As I’m sure you recall, I was once again packed into my rain gear when I left Petersburg, VA.  Thankfully, after about an hour I was out of all my extra clothing and cruising peacefully on my way to Sumter, SC.  Sumter is the home of Shaw Air Force Base and the 20th Fighter Wing.  Currently they are flying F-16 fighters but in the past they have flown P-51’s and F-4’s among others.  I will NEVER get tired of the sound of fighters flying overhead – the sound of freedom.  I have a friend that was stationed here while training to fly F-16’s.  Previously he had been flying the A-10 Warthog (tank killers).  He said that flying an A-10 was like flying a barn door from the inside of a bathtub (A-10’s have a titanium enclosure that protects the pilots from enemy fire), and flying an F-16 was like sitting on top of a rocket.  Sounds like a difficult transition.  I’ve never flown in a fighter, but Robin has ridden around in an F-4, I’m sure she would be happy to tell you all about it some time.

I’m here to visit with Eric, Dawn and their daughter Kira.  Dawn is the daughter of a very good friend of mine that I was stationed with back in my Air Force days in Del Rio, TX.  I’ve known her and her sisters since they were born.  All three of them went into the Air Force and two of them have made it a career.  Dawn is a Master Sergeant and about ready to retire.  However she’s not going to be done working, she will continue doing what she does now, just as a civilian contractor to the Air Force.  Toughest thing at that point will be trying to decide what to wear to work.

Last time I was here Kira wasn’t even two years old and very scared of the big biker guy.  Two years later – she was thrilled to have someone new to play with.  We had a great time playing hyena vs. zebra (a chase game), and rough housing on the couch.  I am amazed at the energy of these kids!!  However after she stopped, she was sound asleep in no time.

I had a very nice (albeit short) visit with Dawn & Eric.  I have to say that their guest bedroom is my favorite room in their house.  It’s got lots of pictures of the girls as they were growing up and lots of stuff from the ranch days in Texas, including saddles and the registration for the brand.  I spent a lot of time out at that ranch.  It’s really cool stuff and I always see something new.  Dawn’s dad was one of my best friends ever and he passed away several years ago.  Their guest room fills my heart with fond memories.Dawn took the next day off and after breakfast at IHOP she and Eric took Kira to the zoo in Charleston.  Next time I’m going to plan an extra day here so I can go to the zoo with them.  We had a great breakfast; then it was time for one last picture.  You can’t see them in this picture but this little girl has a pair of cowboy boots that she just loves to wear.  Her mom says she even wears them with her pajamas sometimes – my kinda girl for sure.