Before stroke and after I wake up around 4am.
It goes way back to my younger days when I used to work for North Coast Helicopter Company. We had to be on site at a vineyard in Napa California to spread sulfur on the grapes. Because when the sun would rise, the heat would cause the sulfur to stop falling on the grapes from the stainless steel hoppers and catch on fire!
It was a beautiful blue flame but if the pilot did close the slide gate to the hopper in time and stop the flame, well lets just say it wasn't good!
Most Pilots were former Vietnam Pilots and had no fear!
I remember they thought it was funny to hover, tell me to look up only to see a power wire just above the Helicopter. They thought this was funny and start laughing! Of course they knew this scared the ---- out of me!
Or they would be flying under power lines, heading straight towards a large stand of Eucalyptus Trees and at the last second, pull up! The chopper would shake, the engine would struggle, as we now were climbing the tree face vertical. Only to barely miss the tops of the trees!
As if that wasn't scary enough, they would know the vineyard continued on the other side (not telling on purpose) and once at the very tops of the trees they would push the stick forward now heading straight for the ground! (Did I mention these where former Vietnam Pilots? No fear!)
Of course they would wait until the last second and pull out! Once again the chopper would begin to struggle and once again thought I was going to die, as we did the rest of the dusting run.
Sorry memory hit..............now where was I, Oh ya stars! lol
So I get up around 4am and see the stars so clearly that I could see all the galaxies! It was awesome!
Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood stroke survivor,
Aaron
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