Day 4
Friday, September 29, 2006
It looks like another cool cloudy day on the way. We are waking up to 50 degrees and more shore clouds. Today starts off with a trip to Dick Lucas' model airplane shop.
Dick Talking to Ron about a scratch built seaplane
This is a picture of Dick and Ron looking at a seaplane he build from scratch using pictures of three different views. You can also see some of his other planes hanging from the ceiling. Dick Lucas is a wonderful man that builds very interesting model airplanes from scratch. He's in his 80's and still teaching new people getting started in radio controlled flying how to fly. His shop is huge being a large garage that he once build a big boat in. He is not a neat Nick but sure is a neat person.
Dick Lucas Loaded for the Corning Fly-in
These planes are loaded in his trailer getting ready for a three day flying event he's going to in Corning, California. As a footnote Dick flew the big beautiful Stinson model, the red one in the trailer photo, at Corning and crashed it. The plane will never fly again.
Dick starting his Stinson before he crashed it
Next it was our turn to fly. Ron got one of his little electric planes and I took my electric plane over to a local soccer field. I'm new at flying so Ron was working with me to teach me the ropes.
I took off a circled a few times and landed my plane successfully a couple of times. Now it was Ron's turn with his Ultra Stick. He took off flipped the plane upside down and almost immediately crashed it into a big baseball backstop fence.
What's left of Ron's Ultra Stick
It pretty much destroyed the plane and his ego. I took off and flew my plane a few more times just going in circles and figure eights. It was nothing fancy but I did come home with my plane in tact.
Ron needed a little sugar boost after that so we went to the Mendocino Chocolate Company.
Ron going into The Mendocino Chocolate Company
It's a great little chocolate shop that makes all their own candies. They specialize in truffles but had lots of fudge and other sweet treats. They do mail order so if you are hungry for some really good truffles give them a try at www.mendocino-chocolate.com.
Inside the Mendocino Chocolate Company
Since I'm interested in woodworking we went to the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking school.
College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking
It's a school made famous by Jim Krenov who founded the school and taught there for many years. He recently retired but school goes on. The have full school year courses in fine woodworking and short courses during the summer. Over the years they have turned out some of the best woodworkers in the world.
Student Working on Project
Bench Area
More Students
Machine Room
More Machine Room
Next door to the college is Lolli's dream, the Pacific Textile Arts center.
Lolli in front of Pacific Textile Arts
Pacific Textile Arts is a nonprofit organization that has been pulling things together for over ten years to have a studio with an exhibition room, weaving studios, classrooms and living quarters. Lolli is one of the top weaver and textile people in the world and has been with the College of the Redwoods art center for over thirty years.
Large Horizontal Loom
Here's a large horizontal textile loom in their display room and below is one of the studios that is currently rented by another weaver.
Rental Studio
We wound up the day with Jim and Michel, the people that are letting us park our trailer at there place, joining us for dinner at Ron and Lolli's. It was a nice evening and another really fun day even if the shore clouds never burned off and the temperature never got above 60 degrees.
