Monday, September 24, 2007

Aviones

This is the famous "aviones" of the north coast of Puerto Rico. Today the waves were on the small side, but still tons of fun!
In this picture you can see a surfer riding the waves towards the west...

I'm scared, but Puerto Rico sure has grown on me!

The ocean is where I am meant to be...

This is the board, it has a nice red bottom that attracts sharks!

The water today was very clear and I saw octopus, eels, and lots of urchins! Plus some are still in my chest, that is another story.

Are you ready to spend an entire day swimming?!?!

The entire skyline of Isla Verde, Condado, and Old San Juan.

I feel that I am the most fortunate person in the world to be able to live such a fun and carefree life. I am blessed!

I can't believe that I get paid to do this stuff!

This month flying is such a blast! The visibility is good again, the air is fresh, the ocean is warm, and I love it! This pictures are from my last "four day trip" which really only lasts for 72 hours.

Saturday morning out of Canouan Island, we took a "right turnout" to the south instead of our northerly course to St. Lucia, after awhile buzzing islands we went back on course, the Grenadines are amazingly beautiful!!!
This is the runway extension project in Canouan, they are making the 3,900 foot runway almost twice as long...which really makes me mad! On the left you can see the lowered crane that I almost crashed into three weeks ago.

There is nothing quite like buzzing islands at 1,500 feet going 250 knots. Well maybe 500 knots is more fun, but we can't do that very easily...I would love to though.







The Raffles Resort in Canouan is amazing. I'll get a picture of my golf cart next time. Until next time...don't have more fun than I am!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Off to work...

Well I just spent my last few days off here in Puerto Rico snorkling, surfing, and just hanging out with friends. Time to go back to work. This month I fly for 72 hours away from home each week starting on Thursday evenings.

In case anyone cares, here is what I do each week:

Thursday: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic turn then Anguilla overnight.

Friday: Anguilla to San Juan, St. Thomas turn, then off to St. Lucia and then Canouan Island overnight.

Saturday: Canouan to St. Lucia (the most beautiful flight in the world I believe), St. Lucia to San Juan, a St. Croix turn, then Nevis overnight.

Sunday: Nevis to San Juan, Tortolla turn, then finish with a St. Kitts turn.


This month is probably the most fun and relaxing flying that I have ever had in San Juan. (Minus the bird strike and ingestion into the engine and almost hitting a crane on final into Canouan which resulted in my worst landing of any airplane...anywhere since I learned to fly)

Ok, time to go to work! Next week I'll take my camera out when I go to the beach that we surf at. It is so beautiful.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Puerto Rico offroading...

Ok, there is a long story that goes with this whole thing, but the short version is that about a week and a half ago a friend from college ,who now works for the same company as myself, came to visit. Five of us went to the rainforest in my car, and then dinner, and then offroading around 5 or 6pm. It was a road that I had no idea where it went...we sure found out...

What a beautiful beach, huh? I had no idea that it was a "leatherback turtle nesting grounds"...



I figured that since the policia drive on my beach, why can't I drive on this beach? Evidently all beaches are not the same, I went out and in the process went down to the axles in sand!



Here I am laying in what used to be the hole that my car's right back wheel had been in, after 7 hours, deflating the tires, having help from two fishermen, and much sweat and blood...we were out of there!


It wasn't all for nothing, ever since I have been studying about the Giant Leatherback Turtle, do you know that they can get to be 1,600 pounds! They are amazing animals, thankfully even though I could have gone to jail for this offense (if I had been caught by the wrong person), I learned a lesson. And for any people who read this, turtle hatching season is over...so I did not kill any turtles, just one crab.

Monday, September 10, 2007

my morning hike...

This morning I woke up early and decided to go hiking by myself. I have been flying for the past four days and each flight I have been looking at a private beach on a coral cliff about 20 miles from the airport. Today I found it!