didn't go into all such details. No need now. But they are excited and have something to look forward to.
My daughter, my mini-me, has been a great help with my toddler and clearly loves children. Ya know, it's funny I call her my mini-me but she is not blonde and blue-eyed like me or my mother. She looks very much like her great-grandmother. She has chestnut hair and green eyes like she did, and my mother says she has similar mannerisms and facial expressions. Maybe there is such a thing as immortality. She is becoming a very beautiful young woman, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
Oh, my second cousin, the guy I went dancing to a jump blues band with a while back, has offered to marry me if I need a man around the house. I know he's joking -- at least, I hope he is. I told him I'd keep his offer in mind. He's doing well at the Maritime Academy and has, I thought, a steady girlfriend. I asked him about that and he said he had enough manhood for two women, at least. What a change from the diffident, shy guy he used to be! He's become his own man, gained self-confidence through accomplishment. That'll do it. I'm proud of him. But I ain't gonna marry him. Get out of here. Haha.
I found this photo of my grandfather with the Fleet Model 2, so now I know why we have it. But I'd like to find out how it ended up in our hanger. I asked my mother but she said she didn't know. This photo must have been taken before World War II, when gramps was a young man. I found another photo of him with a biplane, I think a PT-19, but I'm not sure. He is second from the left.
And I found this photo of him in Korea during the Korean War. As I've written, at one point he was a Forward Air Controller (FAC) with the ground forces directing close air support, what today we would call a Joint Tactical Air
Controller (JTAC). This must have been taken during this period, but I don't really know for sure and have no one to ask. When he wasn't a FAC, he was flying 
Douglas B-26s (nee A-26). He's definitely matured from the time this photo was taken and the one with the Fleet was taken. I'd guess a decade at least had passed. As you can tell, he was a tough guy. All my men are tough guys.
