Over the years, I’ve been blessed with numerous opportunities to step out of my comfort zone for what, to most, might seem like an insane adventure. Often having made such a commitment, I’ve cursed my temporary madness … but in retrospect, the only regrets I have are the times I allowed sanity to prevail.
Accept the Challenge
My morning tea comes with an inspiring tag. Sometimes a game-changer. Taking a break for a month long cruise with Marie in January left me in a quandary about what to do next. Not just tomorrow – for the rest of my life. At 83, I’m in excellent health, I have a great marriage and family, ...Read moreA Brush with History
Crystal Lake Airport (now Lake in the Hills) was a sleepy airport serving local pilots about 30 miles northwest of O’Hare. It housed a flight school with three trainers and a couple flight instructors. Hangars on the field included one for my dad’s brand new Beechcraft Bonanza – the ultimate single-engine airplane of the time. Even ...Read moreA Mountaintop Experience
Shortly after high school graduation, our son Jeff and a close friend proposed to their fathers an adventure. The four of us would have a father-son bonding experience leaving the modern world behind and following the path of the voyagers through what is now Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. Always ready for an adventure, I ...Read moreFlying After 911
Two days after the World Trade Center Towers were attacked, I had the unique experience of flying a mission for Lifeline Pilots … when the skies over the U.S.A. were cleared of all but F-16s and a handful of emergency medical flights. Here are some stories from that flight: (From LifeLine Pilots: the shortest distance between ...Read moreAm I lucky?
Yes. End of story? No. Last year the Intruder motorhome I bought kind of fell apart and earned the name In-Turd-er. Bad luck. Right? Not really. Over the next eight months, it was transformed into GrandpaLyle’s Ark. And I love the Ark. While the In-Turd-er was sidelined, I was fortunate enough to join a Solid Rock Carpenters trip to Guatemala where we ...Read more