steve1

I took Tae Kwon Do in the olden days. Our instructors kept moving away. Ended up working out on my own a lot. Didn't get very high belt wise. Did karate for about four years. Hated the stretching part. Ended up giving it up and started weight training more.....Steve1

I know the feeling. I hate to do anything half way. I'd love to jump more. I get jealous sometimes of folks with lots of cash who live in a warm climate and jump all the time. But, the bottom line is if you enjoy jumping stick with it. If you're having fun don't quit. 60 jumps a year is a whole lot better than none. Maybe things will change somehow in the future and you'll be able to jump more. Things have a way of working out. You could always quit your job and give up everything to jump. I wouldn't recommend it though. For me, there are other things that are more important than jumping. I love our sport, but I love my family a whole lot more, and for me they come first. So I ballance the two, and try to jump when I can. I also spend a lot of time watching skydiving videos, and even pack up my rig for fun. I know packing isn't supposed to be fun, but if you haven't done it in a while it can be. Hell, my kids thought I was nuts the first time they saw me dirt diving around the house with my imaginary friends, wearing my new Z-1 on my head. So my advice would be to jump when you can, and don't forget to have fun.....Steve 1

Reminds me of the time I loaned a friend a duck hunting coat. We went duck hunting and my friend shot one duck which he stuck in the handy dandy pocket in the back of his coat. At the end of the day we hung both coats in the closet and forgot all about his duck. A few weeks later the house started to really stink. Finally I narrowed the smell down to the closet and disposed of the rotting carcass.....Steve1

Sorry for your loss....Sounds like a great guy!.....Steve1

When I first started packing my Hornet, I was getting some slammer openings. An older rigger showed me this trick, where he used a rubber band up inside the canopy to hold the slider up on opening. It did seem to slow the openings and it did open fine. I was a little paranoid about packing this way though, so I discontinued the practice. I now psycho-pack with a rolled nose, and no longer have hard openings.

Since both my ears are plugged tight, and I can't jump, and the nearest DZ is way too far away anyway...I've been turkey hunting out of my new boat. It's flat bottomed with a 40 horse jet on the back and just flies down the river. I got into some turkeys last evening. They weren't very responsive to the calls I had. Maybe too early. They were all gobblers, but they didn't want to come in. Hope to get out again tonight. The rivers a couple miles from my house and I haven't seen any other hunters down there, so I hope to get out again tonight after work. I'll keep you posted. I hope to get back in the air soon. Winter was way too long this year, and I need a jump bad. I heard there is another DZ up near Moose Jaw, Canada. I hope to try it out soon....Steve1

Congratulations...Next time I'm in trouble with the law, I know who to call....Steve1

Country...of course. I know I'm in the minority here. I doubt if you'll ever here it going up on an Otter, but I'd like it just fine....Steve1

Happy 25th Birthday, Jeane. May the next 25 be just as good. I'll buy you a beer this summer at Lost Prairie....Steve1

A friend of mine has had an ongoing battle with the airport board at a municipal airport where we jump in Laurel, Montana. For whatever reason they want our club off the airport. My friend who owns the club has spent a lot of money on legal fees and has contacted the USPA but there seems little he can do to fight the decision to get rid of our club. My friend can't afford a million dollar insurance policy that is now required, so there is no longer going to be any jumping in our area. This same airport supported two jump clubs a few years ago. As it stands now there are only two remaining clubs in the entire state. I'm not really blaming the USPA, but I just wish they could do more to help. I hope this isn't a trend for the future, but it looks that way...Steve1

I just ordered a pair of Sport RX prescription glasses to wear under my Z-1. I was having a real hard time finding some that were low profile enough to clear the visor. I love my new ones....Steve1

I've had a couple of old Falcons and still jump one for a backup rig. And yes, they do seem to open pretty hard. I tried jumping a heavier camera helmet with it twice and strained the hell out of my neck. I'm just wondering how a psycho pack might work with an old Falcon. I guess I'll have to experiment and see. If nothing else it might pack up a little easier, since it's a very tight container and bag. At any rate, no more camera jumps with it until the openings improve. Thanks for the info. Nobody ever told me Falcons were hard opening, and I just figured I must be gettin old and frail....Steve1

Hey Jeane,....I bought that boat I was talking about. In fact I just pulled it out of the river a few hours ago and love it. I'll bring it to Lost Prairie if you need a pick-up crew. If you talk to Fred, ask him if he still has his old Red Devil P.C. Back in the 70's he and I had the only two solid-red para-commanders in the state. Now that I'm forty lbs. heavier than I was back then, a water jump does make since. (And yes it is all muscle!)...Steve1

Tinkerbelle, After reading your letter, I've decided I really need to move to Arizona for at least part of the year. I've only been to Eloy and Coolege once, but I can't wait to return. What a fun place and great people!.....Steve1

I suppose that could be the case. I had a little 14 foot boat earlier, with a 15 horse outboard. I bow hunted elk with it at ft. Peck Lake, and whitetails on the river bottom, trapped beaver with it, and did some fishing with it. Pulled the kids on their knee board. It didn't cost much to run and I figure it paid for itself over and over again with the fun I had with it. But then again it wasn't worth a whole lot and was easy to fix when something did go wrong. I figure I deserve some knew toys to play with in my old age. So, in other words I'm trying to rationalize spending 10,000 bucks!.....Steve1

This boat has a converted outboard foot. I imagine that means it will hit bottom first and mean hanging up more often on sand bars etc. I'll ask the guy this weekend how far much water it will draw loaded. I admire your ingenuity. If I was handier and more knowlegeable, I think I'd try to build one also. I'm anxious to get a boat. With one I'll be able to access a lot of public land that others can't hunt along the river. I'm not an avid fisherman, but maybe I'll get hooked on that too. I need an outdoor pasttime that I can take the rest of the family along too. They get sick of waiting for me to make some jumps at the airport. I still plan to jump often and boat when I can't jump.....Steve1

I had a big Clydesdale for a while. I used to skid house logs and firewood with him. Wonderful animal. Just like a big dog. There were times when I'd have him on steeper ground, skidding logs. Once in a while he'd get all tangled up, but never threw a fit. He'd just be standing there waiting for me to come get him out of trouble. We'd stop to eat lunch and he'd stick his huge head in the cab of our truck with us. He wanted some lunch too. My family really hated to sell him when the time came....Steve1

Everything is new. (2004 model) The motor is a Mercury, 4 stroke I believe. Thanks for all the input! Jeane...I think I'll bring it to Lost Prairie, so when we finish jumping for the day we can race boats.....Steve1

I'm thinking about buying a boat and don't know much about them. I'd rather spend the money on skydiving, but I'm unable to jump during most of the year and need something else to do during some of those months. I'm looking at a 16 1/2 foot Jon boat with a 40 horse jet conversion on it. It has high side walls and a pointed front, so it should work okay on a lot of lakes. I'll be using it about half the time on a fairly shallow river. I'm tired of paddling a canoe. I plan on fishing and hunting with it. Anyhow I can get this new for around $9,500. What do you think?.....Steve1

What the heck. You're still thought of as a "Swash Buckler" here in Montana. (Even if you can't hold your liquor any more.) I was just wondering who that handsome young guy is that's pictured under your name???.....Steve1

My Dad always had between 5 to 10 horses and one mule. We packed them into the mountains of Montana during the Summer and Fall. When I got in my 20's I rode bareback broncs in rodeos. Yes, I have landed on my head a lot. Today I own a couple saddle horses for my daughters. We raised them both from colts and broke them ourselves. Horses are fun, but they definitely can cut into your skydiving money....Steve1

I'm sure Jeane mentioned, on here, about some round reserve rides in the old days. But a first square reserve ride ought to be good enough to buy beer. Jeane, you need to be more careful. I want to make some more jumps with you at Lost Prairie this summer....Steve1

Your body needs complex carbs. Less of them if you are diabetic. I don't think anybody knows the long time ill-affects of an Atkins diet, because there isn't much research on this. All I know is that I feel like crap when I don't eat enough carbs. A low fat diet that is low in calories is a better way to go in my opinion. I know you can lose a lot of weight following an Atkins diet, but in the long term I can't see how this could be healthy at all. In my mind something like a potatoe is one of the most perfect foods you can eat. It's not high in calories, if you bake it, and it's loaded with nutrients. So, that's my sermon for the day, folks. Now all I need to do is practice what I preach. ....Steve1

I may have posted some mis-information earlier. That's what I get for listening to rumors. Blaine has been in six of the last nine formation world records. The first one was the 100 way in 1986 with B.J. He was part of the World Record attempt in Eloy in 2002 when he got word that his father was dieing. He told his Dad that he was coming home immediately, but his father told him to get the record first, which they did. He died shortly after Blaine's return to Montana. On important jumps since his death he has carried his father's ashes. His Dad was a Grizzly football fan. On demo jumps into that stadium, he has let loose some of the ashes. In Thailand he released some more. Whether or not he has any ashes left, I don't know. I'm sure he doesn't bother to carry any when he jumps with me!...Steve1

Looking back at my post, I realize that I'm probably the one who is narrow minded, and how did I get so far off the subject??? So before Lou comes hunting for me, I'd just like to add that I'm just a senile old fart who's often full of shit....Steve1