Happenings from the Chicken Dance Ranch
Showing posts with label Storm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storm. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Planes, Trains & Automobiles - Knoxville Style
What an interesting 24 hours or so it was for me starting last Monday afternoon. What was supposed to be a simple couple of flights from Orlando, Florida to Knoxville, Tennessee turned into my own personal version of the Steve Martin and John Candy classic film, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". Luckily my traveling companion was more the Steve Martin funny guy rather than the obnoxious John Candy character.
Our VP of Sales, Pat, and I began our journey in Orlando. We already knew there was bad weather in Tennessee including tornado watches. We crossed our fingers that we'd be able to reach Knoxville that night.
After pulling back from the gate, we sat on a taxi way for about twenty minutes. There apparently was windy weather earlier in Atlanta that impacted flight schedules. Once we were in the air, the flight was fairly uneventful. I did see some large thunderhead-looking clouds, but the ride wasn't very bumpy.
Our layover in Atlanta now shortened, we quickly got to our gate via the underground Plane Train that connects the many concourses only to find our flight had a short delay. No problem, we thought, although we were keeping a close eye on the television screen showing the storms moving across the southeast region.
Boarding time came and went and a thirty minute flight delay was announced. I wasn't really hungry at the time so I opted not to go find something to eat. I figured I could eat once we landed in Knoxville. Pat and I sat through a couple more thirty minute delays before being allowed to board around 10 p.m. The cabin door was closed and then we sat. Finally the captain announced that we will have to take on additional fuel to allow for another routing to Knoxville. Did you know that FAA regulations required the cabin door to be open when fueling? And that once the door closed again, the flight attendant had to repeat the pre-flight instructions? Yep, its true.
Wheels up around 10:40 p.m. and Knoxville here we come. It was supposed to be a forty minute flight from Atlanta. An hour later, the captain came on the PA system to tell us passengers that he was unable to find a hole in the storm to get us down into Knoxville, and instead we are diverting to Greenville/Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina.
A couple of young punks in the rear of the airplane started cussing loudly when this was announced. What is wrong with some people? The captain and crew have put our safety above trying to get us to our intended destination. You just have to go with the flow and suck it up.
When we landed in Greenville, the cabin door was opened so the crew could work with ground crew on determining what the next steps were. We were asked to stay on the plane while the details were worked out. The two punks in the plane came forward and next thing I know, they have been allowed to leave. Good thing.
After about twenty minutes, we were notified that a bus would take us to Knoxville. Pat said there was no way we were getting on a bus and crossing the mountains during a storm at night with tornado watches. It would be about a three to four hour trip (although the airline said it was a two hour trip - not!). It was also not known how long it would take the bus to arrive at the airport. If passengers elected not to take the bus, they would be responsible for their own accommodations overnight and Delta would then fly them back to Atlanta in the morning and then on to Knoxville.
Pat decided we would rent a car, find a hotel, and drive to Knoxville in the morning. After disembarking, we retrieved our luggage from baggage claim and then proceeded to the rental car area. Surprisingly, they were still open at midnight because all of the scheduled inbound flights had not arrived. Pat started at the Avis counter where he was told there weren't any one-way rental cars available. So then he tried the other agencies and struck out there, too. Back to Avis and still the answer was no. Since the problem was the one-way rental issue, he asked about car availability for returning the car back to Greenville. Still nothing available.
At this point we figured we would have to find transportation to a hotel and off he went. I decided I would try the Avis counter one more time. In my nicest voice, I asked again about availability if we returned the car by 5 p.m. the next day. The agent started punching info into her computer and then said she thought she might have a one-way rental for us. The flight had already arrived but the gentleman never claimed his car. It was ours! Score!!! I motioned Pat over to the counter and after completing the paperwork, off we went to procure lodging for the night. On a side note, the punks from earlier were still at another agency's counter, trying to rent a car. I hope karma kept them from getting a car and that they had to ride the bus.
When we landed at Greenville, it was not raining yet. On approach, you could see lots of lightning in the clouds, but no rain. However, by the time we left the parking garage, it was storming furiously. We turned on the radio and the first thing we heard was the emergency broadcast system tones. Great. Here we are somewhere in Greenville and if they are saying there is a tornado, we haven't a clue where it might be.
It was three miles from the airport to the exit where several hotels were located. Three long miles. It was raining, hailing and extremely windy. Visibility was limited and was made even worse when a semi truck passed us and threw up a wall of water. We almost had to stop on the interstate before we could see out of the windshield. We came to an underpass and stopped for a few minutes. I think our nerves were rattled by the storm and lack of visibility. We then drove to a hotel where we got our rooms. I just prayed that a tornado would not come roaring through since nobody would know where I was.
Pat and I met in the lobby the next morning at 8 a.m. to begin our drive to Knoxville. The clerk at the counter told Pat to turn left leaving the parking lot and we'd get to I-26 easily. Ummm, about that. Luckily for us, I bought a new smart phone before leaving on my trip. I fired up the built in nav system and got directions to the interstate. I don't know what the hotel clerk was thinking, but there was no way we'd have gotten to I-26 if it wasn't for the nav system. We were on back country roads including the Cherokee Foothills Parkway and Route 25 before reaching I-26 heading north.
We found a McDonalds at the interchange and an Egg McMuffin never tasted so good. We hadn't eaten since lunch the day before with the exception of a couple of tiny bags of peanuts on the airplane. I was starved!
The trip to Knoxville was a very scenic route crossing the Great Smoky Mountains. We had snow showers in the mountains west of Asheville, North Carolina, so that just added to the types of weather we had experienced. We saw lots of waterfalls coming off the steep hills due to the storm during the night. I wish I would have gotten some decent pictures of them.
We pulled into the Knoxville airport around 11:30 a.m. to return the car and I could pick up my rental for my days there. I'm not sure if the Avis people felt sorry for us or what, but I got to be Mustang Sally. Literally! My rental was a brand spanking new Ford Mustang with less than five miles on the odometer. I've never been the first rental customer in any car, much less a sporty machine. While the blue was bit on the bright side, I wasn't complaining.
The remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles was a wrap!
Our VP of Sales, Pat, and I began our journey in Orlando. We already knew there was bad weather in Tennessee including tornado watches. We crossed our fingers that we'd be able to reach Knoxville that night.
Our Aircraft Approaching the Gate
Clouds Enroute to Atlanta
Boarding time came and went and a thirty minute flight delay was announced. I wasn't really hungry at the time so I opted not to go find something to eat. I figured I could eat once we landed in Knoxville. Pat and I sat through a couple more thirty minute delays before being allowed to board around 10 p.m. The cabin door was closed and then we sat. Finally the captain announced that we will have to take on additional fuel to allow for another routing to Knoxville. Did you know that FAA regulations required the cabin door to be open when fueling? And that once the door closed again, the flight attendant had to repeat the pre-flight instructions? Yep, its true.
Wheels up around 10:40 p.m. and Knoxville here we come. It was supposed to be a forty minute flight from Atlanta. An hour later, the captain came on the PA system to tell us passengers that he was unable to find a hole in the storm to get us down into Knoxville, and instead we are diverting to Greenville/Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina.
A couple of young punks in the rear of the airplane started cussing loudly when this was announced. What is wrong with some people? The captain and crew have put our safety above trying to get us to our intended destination. You just have to go with the flow and suck it up.
When we landed in Greenville, the cabin door was opened so the crew could work with ground crew on determining what the next steps were. We were asked to stay on the plane while the details were worked out. The two punks in the plane came forward and next thing I know, they have been allowed to leave. Good thing.
After about twenty minutes, we were notified that a bus would take us to Knoxville. Pat said there was no way we were getting on a bus and crossing the mountains during a storm at night with tornado watches. It would be about a three to four hour trip (although the airline said it was a two hour trip - not!). It was also not known how long it would take the bus to arrive at the airport. If passengers elected not to take the bus, they would be responsible for their own accommodations overnight and Delta would then fly them back to Atlanta in the morning and then on to Knoxville.
Pat decided we would rent a car, find a hotel, and drive to Knoxville in the morning. After disembarking, we retrieved our luggage from baggage claim and then proceeded to the rental car area. Surprisingly, they were still open at midnight because all of the scheduled inbound flights had not arrived. Pat started at the Avis counter where he was told there weren't any one-way rental cars available. So then he tried the other agencies and struck out there, too. Back to Avis and still the answer was no. Since the problem was the one-way rental issue, he asked about car availability for returning the car back to Greenville. Still nothing available.
At this point we figured we would have to find transportation to a hotel and off he went. I decided I would try the Avis counter one more time. In my nicest voice, I asked again about availability if we returned the car by 5 p.m. the next day. The agent started punching info into her computer and then said she thought she might have a one-way rental for us. The flight had already arrived but the gentleman never claimed his car. It was ours! Score!!! I motioned Pat over to the counter and after completing the paperwork, off we went to procure lodging for the night. On a side note, the punks from earlier were still at another agency's counter, trying to rent a car. I hope karma kept them from getting a car and that they had to ride the bus.
When we landed at Greenville, it was not raining yet. On approach, you could see lots of lightning in the clouds, but no rain. However, by the time we left the parking garage, it was storming furiously. We turned on the radio and the first thing we heard was the emergency broadcast system tones. Great. Here we are somewhere in Greenville and if they are saying there is a tornado, we haven't a clue where it might be.
It was three miles from the airport to the exit where several hotels were located. Three long miles. It was raining, hailing and extremely windy. Visibility was limited and was made even worse when a semi truck passed us and threw up a wall of water. We almost had to stop on the interstate before we could see out of the windshield. We came to an underpass and stopped for a few minutes. I think our nerves were rattled by the storm and lack of visibility. We then drove to a hotel where we got our rooms. I just prayed that a tornado would not come roaring through since nobody would know where I was.
Morning After the Storm - View from Hotel Room
We found a McDonalds at the interchange and an Egg McMuffin never tasted so good. We hadn't eaten since lunch the day before with the exception of a couple of tiny bags of peanuts on the airplane. I was starved!
The trip to Knoxville was a very scenic route crossing the Great Smoky Mountains. We had snow showers in the mountains west of Asheville, North Carolina, so that just added to the types of weather we had experienced. We saw lots of waterfalls coming off the steep hills due to the storm during the night. I wish I would have gotten some decent pictures of them.
We pulled into the Knoxville airport around 11:30 a.m. to return the car and I could pick up my rental for my days there. I'm not sure if the Avis people felt sorry for us or what, but I got to be Mustang Sally. Literally! My rental was a brand spanking new Ford Mustang with less than five miles on the odometer. I've never been the first rental customer in any car, much less a sporty machine. While the blue was bit on the bright side, I wasn't complaining.
The Odometer Reading
Just call me Mustang Sally!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Skywatch Friday - Rays of Light
Taken along the Oregon coast during our trip last week.
Click on the banner above and see what other great skies are being shared by the Skywatch participants. Thanks to the Skywatch team for hosting this great meme each week!
A Break in the Storm - Oregon Coast
Click on the banner above and see what other great skies are being shared by the Skywatch participants. Thanks to the Skywatch team for hosting this great meme each week!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 2 of Our Oregon Adventure
Day 2 took us from Newport to the Charleston area which is near Coos Bay / North Bend. We were scheduled to rendezvous with our neighbors and friends, Don and Debi, in their RV. But first...
We noticed the day before that our intermittent windshield wipers were acting up. Sometimes we would get one swipe across the windshield and other times would get up to nine. Crazy! We thought maybe the relay for the wiper was going bad. We decided to take a slight detour back into Newport and find an auto parts store. The store did not stock the relay and pointed us to the local Dodge dealer who also did not have the part in stock. We made the call to continue on and order the part when we got to the Coos Bay area since we knew we would be there for a couple of days.
Before leaving Newport, we visited the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, not to be confused with the Yaquina Head Light. It was built in 1871 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also is the Oregon state park system. The morning we were there, it was all shuttered up (maybe to protect it from the recent storms) but I understand that there are hours of operation when you can tour the light. It is still a working light from dusk to dawn.
We left Newport and started our journey south to Charleston, a distance of just over one hundred miles.
Before long, we came to a pull out along the coast at Cape Perpetua, south of Yachats. Just so you know, Yachats is pronounced YA-hots. This place looked interesting, we thought. We got out and were greeted by two volunteers with whalespoken.org. Seems this was the peak migration week for the gray whales from the Arctic Circle to their winter grounds in the warm waters off of Baja California where their young are born. On this day, the high winds and white-capped waves made whale watching a difficult task. Normally the whales are easily spotted when they surface and blow to replenish their oxygen supply. The wind made it very difficult to distinguish the spray off of the breaking waves from surfacing whales. The cold rain also did not encourage us to spend much time gazing out across the ocean.
One neat thing about Cape Perpetua is the chasm there. The crashing waves would come in and blast the rocks, roil up into the chasm, and if lucky, spout out through a small hole in the rocks near the upper end. We walked down the path to try and get a better look at the spout hole. One wave had just come in and launched a nice little demostration that we caught the tail end of. We wanted to see the whole thing! So we waited and watched. And waited and watched. There were a few times we thought here it comes, only to see nothing.
Out near the end of the chasm, there was a large round hole in the rocks that I likened to a witch's cauldron. With much more frequency, water would bubble up out of it. I was able to capture a few pictures of the bubbling brew.
The cold rain and wind soon drove us back to the warmth of truck. As we got in, I noticed my cell phone was missing. I looked around the truck - no phone. Then I remembered what I did with. It was back in Newport at the campground on the picnic table! In the rain, no less. What had happened was earlier that morning, we needed to resecure the kayak on the roof of the camper. We were using a ratcheting tie-down system that we had threaded wrong. I used the internet capabilities on the phone to look up how to properly rig the tie-down straps. And then promptly forgot to stick the phone back in my pocket. Duh!
Luckily, before departing the campground we stopped in at the hospitality yurt where we were given a nice little magazine with all of the Oregon state park information. I quickly got it out and lo and behold, there was a phone number for the park. Using Karl's cell phone, I called the park and explained my predicament. The ranger said to call back in five minutes - he would go check our campsite for the phone. I called back after the allotted time and sure enough, the phone was still there on the picnic, open just like I left it, but now it was wet. The ranger said it was still working though. I said we were on our way back to retrieve it. We had about 30 miles to back track to the campground.
After picking up the phone and a bag of free freshly popped corn, we were on our way south again. Actually, we tell ourselves that we liked that part of the coast route so much, we wanted to see it three times!
The weather was increasing in intensity as we drove to Charleston, so we kept our stops to a minimum. We made a quick stop in North Bend for supplies and then hooked up with Don and Debi.
The intent was to stay at Sunset Bay state park but we changed our minds and went to Oceanside RV park just up the road from the state park. Don and Debi had stayed here previously so we went with what they knew. We each fixed our own dinners and then played Apples to Apples, a riotous card game that had us practically rolling on their motorhome floor. Then we retired for the evening.
Worst. Night. Ever. Our campsite offered little in the way of protection from the winds off of the ocean. I thought for sure the wind gusts were going to blow the camper over a couple of times during the night. Plus the wonderful ratchet strap was vibrating non-stop throughout the night. I eventually got some sleep from 4:30 a.m. until about 7:15 a.m. Needless to stay, I was a little crabby after that.
Day 3 coming up....Charleston to Brookings
We noticed the day before that our intermittent windshield wipers were acting up. Sometimes we would get one swipe across the windshield and other times would get up to nine. Crazy! We thought maybe the relay for the wiper was going bad. We decided to take a slight detour back into Newport and find an auto parts store. The store did not stock the relay and pointed us to the local Dodge dealer who also did not have the part in stock. We made the call to continue on and order the part when we got to the Coos Bay area since we knew we would be there for a couple of days.
Before leaving Newport, we visited the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, not to be confused with the Yaquina Head Light. It was built in 1871 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also is the Oregon state park system. The morning we were there, it was all shuttered up (maybe to protect it from the recent storms) but I understand that there are hours of operation when you can tour the light. It is still a working light from dusk to dawn.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Before long, we came to a pull out along the coast at Cape Perpetua, south of Yachats. Just so you know, Yachats is pronounced YA-hots. This place looked interesting, we thought. We got out and were greeted by two volunteers with whalespoken.org. Seems this was the peak migration week for the gray whales from the Arctic Circle to their winter grounds in the warm waters off of Baja California where their young are born. On this day, the high winds and white-capped waves made whale watching a difficult task. Normally the whales are easily spotted when they surface and blow to replenish their oxygen supply. The wind made it very difficult to distinguish the spray off of the breaking waves from surfacing whales. The cold rain also did not encourage us to spend much time gazing out across the ocean.
Looking North from Cape Perpetua
One neat thing about Cape Perpetua is the chasm there. The crashing waves would come in and blast the rocks, roil up into the chasm, and if lucky, spout out through a small hole in the rocks near the upper end. We walked down the path to try and get a better look at the spout hole. One wave had just come in and launched a nice little demostration that we caught the tail end of. We wanted to see the whole thing! So we waited and watched. And waited and watched. There were a few times we thought here it comes, only to see nothing.
Out near the end of the chasm, there was a large round hole in the rocks that I likened to a witch's cauldron. With much more frequency, water would bubble up out of it. I was able to capture a few pictures of the bubbling brew.
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble!
Luckily, before departing the campground we stopped in at the hospitality yurt where we were given a nice little magazine with all of the Oregon state park information. I quickly got it out and lo and behold, there was a phone number for the park. Using Karl's cell phone, I called the park and explained my predicament. The ranger said to call back in five minutes - he would go check our campsite for the phone. I called back after the allotted time and sure enough, the phone was still there on the picnic, open just like I left it, but now it was wet. The ranger said it was still working though. I said we were on our way back to retrieve it. We had about 30 miles to back track to the campground.
After picking up the phone and a bag of free freshly popped corn, we were on our way south again. Actually, we tell ourselves that we liked that part of the coast route so much, we wanted to see it three times!
The weather was increasing in intensity as we drove to Charleston, so we kept our stops to a minimum. We made a quick stop in North Bend for supplies and then hooked up with Don and Debi.
The Bridge over the Coos Bay into North Bend
Worst. Night. Ever. Our campsite offered little in the way of protection from the winds off of the ocean. I thought for sure the wind gusts were going to blow the camper over a couple of times during the night. Plus the wonderful ratchet strap was vibrating non-stop throughout the night. I eventually got some sleep from 4:30 a.m. until about 7:15 a.m. Needless to stay, I was a little crabby after that.
Day 3 coming up....Charleston to Brookings
Monday, October 18, 2010
Viva, Las Vegas!
A few weeks ago, I had to take a quick, two night trip to Las Vegas. It was mostly work all day but I did get a couple of hours of personal time. The last time I was in Vegas was probably 4 or 5 years ago and there were a few new things to see.
On approach to McCarren International Airport, I could see storms out in the desert area. As the plane banked again, there were more thunderheads out towards Lake Mead. Lightning was snaking through the dark clouds as the storm dumped buckets of rain below. Once we got on the ground, I could turn my cellphone on to try and capture the storm. Luckily, it was dry at the airport.
Taxiing to the Gate
Our conference was held at Bally's towards the south end of the Strip. This was the view from my room. Considering I wasn't paying for the room, no real complaints from me. It was a large and clean room compared to some I've stayed in.
Room with a View?
I had a short opportunity to "walk" out to the Strip in front of the hotel before meeting some of the others for dinner. It was a series of moving sidewalks and escalators to go from the hotel lobby to the action out front.
Walkway to the Strip
In Front of Bally's with Paris Next Door
After dinner and a quick meeting, I got to look out from the 26th floor meeting room of Bally's over the Las Vegas skyline. Nice view from up there!
Looking North on the Strip
Before I knew it, it was time to go to bed. No late nights for me!
Las Vegas Sunrise
The next day was spent in our meeting and then dinner with our group. Our group got to go to Spago's at Caeser's Palace. OMG! It was delicious. I had the most wonderful crab and avocado salad, mushroom soup, and halibut entree. Dessert was...meh. It was a chocolate donut with a scoop of vanilla ice cream concoction. At least the dinner itself was superb.
Nighttime on the Las Vegas Strip provides plenty of entertainment without going into one of the many casinos and clubs. This guy had transformed himself and was posing for photos right in front of Bally's.
Transformer Performer
One more morning meeting the next day and then it was time to head to the airport and back home. As we got closer to Seattle, I was able to see Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier from my window seat. Cool! This is why I like window seats rather than aisle ones.
Three Mountains - St. Helens (center), Rainier (left) & Adams (right)
It felt good to get home however and sleep in my own bed.
On approach to McCarren International Airport, I could see storms out in the desert area. As the plane banked again, there were more thunderheads out towards Lake Mead. Lightning was snaking through the dark clouds as the storm dumped buckets of rain below. Once we got on the ground, I could turn my cellphone on to try and capture the storm. Luckily, it was dry at the airport.
Taxiing to the Gate
Room with a View?
Walkway to the Strip
In Front of Bally's with Paris Next Door
Looking North on the Strip
Las Vegas SunriseNighttime on the Las Vegas Strip provides plenty of entertainment without going into one of the many casinos and clubs. This guy had transformed himself and was posing for photos right in front of Bally's.
Transformer Performer
Three Mountains - St. Helens (center), Rainier (left) & Adams (right)It felt good to get home however and sleep in my own bed.
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