Saturday, October 27, 2012

Fixing It in St.Croix



After getting to St. Croix (more on that in the future), our work had just begun.  We met at the local shelter in the morning.  Kellie picked us up Monday morning and took us into town for a cup of coffee at the "Coffee Shop".  This was a landmark that was the reference point for the next few days.  It was at this time that I discovered that I had lost my trusty camera… and all of its pictures… dang.  Well its a good thing that Allie had her camera and was taking lots of pictures until it decided to format itself… dang.  Good thing I packed a second camera except that the memory card doesn't fit any of the equipment that I have with me… dang.  Oh well, we are still getting lots of pictures and I am sure that we will be able to flesh out the rest of the trip.

We made our way to the shelter and I warmed up on several (7) animals including some very cute kittens.  Was impressed with the staff, they obviously have a passion for the project and show a very professional attitude about the surgeries.  They have been trained by previous veterinarians and it showed!  I quickly became apparent that Kellie was the "Hitch Pin" that made the operation run.  She has put a lot of work in setting up this project and her passion for caring for the animals shone like a bright light.  St. Croix is lucky to have this set of talented young passionate professionals.  I am lucky to work with them.

Brad and Allie got busy fitting in where they could.  Allie was helping out with the checkin and the checkout and answering some of the questions that the owners had.  Brad was busy transporting us around the area and keeping us fed!  Thank you Brad and Allie for the great help.  I am really glad that they came on this trip.

The rest of the staff sprang to life every time there was an animal that needed to be neutered or spayed.  Once things got going it was just like the many surgical rooms in which I have worked.  The quiet background noises and smells, the occasional cries of a frightened animal followed by the gentle "cooing" of the staff ever mindful of their patients needs.  That clinical smell of alcohol and disinfectants mixed with the organic smells of living breathing beings… the visiting students were not used to that so they were trying to avoid this with their noses tucked into their shirts and blouses.  Who knows… someday they may be the future veterinarians that will take over this ongoing project.  I would like to see that.

Ok, its back to exploring and watching the weather channel to make sure and watch what "Sandy" is going to do!  Thanks again for your support and Bye for now… Robin.


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Checking in 10-25-12


    Well, the last few days have been quite the experience.  We flew through the Bahamas for fuel and made the last leg at night to finally land in St. Croix… exhausted and facing an angry customs officer!  Finally made it to our cottage for the night but no air-conditioning (an Island thing).  Our bodies were not used to the humidity so it took a little getting used to.  No WIFI at the house so am having to write out this blog at a coffee shop in Christiansted.  Will check in later when we have more time.  Spayed and Nutered over 40 animals… hope we are making a difference.

Thanks for the support, will check back later…. Bye for now, Robin

Friday, October 19, 2012

Wow! Day Before The Mission


Getting close to take off time (tomorrow!) for The Abbey Animal final Fixit Project.  The excitement around the clinic is palpable.  I have tried to get the SPOT Link out to everyone but incase you missed it… (http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0WYY7FaP4VK6mTUPjm7ndYOHQ4tzpP3ek)… here you go.  This link should take you to a map (we will activate this tomorrow) that will show you where we are as we travel down the Island chain.  The way this works is that I set off the Locator and it contacts a satellite and sends a location that is placed on a map… magic! 

We are putting the final touches on our supply lists and have gathered almost everything up.  The most important thing is going to the Bank to get some travel money.  Many of the articles I researched mentioned the need to bring some cash for fuel as some of the airports do not take credit cards… Yikes!  I of course do not like to carry cash most of the time so I will have to be careful with this. 
The other very important thing to do when preparing to fly is check a weight and balance.  This calculation tells the pilot weather the plane is in the performance envelope… in other words, will it fly.  You can imagine how important this is (duh!), so I have been through the calculations several times.  It turns out that I will need to load the aft end more then I thought.  I have always been under the impression that loading over the wings or at least close to them was the ideal way… good thing that I am doing the calculations as it turns out that its good to load more evenly.  This is especially true when the two pilots clock in at around 475 pounds combined (truly American Pilots!), and 30 pounds of tools in the forward baggage compartment.  This tends to push the center of gravity forward so a little more weight in the aft compartment will balance this trend nicely.  Of course all of this is subject to change as we burn off fuel… we will land lighter then we take off.
I have asked for Alli to write something from a young persons perspective.  This should be showing up here on the blog… I look forward to reading it.  I think its important to encourage our youth to go out in the world and have adventures… it beats sitting in front of the TV or playing video games!  Not that there is any problem with an occasional game… just not to rule your life!
    Ok its off to check the weather one more time... another cup of coffee and finish out the work day!  Bye for now and thanks for your support!  Robin

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Only 7 days left!



Only 7 days till we are on our way to "The Islands Mon", and the Final FiXit Program!  My "Ready Room" is a total mess.  I have been quit busy with preparations.  I have thoroughly researched my trip on the AOPA website about flying to the Bahamas.  This has been quite informative and even though I have flown to the Bahamas once before, it is always great to refresh the old "Gray" matter as to what forms are needed and what to expect.  I have also checked all the crew's passports and entered them into the eAphis data base (that I established the last time I flew out of the country).  This will make letting Homeland Security know where we are much easier and more efficient.  When we are getting ready to leave the country and enter the country it is very important to let the authorities know so we don't get a military escort!  

I have updated (with new lithium batteries and new data) my SPOT locator so if there is a problem, the right people will be alerted… I have included a link that will allow you to follow our progress as we travel down the Islands (Abbey Animal Missions location).  I have rerouted our trip several times but it has finally become clear where the best path is.  I like the Bahamas as they are VERY happy to accommodate the General Aviation Pilots.  I have decided to stay in that country as far as I can and be set up for the long leg to Puerto Rico.  We will fly from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Exuma (MYEF)(Bahama Port of Entry) (customs) for Fuel.  Then I will continue on to the Southern most Island of Grand Inagua (MYIG)(Port of exit) for Fuel and a Short Break (still in the Bahamas).  This will allow me to avoid paying exit taxes (and clearing customs) twice, and the Bahama Islands do not charge as much overtime during regular hours on the weekend as the Turks Caicos Islands (according to my research… which may be suspect).  I am really looking forward to seeing the salt mounts and flying around the Flamingo Sanctuary on this island… who knows, we might see a few of these majestic birds.

Anyway, after taking off from the Grand Inagua, I plan on flying down the Hispaniola coast and ending up in Puerto Rico at Aguadilla (TJBQ) in the Northwest corner for another round of customs.  This will bring me back into US soil and so I won't have to clear customs when flying to St. Croix… but I will have to clear customs there on the way back (?).  When I make my way down to St. Croix, I will have to fly by the rain forest on El Junque mountain.  I lived there back in the 80's while studying the Puerto Rican Parrots.  I hope to see the compound where I lived for a year… back then there was no TV or Telephones on the mountain… I read over 27 volumes of Tarzan and the Apes (left there by the last person, and for the next person) for entertainment (I got so I could have written them after a while).

I have been in touch with Kellie down in St. Croix and she assures me that they are ready for us.  I have also been in touch with Mike and Kasey the two pilots who live down there (they have been a valuable resource).  I still have to get some smaller items to get together and pack, but things are coming together.  Off to get another cup of coffee so bye for now.
Thanks for your support, Robin

Thursday, October 4, 2012

New Battery Needed!



Flew to First Flight Airport and the Wright Brothers Memorial today with my German daughter Janina and her boy friend Flo.  I knew that the battery on my plane was starting to go, but I thought that if it would start the Six one more time that I would be able to make "Just One More Flight".  Well more on that later…  I also can't believe how close we are to the take off date for the Abbey Animal Final Fixit Mission in St. Croix (October 20th the the 27th).  If you look back over the last several months, you will see all the preparation it took to make this mission take place.  I have to Thank All of You who have made this possible.  The next two weeks will be "crunch" time.  I have already started making lists and itineraries to help keep me on tract.

Janina was an exchange student that stayed at our home for a year while she completed her last year of High School here in Virginia.  We have done this six times and have been greatly rewarded each time.  If you haven't had a chance to host an exchange student well… you should.  The program is called Youth For Understanding (YFU), it was started after WWII as a way of communicating between the different countries (so that wars are less likely to start from Misunderstandings).  It's a great way to have an exchange of cultures and at the same time life long relationships are born.  Our lives have been greatly enriched because of this experience.  You can check out their website at YFU.com. Typically these students come to the house "wide eyed" and wondrous and become a part of our family forever… even calling us "Mom" and "Dad"… as well as Brothers and Sisters to our natural children.  The hardest part is letting them go back to their "other" family at the end of the year.  One of the best parts of the experience is having them come back to visit year after year.  We haven't seen Janina for several years and it's a pleasure to have her back in the house, even if it's only for one week!

So there we were down there at this air strip, that has no runway lights, and we have about 75 minutes of light and the old battery just won't get the Six started.  After the light goes away, we would need to abandon ship and head home by snail or stay the night.  So I looked at the situation and did the only thing I could think of… called AAA for road side assistance.  Needless to say they turned me down but they were able to give me the name of a local tow service.  I called them and persuaded them to come out and with a battery pack.  While the driver was there, we got to talking and decided that he would like to go up for a ride at some time in the future… you never know where you will find a future pilot!  Anyway, we hooked up the battery pack and the Six sprang to life.  We were able to take off just as the light was beginning to run out… Whew!  Another adventure to talk about… needless to say I ordered a new battery as soon as I got home.

Back to work, need more coffee… Bye for Now,  Robin