SkyDolphin

My heart is breaking over this. I didn't know most of the jumpers on the plane and I had only met Casey a time or two. I haven't jumped in several years but I know many many people both at Kapowsin and Snohomish including Kelly, the brother of one of the jumpers onboard. Those of you who have been around Snohomish for a while will recognize me. Rhonda and my husband, Big Daddy, and Dr. Barry would like to email Kelly. I recognize some of the names on this thread so if any of you have Kelly's email address, please send it to me via private message. I would also like to know about any memorials that will be happening. My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones and friends. Thanks, Rhonda Bailey

I've been in the water with wild dolphins before. They didn't mind my being there as long as I didn't try to reach out and touch them. They would swim by me at incredible speed and I could them brush up against my legs. Be careful though, in some places it's illegal to get into the water with them. Of course, they would have to prove that you did it intentionally. Rhonda

I'm partial to the name Seamus (pronounced Shay Mus for those who are curious) but my birds name is Eric. He is a Gold Capped Conure. He has a cage or perch in every room so he can be with the "flock" no matter where we are but he is never shut up in one except at night and when we are not at home. We started clipping his wings for his own safety. He escaped once and we had a really hard time finding him. Another time he knocked himself senseless when he flew into the picture window in the living room. It took him a few days to recover from that. We had a little parakeet (Seamus) years ago that never had clipped wings and you could take him outside and he wouldn't fly away. He was so cool. He always had free run of the house. Here is a picture of Eric enjoying the sunshine with Richard. http://skydolphin.members.winisp.net/richard/tn_PICT0123.jpg Rhonda

I'm looking forward to spending some time getting to know you, Raistlin. I'll be at the barn riding on Saturday but may stop by Snohomish for a while. If I don't see you Saturday then definately Sunday. Rhonda

It was nice meeting you ever so briefly, Raistlin, as you were walking out the door Saturday night. It sounds like things went well on your little excursion. We arrived at the Kangaroo and Kiwi around 10:30 (we had a Bar Mitzvah to attend earlier in the evening) but they wouldn't let us in because it was so crowded. We sat in the car just outside waiting to see a familiar face and then followed that familiar face to Todd's house. I'm sure we will have more opportunity to talk this weekend. When do you arrive in town? Will you go to Snohomish at all? Rhonda

John, You mean she's really put up with you for over 21 years? WOW. hee hee just kidding! Rhonda

Information has been posted on the Snohomish Web Group about the memorial http://groups.msn.com/skydivesnohomish/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=1&ID_Message=977

You're right. That is so something Josh would appreciate. I'm sure he's laughing his ass off at it. Rhonda

I've been friends with Josh with many years. He was an extremely caring and giving man and a hell of a lot of fun at parties. I am still in shock. I knew he was in pain and I knew all the reasons but I never thought his pain was this deep. I can't help but think that somehow I/we missed the signs. I'm sorry Josh. I wish I could have done more to help you get through the pain. I will always love you man. Blue skies Rhonda

Not True. It takes a lot more time and effort than with a dog but our conure will let us know when he needs to go (he does the pee pee dance) so we can put him back on his cage or perch (his wings are clipped so he can't fly) He also goes in the toilet in the mornings. He will wait until we take him. He will sqawk to let us know he needs to go. Birds are great pets. They become very much a part of the family and have great personalities, but they also have their downsides. Some birds, not all, are chewers so you have to watch for that. There is not getting around the fact that they are messy. They drop their food all over the floor. I would recommend a cage with a seed catcher around the bottom. Some birds are very loud. Cockatiels tend not to be. They make noise all the time but it's not loud. Rhonda

FYI for all you XBOX fans. There is a new game out soon (Forza Motorsport) that two of your fellow skydivers from Seattle are key developers on. Forza Motorsport Rhonda

This makes me so sad. I was at the horse show that day in Culpepper. I didn't actually see his accident. We had gone to another farm down the road to see some miniature horses but heard the sirens and then later heard what had happened. Blue Skies Chris. Rhonda

I went up to the mountain on Sunday hoping to catch some of the action. Figures Mother Nature would wait till Monday. Oh well. It was still fun hanging out, taking pictures and my daughter and I ended up on the KATU (Portland) 11:00 news. She was hula hooping and I guess the reporters were tired of the same old interviews and thought a 12 year old hula hooping in front of the mountain would be something completely different. It was a fun experience for her. Rhonda

THAT SUCKS OUT LOUD!!! It's so like Sprint though. I'm counting down the days until I can get rid of my Sprint service. My contract is up in December. They have the worse billing I've ever seen. For me, they are supposed to automatically take the payment from my checking and so I get bills that say nothing is due. However, about every 6 months the shut down my service for non payment. I just hope who ever "we" go with next is better but I'm not holding my breath. Rhonda

My favorite Capital Hill Restaurant is Bleu Bistro on Broadway. It's a tiny little hole in the wall with all these little cubbies that the tables are in. It's a great place for a date and the food is unusual and very tasty. Rhonda

Tiger Mountain in Issaquah is a nice day hike spot. It's a pretty easy hike but if you go at the right time, you can watch the paragliders from the top. They are there about every weekend when the weather is nice. The Burt Gilman trail is a nice hiking/biking trail although for hiking, it's pretty urban. Renting Kayaks on Lake Union or in the islands is always fun. Rhonda

You definately want to go to Pioneer Square / Doc Maynard's and do the Underground Tour. The best tourist attraction in Seattle in my opinion. Doing a Seaplane tour is pretty cool and a boat trip up to the San Juan Islands is a beautiful way to spend a day. To get an idea of more of the locals atmosphere, Fremont is a fun neighborhood to visit as is Capital Hill and Ballard. Lot's of interesting little shops, restaurants and bars and lot's of freaky people to watch. Golden Gardens in Ballard is a fun spot to visit in the evenings. Lot's of different groups of people hang out there at night and build bonfires on the beach. There are always musicians, drum circles and all sorts of other things to see and listen to there and many groups are pretty cool about letting you join in if you are interested in listening to their music, etc. Seattle is a very cool little city and if you visit soon, you will most likely miss the rainy season the begins about mid October. Rhonda

Fatfree.com also is an all vegetarian/vegan website that has good recipes. I wasn't recommending eating boca burgers everyday but they are handy little buggers and I always keep some in my fridge. Especially in the summer at cookouts. Field Roast is also pretty good on occasion. They even have a Celebration Roast at Thanksgiving/ Christmas that has stuffing in it. Here is a recipe for a Sprouted Seed Sauce that is really yummy and so full of nutrients. It's kind of like a hummus. My yoga instructor gave this to me. 1 cup almonds 3/4 pumpkin 1/2 sunflower 1/2 sesame 1/4 flax split ingredients in to 2 containers & soak in bottled water for 2- 3 days & rinse about every 12 hours thoroughly, may get stinky, that's natural. after the seeds have started sprouting then you can start adding them to the blender w/ water, Pace hotsacue, 2 cups or more for a big batch!!! if you like it hot! I use med. also add fresh garlic cloves about 2-3 depending on how much you like it! also add all the spices you want now! I use Spike Braggs liquid aminos Ms Dash Garlic Salt & Ground Pepper! blend carefully adding enough moisture to blend smooth! NOTE(KEEP A CHOP STICK HANDY TO HELP STIR while blending) Rhonda

Whole Foods Markets are great if you have one near you. Trader Joes is another. Really any grocery store that has an organic or health food section. I find that most major stores carry it in urban areas. I have been a semi-vegetarian (I still eat fish occasionally) for about 5 years now. I eat boca burger a lot and Garden Burger brand makes some really good meat substitutes like bbq ribs and meatloaf. There are lots of alternatives if you know where to look. By a good cookbook. There is one called Moosewood that is really good. I also recommend reading the Diet for a new America by John Robbins. It will give you some good information. Hope this helps. Rhonda

Photos are now up on the site http://benjacobson.com/bensboogie/bensboogiephotos.htm There are some pretty funny ones. Nothing like watching a bunch of skydivers playing croquet. Rhonda

The First annual Ben Jacobson Memorial Boogie (and Croquet Tournament ) was a great success despite the cloudy skies on Friday and Saturday. Everyone had a great time even though not much jumping happened on Friday and Saturday. But hey, we had croquet, horseshoes, bocce, hula hoops and juggling to keep us busy. I think everyone that had the opportunity to do a jump or two with Fritz was pleased. The raffle went well and the Saturday party/BBQ was a blast. I can't wait for the second annual boogie. I'll be posting some photos on Ben's website this evening. I have a few copies of the Flyboyz Film Festival Compilation DVD that Fritz left with me to sell so if there is anyone in the Seattle area that wants one, send me a message. They are $30.00 for a 2 DVD set and well worth it. It contains all the winning films in 4 categories (Comedy, Innovation, Aerial Cinemetography, and Daddy Phats) from the previous 7 Film Festivals. I can't ship them so this is really only for local Seattle folks. Rhonda http://benjacobson.com

My daughter, now almost 13, has pretty much grown up on DZs since she was 4. She has seen lot's of injuries (including my own) and 2 fatalities. She was pretty scared the first time she saw Life Flight fly in but we talked about it a lot. She knows the risks but she also knows that Skydiving is a big part of our lives. She says she wants to jump someday, although her horse has taken us away from the DZ most of the time, and she loves to fly on observation rides when she can. Everyone has to do what they think is best for themselves and their kids but be honest about what you want and why. It will all work out. Rhonda

The boogie is this weekend. Hope to see you all there. Rhonda

Thanks Kristi, It's not to cry when you read his website. I still cry when I read it and I was there through most of it. He was such a remarkable person. Words can never do him justice. Rhonda

I don't really spend much time at the DZ these days and mostly used to jump at Kapowsin. I was there for the ash dive last weekend. You may have met my husband, Richard, AKA Big Daddy. Rhonda