Wings and Wheels

Another early morning to make the trip from Cody to Powell for the air and car show. But it seems there was a late night text the previous evening saying that since we now have two vehicles, the females can sleep in. Since Jake is the only one who checked his phone in the middle of the night, Peggy is the only one who sleeps in. However Deanna and Sheryl do enjoy the extra free time. As they make the drive, they pass the Heart Mountain Japanese internment center which is having a museum dedication today. Wishing they could see that, but there is no time.
Powell is a very small town and the people there are so grateful to us for bringing the Flagship there. The land around Powell is just flat fields with mountains on the horizon. They grow B's here: beans, barley and beets.
The show includes airplanes and cars and there is also an acrobatic air show. We have a good number of people come through the plane. They are all interested in the history of our airplane as are the well behaved children who accompany them. The organizers of the event are also glad to have us there and are paying for 17 memberships for the helpers. We sell some shirts in spite of the fact that our size range is limited. The flights are split into two because of the high altitude and heat. Air is thinner here and the warmer it is , the thinner it is. All the things we haul around with us, like the tent, tools, ladder and so forth have been removed from the plane to make it lighter. The show organizers are helpful in providing a truck for this and help load it.
Peggy plays stewardess and makes the flights fun with her clever banter. The reward for all the work are the wide smiles and enthusiasm of the passengers as they leave the plane. Many of the male passengers are pilots and some of them have taken a few minutes in the right seat. Afterward, a few of them get their logbooks and have Gene sign them off for 8 minutes or so instruction. We like Powell and they like us.
We are surprised to find out that the air show ends at 2PM, and when the two flights are over, and the plane reloaded, we are back at our motel by 5:30. It feels like a vacation after all the long days. The men gather outside to do what these men do.....talk flying. See photo of Gene holding court. Rick, who has pretty much shadowed Gene all day, says he has enjoyed soaking up as much info on the plane as he could.
This evening we have dinner at the Wyoming Rib and Chop House. The food is good, but the margaritas are the worst we have encountered on any of our trips. Perhaps the worst encountered anywhere. Gene makes a mistake of saying, "What time is it, Kids?" Which launches Peggy into a rendition of the Howdy-Doody song. Everyone joins in except Gene who tries to crawl under the table. This is quickly followed by the Mickey Mouse song. The waitstaff acts like this is an everyday occurrence and due to the late hour, there are few others in the restaurant at the time.