The Global Rambler: 2020

#77 - Sunday Mornings

George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, said "that which Friends speak, they must live in." Quakers believe that they should be led by the spirit, allow oneself to be guided. Some Quakers are non-theists with a variety of understandings, including atheists, humanists, agnostics, theological non-realists, Buddhists and those who experience God not as a supernatural power but as 'the ground of our being,' or life itself, or nature, or the supreme symbol and imagined embodiment of our highest human values. With William Blake, we can say that God is 'mercy, pity, peace and love' in action and that 'all deities reside in the human breast.'

In order to allow oneself to be guided, one must take time to listen to that quiet voice of the spirit (the rhythms of life, nature, divinity, a totem, or - you choose). On Sunday mornings, I take time to hike the 4 miles loop departing from home, down the winding trail along a small creek, up paved walkways between houses, across open spaces and circling back through the woods. This is a time to become "centered," to listen for the spirit and to the rhythms of life - the chirping of birds, the rustle of deer in the brush, the cheerful "good morning" from walkers and, as much as possible, any silence that 25 years of tinnitus will allow.

#76 - Oregon Coast: Nehalem Bay State Park (16 - 19 October 2020)

Nehalem Bay State Park is a state park in the United States located on the Oregon Coast, near the communities of Nehalem and Manzanita on the Nehalem Spit, a sand spit west of Nehalem Bay.

Tillamook County transferred the land to the State of Oregon for a park in the 1930's. During the 1940's and 1950's, workers planted European beach grass, shore pine, and Scotch broom to stabilize the dunes - a process that took an additional twenty years. The park opened in 1972.

This park has day-use areas, and a campground for tents, recreational vehicles, horse riders, hikers and bicyclists.

Its wildlife include a variety of birds, deer, elk, mountain lions, black bears and coyotes.

There is an air strip for small planes, the Nehalem Bay State Airport, and an amphitheater that has programs throughout the summer months.

The park is south of nearby Neahkahnie Mountain, the highest coastal land mass north of San Francisco and south of Canada. The trail to the summit of the mountain was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) in the 1930's. Nehalem Beach is within the park (Wikipedia)

I don't think that nice log archway exists now (this is not my photo)

I have a difficulty with the idea equating camping and RV vehicles. Camping is trekking in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet or Patagonia as well as backpacking. In backpacking, I am sleeping in a tent, potty in the woods, water from streams or lakes, heating water on my Jetboil for freeze dried meals, powdered coffee, soup and energy drinks. If I can't carry it on my back comfortably, it isn't coming along. Okay..... the Asia treks had porters, horses or yaks, but the idea is the same. Alright.....there was a cook and staff on the treks. But backpacking.......

We have a 5th wheel trailer and when we are at a "campground," we aren't camping. It is a mobile cabin pulled by a truck with all the supplies needed for comfortable living and providing space for backpacks, kayaks and bicycles.

I didn't grab my camera for the hike, so these are phone images, but will give you an idea of the area, which look better on film than in person. Hikers were respectful regarding masks and distance from other hikers, but there were more folks on the trail than this one may have preferred. Despite the rave reviews, I would rate this a 2-3 hike on a 1 - 10 scale.

Winter is coming and no country will admit travelers from the USA, which means I should have time to scan, edit, write and post more of the Global Rambler's adventures abroad. I may post future trailer outings that are interesting as well as a few more posts from flight school, but won't bore you with a post from each flight.

Stay safe, be well, keep 6 foot distance, wear a mask (I can't when hiking) and vote your choice on election day.

#75 - Flight 4: Slow Flight, Power-off Stalls, Steep Turns (O6 October 2020)

TRIM

Transitive Verb: to remove by cutting

to make trim and neat

to free of excess or extraneous matter

to embellish with ribbons, lace, or ornaments

to administer a beating (thrash)

to cause (a ship) to assume a desirable position in the water

to adjust (such as an airplane) for horizontal movement

Intransitive Verb: to maintain neutrality between two opposing parties

to change one's view for reasons of expediency

Adjective: exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure

slim and physically fit

ready for service

Noun: material used for ornament

the material in the finish of a building

the interior furnishings of an automobile

one's clothing or appearance

the attitude with respect to wind axes at which an airplane will continue

in level flight with free controls

There had to be a means to relieve some of this pilot's tension after we are in the air and the instructor says, "you have the controls." Of course, I must confirm, "I have the controls" and not "I have the controls?"

I started this Blog yesterday, expecting to spend time on the concept of Trim, but after today's 1.5 hour flying lesson I discovered a couple concepts that seem more important and should be mentioned beforehand.

1) What is the function of each instrument and what information is it providing me about the airplane's flight that specific time and place? i.e. What is happening - NOW!

2) When the airplane is not flying in a manner that I thought I was guiding it to do (according to the instrument information and what I am seeing on the horizon and below), how do I make proper adjustments (corrections) so that it does fly in a manner that I want it to?

3) When not flying in a manner that I thought I was guiding it to do, how much time do I have to remember (or figure out) the proper adjustments (corrections) to make so I can begin flying in the manner that I want?

4) Does the airplane need more or less throttle - gas (a: Do I push in for more gas or pull back? b: What will happen to the airplane when I push or pull the throttle)? Do I push forward or pull back on the yoke (wheel) to change the pitch -up or down (what will happen to the airplane when I do this)? Is that little black ball between the lines or do I push the right peddle or the left peddle (controlling rudder) to center it? Am I gaining altitude or loosing altitude? Am I at level flight, am I starting to turn? How do I make the proper adjustments to maintain altitude, level flight and the correct direction? How much time do I have to remember (or figure out) the proper adjustments before I am in deep dodo?

But wait, I can always turn to Chris (my instructor) in my state of panic and say "you have the controls....you have the controls." but, what happens when I am flying solo with no Chris to take the controls? .... deep dodo?

Ah yes, the learning curve. Remember those early downhill or x-country ski lessons, or beginning on roller or ice skates, perhaps that wobbly handlebar when you first rode that bike. Well, you weren't thousands of feet off the ground, but it seemed a long way down anyway.

The point: quit or master the skill. Actually, this applies to many life lessons - quit or master. One choice is limiting and the other empowering.

Trim? Think about it - "neatness", "good order", "fit", "ready for service", "nice appearance" and "continue in level flight free of controls" with regard to flying the airplane. Trimming the plane - adjusting the trim wheel - relieves the push or pull on the yoke (wheel) and allows the pilot to relax a little and enjoy the ride.

Just like life: if you are neat, fit and ready for service, you might be able to relax a little and enjoy the ride.

#74 - FLIGHT 3: The Checklist (September 29 2020)

"We must leave our mark on life while we have it in our power." Karen Blixen

"Flying demanded more courage and faith than I actually possessed, and it wanted my best, my whole self. I would have to work very hard to be any good at it at all..." Beryl Markham

Sporty's Flight School - Learn to Fly is an online Ground School course. It is divided into six sections: 1) Your First Few Hours; 2) Practice Landings; 3) Your First Solo; 4) Your Dual Cross Countries; 5) Your Solo Cross Countries; 6) Your Private Pilot Test. Topics include Introduction to the Airplane, Cockpit, Engines, Instruments (26 sessions in 1); Aerodynamics, Stalls, Normal Landings, Takeoff & Landing Variations (15 sessions in 2) and so forth throughout the course. The goal is the learn about flying and, eventually, pass the written private pilot test and after that, the flying test.

I thought about quitting during the lesson on Stalls. Part of the lesson includes the following:

Practicing stalls will also help you learn the low airspeed flight characteristics of the airplane, and how to control it at low air speeds.
Part of your practice will include recognizing the first indications of a stall – these are called imminent stalls.
When practicing imminent stalls, the recovery is made at the first indication of a stall. The airplane is not allowed to become fully stalled. The object of this maneuver is to avoid a full stall.
When doing full stalls, the stall is allowed to progress until full up elevator, buffeting, and nose down pitching are reached.
During recovery from a fully stalled condition, you need to recover with a minimum loss of altitude and without entering a secondary stall.
A secondary stall occurs when the pitch attitude is raised too soon or too high during the first stall recovery. Recover in the normal way.
Stalls are especially dangerous when they occur close to the ground or if the pilot tries to recover in the wrong way.

Imminent Stalls - "Stalls are especially dangerous ...if the pilot tries to recover the wrong way." I am sure there must be an airline joke about the pilot pulling off to the side and getting out when a situation appears dangerous. The apparent lack of humor comes when looking down to the ground at 6000 feet. Actually, even 500 feet... or less. I was in a mental stall and needed to recover the "right way."

"The parameter you are asking about is called glide ratio and it is directly related to another parameter called lift-to drag ratio or L/D Ratio. This is a fundamental characteristic of the aerodynamics of a particular aircraft. L/D ratio various with airspeed, for determining best engine-out glide performance, the L/D ratio at "best glide airspeed" is used. "Best glide airspeed" is the speed that maximizes the L/D ratio, and this maximum value is knows as L/Dmax.

The maximum L/D ratio (L/Dmax) of a Cessna 172 is about 9, so its glide ratio is about 9:1 --for every 9 units traveled forward it will lose 1 unit of altitude. So, it will glide about 9,000 feet for every 1000 feet of altitude available." Aviation Stack Exchange

I feel much better with this new knowledge about "engine-out glide performance." Actually.......not really.

My flight school airplane is a Cessna 172.

When approaching the airplane on the ground as well as during and after the flight, I have a Checklist in-hand. In order for you to gain an appreciate of the Checklist, I will conclude with photos of each list.

That's right....you need to know what each item on the list is talking about. It doesn't help that they have several Cessna 172 and the instrument panel is arranged differently in each. I hope to get the same airplane on the next flight.


Cessna 172 Instrument Panel

I was very busy last flight and didn't have time to take any photos, except this one before starting. I will try to get some on the next flight.

Perhaps, during one of those practice stalls.

#73 - CHOICE

ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE

Louise Penny

Stephen put his hand on the boy's arm and said, "Patience. Patience. With patience comes choice, and with choice comes power."

His godfather [Stephen] nodded. .... Life can be cruel, as you know. But it can also be kind. Filled with wonders. You need to remember that. You have your own choice to make, Armand. What're you going to focus on? What's unfair, or all the wonderful things that happen? Both are true, both are real. Both need to be accepted. But which carries more weight with you?" Stephen tapped the boy's chest. "The terrible or the wonderful? The goodness or the cruelty? Your life will be decided by that choice."

Trashiyangtse Thangka - Bhutan

#72 - FLIGHT 2 (September 4 2020)

Her fuel tank had no gauge;

she was flying only with its written assurance:

This tank is good for four hours.

Account of Beryl Markham's East to West Flight Across the Atlantic

First, preflight checklist in hand, slowly walking around the airplane looking at tires, brakes, bolts, screws, windows, propeller, wings, ailerons, rudder and tail, but the list continues after entering the cockpit to observe instruments, fuses, steering, radio and weather. Oh yes, that fuel tank. We don't trust the gauge, so each tank is check by hand for capacity with an old fashioned stick then the tanks are "bleed" to make sure that they have the correct fuel and no water is mixed with the fuel.

Are we ready to fly now? No, not quite. Another checklist to work through in the cockpit, then another one before getting the clearance to take-off and another one after getting that clearance. Each airplane type has it's own checklist tied to instrument and flight considerations.

It is overwhelming, but necessary for safe flying. The learning curve is very steep, but a good, knowledgeable, encouraging instructor does not make it easier, but keeps the frustration at a lower level and provides a needed "safety net." Solo flying is a long way down the horizon.


*Cessna 172 Skyhawk*

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the most popular General Aviation airplane in history, and for a good reason - with room for four, it's an accommodating aircraft that is great to fly with your friends, your family, or just your golf clubs. This is an ideal airplane for pilots seeking an Instrument Rating, while student pilots who prefer a larger aircraft often put the 172 at the top of the list. Extras in this airplane include a Garmin 750 and an autopilot.


*Cessna 172 Cockpit*


Cessna 172 Instrument Panel (actually only 1 side)

Waiting For takeoff (Look at that Citation jet)

Instructor (relaxed) and Overwhelmed Student (not relaxed)


Flight over Farm Fields


Fields and Horizon

Stay Tuned for Flight 3

#71 - FLIGHT 1: First Flight (August 23 2020)

A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us.

To live is to be slowly born.

Saint-Exuprey


Willamette Aviation - Aurora Oregon


Diamond DA 20-C1 Eclipse

The Diamond DA20-C1 Eclipse always turns heads when it's on the ramp, thanks to its composite air-frame, low profile and smooth 180-degree canopy that offers unobstructed views. In fact, the cockpit feels more like a modern sports car than the typical Cessna or Piper, but don't be fooled - the DA20 is a training aircraft that's perfect for VFR flying. Combining elements of gliders, taildraggers, and modern tri-gear planes, it features broad winds, a T-tail empennage and a stick-and-rudder layout.


Diamond DA20 Eclipse


Diamond DA 20 Cockpit - Getting Ready to Fly


Flying Over Farmland


Mt. Hood

#70 - Hiking Burma: A Cultural Journey in Myanmar (2013)

Myanmar, or Burma, if you prefer, is beautiful in its subtle ways with a recent history that casts a blemish on an otherwise fascinating history. The Burmese are pleased to see us visiting their country with an interest in learning about their cultural history. Our journey is a tailor-made 28 day trip that, as far as we know, is not offered by any other organization. To help you prepare, I will send you a reading list that offers a wide range of subjects, including some works by Kipling and Orwell (Burmese Days). Our group will be staying in some of the comfortable accommodations available to travelers, as well as the basic at Yaksakyi Monastery. We will explore some seldom visited regions as well as the major cultural and religious sites. When you depart Burma, you can truly exclaim, "I have been to Burma."

"Myanma" was historically known only for the the small central area where the dominant Bamar population lived. It's a name that excludes the huge outlying areas where the Shan, Kachin, Karen, Chin and other people are the majority. In 1989, the government - then a repressive military regime - decreed that the country's official name would change from Burma to Myanmar, since "Burma" was seen as a relic of colonial times. Now that the political climate has relaxed, you hear people using both terms, but for more than two decades, people were punished for saying "Burma" instead of "Myanmar."

The following presentation offers some of the sights from our Hiking Burma: A Cultural Journey in Myanmar 2013. I hope that you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed traveling and hiking the country.

Hiking Burma

A Cultural Journey in Myanmar

Folkways' Image Library

YouTube

https://youtu.be/hJHipYIcE_Y

#69 - My New Posting Schedule

Due to the extensive time required for research, writing, photo editing and slide

presentation development, the Global Rambler will be posting on a less frequent schedule.

If you are a regular subscriber, the posts will automatically arrive in your mailbox.

A partial post was released early - Watching and Listening for the Heartbeat of God: Rambling through Spiritual Terrain. This post is not scheduled to be released until September at the earliest. For anyone interested in doing some reading in advance, I have listed some books below.

Before the Big Bang                                                                 John Gribbin
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry                                       Neil de Grasse Tyson
Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind                             Yula Noah Harari
The Value of Species                                                                 Edward L. McCord
Your Inner Fish                                                                          Neil Shubin
Journey of the Universe Mary Evelyn Tucker
The Sacred Depths of Nature                                                   Ursula Goodenough
A God that Could be Real    Nancy Ellen Abrams
God: A Human History    Resa Asian
Aristotle's Children    Richard E Rubenstein
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus    Resa Asian
Grounded: Finding God in the World Diana Butler Bass
The Mind in the Cave                                                                 David Lewis-Williams
Origin of the Species                                                                   Charles Darwin
Atoms and Eden: Conversations on Religion and Science Steve Paulson

Thank you for subscribing.

Trekking in the Shadows of Mt. Everest, Nepal

#68 - Burma (Myanmar): Balloons over Bagan (2013)

Folkways' Image Library


Folkways' Image Library

Balloons over Bagan offers a unique opportunity to see the ancient city of Bagan from a magnificent birds-eye view of the thousand year-old pagodas, temples and the mighty Irrawaddy River. The champagne flight at sunrise last just under an hour and is guided by the gentle winds not exceeding 24 km/h. Eight passengers plus a pilot fit into the balloon's basket.

#67 - Botswana: Traditional Tented Wildlife Safari (2016 & 2018)

Botswana is located in the center of Southern Africa and covering an estimated area of 581,730 square kilometers making it the size of France. The country is bordered by Zambia and Zimbabwe to the northeast, Namibia to the north and west and South Africa to the south and southeast. At Kazungula, four countries - Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia - all meet at a single point mid-stream in the Zambezi River (the shortest border in the world).

The vast Kalahari Desert, the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world, covers 84% of Botswana, extending from the Orange River in South Africa to the equator in Gabon. With the exceptions of the Okavango and Chobe areas in the north, the country has little permanent surface water.

Early travelers to the region referred to it as a "thirstland desert," however, this is a misnomer: Most of the Kalahari is covered with vegetation including acacia woodland and golden grasslands. This empty and pristine terrain is occasionally interrupted by gently descending valleys, sand dunes, large numbers of pans and, int he extreme northwest, isolated hills, such as Aha, Tsodilo, Koanaka and Geqihaba. The clay pans fill with water during the rainy season and their hard surface layer ensures that water remains in the pans and is not immediately absorbed , creating life-giving sustenance to game and bird life.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, extending over 50,000 square kms, was set aside in 1961 as a haven for the Bushmen in which they might continue their traditional lifestyles of hunting and gathering from the desert. The reserve and empty lands around it support tens of thousands of desert antelope - gemsbuck and springbuck, lions, leopard and cheetah.

Bushmen were the first known inhabitants of Botswana. They have lived in the Kalahari for at least 80,000 years, but no one can say why they chose the Kalahari as their home. Estimated at 120,000 members, the Bushmen are not threatened as a race, but their hunter-gatherer way of life is coming to an end due to various political and socioeconomic factors.

In the northwest is the Okavango River Delta - 15,000 square kms. covered with a glistening network of crystal clear water channels, lagoons, swamps and islands. This unique freshwater system is the pulsing heart of Northern Botswana's wilderness, growing with the dry season and shrinking as the wet weather returns. The largest permanent inland delta system in the world, only slightly larger than Israel, it sparkles like a previous jewel in the Kalahari Desert sand, an ecosystem of a size and intricacy rivaling any on earth.

Within Botswana's wilds live some of Africa's last great free-roaming herds of Cape Buffalo, zebra, antelope and, above all, elephants. Botswana's elephants have been the beneficiaries of the nation's stability and the national herd provides the largest concentration of elephant in the world.

In complete contrast, the northeastern region of the Kalahari Basin contains the Makgadikgadi Pans - a huge expanse of pristine, sugary white landscape larger than Switzerland. Once a large river-fed lake, the Pans now lie saline and empty. They are littered with stone tools and artifacts dating between 2,000 - 500,000 years old. During the wet season, up to 75,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate into the area with regular sightings of lion, cheetah and other predators following in their wake. Thousands of flamingo appear to feed as long as the water lasts. It is the permanent haven for desert species such as the meerkat and the elusive brown hyena.

Botswana

A Traditional Tented Wildlife Safari

Folkways' Image Library

YouTube

https://youtu.be/laVLuQuQGvw

If you are interested in a Botswana Safari

The.Global.Rambler@gmail.com

Folkways.Travel@gmail.com

#66 - Bhutan: Chorten Kora - Trashiyangtse (2015)


Chorten Kora - Trashiyangtse, Bhutan (2015)

Long ago, there was a fierce demon that terrorized the Trashi Yangtsi valley. Many locals and travelers were killed and , no matter what magic or prayers the local lamas and people did, they could not appease or destroy the demon. One day, they consulted an astrologer who predicted the birth of a female whose sacrifice would subdue the demon. But at the appointed time and place, the only child that could be found was the daughter of the king of Arunachal Pradesh of India. The locals implored the king for his daughter, but he refused and for years the demon continued to take his toll. When it came time for the daughter to marry, the king held a competition to find the most able suitor, which resulted in a horse race that a Bhutanese man won. He had made a supreme effort to win the race and asked for the princess to appease the demon, but again the king refused. The suitor explained his story to the princess who agreed to sacrifice herself. To prevent further suffering, she begged her father to let her go. Finally, the King relented and she went into a spiritual retreat while the locals of Trashiyangtse built a giant stupa. Artisans came from Nepal with a model of Boudhanath and prepared a special room inside the dome. When the stupa was ready, the princess was bricked into the dome with her possessions, and so the demon was subdued and the people of Trashiyangtse have lived peacefully ever since.

#65 - Tibet Pilgrimage: The Solace of Sacred Terrain (2000)

Isolated by formidable geographic barriers and guarded by its government, Tibet used to be a truly forbidden place. By avoiding influence from the Western world, this country developed its unique culture and religion independently. Hidden behind the Himalayas and rising nearly five kilometers above sea level, Tibet is a land unlike any other, a magical realm of vast open spaces, clear light and pure color, dominated by an intensely blue sky. Since the 8th century, Tibet has been devoutly Buddhist, merging influences from Indian Buddhism, Tantra, and the indigenous religion called "Bon" into a complex synthesis of beliefs. Tibetan Buddhism has inspired centuries of splendid art and architecture and has served as the cornerstone of Tibet's unique and highly developed culture. Deeply religious, Tibetans are open, spontaneous, admirably good-humored and quick to joke.

The Tibetan Autonomous Region is nestled between India and the Chinese provinces of Xinjiang and Qinghai. In China, 3.9 million Tibetans live as citizens of People's Republic of China, though only 2 million people live in Tibet - at least 150,000 of which are Han Chinese. In India and Nepal, 120,000 Tibetan refugees are currently experiencing a renaissance of Tibetan culture. Tibet is a land of overpowering scenery. Sparsely populated, this high plateau offers unforgettable vistas with a barren, surrealistic quality. The landscape has a sense of high mountain spirit that has earned Tibet the distinctive title "Roof of the World." The traditional cultures of this region have a rich heritage and are struggling to survive in a complex world of global politics and national priorities.
Lhasa, the capital of the sparsely populated autonomous region of Tibet, has a population of roughly 150,000. The city is situated on the river Lhasa, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo which transverses Tibet from west to east before swinging south and flowing into the Gulf of Bengal as the Brahmaputra.

The Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo, who was responsible for unifying the kingdom, ordered a palace to be built on Marpori, the Red Mountain, in the 7th century. He called it the "Palace of Immortality", now known as Potala Palace. The Tibetans were living as they had for centuries, until Tibet was taken over by the Chinese in 1949. The initial welcome of change by the Tibetans was very short lived. The confiscation of monastic lands and the collectivization of traditional ethnic boundaries soon proved that the Chinese concept of governing was very different from the Tibetan concept. The Tibetans are unhappy with the Chinese rule, but the Chinese government chooses to ignore them, believing the transition to socialism has been smooth and successful.

The following presentation will allow you to enjoy some sights and sounds from our Tibet Pilgrimage. It is best viewed if you do not show in full screen, since the camera had a low pixel count.

I believe that I have advanced my presentation sophistication and would appreciate your thoughts and comments - The.Global.Rambler@gmail.com.

Tibet Pilgrimage

The Solace of Sacred Terrain

Folkways' Image Library
Music: Bruno Coulais, Himalaya, L'enfance D'un Chef

You Tube

https://youtu.be/5ApbmGKcs6w