SORRY there seem to be some problems with the pictures in my blog. Everything is OK when I write it , after publishing some pictures are grey. Working on it!!!!

December 21.
Longest day here, shortest in Europe so winter/summer arrive again in due time!! No worries!!!!!

As promised some pictures from the main entrance of the airport.

And some history of the planes.

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Hope you enjoy and appreciate this bit of history about this huge WW2-airfield.

—-Our family has arrived in Singapore and are living -the-life-there. So they should. They will continue to most probably Darwin and via Ayers Rock to arrive here on the 24st for their Christmas stay with us till January 4.
Today I got the message that they ARE in Darwin.

—–In between lot’s of friends enjoy still great flying in South Africa and Namibia. Some German pilots live- the-soaring- life in Chile. They flew in an ARCUS M and a Ventus 2CM/18 m. 1.221 and 1.260 km. in a yo-yo wave flight from Munivitacura.
Keith Essex flew between December 4 and 19, from Kiripotib,10 fabulous flights between 729 and 1. 256 km. All in the Arcus M.except for the last one in the magic ANTARES 23 E.
Kiripotib shared a link , via Ludwig, from some nice pictures taken from above!! Enjoy.

http://kiripotib.com/soaring/wp/de/2017/12/20/aus-der-luft/

—–Kuruman is not so often in the publicity, so I should mention straight away the fabulous flight from 2 of my Dutch mates Hans and Alfred Paul from this hidden paradise.I knew about Kuruman because my German mates fly there already for a long time.They are there this year as well.
The “boys” flew a great 1.229 km.distance in the Nimbus 4DM with a speed of 140 km./h. with one “leg” of 542 km.
3 More 1000 km.tasks from Kuruman that day on December 20.

“Day 9- what a day! Plan worked out and after our launch at 10.05 we first needed the engine for 20 min to reach 1500 AGL (as we didn’t flew yesterday we had some spare minutes:). Heading to the east it became clear it would be a proper day with 6,2m/s at 11.45 and 7 m/s at 12.30 🙂 After 250km flying to the East the cloud base dropped and the lift did as well – therefore we went to the West until it turned blue. Brilliant day of flying from Kuruman.”

—–We were not the only one’s here down under , who had a big storm.
I share the next message and the pictures.
“Yesterday things got exciting in Bitterwasser. Early in the morning we knew that there would be thunderstorms. But you never know exactly where they’re going to be. For the first time this season we had a thunderstorm reaching towards Bitterwasser.
I went to the pool in the afternoon. Enjoying the sun a bit before the gliders are coming back – that was the plan. Right at the pool one thing was different – normally you see a beautiful blue sky through the palm trees. But this time the sky was deep black. „Well, not that serious“ I thought. We have seen lots of thunderstorms passing the airfield during the last weeks. They never came close. Some minutes later I looked at the sky again. Something had changed. The color. The black sky was now painted with yellowish stripes and waves. Interesting. „Maybe I should take some photos.“ OK – let’s go. When I came to the palm alley the wind was getting stronger dramatically. The sky continued changing. I couldn’t tell what I was looking at. Yellow and brown colors in the sky. Some reflexes? Rubbish! That’s sand! The gusts roller was approaching. It was rotating. It was rising into the sky. Than it hit the palm alley.
A few landed just before the gusts arrived. Everyone was in a hurry putting them to their safe parking lots. We ran to the gliders and were helping as good as we could. Than it started to rain. The pan can become muddy when it is raining. In that case we still have one paved runway – 09 Hangar. At this moment still six gliders where flying. Good thing about thunderstorms is that you can fly around them. Around the thunderstorm the weather was still very good. So no problem at all. Right before sunset last gliders arrived in Bitterwasser and could land on our hangar runway safely. Everybody home. Time for dinner.”

Pictures shared by Bitterwasser Lodge and Flying Center.

          

No words needed we ALL know the feeling of such a moment and it remains for long in the mind and in the conversations later, even years later !!!!!!!

——Still domestic job’s here. New gutters on the hangar roof, finally the cooker hood has been installed in the kitchen. In Diana’s trailer they put a solar powered ventilator for fresh air.

        

By the way I woke up at 6 as I was COLD. Put the dona over me and slept again. First time, this visit,  I was COLD…12 dgr. at 6 AM!!!!

As said Dundee and I pruned the oleander at Dennis.

          

Everything clean around the grave and pruned .We did even clean the grave of his Dutch neighbor as you can see, who also shares now the shade of the “oleander- umbrella” as well.

        

Dennis ……a view over the cemetery …….and the grave of Rebecca, a 12 year old drowning in the Murray River when she was only 12 years old in 1887. 100 years before Dennis.

Enough. Next week when the family is here I might have less time , so what ‘s nice to know about Toc . I share these days.

Cheers Ritz