“Big brothers are actually good. They keep an eye out for you.”

“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible…”

- George Bernard Shaw

Copyright: Misty R. Lemons/Misty Expressions Photography

-excerpt from Texan, by Charles Bukowski

Thanks to Erika for the inspiration on this.

Wings Over Miami Air Museum

25º 39’ 00” N / 80º 26’ 00” W

In Miami’s metro area, if you make your way to the end of the road that leads through the Kendall–Tamiami Executive Airport you will happen upon a small, dynamic and fascinating aviation collection — the Wings Over Miami  Air Museum. The aircraft number about a dozen, or so, but the actual population fluctuates. There are permanent airplanes, there are aircraft under restoration and there are aircraft in the hanger on the occasional temporary basis. 

Wings Over Miami Air Museum hangar view — photo by Joe May

There are no decrepit exhibits and all the aircraft are in pristine condition. Amazingly so, I think, given the few members in the cadre. Equally amazing is that almost each time I visit, this quiet and out of the way museum, inevitably aircraft have been respotted due to the ever on-going work. Aircraft are flown in for the work and for special handling the musem can provide. One case, a recent one, of special handling was the disassembly for shipment of a Stearman Kaydet. There it was – wings and tail resting on the hanger floor, the landing gear set aside and an engine hoist chain slung around the power plant. Experts at work — and in Florida’s subtropical August heat! Thankfully, the office is air conditioned and well equipped with restroom facilities. There is a drink dispensing machine just outside the main door and a café is not really necessary since a plentitude of eateries can be found just outside the entrance of the airport. A modest entry fee is asked for a day’s admission.

Some exhibits have come and gone. The wings and empennage of the WW II Kawasaki 川崎市 Ki-61 飛燕 (Hien, roughly flying swallow, Allied codename Tony) that once were on display have gone back to their owner, as did the TBM Avenger that had been taken down to bare metal.

Some aircraft are there for safekeeping – a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina and a Douglas C-47 Dakota, are examples. Another aircraft — a Douglas B-26 Invader — was freshened up and moved about 1000 feet (~300m) to a newly built memorial to the Cuban and American pilots who perished during the Bay of Pigs Invasion — or La Batalla de Girón as it is known in Cuba. [Please see the post, A new monument to fliers – the aviators of the Bay of Pigs Invasion & the Douglas B-26 Invader, published on 21 October 2009.]

Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina — photo by Joe May

A Grumman F-14 Tomcat is the largest aircraft displayed as is one of the most beautiful North American SNJ-6 (also known as the AT-6 Texan when flown by the USAAF) I have seen. On my last visit not one, but two, other Texans were undergoing complete rebuilds for flying — zero time wings and engines — serious and professional work.

North American SNJ — photo by Joe May

North American SNJ nose art — photo by Joe May

Adding to the remarkable accomplishments of this small museum are the foreign made aircraft on exhibit. They are: a Nanchang CJ-6A from the People’s Republic of China, an Aero L-29 Delfín from the former Czechoslovakia, and a Yakovlev Yak-52 from the former USSR.

Nanchang CJ-6A — photo by Joe May

Nanchang CJ-6A fuselage art detail — photo by Joe May

This museum is not to be missed and is worth the detour for any aviation enthusiast or historian visiting the Miami metro area. The main entrance to the Kendall–Tamiami Executive Airport is located on SW 137^th Avenue between SW 120^th Street and SW 152^nd Street in Miami Florida USA. Flying to the airport is possible in private aircraft but regular airlines can be used to fly into the Miami International Airport or the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.

We had a semi-impromptu birthday party for my friend, Mee-shell! last night… after Awana…

So it pretty much didn’t start even until 10:00…

Oh, what delight… Parties… of the night!  =)

Anyway, “I-Zeck” actually MADE A CAKE!? =)

He ate more than anybody else and ended up quite the energetic young man by about 11:00…

Mr. A’s been reading Revelation and had some interesting stuff to say about Jesus’ righteousness and evil-doers drinking blood.

Something else he read made me think of this Michael Card song:

“Just and true are Your ways,
King of Ages
So great and marvelous are all Your deeds
Oh Lord God Almighty, who will not fear You
And bring the glory to Your Name.” -Song of the Lamb.

We sang “happy birth-minute” to the birthday girl on her birth minute! =)

(We even factored in daylight savings time. =)  She’s a Texan. =)

Mi brothre… played some ridiculously catchy Indian music-video on his blackberry, where people danced as if they were driving a pick-up truck and trying to rope a cow…

And a while later we…

had another King-Soopers adventure!

Consisting of:

-A rather loud discourse on the economics regarding the Eggo waffle shortage, while on the scenic route to the frozen pizzas.

-Movie recommendations…

-The Great Chocolate Milk dilema!
(“Only Viva?!”  “No -no Store brand beautiful-ish-ness?”)

-A deduction that Yosh’s grandmother is the ONLY known grandmother in the whole world who made a special phone-call to implore her grandson to stock up on all the canned pumpkin he would need for the holidays, due to the impending “no more pumpkin mush for the next few months!!!” crisis.

-All topped-off with a birthday ride on a penny horse named Biscuit.
(It took forever! lol… like 5 minutes.
She turned so red.
Mi hermano: “Look, she matches the Red-box.”)

We all then piled back into my refrigerator of a car!  and returned to watch Cyrano de Bergerac! while I used an oven stone for the first time ever! =) to cook the pizzas.

Cyrano de Bergerac… quite an intriguing story… pretty good movie too… I’ve been hearing nonsensical French babblings in my head ever since.

Moi teh peh jzu… sah la mon clah per see… te fwi.

???

(What was the last word of the whole film you ask?  “…Panache.”)

Ok, so maybe you didn’t ask… but I just had to tell you.

Aaaand… this morning I woke to my roommate yelling at, and chastising, one of my horribly mischievous cats!

Now my toes are cold… and I have the rest of a Tuesday for God to tell me what to do. =)

What a grand life! =)

All this before the winter-of-the-week, known as “work” sets in.  And yet, there are benefits to winter…

Winter causes one to sit back a bit -to stay in one place more often… to focus.

Such does my work.

Au revoir et adieu! mis amis!

-MAC <>< =)

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

I read and article this morning about some guy in Texas that ran his million dollar sports car into a salt marsh because he got distracted by a low flying pelican and then he dropped his cell phone…
I would just like to know why someone driving a million dollar sports car is even handling his cell phone while driving?  Distracted by a pelican, more likely trying to dial someone!  Dude you are driving a MILLION DOLLAR SPORTS CAR…why aren’t you paying more attention?  This guy just doesn’t get it!

Sarah Palin – where do I start?  Why haven’t you figured out yet the most of us in this country wish you would just go back to Alaska and stay there!  We are tired of hearing about how the media, John McCain and his campaign, Levi Johnston, etc are against you.  The fact is you were little known before McCain plucked you out of the ice.  You’re not too bright as evidenced by the things that come out of your mouth.  I don’t want to read your book, see your daughter’s baby daddy without clothes, or see you on every talk show stomping your book.  Quite frankly I’m tired of you Sarah Palin and wish you would stop trying to represent all us hard working females out there that have enough of a hard time making it in this man’s world!  We don’t need to have you out there telling everyone why you speak for us, YOU DON’T SPEAK FOR US!  Get the hint…Go back to Alaska!

Kirk Cameron are you the same cute guy that we saw through you’re growing pains?  You’ve gone off the deep end.  You have every right to your religious views, your opinion, and your ability to speak your mind.  You do not have the right to insist that your religious views be taught in public schools that we all pay for as taxpayers.  This country was founded on EVERYONE’S right to practice their religions.  It was not founded on the school teaching which religion is the right one.  This is what they have religious schools for.  By teaching any religion in public school means that all religions would have to be taught in public school and then there would be no time to teach our kids things like reading, writing, math, and science.  Maybe you should refocus your energies on ensuring all children in this country get those fundamentals first and the religious stuff at home, in church, or in religious training.  Our kids need to be able to come out of school being able to read and do math, not spout any one religion!

Then there’s Jon & Kate Gosselin.  I have the same sentiment for you as I had for Sarah Palin.  When are you going to go away?  I realize you’ve managed to turn having 8 children into a monstrous money making enterprise but get over yourselves.  I have to say I’ve never watched your show and quite frankly could care less about your ugly divorce.  50 years ago having 8 kids was not unusual, let alone television worthy.  Now you’ve smeared each other up and down in the media.  Don’t you realize what kind of a mark that’s going to leave on your 8 kids?  You two obviously don’t get it…keep your personal live PRIVATE!  We don’t care about your marital squabbles!  Want to forget you two but the media won’t let me!

Last but not least is the media that keeps rehashing some if not all of this crap…what ever happened to news reporting being impartial and relaying the TRUTH?  Most of you in the media wouldn’t know the truth if it walked up to you and bit you on the butt.  Get it straight, we want facts not opinions, the story told once the right way, and want you to stop making the stories evolve rather than reporting them!  It’s ridiculous that the Letterman scandal was and is still be reported on.  He’s an entertainer, not an elected official.  Talking about him resigning or being fired due to this affair is absurd!  One last media beef…Oprah what were you thinking by your interview with that poor woman Charla Nash?  I don’t know how you came to get her to agree to that interview but come on.  You took someone that stated she didn’t want to realize the extent of her injuries and kept telling her how bad she looked and reminding her that she can’t see, etc.  How do you sleep at night?  What happened to that self serving, I’m gonna save the world Oprah?  Who exactly did you help by putting Charla Nash on camera?  You have jumped the Shark Oprah!