A Second Christmas in Pennsylvania



The appointed Turkey Carver  


Having already celebrated Christmas with our children and grandchildren, we had the opportunity to make a quick trip to eastern Pennsylvania to visit my (Rena's) parents for Christmas. As you can see in the pictures we didn't lack for good food and fellowship.

Mashed potatoes in the making

 

Almost ready

 

Yum



Family Christmas



Looks like something good in here

We had an early Christmas this year. Our first time trying that. This gave our kids less stress trying to be with us and in-laws at the same time. It also gave us the opportunity to go to PA on Christmas to spend time with Rena's parents.





Cuddling with Mom and Dad.





Chanelle with "Sophie"- Scott and Stephanie's dog






Yay, Phineas and Ferb shirt





Glad Uncle Scott and Aunt Stephanie are here

Javin has had four months of piano and was eager to show us his stuff



The Floats go on the Cessna 206 for Brazil

The last major hurdle for the Cessna 206 for Brazil is being completed. Watch this video (by Keith Dodson) to see how we put floats on an already completed airplane! You may remember we posted a video on the arrival of the floats in November and information on the ministry this airplane is will be used in.
 http://jarboesinmissionaviation.blogspot.com/2010/11/floats.html
It will be an exciting day to see this airplane fly away, ready for ministry in Brazil.

From Gabon, Africa to Our Hangar

At the end of August three MMS mechanics went to Gabon, a country in Africa, to put a damaged Cessna model 207 in a shipping container.  MMS staff, Dale Coates, and apprentice mechanics, Paul Jones and Andy Porter, quickly disassembled the plane and secured it in the container for shipment to the MMS Aviation facility.

Paul, Andy, and Dale on the job in Gabon.

Following a rather lengthy MMS Board of Directors meeting last evening, I went to work a little late this morning.  When I got there the shipping container the fellows sealed in Gabon in early September was being unloaded in Hangar C.  It had traveled by ship across the Atlantic to New York; then by rail to Columbus, Ohio; and to Coshocton by truck, as you can see.

Fortunately, we haven't disposed of the old fork lift yet.  It joined its newer replacement to lift the fuselage which was balanced by the fellows at the tail bulkhead so the truck could pull forward to free the plane from the container.

There was no further damage to the plane during shipping, which proves the guys did a superb job loading it.  Our Gabon crew were all smiles as the truck with the empty shipping container pulled away.

Andy, Paul, and Dale - not in Africa any more and dressed for December.

The airplane's normal use is in support of a mission hospital in Gabon and the vast majority of its flights are as an airborne ambulance.

More Meat for the Freezer

The phone rang this evening and as soon as I answered it a young voice said, "Hi, Grandpa.  Guess what.  I got my first deer."  While hunting with his dad and uncle, Javin shot a young male deer called a "button buck".  He shot the deer just before sundown and after field dressing and tagging, Jason, Javin and Javin's Uncle Joe drove by our house so we could see the deer and take some pictures.

I don't know who was more pleased, the successful hunter or his father and mentor.

Jason, our son-in-law, began hunting at an early age and he's teaching Javin to handle firearms and hunt safely.  Much of their annual meat supply comes from their harvest of wild game, including turkey and goose.

After Thanksgiving jobs to do

It's pretty normal for me to do some domestic maintenance items when we visit our parents.  My mother had two projects on her list for after Thanksgiving, one of which was to clean and paint an electric heater cover with high-temperature paint.  Upon removing the cover, I saw that the wiring wasn't in very good condition.  Consequently, the whole heater was replaced.

Replacing the wall heater

The pull-cord on a window blind failed, so Dad and I put in new cord and took care of Mom's other maintenance item.

Re-hanging the blind with its new pull-cord