Good Morning from OZ… ( this is posted on my karicastle.com (journal/blog) as well…see other postings there)

Another wonderful day here in Manilla…this place has been on like a freight train!! (In a good way!)

Everyday we’re gifted with clear skies in the morning then around 9am or so there are cu’s popping in the horizon. By 10am it’s launchable and the day begins.

I’ve been dreaming of a blown out or rain day so that I could take a rest day…but as long as there are clouds in the sky I cant seem to rest so up the hill I go each day!!!!

Luckily I’ve flown here heaps, I’m not in the comp, I feel dialed into my gear so I’m not anxious to go big this week like the pilots in the XC comp that ends today. I can only imagine these guys must be getting pretty tired by now!! The word has it there were flights over 200km again yesterday. Seems to be the norm around here. I DO LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Ever since hearing Ewa’s story my safety margin around clouds has increased…and I was a woos before!!! I can’t seem to shake the story out of my mind as I’m circling up under these clouds. I imagine what it would be like and it gives me the CREAPS!!!

Yesterday I worked all morning and got out to the hill late. I hiked up the mountain and then flew off. Alone in my thoughts and in the air I enjoyed a beautiful flight around the valley. I flew a nice little 55km triangle, it’s a classic flight that takes you on a tour around the valley…up to the north, across to split rock dam, south to Manilla then a straight shot back to Godfrey’s where my car was at. As I was flying to Manilla I saw yet another huge cell that was dumping near Lake Keepit..(good for the lake!)…I kept my eye on it for obvious reasons!!! I was ready to cut the corner at anytime if I needed to get back to goal safely. I made the triangle no worries. Landed at Godfrey’s and about 10 mins later some of the guys that were flying closer to the cell to the west reported everything going up and they were doing everything they could to get down. These were two very experienced comp/acro pilots. It was interesting to me how so many people have a good healthy scare going on, in regards to playing chicken with these cells!!!

Update on the US PG Team….Josh and Bill arrive in Tamworth tomorrow. Tom has been flying his bootie off trying to make up for missing the first three days being without his glider. Lets hope Josh and Bill have better luck. We’ve hired the best team leader as far as I’m concerned, Heather Mull who is an old Ozzie friend that I met back in 1988!!! She just finished running the Bright 123 PG comp last week…she knows her stuff. I’m really excited so see how she’ll work to pull the team together. We have an incredible strong team this year with huge potential….It will be FUN!!! The Canooks who we’re pooling resources with retrieve wise, are all here and practiced up. They’ve been flying hard this past week during the XC comp along with OUR Tom McCune!! It’s been fun being part of it.