Friday, November 24 -Day after Thanksgiving 2006.
I drove to Ellenville, for a near perfect forecast, only to find conditions lighter and more northerly than predicted. But I set up my glider and Todd set up his, and when the first pilot launched, we stood and watched him sled to the LZ and make it short of the mowed field. Ah well, maybe I could do better- I had seen an eagle and a hawk climbing out earlier from the LZ, so I turned back to get into my glider. I spotted my dog, off to the north of launch, struggling with something. I figured she was eating a field mouse or someone's cast -off sandwich, but upon closer inspection, I saw the telltale spines sticking from her whole face. She had porcupine quills all through her nose, muzzle, tongue, roof of her mouth- she couldn't even close her mouth! At first I thought all I needed was a pair of pliers, but when another pilot produced one, I saw there was no way I could remove all of the quills with her swiping at her face and drooling and struggling. I put her in the car and drove to a nearby animal hospital that a woman on launch knew about. Well that vet was gone, but her receptionist got me into another place in Walden. I tried to beg for tranquilizers- I am a licensed Vet Tech and I have removed quills before, but no, she sent me to the other vet. They took Meesha in and told me to come back at around 5:30. So I went back to launch, and by now it's pretty dead. Everyone else had launched but 4 gliders, and so Todd and I took our sledders like men. His launch looked great, mine was a little slow, but halfway decent considering the very light wind and somewhat shallow slope. We packed up in the LZ, someone brought my car down (thanks!) and then I got Todd back to the top and I went to get the dog. Rimadyl, amoxicillin, and $388 later, a very doped up Meesha and I headed home. I drove.
Todd has some pics of the porcupine, who was limping (ha!) and the quilled muzzle, and even a video of my less than great landing, so maybe I'll post links to them them here. Or maybe he'll put them on his blog. So a little more on this when he gets back from Jersey, but after that, I think I will retire my blog for a while. It comes under too much criticism and I don't like people reading between my lines. I will still chronicle my flights privately for when I am old and crippled, but not publicly. Not for a while anyways. So.... fly safe, fly high, fly far.
I drove to Ellenville, for a near perfect forecast, only to find conditions lighter and more northerly than predicted. But I set up my glider and Todd set up his, and when the first pilot launched, we stood and watched him sled to the LZ and make it short of the mowed field. Ah well, maybe I could do better- I had seen an eagle and a hawk climbing out earlier from the LZ, so I turned back to get into my glider. I spotted my dog, off to the north of launch, struggling with something. I figured she was eating a field mouse or someone's cast -off sandwich, but upon closer inspection, I saw the telltale spines sticking from her whole face. She had porcupine quills all through her nose, muzzle, tongue, roof of her mouth- she couldn't even close her mouth! At first I thought all I needed was a pair of pliers, but when another pilot produced one, I saw there was no way I could remove all of the quills with her swiping at her face and drooling and struggling. I put her in the car and drove to a nearby animal hospital that a woman on launch knew about. Well that vet was gone, but her receptionist got me into another place in Walden. I tried to beg for tranquilizers- I am a licensed Vet Tech and I have removed quills before, but no, she sent me to the other vet. They took Meesha in and told me to come back at around 5:30. So I went back to launch, and by now it's pretty dead. Everyone else had launched but 4 gliders, and so Todd and I took our sledders like men. His launch looked great, mine was a little slow, but halfway decent considering the very light wind and somewhat shallow slope. We packed up in the LZ, someone brought my car down (thanks!) and then I got Todd back to the top and I went to get the dog. Rimadyl, amoxicillin, and $388 later, a very doped up Meesha and I headed home. I drove.
Todd has some pics of the porcupine, who was limping (ha!) and the quilled muzzle, and even a video of my less than great landing, so maybe I'll post links to them them here. Or maybe he'll put them on his blog. So a little more on this when he gets back from Jersey, but after that, I think I will retire my blog for a while. It comes under too much criticism and I don't like people reading between my lines. I will still chronicle my flights privately for when I am old and crippled, but not publicly. Not for a while anyways. So.... fly safe, fly high, fly far.
posted by Linda Salamone at
Saturday, November 25, 2006
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