Was not sure if I wanted to write on this day or not…for some, it’s a sad day of remembrance.  For others, hope for a day without living in fear.  And for others, just to come home from the fight in one piece.  Each one of us has a story to tell of where we were and what we were doing.  It’s good to remember and not forget the price paid for our freedoms or to take it too lightly.As for the last couple of months of not writing, I’ve either on the road traveling for work or vacation time.Took my daughter & son-in-law to Montana last month to visit mom…to see the big open skies & breathe that fresh mountain air again!  It was the first time for the kids or at least my daughter can remember!  We left for Glacier National Park the first day there and stayed in an old chalet style hotel on Many Glacier Lake that was built in the ‘30s.  Our bedroom window & back door opened to the deck with the lake and mountains as our background.  The next day we took off for the East Glacier side to take the “Going-to-the-Sun” road.  Mom said the best way to travel that road is from the east side going to the west side.  Manly because the road is literally built on a cliff!  And by traveling west, you are along the mountain side and not on the edge of the road looking down 7000 to 8000 feet!  And it’s STRAIGHT down!   Yea, I shouldn’t be afraid of heights because I flew jets…NOT! 

When we arrived at Logan’s Pass, we hiked back into the “Hiding Lake” area and came across some mountain goats…the park’s & Great Northern Railroad’s mascot.

We spent two days up in that area before returning back to mom’s place in Great Falls.  The next day we rested then traveled south to another National Park – Grant Kohers Ranch - one of the original big ranches in Montana.  These folks were considered the Rockefellers of the west.  Some of the stories the rangers told were ones about taking trips.  Since the wife loved the theater & Broadway, she would plan her trips back east 6 months in advance just to get there in time for the show!  Another one was when the husband set out one time to go see relatives back in Germany that it took him 18 months to make the journey…from the time he left until he returned home!  After spending a night in Helena, we went down to, what we thought was a ghost town.  But in 10 years since my mom visited the place with dad, it has people living there.  We guessed that they’re trying to get any silver or gold out of the ground still.  We visited their little cemetery on the backside of one mountain.  Very sad, most of the tombstones were kids anywhere from a few days old up to 16 years old and all died within a two year period, 1889-90.  My daughter did some research when we got home.  Apparently the town was hit with diphtheria, which manly attacks kids!We spent a week visiting mom, but it was too short!  So mom is thinking about next year.  We would both fly into Salt Lake UT and visit the National Parks in the southwest corner of the state!

I’ve finished making my MB-2 or NBS-1 Martin Bomber in 11^th BS marking that was used in the famous “battleship” experiment to prove Billy Mitchell’s theories.  Hey Reed, name that base in the photo! This will be the last model for awhile; I’ve ungraded my computer and want to try my hand at making some movies for YouTube – B-52 stuff.

Hey, I do have some images of the WIFF, both from the tanker & bomber.  I was able to get the original negatives and scan them.  I’ll try and get them posted later, have to help Heather with her acting stuff and need to go.Until next time,Take care - Andy 

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